Catsplosion

[altivo]

A couple of years ago, our large volunteer barn cat moved into the house through the dog door and decided he liked it better in here. On the whole, he's a very nice and friendly animal and we don't object much except when he occasionally brings a vole or mouse in from outdoors (usually they are still very much alive.)

Well, this spring three other apparently unattached cats from the area have taken up occupancy in our barns. We assumed they were after mice, and since we have too many, that's ok, too. One of them used to stalk birds in the yard until I harassed him a bit with a slingshot and dried beans. Now he stays away from the bird feeders and waits for mice in and around the barn. Until today, I'd seen no evidence that any of the three were actually catching mice. However, this particular one was eating a mouse just outside the barn door when I walked past him this afternoon. Ick. But he seemed quite satisfied with it.

In contrast to the rain, rain, rain we had in May and June, now we have daily forecasts of rain that never falls. Everything is drying out. Even the mosquito population is starting to shrink noticeably. Oddly enough, though, we still have no hay deliveries. Despite repeated messages left for our customary supplier, who has sold us all our hay for the last ten years, no response and no hay. If he doesn't respond by tomorrow, we will be forced to start calling other suppliers in order to get what we need before the season's over. This seems very strange, but we have no way of telling what's going on. Switching suppliers probably means a higher price, but within ten days we will be dead out of hay here.

August is shaping up to be the month with no weekends. All of them are eaten up by one thing or another, most of which are commitments that can't be broken or rearranged. I don't like that, but I know some people thrive on it. I generally prefer weekends to be unplanned, quiet, and lazy whenever possible.

The cold is still here. Today is the seventh day since I noticed the first symptoms. Yuck.

Comments

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

Our hay has all been sold. Sorry.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what worries me. You are probably not alone.

[aureth.livejournal.com]

I know people who would love to sell you hay, if it gets to that point. Three, in fact. Just let me know, and I'll get you phone numbers.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Unfortunately, we have limitations. No truck or hay wagons of our own, and we can only handle and store the small square bales. The horses need low alfalfa or all grass hay. This often rules out many suppliers. Our regular guy is about five miles from here, and brings loaded wagons to us. We unload and he picks up the empty the next day as a rule. He doesn't charge for that, but I can pay something for the privilege if necessary. We generally need about 750 bales a year, and start stashing them in early July, getting the last in on the third cutting in August. I haven't seen nearly as much hay moving around on the roads this year, and am wondering if the wet spring and sudden cool weather have caused major problems. (And will mean ouchy prices... but I have to buy, no choice.)

[aureth.livejournal.com]

First cutting hay this year was pretty late due to the rainy weather, and is of fairly low quality due to how large the hay got before it was cut. Lots of rained on hay around, too, which may lead to more mold problems. Second and third cuttings should be pretty darn good, though, and there should be plenty of it due to all the rainy, cool weather (a blessing and a curse!).

The suppliers I know are all around McHenry or Richmond, of course, which is where I do most of my work. They all deliver to some degree, and they all do small square bales. Most of them raise hay for horses because there are so many of them in the area, which means the alfalfa content will be fairly low. You'd certainly be better off with another local as any of my guys will certainly charge for deliver. Your current guy is clearly shooting himself in the foot...when I was selling hay with my parents, we would fall over ourselves to get customers to take full wagons from us. Less work for us! Hopefully he'll finally call you back.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I figured the distance would make for a less ideal arrangement, but it's still good to know that we can find someone who has the hay we need. We have paid delivery charges once or twice in the past under similar circumstances, though not from quite that far. Normally by this time of year there are signs out all around here advertising hay, and I haven't seen one. The real difficulty in the past has been finding the low alfalfa mix. There's plenty of hay being grown right here still, but most of it seems to go into round bales and is alfalfa rich, even though the horse population in the area has been rising.

I know we have been lucky in our line of supply. Jeff is pretty diversified and could switch a lot of acreage from hay to some other crop any time he chose to do it. I was really worried that he'd bite on the ethanol bubble and turn his hayfields into corn, but he didn't. He took the same view I did, and declared it a mistake to do that. Seems we were right at least this time.

The wet weather in May and June was a major issue, I know. It caused enough problems just here in our little microcosm. We had overgrown weedy pastures with standing water in them, and my vegetable garden is almost a total washout. The farmstand vegetable folks are late too, not having much to sell yet.

In theory, with three smallish horses and three acres of pasture, I could get through a summer without using supplementary hay at all, but I'd still have to buy hay for winter. Our real problem is the sheep flock, such as it is. There are just eight of them, and no more lambs, but they eat a lot. We're probably going to have to get rid of them soon, which isn't an easy decision.

[silver-kiden.livejournal.com]

hey, it's not swine flu, is it?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It's not flu. No fever, for one thing. Just cold symptoms, and not even really severe ones. I've had much worse. It just seems to be lasting forever, though I do think it's starting to let go now.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

Cats are like that. We have a street cat who moves into our house from time to time. She sits on my seat in the living room smiling at me in that way that cats do, flexing her claws and daring me to move her.

[hellmutt.livejournal.com]

I positively invite the kittens across the road (who are no longer kittens, but still live across the road) into our house. Piper hates it.

Poor stinky herbivores with no hay. :( I'm sure you'll get it sorted one way or the other, but still. I hate having to switch providers for things; happy customers are loyal customers and I prefer to be both.

Watch out that it's not cat allergies!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

No, I'm not allergic to cats. Unless I rub my eyes with them.

We herbivores are nowhere near as stinky as carnivores are, so there. Our dog Sarah can turn the air in an entire room green and toxic in an instant. Unless they've been fed some nasty medicine, the horses never smell so bad as that.

The two resident cats are showing no hostilities toward the three new arrivals, only a sort of idle curiosity. It's rather amusing to watch, really. Rikki, the big one who used to be master of the horse barns, is so self confident that nothing ever seems to bother him. He just sort of idly strolls around watching to see what the interlopers are doing, but never challenges them. He does, however, chase the neighbors' infernal little yapping dog-things away. Most of them whimper and run at the mere sight of him. I suppose that might be why the other cats are showing up... We've become a cat-safe zone.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

*can't continue because he's laughing so
hard imaging you with two mewling cats, one
in each hand, rubbing them into your eyes. The
cats going @.@*

XD

Sorry!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Glad someone got it. That was indeed the intended image.

The truth is, if I pet some cats (probably those with Siamese blood, if my analysis is correct) and then rub my eyes without having washed first, I will have bloodshot, runny eyes for a day or so. It's quite dramatic.

But other than that, cats don't make me sneeze or clog up or break out in a rash.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Cat-safe zone? does that apply to me? :D

Yes during the summer if I don't bathe kitty every so often and put my hands near my eyes after patting her I get the same thing. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You are safe from dogs when in our barns, yes.

No promises about being safe from horses though. ;p

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Well I didn't want eat the mice so I thought the US chapter of feline kind could help you out :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You were just waiting for me to provide bearnaise sauce and asparagus au gratin to go along with the mice, that's all. These guys settle for ketchup.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Hey I can't help appreciating good food :) Do you deny you eat good food.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Nope, can't deny that. Just about anything home made is good, and that's almost all we ever eat here. So if you catch the mice I'll make them into a pie for you. How's that?