Not So Great

Yesterday wasn't one of the best.  I remembered just in the nick of time that it was Tuesday, threw on my clothes, threw the trash bags in the back of the truck (didn't bother with the barrel) and Bess and I raced down the road to wait for Trash Guy when he finished with the winery next door.  I had a dead chicken in the bag, so I couldn't hold off a week.  It might be a gross thought, but given the life span of chickens, there's naught else to do.  Even ten acres aren't enough to bury every one that dies.

Mission accomplished, I headed down to the barn.  Inga is always first up for milking.  Brushing her down, I noted that her hind leg and underbelly were damp.  Hmmm.  There is sometimes a pee-puddle in their stalls, but the girls rarely to never lie in those areas, so what was going on?  I found out soon enough and it wasn't good.  As soon as I touched the udder, milk poured from her left teat, and I mean poured.  Going around to that side, to my horror I found a tear in the bag above the teat that was leaking like Niagara.  Between the rock and the hard place, I had no choice but to milk out the right side, trying not to touch the left.  There had been no sign of injury the night before, so what could have happened?  There is nothing in her stall that could have caught her, and it didn't look like any animal bite.  Poor girl.  Wondering, wondering as I milked, it dawned on me that perhaps Tessie had gored Inga.  Because I milk only once a day, most milk production occurs overnight, hence no leakage in the evening.  I always use two buckets, so her milk could be kept separate and be disposed.  Using what I had on hand, I packed the wound with salve and used a spray antiseptic last night.  I am so hoping this will be self-healing, for both our sakes.

With the work crew coming on Saturday, I had to get one more storm door for the feed barn.  I called my favorite home-improvement store to be sure they had the right size in stock.  They did not and it would have to be special ordered with a delivery date well past my time frame.  Aarrgh.  I called another store in the other direction.  Yes!  They had one and would hold it for me.  This store and I have not had a good history and it was desperation that made me drive into town, a 40-mile round trip.  There must be new management because there was a lot of friendly, helpful employees (unlike past experience) and I was in and out with the door in no time.  The door is still in the back of the truck.  It took two guys to put it there, and only me to get it out.  Hmmm.

I was really, really glad to see the sun go down on what was a not-so-great day.