Training, farm purchases, puppies, weather

I have been in work related training classes over the past two days and will continue that patter through today. For the past two days, the training has been in classes that I will be responsible for in the coming months. Yesterday’s class – a Master Trainer Class – is one I will have broad latitude to restructure and revise. It’s a little daunting at first glance but as I pace through it I will be able to see the process unfold. The class today is a continuation or elaboration of the Master Trainer dealing specifically with course development. That is a new area of application for the past experience I have in creating courses and writing procedures. Now I can learn how to do it properly. I would like to have a look back at the training and tests I created years ago – without the benefit of training – to compare it to what I am now learning. That could be fun.

Wednesday afternoon, Norman and Seth went to buy us a pig. They ended up having to go back after the pig because she was too big to fit into the crate Mama and Norman took the day before. The larger crate, which she might not have fit into either, is still with Millie at Rick Gieslend’s place in Bowie. I am not sure if the crate would have held the little sow but it worked out okay that they had to make the extra trip. They have a small trailer at the place where they are living in Bowie that is set up for smaller animals. Mama and I need to get one like for the sheep and goats (and pigs) since we are planning on staying with that type of livestock. The larger stock trailer we have now is great for cattle but does not work well for anything else. Plus, it requires a lot of room to maneuver. Anyway, the pig is about one hundred and forty pounds at present. That weight is a best guess by Norman and Seth after they had to wrestle it off the smaller trailer. We will see how good a pig she turns out to be over the course of the next several days. They were leaving as I got home that evening.

Mama was in the back yard as Normand and Seth passed me on their way out. She was selling a puppy. That was the first real sale. There had been a lot of calls but few takers to that point, but over the last two days Mama had concluded the sale on two more pups – all of them were males. We still have seven females to go so I am praying that they sell quickly. They are very cute, furry little balls of fluff right now and I hope to sell them before they grow out of that cute stage. It makes them far easier to market when they look so cute and innocent and still have that puppy smell to add to the appeal. Unfortunately, none of those attractive traits will last very much longer.

The weather is supposed to turn sharply cooler and wetter today through the weekend. We are not expecting any freezing conditions but we are less than two hours east of the line drawn by those that predict such eventualities. Here in north Texas it is not impossible for the temperatures to shift enough to bring the ice into our area. We will just have to get up Sunday morning and see what we have to deal with. I do not expect any hardships but it is too early to tell. Mama and Victoria are already dreading the wet because of having to confine the puppies to their shelter. Even at five weeks old, they have gotten used to having the freedom to roam the back yard, going in and out of the building at will. Cooping the poor little dears up seems almost cruel to Mama and Victoria. It does increase the labor in cleaning up their living space since being confined will not slow their bowels or their bladders. I predict some spot cleaning of all the little ones will be in order once the storm passes.

Me? I am just loving the little surprises they leave for me all over the place.