Predators and protectors, surprise expense, known expenses

Mama are seeing an increase in predators – coyotes specifically. Even before we moved the little ones to the paddock and lot on the East side of the property, we were seeing coyotes in the fiend across the road from us. Often two at a time. One time, while Sam and Sasha were on the trail of one at the far side of the field, another stood very near our property close to the fence line above the quarry lake and just watched the big dogs run off the coyote at the far end of the field. Mama and I watched as Sam and Sasha tracked back across the field and began to sniff out the one we could clearly see. As they zeroed in on that coyote, he finally took off into the tree line and disappeared. Sam and Sasha made their way slowly back to the house. Mama suggested that I try to shoot the coyote nearest us, but it was more than 150 yards away. It would have been a difficult shot through the trees. I erred on the side of caution that time. Besides, Sam and Sasha do not like gunfire.

Now every evening we are hearing the coyotes behind the house. It is difficult to tell how many are hunting in the pack, but it sounds like a lot. Sam and Sasha spend the entire night barking to warn them off, but if this keeps up, they will eventually find a weakness in our defenses. Unless I can start killing them off. With the travel plans we have for the next several weeks, that does not seem likely. It only reinforces the plan on Mama’s part to get a pup to raise up to replace Sam. Sam is having difficulty getting up and down. He has a hip issue that is slowing him down significantly and he is almost eight years old. His running days are coming to an end and we really do need the working dogs to protect our goats. So, we’ll be taking on the challenge of training another guard dog for the farm soon. I am thankful I took the time to make a path beside the shop for Sam and Sasha to have quick access to the back of the property. They have worn a clear path from that access at the back of the shop toward the back fence.

Victoria got an unpleasant surprise on her phone bill yesterday. It seems Mama had been calling Cori on a number that generated international charges when called from a US phone. Fortunately, the charges only amounted to about $120 for the month in question. It could have been much worse. Mama and Victoria got the issue straightened out by queuing the right number for Mama to use in making those calls without charge in the future. It would have been nice to have been warned that the number being used would generate the charges we accumulated, but no such information was given. Lesson learned. I will just count it among the expenses incurred in our trip to Honduras since I had to use the little cash we had left over from that trip to cover it.

I had been scheduled for a pulmonary function test at the hospital tomorrow, but I called to cancel the test because I am still dealing with a cough and a mild bronchitis. I told Mama there was no reason to try to complete the test with my respiratory issues because the hospital would most certainly have charged me for an inconclusive test. As if to reinforce that thought, I got a call later in the day from the billing office at the hospital letting me know that my portion of the cost for the test was going to be $226.09. Good thing I cancelled. That is an expense I would like to avoid for the time being. I have ninety days from the order being issued to get the test done – if I choose to do so – so there is no harm in waiting a bit.

Tomorrow a friend at church will be taking a hog to the meat market on our behalf. I had money set aside for that expense, but it has been used for other things. Mama and I are still going to pay for the hog and for the processing even though we lack freezer space for an entire hog. In the long run, getting one this way is cheaper than raising one ourselves. the timing could have been better, but we will deal with it. In only a few short months we will need the meat as Nate, Cori and the kids stay with us for a time.

Having plenty of meat on hand for that visit will be a good thing.