SmithFarmsWest.com

I get this "ugh" feeling when I'm doing something new or challenging and it's not coming naturally or as quickly as I had hoped. It's the same feeling I remember getting while learning algebra in middle school and the same feeling I had while trying to get a decent grade in Greek class in college. Yep, it's ALL Greek to me! I got that feeling today, it came up suddenly when Cappuccino's ("Cappy":youngest donkey) farrier arrived. I explained right away to the farrier that this was my first donkey hoof trimming experience. I wanted him to know right off the bat that I didn't have a clue about what was coming. It's probably a good thing I didn't. Cappuccino was not at all eager to cooperate and the farrier ended up leaving without trimming her hooves. She pulled and pushed all around. I am thankful she didn't kick either of us. Ultimately, I'm happy we didn't push things too far, for the safety of us all. She will most likely need to be somewhat sedated for the next farrier visit. I'm hoping after more work and practice with her we can get to the point of relaxed and calm farrier visits without a prescription (for her or me). The experience gave me that "ugh" feeling because I realized that I hadn't been doing what I was supposed to with Cappuccino and perhaps I'm not a natural at donkey ownership. Growing up, my limited horse experience was with horses that were older, cooperative and approved for kids. I'm finding out how smart Cappy really is, she knows I'm clueless and unless I do something to change that, she'll keep taking advantage of the situation. I have to build confidence with her, be bold and smarter about how I handle and interact with her. Plus, I flat-out need to spend more time interacting with her, inside the pin. My biggest struggle since moving to the farm has been prioritizing my time. I have a full-time job, I'm just a "farmer" on the weekends and time off. I'm balancing a family, animals, exercising (or how to avoid it), work, etc., etc. Since the first day here it's been a question of "what absolutely HAS to be done today?" Sometimes it's mowing, weed-eating, cleaning, resting, fixing, and shoveling. One thing I love about the farm is that it forces me to spend more time outside. I've always been a bit of a compulsive cleaner and it's difficult for me to ignore certain chores inside in order for me to do what needs to be done outside. I've gotten better at this since coming to the farm, but more practice needs to be done. I'm realizing I have to do yet another reprioritizing shift and spend more time inside the pin with the donkeys. Cappy (and Kiwi as well, but she's super easy-going) need to be harnessed regularly, feet picked up consistently and brushed. This must become a priority. I'm so thankful that the generous…

When we bought the farm four burn piles came along with the deal. Gee, lucky us! They mainly consisted of the kiwi orchard that the previous owner ripped out. We've been wanting to deal with them for quite some time, but there's definitely a learning curve here. First, we had to figure out when we could and couldn't burn them. Secondly, we had to figure out how. Once again, we are blessed with neighbors who are willing to clue us in and help us out. They are generous with their time and equipment, but they are also smart because no one wants the new neighbors starting a fire! So, with a lot of diesel required and time, the burn piles got checked off the to-do list! The good news, 911 didn't have to be dialed once and as far as we know, the creatures who were suddenly evacuated from these over five-year-old burn piles are not living in our house. We're one step closer to being able to mow our field in nice, smooth rows without routing around obstacles in our path. I'm not sure why, but that's a goal of mine. We also had more gopher success today, another one trapped with the good old fashioned style trap. We broke out a more modern and fancy type as well. Set them both at the same time to see who which one would catch a gopher first. I guess nothing beats the tried and true method! Then, while I was busy hanging out with the donkeys, my child came and said, "We're barbecuing gopher, want some?" Um... no. I'm hoping I convinced them that they shouldn't eat any either. http://Array

Mud. Currently, there's a lot of mud around the farm. As you can see on the animals page, we have two large dogs who love their new farm life. Henry hasn't ever known any different, but Riley started her post-pound life in the city. She loves the open area to run and play on the farm. They get very muddy and dirty, especially Henry the coon hound who can smell gophers underground and loves to dig them up. I guess most people who live on property keep their big dogs who dig up gophers outside all the time. Our dogs are completely spoiled and get to come in and out, we wipe off a lot of paws throughout the day. So, I'm sure you can imagine that baths are necessary. This is the dog area where Henry is currently working on his project to banish all gophers. Henry got a bath today. He needed one, but he REALLY needed one after Lauren decided to dress him in this T-shirt and then let him outside, so then Henry peed all over himself. He went straight into the tub! How do you keep a crazy, busy puppy still while trying to bathe him? Peanut butter! I spread some on the wall of the shower and he was fantastically occupied while I scrubbed him up. Tip: Don't clean the bathroom the day before, like I did.

Never in a million years did I imagine I'd be scooping donkey poop twice a week. Connor helps with the process as well, it's pretty much a two person job. Fun fact: donkey poop weighs a lot more when it's wet. I don't know how much more exactly (fun science experiment), but it's a lot more. At this point we use a rolling trash can lined with garbage bags to haul it away. We have some large holes on the property from when some amazing neighbors removed kiwi hooks encased in A LOT of cement (more on that story later), so right now we are using the donkey manure to help fill in those holes. We have to scoop donkey poop twice a week to keep up. I'll admit there's many weeks where I put more time into maintaining the donkey's pastures than cleaning my own kids' rooms. There are plans, you know - one of those many projects, for creating a manure pile and even selling manure at some point.