Day In The Life

Life is what it is, or as John Lennon said (words to the effect if not the exact quote), what happens while we're making plans. My mind is still making posts here, even if my fingers aren't. Pretty good description of me, that.

New Smart Phone is making life a bit easier. I mean, I actually do get to peruse entries here, say during lunch break, even if I don't log in so I don't see the filtered ones that people make. Curiously enough, that helps. And there are some interesting apps which are helping daily life, such as the grocery list one. Interesting, being able to compare prices various places even if not 'real-time' though I suspect that may be possible too.

Downloaded several photographic related apps, and will play with those today a bit. Everything so far is 'free' (I know, TANSTAAFL, and the 'free' apps often display ads) because I'm on a huge austerity binge. One which I downloaded 'only works on devices with flash' and current Smart Phone doesn't provide a flash, so that one will be popped off I suppose. Another, not sure what it would show me based on the blurb and downloaded anyway because it is Nikon, proves to be primarily an information source, possibly a catalog, but (at least to me) 98% unreadable. I recognise the odd katakana or kanji character here and there, not the rest. Why yes, it's a Nikon app in Japanese. This surprises you why?

Houdini is happy today, as I am home. He will be less happy Saturday night, as I will be working. Herself will be home, though.

Put float valves on the three largest water tanks we service, providing water for Cattle, Goats, and Horses. There are two more smaller tubs for the adolescent does and bucks, still being filled by 'trickle' or on/off water. We also provide water via a tank for our next door neighbor who keeps cows on that north pasture. Checking that tank recently (we'd first put it over there a year or so into our living here because she was hauling water in 55 gallon drums) we discovered the reason it needs constant refill is not quite so much the cows drinking from it as the holes rusted into the bottom. Granted, the accumulated sludge/debris may of been slowing down the leak, it wasn't stopping it. So now neighbor replaced the tank with one of hers, and is looking for a float valve ditto.

We will see how this affects the well over then next month. The easiest objective measurement will be to watch the electric consumption on the pump. I've spent some time in the vicinity, listening while doing other chores. There is less cavitation noise as the pump runs, meaning we are most likely sucking less air. If indeed so, that is partially due to the service & float valves provided. Maintaining a relatively constant level in those tanks, refilled when the livestock lower the level by drinking, is less taxing than constant stream even if constant is a slow trickle.

However, not much more than the above photo apps for Smart Phone to report on the photography front. There is work to do. Apparently, though, I've been prioritising the Ranch work, at least in part because the weather is still Late Baja Jorja Winter Early Spring, and therefore fairly nice to be out working. On that note, though (both Photography and Ranch) I've got two weeks off from Hospital scheduled for next month (April), and hope to do at least two sessions with some people, as well as a few others on personal projects, and get some other big Ranch chores done.

On that note... time to head out and help Herself.

And Now... or Ping Firesmithghost

We apparently are entertaining, after a fashion, an uninvited visitor to teh Ranch. Over the weekend while heading out to do evening rounds I heard a dog barking further back from the Big House. Didn't see one, and our property line and fence is comparatively close in that direction. Barking dog could be other side of the fence on that neighbor's side. Still, mentioned it to Herself as stray dogs and young kids do not mix well.

Day before yesterday, Herself confirmed presence of said dog with a visual confirmation, and on our side of the fence. Dog took off when it saw her coming, though that may of had to do with her carrying her 20 Gauge Featherlight. Today I saw the dog, and meandered over that way just myself. Dog barked at me, and I stopped my wandering about 18 metres / 20 feet away, on the other side of a bowl-shaped depression and sat down to just talk with this dog. Not a lot of barking on dog's part after that, though some growling. Then again, carcass from a recent death here on teh Ranch was within six feet / two metres or so and I expect dog felt some concern about loosing that bounty.

Following about a 20 minute chat about weather, carcasses, scared and hungry dogs with collars and broken leads on them, I got up and walked away. During the chat, dog settled down in a down position, but the growling continued, though lower. After claiming the Bros and feeding Horses and Cows and Bros, I took some kibbles over along with an old stock pot with water, and left it about as far away as I'd been while chatting.

Not sure what happened here, never will know. Still, dog has collar, and that broken red nylon lead. Rather hound-dog appearing, mutt though as there are characteristics of, well, Dawg about it. Not even sure, yet of gender or neuter status. Not getting that close.

I'm hoping we can get dog calmed down enough to get some control, and very much hoping there's a tag on that collar as well. If this is a lost dog, may hap we could reunite with their person. If it's an abandoned dog... well, that's an issue for other authorities. Or potentially, we may be able to move this dog along in a Rescue. Don't know, insufficient data here. Until we can get close, and control, this is a stray with potential for big problems on a working ranch with young livestock about.

In dogs favour is that we've not seen any sign of it up by the goats.

We'll see.