Ask Doc Part VIII
25 11 2009Oh, now I have a question. Are you going to give special attention to Lee’s question? Because that is a really good question. If you don’t answer her, can I?
Since I’m answering these in order of comments, I guess I probably answered it. Katherine, you’re always free to take over my blog and answer though.
Another: did you ever wake up one day to realize that most of the people you loved in real life were insane? (Children not included.) Because as soon as I answered Lee’s question in my own life, it was as if someone removed the insane filter on my life goggles. Which has been disconcerting. But, in the end, all for the best.
Well, definitely, some of the people I love are insane. I just content myself with loving them from afar. They seem to like it that way. Insane people can be breathtakingly amazing, even if they sometimes fight letting you love them.
Another: why don’t you keep a cow on your farm?
Cows are big and stupid. Also, they consume more feed per gallon of milk produced, or pound of meat produced than goats or sheep. I am considering dexters in the spring. Maybe. You have had good luck, and I have a neighbor that breeds them. I like that they are a dual purpose breed, and being small(er), they’d fit nicely into my farm management plan.
Another: will you ever marry?
Huh. I don’t really think about it. I don’t know.
Another: what’s your favorite food?
Bananas and/or yogurt.
Another: is there a question limit because I feel myself getting warmed up here?
No limit. As long as it gets me through NaBloWriMo, it’s all good.
Another: what is your favorite classic novel and why?
That’s a hard one. I think “classics” are overrated. I mean, define classic. My favorite consistant writer is John Steinbeck and I’ve read every one of his books. Twice. Or more. My favorite book of all time is The Living, by Annie Dillard - it will probably never make a classics list. When I think of “classic” I think of Ulysses by James Joyce. Who can read that? Ugh. I went to this list , laughed that James Joyce was number one, and chose Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. That is another of my very favorites of all time. I totally grok.
Another: what’s your opinion of Today for mastitic goats?
It’s a tool that some people use. It wouldn’t be my first choice. I think you can get the same results without possible teat damage by milking the animal out several times a day and using tea tree oil massages and/or hot compresses. The threat of damage outweighs the possible quick cure because it’s really very hard to get it up far enough to do any good, and there are also so many causes of mastitis that don’t require medication. I like to err on the side of holistic treatment whenever possible. I’d use it if nothing else was working.
Here are two good links on mastitis/udder care.
Question for you: How do you get through the teenaged years without strangling them? Was the change in their attitude gradual or did it just seem to come out of them all at once. I have a 13 yr old unschooled daughter and her attitude just seemed to change overnight.
Oh, and, I really hope you keep blogging even after the month is up. I really have missed your regular posts.
I agree with Jeanette on the continuing blogging. The thing is you avoid strangling them by alternately looking at photos of them when they were tiny and dear and considering the jail time involved in confronting them with your full anger.
They grow up. When they were very small I used to say, “it’s temporary, it’s temporary, ” like a mantra. When they were 17, back to the same thing again.
Time. love, Val
I have a question, Doc: Whatever happened with the crazy neighbor? The one that was cutting fences and just being a PIA? Did that resolve itself or did you have to SSS?
Steinbeck? You too? Me too. Like, totally. Can’t get much more classicer.
And you might get a Dexter? Do it do it do! Oh, the fun we could have comparing sweetnesses… Dexters rock like a nice hardy fat goat that can give you butter, not to mention beef.