Dhul Hijjah 1437/October 2016

All plans were geared towards getting heat this month. We got our wood stove, only to need a new stove pipe. Then we received the new stove pipe, only to find out we needed a stove pipe adapter. Truly patience is blessed, and Allah kept the weather relatively mild while we remained without heat. The insulation on the roof and underside of the home kept temperatures at least 20 -30 degrees warmer inside than out, which meant that even when it froze outside, we were still okay inside, Al hamdulillahi Rabbil aal ameen!

 

On October 17^th, Daisy calved – a sweet little Simmental/Jersey heifer we named Zinnia. We had a buyer for Daisy and her calf, but Daisy came down with milk fever (calcium deficiency) by the evening and we spent the ensuing five days treating her. We offered the family who were buying to take Freesia instead, along with Daisy's calf, so we could nurse Daisy back to health. And so, our downsizing began.

This was our first time having to treat a sick animal with medicine, rather than simple natural remedies, as there was no way to get enough calcium into her quickly enough otherwise. Shariyf consulted with the vet in Raton (70 miles away) and went twice to get necessary medicine and equipment. He learned how to give calcium gluconate intravenously, subcutaneous injections, and get Daisy to drink her other medicine. We all helped, so we would know what to do if we need to do it without him. We learned a great deal about various conditions that can be treated quickly and effectively with calcium, masha'Allah. Al hamdulillah, Daisy recovered and is back to her darling self!

 

We slaughtered two of our rams, Dodge and Ramtastic, as part of our winter preparations and filling our freezer with meat. This was the first meat we had eaten that was born, raised, and slaughtered on our farm masha'Allah – our first organic, zabihah lamb! Tender and delicious, we are planning to raise sheep for meat as a long-term, sustainable part of our homestead. From the ease of raising them to the wool and meat, they are a huge blessing, al hamdulillah.

 

 

Just after Daisy recovered, we saw signs of bottle jaw in two of our sheep – Honey and Sweetie. This is unusual, as our climate does not support parasites well. Our cool, arid climate is well suited to animals that would otherwise need medical parasite prevention in more humid areas. Straight away we went to our most valued supplement on the homestead – diatomaceous earth. We plan to do a whole post just on the variety of uses and benefits of diatomaceous earth, as we use it for ourselves, our animals, our homes, and our growing. Within two days of giving them the diatomaceous earth, they bottle jaw was down, al hamdulillah. Honey was the most cooperative, but Sweetie took longer as she is our most mischievous sheep, always trying to eat the dogs' food and rushing to the chicken feed. It is quite possible that this was a factor in her not returning to her old self, masha'Allah.

 

The most notable fruit of October's labors is the completion of the interior painting of the mobile home. From the things we already had, we put together a comfortable living space bi idhn Illah ta'ala, with only seating for the living room missing. As always, Allah provides! October 27^th we saw an ad on Craigslist for a free sofa and loveseat that the owner wanted to go to a good home. We contacted her, telling her we were a family of 5 who just got an old mobile home and needed something to sit on. In conjunction with eye appointments in Las Vegas the next morning, we collected our super comfortable, feather stuffed sofas, masha'Allah. They go perfectly with a rug we already had and we welcome you all to sink into it and spend some time with us!