Plodding On
Today should prove to be a banner day.
We start with an Ag person coming from the Extension Office of the University of Florida to look at stuff in our pasture and on our farm…
Our appointment has been delayed a few times and it was hard to get her out here. She must be busy.
I’m hoping she will be coerced into taking and testing soil samples.
I’m good at coercing.
Remember my self-proclaimed obnoxious-icity?
It’s a studied art.
I’ve got my doctorate.
Soil samples will be taken and tested.
But in all fairness, she might have been planning on doing that anyway.
The Sheriff’s Department wants to have testing done to see if the botulism that tested positive in the alfalfa as well as Becky’s manure (in one of the tests) is the same strain of botulism as what’s in the soil.
Then, hopefully, “they” can test to see if it is naturally occurring or if it was concocted rather than the naturally occurring strain in the soil.
……………….Everyone who I have spoken to wants to do “that” test………………….no one seems to know if “that” test exists…………………..well, no one with whom/who (?) I have spoken to yet anyway…
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…………………..Then, later in the day…………………
A Deputy from Hillsborough County is coming to look at our setting and tell us what we need to do for security cameras…………………………….phew!
Let the tapes roll!!!
I know I’ll sleep better once everything is surveilled…
He’s already said that given the distance and terrain which we have here, we will need a wired versus wireless system………….we are quite rural.
He knows what he’s doing.
I feel soooooooo much better knowing that a police officer with experience will be handling this rather than me finding something on E-Bay or Amazon and hammering it up on a tree.
I’m sure our nasty neighbors will just love being in the scope of our security cameras………………………
They should have thought of that ahead of time and been nicer………….
Quick survey here. I want a show of hands…………………..
How many people out there think the nasty neighbors should be in the scope of the security cameras?
Hmmmmmmmmm………………
You get’cha.
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Some of the main tests for various poisons that might have killed the horses are still pending, along with the State Lab’s tests of both of the hay bales.
Our personal vet’s tests came back saying that the Tifton round bale was fine, but that the compressed alfalfa bale tested positive for Botulism Type #B.
(All types are deadly).
BUT——-we’ve fed the same alfalfa bales/from the same monthly shipment to the goats, to Mason, and to Bell & Brave with NO issue. Plus other errant dairy goats were eating off the exact same bale along side all of the horses (plus Annie) who died………………………….
F.Y.I.——————Botulism has Types A through H. Nasty little critters.
AND…………….they are also PROFOUNDLY rare (where horse poisoning is concerned)————–
It takes the perfect anaerobic and pH environment in nature to get it percolating in the first place.
Apparently it is in the soil everywhere………..just benign & dormant………….a sleeping ogre.
—————–AND—————-a quick computer search will give you the easy basics on how to make it.
Me skeptical? Never…
Ultimately, we will have security cameras and fencing that will keep the horses WAY-BACK from the road and neighbors and passers-by…………………that’s just fine with me…
We won’t be vulnerable again. Rolls of razor-wire are looking pretty good.
2 thoughts on “Plodding On”
Hey there fantastic website! Does running a blog like this require a great deal of work? I’ve virtually no knowledge of computer programming but I was hoping to start my own blog soon. Anyways, should you have any suggestions or tips for new blog owners please share. I understand this is off topic but I simply had to ask. Thanks!
I just start typing my thoughts. It doesn’t seem hard. I think I’m full of unending hot air. And I know NOTHING about computers. I do know how to type quickly. That helps a lot. But I was a secretary before Xerox machines. My typing skills came from that long ago. I don’t know how successful I am. I don’t think that many people actually read my blog. But I don’t care. It’s more cathartic than anything else for me. It surprised me when I saw how many entries I’ve logged in. Just another day at the oasis in the swamp. Write your thoughts. Use it like a journal or a diary. That’s what I did…………..and I made a conscious effort to keep it readable for anyone (no curse words). Hope this helps. Thanks for asking.