THE ODD COUPLE

I don't think Daisy & Jack the mule are an item, I think they were standing together by accident this morning. Daisy is usually with the donkey herd & Jack is with the "horsey" group.

I've got Sha'ba's habronema larvae under control, I hope. I haven't seen anymore large ones, although this morning I found 2 or 3 little ones, that have probably been brought in by flies in the last few days. Those I can deal with, it's the deeply embedded large ones, that really get me going.

I found a couple of small ones on Chester's belly, in front of his sheath. I assume that is the ones the flies were coming to visit & he was kicking at over the last few days. He stands real still for me to "doctor" him now, don't have to use the squeeze or even a halter. Of course he expects to get a butt scratch when I'm done.........!!! (G)

There has also been some change recently with his crippled leg. He's been improving quite a bit, since Martha has been massaging his leg & we've been stretching it every morning. The last week or so, not only is he walking with very little limp, the swelling in the elbow area is noticeably smaller. I have no idea what is going on, it will be interesting to see what Martha thinks the next time she comes out.

This morning John came in & said there were 2 little rats in the garage, so small their eyes weren't open. They were flopping around on the concrete floor which doesn't sound right. I went up & these little things are about an inch long, trying to go someplace & not making much progress. We looked all over & didn't find a nest. We figure the Mom didn't make it back last night, & they were getting hungry. Made a "nest", I got on the web, joined a rat/mice yahoo group, to figure out how to feed them. They can be fed puppy or kitten formula, which of course I didn't have, so off to town we went. Before we left though, I mixed up some canned milk, sugar & water, which is what we use to use when I was a kid, & puppy, kitten formula hadn't been invented yet, I guess. They actually ate a little bit, of course they have to be rubbed to make them go potty, which is scary on something so tiny & not very effective so far. They have to be fed every 2 hours, night & day, OH! GOODIE...........!!!! I haven't quite figured out why John found them, & I get to be nursemaid.........!!!! (G) When we got home I tried them with formula, one is eating pretty good, the other one hasn't caught on yet. I hope he does before he gets dehydrated. Oh! by the way they aren't common garden variety rats, they are Kangaroo Rats. It's really difficult to raise such small wild animals, but I'll give it my best shot

He makes a Q-tip look big...................!!!!

This morning when I went out to feed, BlackJack was watching the feed room door. John was in there cutting up carrots & BlackJack wanted to make sure he was first in line, when John came out with the goodies.

Right after I took the picture, he started pawing the door, which doesn't make things move any faster, & usually brings out the person with a crop in their hand, to "remind" him pawing & banging the door isn't allowed. He hops off the porch when we storm out flailing the air with the crop & yelling at him. Usually he's back on the porch before we get back inside & get the door close, so it's isn't a very tramatic experience for him. We always tell them, their help doesn't make things happen any faster, but they keep trying.