In Overwhelm Mode....

I leave my house at 6:20 and I get home about 12 hours later.  In our climate at this time of year, it is just getting light when I leave and it is just getting dark when I get home.  The kids have just finished their practices and are battling over the shower, and my youngest and I head out to feed, water, and muck out the various animals. 

I have just informed my second youngest that he will also be coming out to help with these chores, too.  The oldest two have the attitude that these are "mom's animals" and therefore no concern of theirs, and since they are pretty good about some of the household chores, I let them get away with it.  I actually do like taking care of animals, so I don't kick up a fuss about their preferences - but I do make them do some of the cooking so I have more time to be outside. 

I emailed my husband to ask if he could put in a light, though. We have a more stable day length than most of the US, being so close to the equator, but it will be dark when I get home in just a month.

I went to the feed store to get some bedding for the sheep, since they are going to be confined more than I want them to be - but they were out.  This is one of those idiosyncratic things about living in Hawaii - people run out of stuff.  They were out of ABM and straw until Friday.  Sigh.  I hate it when they run out of feed.  I wish I could grow more of my own, but no one can grow alfalfa here, as far as I have been able to find out.

As the sheep produce babies, I am going to have to find a place to process the wethers, because it will be wasting feed to feed a male I can't use for breeding.  I can sell some on craigslist, but I think we are going to have to send some to Kulana Foods.  I wonder how it works - do they buy the sheep directly, and then if you want meat, you have to buy it back?  My uncle swears when he sends cattle to them, the meat that comes back is not what he sent in.....I guess I will have to find out. 

I feel a bit odd about eating the sheep I raise - and my oldest kid is a vegetarian - but it is also a bit hypocritical to eat meat from the store and refuse to eat what you produce yourself.