Getting by...just

From last night, I was so wiped out I forgot to press 'publish'

I was managing with the heat today, the south wind was strong and that helped very much.  I put together a few hoses and set up a spray onto the palace run where the guineas and chooks were gathered under the willow.  It seemed to perk them up a bit.

The tomato patch needed attending so I did some work in there, but there was no shade so after a while I started to feel sick and went inside for yet another break.  I hate feeling like there is so much I could and should be doing but I just can't.  It's at least a one to 1:1 ratio.  Or maybe 1:2.  For every twenty minutes of work I do out there I end up needing forty minutes inside to cool down.  

The horses did ok today.  I hosed Oakley down.  He'd bitten Winston some time this morning and luckily I was in the barn when I noticed the flies attracted to Winny's left hip.  The blood was still oozing.  Not what I'd anticipated dealing with today. 

Now that my insomnia has reached new levels and I'm pretty much awake from 4-6am I make elaborate plans for my day ahead, while desperately trying to get to sleep.  I eventually do, and sleep until 9 or 9:30.  Then my morning is pretty much shot since it's already hot by then.  I'd had plans to put up shade cloth around the bee yard.  And a list of about twenty other things.

So far the sheep are dealing with the heat.  I will give them electrolytes in their water tomorrow.  G spent four hours this past weekend mucking out their barn enclosure so it's nice and clean and dry.  

As long as there is water and shade the ducks do ok.  It's the chickens that are the main concern. When Miss Cornish was running towards me with her wings hanging out from her sides while open mouth breathing I took it as a sign that she'd reached her limit.  I scooped her up and into her crate in the cold basement she went.  I didn't even let Wookie out today.  At 3.7 kg she is not built for this heat.  We know this now, and just don't take chances.  

I was hoping the garage would be cooler and I could move a bunch of chooks in there if things get really bad.  During my insomnia farm planning session I'd been working through which kennels I had, who I could move to which enclosures, which hens were most likely to be severely heat stressed, who would do ok with whom in confined quarters if they were forced to be there for a few days.  It's more complicated than you'd think. But even with the high winds at the end of the day it was still very hot in there.  In life or death situations I can move some of them to the basement.  I have a few small kennels left.  

Anyone who hasn't experienced this type of heat may not really understand this.  It really is life or death.  Put on your down jacket and go outside when it's 35 C, and see how many minutes you can handle it.

Wish us luck--the worst will come tomorrow.