Yes, we are still alive

I can't believe I haven't written anything since April!  When friends start asking what is going on on the farm because they haven't seen a post, I know it's been too long.

Let's begin with today...
We have a young Narragansett turkey that we are raising for Thanksgiving.  Last night was the 4th of July and we all know turkeys are stupid.  Evidently, she was freaking out from the fireworks, probably running in circles, and must have caught herself on chicken wire.  When I went out to feed this morning, she was missing an eye.  The gash is behind the eye and the skin is pulled forward.  She is still alive.  I loaded up the wound with Swat, a medicinal salve and insect repellent in one, and moved her into the garage.  It is so hot outside, even with the Swat, I fear the flies because as soon as maggots show up, she will be a dead turkey.  I plan to leave her in the garage for a few days until the wound starts to hopefully heal.
Lee Trotman was an old equestrian trainer of mine. I used to sometimes think she was so heartless when she would bitch about how somebody's always sick, or sore, or hurt.  She'd say, "I'm so tired of always having to deal with some kind of shit on this farm!"  I know how she feels.  It's always something or somebody.  I love living out here, but sometimes it takes its toll.  Like right now when the baby has diarreah, the turkey lost an eye, the pigs keep getting into the llama paddock, the baby chick got swept away in the sudden storm the other night, and it has been hotter than Hades for the last two weeks.  So hot that I have to hose everyone down and water all day long, my vegetable garden looks dreadful, and it's too hot for the girls to enjoys any outdoor activities. I'm glad my mom-in-law has been here to enjoy these moments with me!

What else has been going on? 
My hens don't like to sit on eggs so I bought a small incubator.  It fits 40 eggs at a time and I love it! 
Our friend Allen is renting the old farm house now.  It's nice to have someone living there and seeing a light on at the top of the driveway at night.  It is also nice because when James is at work during the day, I have a hand on the farm.  I wouldn't exactly call him a farm hand.  He is more of a city guy, but I think he is getting used to life out here!
The turkey mentioned above is not the first turkey we've tried to raise in the last few months.  I haven't figured out why I can't keep a damned turkey alive!  The first one was two days old when it drowned in a shallow water dish.  The second got pecked and killed by my chickens.  That is why this third one has been living alone.
Bought a boar.  I am waiting for a Swine Artificial Insemination class to start at Clemson, but they don't have an ETA yet.  So in the meantime, we bought this boar.  James hooked the horse trailer up and Allen and I went to the next county over to pick up this pig.  He is only 8 months old, not much bigger than Little Ham ( the male we are raising for meat), but it is the only purebred Tamworth I could find.  Hopefully, they will breed pretty soon.  He is just barely at breeding age, so we are just waiting to see some action out there.
The garden was doing great until this weather got so unbearable.  My okra is starting to come in because of the heat.  We've been getting plenty of zucchinis and green beans, watermelons are working hard and sweet potatoes will be in the ground until Fall.
There have been a lot of funny stories over the last few months that I should have blogged but didn't.  Sorry.  I will try to do a better job.