Still raining here..raining hard and the rest of the USA is “suffering” the effects of a heatwave. I guess the only consolation as we begin to build our Ark and fit the livestock with water wings is…we aren’t going to be having a water shortage in the Summer !
We went to a birthday party yesterday and then the birthday party came to us! Somewhere between the gift opening and the cutting the birthday cake, a trip to the farm was arranged and we were descended on at warp speed by a bunch of under 10s. As the little visitors arrived, Tiger and Shy contentedly lazing on the hood of the Chevy truck instantaneously disappeared in two different directions and Bran the Border Collie, no child lover, headed for the comparative safety under the bench, behind the table in the barn kitchen. It was noted that Camille and Carla also beat a very hasty retreat, keeping the electric fence and three calves strategically placed between them and anarchy !! A chorus of “ we want to hold a lamb” found Heidi and Greg playing “catch me if you can” with a bunch of reprobate lambs who have firmly established a bratpack and weren’t about to be passed around like a stuffed toy any time soon. Some kind of strategy involving food (doesn’t it always ?) was being discussed when Heidi triumphantly presented little Katie’s one day old offspring. Clearly the little brown and white new born didn’t move as fast as her siblings and hasn’t yet learnt the art of evasion. Katie, watching her offspring being coddled and squeezed by tiny hands intent on hugging the last breath of life out of their captive lamb was less than impressed. Particularly unfriendly even on a good day Katie the Moufflon ewe was getting more irate by the second,whilst the other ewes visited and happily chewed on carrot morsels, Katie growled and as Katie’s offspring went from one set of little arms to the next and cameras whirred and clicked, Katie’s growl got louder. Shrieks of excitement indicated that the lambs were old news, the lamb was restored to her incensed mother and the recently hatched fluffy little chicks were the new object of the young visitor’s short attention span. A handful of carrots and the children resolutely headed for the horse pasture before resuming party mode and disappearing like a chattering tornado heading for cup cakes and raspberry frosting. Thanks for payment received Heidi…those cup cakes are good !!
Camille and Carla finished their day with a horse riding lesson. Roman the impatient black Morgan was saddled up and led out into the arena to give the ladies the opportunity to have a little light relief after their traumatic afternoon. Roman is not noted for his patience or tolerance and having given Camille a relatively painless horseback experience he decided that he had done his duty, earned his dinner and he was done. Every direction eventually leads to the pasture gate and somehow it would appear that Romans circuits of the field were getting smaller and smaller and always stopped at the way home. Just to add to his uncooperative disposition, Roman noted two passers by who happened to be taking a stroll on the farm road. If the black gelding had, at any time been paying attention to Carla, the two innocent walkers apparently put paid to any chance of him listening until they disappeared in the puff of smoke in which he seemed to think they had arrived. Roman stopped on the spot, stiffened drew himself up to his full height and refused to move….even to the gate ! I guess the lesson was over…but only for the night.
Time to go, the team are out in the pasture collecting brush wood and the back police has confined me to the house with a promise of good behaviour. Take care, keep safe, M
We went to a birthday party yesterday and then the birthday party came to us! Somewhere between the gift opening and the cutting the birthday cake, a trip to the farm was arranged and we were descended on at warp speed by a bunch of under 10s. As the little visitors arrived, Tiger and Shy contentedly lazing on the hood of the Chevy truck instantaneously disappeared in two different directions and Bran the Border Collie, no child lover, headed for the comparative safety under the bench, behind the table in the barn kitchen. It was noted that Camille and Carla also beat a very hasty retreat, keeping the electric fence and three calves strategically placed between them and anarchy !! A chorus of “ we want to hold a lamb” found Heidi and Greg playing “catch me if you can” with a bunch of reprobate lambs who have firmly established a bratpack and weren’t about to be passed around like a stuffed toy any time soon. Some kind of strategy involving food (doesn’t it always ?) was being discussed when Heidi triumphantly presented little Katie’s one day old offspring. Clearly the little brown and white new born didn’t move as fast as her siblings and hasn’t yet learnt the art of evasion. Katie, watching her offspring being coddled and squeezed by tiny hands intent on hugging the last breath of life out of their captive lamb was less than impressed. Particularly unfriendly even on a good day Katie the Moufflon ewe was getting more irate by the second,whilst the other ewes visited and happily chewed on carrot morsels, Katie growled and as Katie’s offspring went from one set of little arms to the next and cameras whirred and clicked, Katie’s growl got louder. Shrieks of excitement indicated that the lambs were old news, the lamb was restored to her incensed mother and the recently hatched fluffy little chicks were the new object of the young visitor’s short attention span. A handful of carrots and the children resolutely headed for the horse pasture before resuming party mode and disappearing like a chattering tornado heading for cup cakes and raspberry frosting. Thanks for payment received Heidi…those cup cakes are good !!
Camille and Carla finished their day with a horse riding lesson. Roman the impatient black Morgan was saddled up and led out into the arena to give the ladies the opportunity to have a little light relief after their traumatic afternoon. Roman is not noted for his patience or tolerance and having given Camille a relatively painless horseback experience he decided that he had done his duty, earned his dinner and he was done. Every direction eventually leads to the pasture gate and somehow it would appear that Romans circuits of the field were getting smaller and smaller and always stopped at the way home. Just to add to his uncooperative disposition, Roman noted two passers by who happened to be taking a stroll on the farm road. If the black gelding had, at any time been paying attention to Carla, the two innocent walkers apparently put paid to any chance of him listening until they disappeared in the puff of smoke in which he seemed to think they had arrived. Roman stopped on the spot, stiffened drew himself up to his full height and refused to move….even to the gate ! I guess the lesson was over…but only for the night.
Time to go, the team are out in the pasture collecting brush wood and the back police has confined me to the house with a promise of good behaviour. Take care, keep safe, M
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