Tuesday morning and once again it looks pretty bleak out there. The sky is a
murky grey and the rain is falling...supposedly it's going to be worse tomorrow
so I'm going to save my complaining for another day ! Yesterday was the start of
our lambing season, Smudge, one of our ewes delivered twins in the early hours
of yesterday morning. When Greg went down to feed the rowdy rabble of ladies in
waiting, he discovered that one was waiting no more and one that is still very
very much waiting and the size of a barge had snaffled one of Smudges babies.
Annie the ewe is still pregnant but clearly isn't prepared to wait for her own
offspring to make their arrival and had stolen the still wet lamb. When Greg
arrived, there was Smudge nursing a little brown lamb and also there was Annie
happily licking a contented little brown baby who didn't know who his mommy was
! Momentarily, Greg was confused, Annie still looked HUGE and there was no sign
of a recent birthing, Smudge had obviously just lambed but Annie was in no mood
for parting with her adoption. To try to solve #2 lambs confusion, Greg tried to
gather the new little family of 3 but Annie was quite determined not to loose
"her" baby and her frantic bawling could be heard through the valley ! Annie the
ewe WAS going into the bonding pen whether she was invited or not. Greg had
quite the struggle to persuade her that the lamb belonged to Smudge and Annies
time will come soon enough judging by her condition.

Supporters of Gertie the confused goose ( confused sheep, confused goose and confused Greg...I'm confused why everything seems to be confused !!!!) will be happy to hear that Gertie was very much back and very much in evidence yesterday. Watching from the house ( still on medical "house arrest") I watched Gertie with Quest in the field, where he went, that Canada goose was sure to go ! when Greg went to bring the Shires out of the field yesterday evening, Gertie was there ready for the waddle down the farm road. Sadly, Gerties waddle was no match for Greg and the two Shires, not a problem for a goose with wings that really do work,even if she rarely seems to make use of them. Gertie just took off and circled around them at head height before landing on the road just in front of the horses huge hooves. Gertie waddled along the road in front of the threesome who had to slow their pace for the goose ! Lady, unimpressed by Gertie who was delaying her dinner picked up her pace and Greg lady and Quest had to walk around her. Gertie stood for several minutes in the road by herself watching the horses go into the barn before she fluffed her feathers up honked and flew back to join Gustav who was waiting in the pasture. I guess he has got used to taking a back seat in Gerties affections.

Greg had a chicken " roundup" and the chicks that hatched at Farm Fest Open Farm
Day in October now have new residents in their roost. The "Open Day" chicks
appeared to accept the new arrivals, apart from Bozo. Bozo was a very
recognizable chick when she hatched. Greg gave her little hope because much of
her early life was spent on her back. If it still breathed it still had a chance
and Bozo got special chick care for her first few weeks. Bozo the "special chick
has grown into Bozo the bully with a limp !!! Of all the older chicks, it was
Bozo the bully that hen pecked the younger chicks we hatched several weeks ago.
The younger chicks have already had three moves, from the incubator to the
brooder box, from there to a larger secure pen and yesterday to the "grown up
pen". The Farm Fest chicks are due to start laying at the beginning of April, it
is 6 months before hens start to produce eggs, not long to wait
now.
Well, nothing more to report, time for a cup of tea...and a
walk ! Take care, M

Happy Sunday ! I decided to say "Happy Sunday" as opposed to "Good Morning" after looking out the window, you have whether you are happy or miserable in your own making, the dull dreary grey sky and the persistant rainfall soaking everything, we can't control ! Mum J.....did you go shopping again ????
Not much to report from here at the ranch....I really am on strict house arrest this time, Greg, my soul mate, my everything, my ranch hand has turned into the Gestapo !! any misbehaving or non observance of house rules brings fast and unforgiving consequences....I don't even know how he knows, he's like the KGB or the MFI....MVK or the FSB ( I know, who are they....I didn't either, checked out Google !!)  Anyway  whatever or whoever he is like, he is keeping me under control and I know thats NOT an easy job !!
I know Greg misses me down at the ranch, he misses our constant lighthearted bantering, oh, and I usually clean up the poo in the horse stalls too !! Seriously, having the team split in two causes a considerable spike in chores for Greg, his day doesn't finish until he has washed the last egg...then it's bedtime and a restless night for my weary ranch hand ...because if I don't sleep, sadly nor does he ! 
Yesterday Quest seriously tested Gregs patience, especially when he was standing in a soggy puddle in the pouring rain. There he was, (Greg) miserably standing in the pasture, Lady the Shire mare with her head collar on, chomping on her leadrope in anticipation for her grain dinner and there WASN'T Quest. The normal evening routine would be something like 2 huge freight trains galloping accross the field and a sliding stop at the gate. Un nerving for some of our less horsey friends but a real adrenalin rush ( when you stop shaking !). Yesterday, by all accounts was not the norm. lady stood and waited and waited..Greg whistled and waited alongside Lady but Quest was not moving. Eventually, Greg gave up and went over to our junior delinquent who was still reluctant to move one hoof.  This was certainly not the normal behaviour from Quest who would sell his soul for a carrot...then Greg realised,...where was Gertie the goose ? Gertie who is always just a goosy heartbeat away from Quests feet .....was gone. Gertie has made it a habit recently to escort us down to the barn, wadling her little webbed feet as fast as they can waddle, but she was gone....Tomorrow we will know if she just took a potty break or if Gertie the confused goose has found a feathered friend. Needless to say, Quest did not get his carrot and Greg got very wet.
Well, it's time I got off this chair to go  for a walk, bedroom and back....at least another 3 weeks of this, I'm going to go insane ! Take care, M
      

Good Morning,...how does it go, There's good news and theres bad news. The bad news is, I saw the specialist yesterday I'm officially still broken and need to have a "re-do" operation. The good news is,...it can only get better from here and I'm determined to get fixed. So,... here I am, perched on two big cushions and wriggling round like a 4 year old at kindergarten !!! Got some new pills too, guess what, they also make me sick and conspitated, everything you take gives you something else !

We weren't down at the ranch too much yesterday,but long enough to see that the ewes are still "holding out"...if I was a gambling woman, I would bet that we have a rash of cute little lambs...on Wednesday when I am in surgery and Greg is with me. Our wonderful "farm sitters" have rallied to the cause, they may have to have a crash course in bringing lambs into the world.

Gertie the goose is still holding her spot as Quests beau....though I'm pretty sure it's a one sided love affair.Gustav the gander is also still with us and Gertie hangs out with him when Quest is in his stall. In the morning Gertie and Gustav do low level circuits of the barn honking continuously and VERY loudly until the shire is led from his stall.Once on the farm road Gertie settles into place waddling along as close to Quests giant hooves as her waddling body and webbed feet can take her. We have to wait for her to waddle in before the gate can be closed. At all times of the day, that amerous goose is no more than a stones throw away from Quest. In the evening when we went to bring Lady and Quest in to the barn they were at the far end of the pasture ( tarting for treats from my neighbors customers ! ) when called, as always the huge twosome came galloping over the brow of a rise. Flying less than 3 feet and at head hight was Gertie the goose, determined to see Quest safely home. Unfortunately, our farm has become super attractive to the geese this year and we have 3 pairs fighting for their patch of real estate in time to start nesting.

The trees on the ranch are starting to turn, I can see the leaf buds splitting and tiny flashes of green are just waiting for a ray of sunshine! I love Springtime and watching the ranch morph from sober winter grays into the lush vibrant green of the trees and grass is always guaranteed to make even a manic depressant feel like all is good.

So, to sign off, please put us both back on your prayer and positive thought lists, me to get through this second back surgery in 4 weeks and Greg because, as self appointed back police, he knows he has another 3 weeks ahead that would try the patience of St Peter (and all the other Arc angels ).It's 7.30 and time to go down to the barn..and try to keep out of trouble !! Take care, keep safe, M

We are still on lamb watch, I have a theory.....those very fat ladies are postponing taking time off to birth in favour of munching that lush green Spring grass. They know the routine and after the horses are taken out to play, Greg whistles Bran ....who also knows the routine and is almost bursting with enthusiasm,, ready and waiting for the call. The gate is opened and the rotund ewes, jammed tight behind the gate, all wanting to be first, tumble out and almost roll into the pasture. Resting is a problem when you are a ewe almost to term, two or three little lambs ready to come into the world, and a udder filled to capacity, mom doesn't know which way to lie, where to put her milky bar. Restlessly she rearranges her lumps and bumps before she can settle down to chew her cud. Once those bouncing babies arrive there will be little or no time to rest, she needs to take advantage of whatever quiet time she can get.

I reviewed the medication I am currently swallowing and at this rate, by the time I get "better", I could be a wherewoolf ! Some of the side effects of several of the pills will give me constipation, but not to worry, one of them gives me both constipation...and "the other". One will make me put weight on..and make me lose weight (?) One will make me better but in the course of making me better will give me nightmares, halucinations, body hair, seizures, headaches, weakness...etc..I'm feeling better already !!!!!

Today is going to be a lovely day, MJ on fox 13 promised and on the strength of her weather prediction Greg is going to spread manure. (Deep joy) he'll be out there chucking poo around from his tractor, a very happy farmer. The air will be rich with the overpowering aroma of horse/cow/sheep/and chicken poo and our lovely neighbors will hate us....sorry !

Once again, I have been timed out by the cuckoo clock, take care, keep safe and enjoy the first days of Spring. M

It was a very close call !....this evening Greg went into the "babies pen" where Jemima rules the roost. Jemima is a bald buff Orpington hen who had been pecked by the other hens in the Roost  (our 5 star chicken house). Jemima was rescued ( actually, very unceremoniously hen- napped from a nest box when I saw her very bald butt) Jemima the bald hen lives happily with the growing chicks that the children watched hatch at the Farm Tour last October and her life has turned into top Hen status. In gratitude for her promotion she gives us a perfect brown egg every day. Greg dutifully collected the egg, thanked Jemima ,unthinking, tucked his prize safely away in his jacket pocket. Drove down to the barn, dropped keys in same "safe" pocket,along with all his spare coins, pen knife etc... ( oops !!!) went to throw jacket...Uh....Greg...where exactly did you put Jemimas egg ? Look of horror, flash of panic...Gregs hand went very slowly to the pocket, the same one he had thrown his keys into.A pocket full of scrambled eggs  ??? Lady luck was with him and one perfect Jemima egg was retrieved from the depths of his jacket pocket. Something tells me, that wont be happening again !
Dolly moo is happy to have me back down at the barn again. Dolly has allowed me to be part of her life and somehow my carrots and backscratch are the only ones she allows herself to accept. Dolly all but lies on her back to have her tummy rubbed when I give her a scratch, her eyes roll in the back of her head and her little bow legs are contorted into positions that you wouldn't believe  a little mutant cow  could manage. Dollys calf is due in July and a status report on her pregnancy would be something on the lines of...battleship ! Daisy May our super cute little ( actually no longer so little !) Dexter calf is officially a teenager and hormones have kicked in,...with a vengeance ! All around the ranch Daisy can be heard....Where's my bull  ??? I need a bull NOW !!! To Macho and Lamb Chop, the other 2 members of the Amigos, Daisys' behaviour has caught them off guard. Daisy is looking for a mate and it doesn't matter if that mate is a  Macho goat, or a Lamb Chop lamb so Daisy is practicing...and practicing....Macho and Lamb Chop no longer turn their backs on rampant Daisy but that doesn't seem to be a problem and Daisy still does her thing. Daisy is still a baby and I guess we are going to have this promiscuous behaviour every 3 weeks until she is old enough to be a mom.....oh joy !!!

Well, the cuckoo clock has spoken, it's 7.30 ish and time to try and make my body do what I ask it to do...I'm on so many drugs I think I could go on remote control..now there's a thought ! Be with you tomorrow, all being well, Take care,  M

I'm allowed to lift 20 lbs....I dont know if you know how much 20 lbs weighs but its not something that I would think about or would have thought about before my back issue became an issue. Greg, (aka back police) enforces the law as per "post operative surgical instructions prepared especially for Maureen sikora" about as enthusiastically as the Washington State Police enforce the no texting while driving law...! So, there I am in Quests stall. Quest is our 19 hand Shire and Quest poops a lot, Quests poops are about the same size and weight as Nellie the Elephants and I'm standing there with a shavings fork trying to work out how to muck him out and still stay the right side of the rule book. Its not easy, pick up one pile that might be 2 ounces overweight and somehow, from somewhere Greg appears....and he knows ! I'm perfecting the art of neat piles, a pile of rejected hay....chicken treats.....pile of wet shavings...can't touch that, too heavy....pile of "you didn't eat last night but it's good and going back for you to eat tonight" and a pile of road apples, a huge pile of road apples, picked less than 20 lbs at a time.

I take Lady, our Shire Mare out to the field, actually, if I'm honest, Lady takes me out to the field, I hold on to the lead rope (and I have the carrots) and Lady sort of pulls me along. One leg currently is doing less than its share of motivation but being dragged up the road by a shire horse definately gives you quite a boost in horse power. smile.

Blankets on and blankets off has become quite the art...does the blanket weigh 20 lbs ...or more. I haven't got a clue but I know it either has to go on...or come off....and is Greg lurking ? Charm, (beauty with attitude) the Arab / Quarter Horse isn't too much of an issue apart from the fact that Mr Charm likes to be "in your face affectionate", Charm likes to be involved and doing or undoing fasteners is always more difficult with charms muzzle in the way and affectionate nudging isn't recomended with a bad back but we manage. The Shires pose more of a problem, they are a long way up, their blankets weigh a whole lot more and Greg knows ! I've managed to perfect the art of undoing and sliding then dragging the blanket...no lifting, no breaking rules but I manage to get the job done and that makes me feel SO good. Every day since the back surgery has been a challenge and it hasn't been easy but we know that we are so very lucky, and every day we are thankful for the life we have, the life we share and the people we love and the friends and family who love us. My thanks to Greg, my hero.. who takes such good care of me and I make it SO hard for him!!!

So, it's time for the second shift down at the barn, time to get everyone in and fed,....without getting in trouble ! take care, M

ESCAPED !!!! I just can't be a hot house plant, I was going crazy.I did my walks, bedroom to family room, family room to bedroom just for a change, a trip to the utility room and back. Yesterday a trip to the doctor resulted in another MRI ....hopefully the sciatic nerve is just very inflamed and giving me a bad time, worst case scenario is that I have herniated the herniated disc again, but we aren't allowing ourselves to go there and with all the prayer lists I'm on and Mum gripping her little angel, I know I'm going to be fine. I need to get back on the job, we are a two man team and we don't like to play alone !!! So here I am in the barn kitchen, toasty warm with the nicely stoked wood stove, a pot of fresh coffee brewing and Greg( the back police) hot on my case ! I did get to put up the flags, made sure they were both the right way up, it caused a bit of a stir the day Old Glory accidently went up stars down and being told by an American that the Union Jack was the wrong way up was pretty embaressing so that wont happen again !! I have sat here for a little while updating the diary and the back police have told me "time out"...you need to walk ...so off I go to find what trouble I can find myself in now.....
The sun is shining, the chickens are out in the pens busily scratching and squabling, Adolf the Rhode Island Red rooster is strutting, he would appear a whole lot more important if his hareem hadn't disrespectfully denuded his tail feathers but with or without a tail Adolf keeps a watchful eye on his ladies. The sheep are out in the pasture, I dont think that a head has come up from the grass since they got in there. The 3 Amigos, (Lamb Chop, Macho and Daisy May) are out on the grass but keeping a careful eye on anyone that happens to pass the gate. People means potential treats or in the case of Daisy May the calf, people mean the chance of a backscratch, that little heifer would sell her soul ( if she has one)  for a backscratch. The horses are enjoying the sun on their backs, it has been a long wet Winter and the two little Doelings are out and, (just because they can ) looking for some mischief to get into. Dolly and Molly our two Dexter cows are ladies in waiting those two little Dexters are rapidly morphing into a pair of battleships as they contentedly chew their cud enjoying the warm rays from the Spring sunshine. 
Time out again and it's time to say Goodnight, Godbless and keep safe. Take care, M 
.

Everybody is in agreement,...Spring is here this weekend. If all the weather gurus weren't all telling us, the various animals down on the ranch are. Spring is in the air, everyone behaves differently from the birds in the trees to Greg down at the barn ! Yesterday Greg turned the sheep out into the pasture, they have been snuggled up in the barn for much of the winter, happily hiding from the wind and rain. When Greg opened the gate Bandit Annie Gimpy and the other girls didn't need Bran to tell them where to go....the ewes could smell the fresh Spring grass and they barely got their heads in the pasture before the formation eating team went into action. They barely moved, pasture maggots munching a clearcut swathe accross the fresh lush grass. Gimpy and the girls are ladies in waiting, bodies swollen with the promise of new life, lambs due at anytime, we watch their engorged udders and wait .....and wait...and...wait some more. Meanwhile the expectant ladies just chomp contentedly enjoying the promise of Spring.
The Shires know it's Springtime too, at the first hint of Spring grass, those two equine giants forget that they are the sumos of the horse world, they adopt the personalities of juvenile delinquents and the athleticism of a Lippizaner. Nostrils flare and tails swish, they bounce around the pasture like 4 year olds on a sugar high, life is good and we love to see them enjoying life and the start of another year here on the ranch.

Update on our little doeling with the gastric "issue", she has recovered fully and we are happy to report normal little goat marbles today. Thank you Jean for your advice in respect of the drencher, fortunately this is an invaluable tool that  was in our "tool box" before we ever ventured into our first season of our goat / sheep / cow / adventures and it was in use yesterday, our little doeling may have been under the weather but not short of attitude and despite the miraculous drencher she managed to ensure that Greg shared her dose of Pepto Bismal..
Thanks for the advice though ! Well, time to go,  the eggs need washing  and tomorrow is another day. Take care, keep safe, M

I've lost count of "house arrest" days, I've almost turned into a nuclear expert, I've wept buckets for those poor Japanese citizens I must have put 20lbs in weight on......why don't I feel better ???!! I'm not going to moan....ok, I already did, but I wont any more. Just watching the survivors of the Tsunami in Japan is humbling, they have lost everything and we dont see them complaining. I'll just keep taking the pills and count my blessings.
Not being down at the barn means that the almost daily diary is done "remotely", sometimes through information from a frazzled Greg, sometimes through egg customers who report on frazzled Greg and sometimes I am able to see (you've guessed it ).frazzled Greg scurrying from barn to barn, pen to pen, pasture to pasture. We are always together and it's tough for me to watch him coping with all the chores alone...it's tough for Greg too, thinking of me sitting up here with my feet up, tucked up on the bed, warm and dry, it's a tough life. smile.

So, what happened on the ranch yesterday that was note worthy....

Gerties suitor is staying the course, he has been given a name, Gustav. Gustav and Gertie goose are almost certainly not normal. Gustav may have been,... before he came to Gentle giant meadows Ranch but he is right there with Gertie in the morning waiting for the horses to come out to play and he's right there with Gertie when he walks down the farm road in the evening following the horses all the way to their stalls. So far no pair of geese have started to nest, the tree stump island on the pond remains unclaimed, a very desireable piece of real estate, no neighbors, close to all ammenities and a stunning water view. The nest requires re modeling after a pair of eagle vandals ransacked it last year but nest building materials are ample and free. We aren't sure just why the geese are holding back from nesting...maybe they are having too much fun courting to get down to the serious business of raising young. We will watch and wait.
Danielle and Alissia the cute little doelings eat anything, they eat everything ( they are only fussy about the stuff they SHOULD eat) and something Danielle munched has given her a problem. Poor Greg,...a goat with a digestion issue is not good and Danielle had a big digestion issue. Fortunately Pepto Bismal works like magic, feeding a goat pepto bismal is quite the art and generally the goat ends up wearing about as much as she imbibes. By all accounts, Danielle was not the exception and both she and Greg ended up wearing a very fetching shade of Pepto Bismal hot pink. What goes in comes out....and whatever it was that she ate came out,....NASTY. It was Gregs unfortunate duty to clean up the yucky little doeling who had somehow managed to get coated from head to little tiny toes with poo. Danielle got clean....Greg came home wearing what he cleaned off her...needless to say he was stripped at the door again, I could smell him before he got to the door !!!

The sun is shining, the rain has gone and it's St Patricks day. My mum was Irish and each St Patricks day she wore a sprig of Shammrock in honor of the Patron Saint of her homeland. Happy St. Patricks day if you are Irish and enjoy the sunshine if you aren't. Take care, M

And still it rains !! It doesn't matter which television channel I tune in to, it doesn't change if I change the radio station, it's still going to rain. Sometimes, just to add a smidgeon of variety, a thunderstorm, breeze or even wind gets thrown in but the one thing we can count on is rain. The pond level is up....a highly technical irrigation inlet device ( a white plastic bucket !) has drowned. Usually it floats on the surface,a diving board for the frogs, but it has gone, just a grey shadow under the murky water. The tree stump island in the middle of the pond has for years served as the Canada Goose nest / nursery, as yet this year the geese haven't started construction. The same pair of geese that accept our hospitality ( take over ! ) every year have been unable to get down to the important business of pro creation as they have been spending their time driving off visiting geese intent on staging a take over bid on the love nest. Gertie, their offspring from 2 years ago is totally unconcerned at the lack of nesting real estate available, Gertie is even less concerned by her lack of interest in finding and keeping a mate, suitors have flown in ...and flown out, Gertie the goose only has eyes for the handsome big brown Shire horse that has been her companion for the past 2 years. Currently there is a gander that didn't give up at the first sign of rejection, a gander who has maintained interest even when the object of his affection is behaving in a most un gooselike behaviour. This stalwart gander has clearly decided that Gerties heart will be won if he accepts her obsession with Quest, if he stays close to the horse he is close to Gertie so he waddles when she waddles and when she waddles faster he is right there with her. Providing he manages to keep from being squashed into an impression of peking duck he is hoping that the prize, Gertie,will be his. We watch and wait.

Currently I am back under "house arrest", I was doing so well, I was back down to the barn in a "supervisory role" but somehow, something has gone wrong and what was feeling really good now feels decidedly not good. I'm sure that it's only a temporary blip, a bit of "feet up" therapy is, I'm sure, going to get me right again.
So, Greg is down at the barn with his dog in the rain and I'm up here willing myself better. Take care, keep warm and dry, M