It has been quite a while since my last entry...not that there hasn't been plenty to write about, not that I haven't wanted to write, there has been a computer crisis in the Gentle Giant Internet cafe. Greg's laptop died and his backup didn't want to backup, leaving us competing for use of the surviving still functioning laptop...MINE ! Just to make things even more challenging, my doctor prescribed something to persuade my brain to sleep ( I think I scoop poop in my sleep). They work great...now maybe he can give me something to help me wake up !!!

Beautiful Baby Bella, the Jersey calf is now in size two head collar.   That little lady guzzles two and a half gallons of rich creamy milk a day before she gallops out to the pasture with me tenaciously hanging on to the other end of the lead rope. Bella spends her day gamboling in the lush Spring grass with the lamb Brat Pack, resting under the shade of the big maple tree or with the older ewes watching the rain drops fall from the safety of the field shelter. Every two hours, armed with a fresh bottle of rich Jersey milk we call from the barn and little Bella appears for her protein/fat top up !

Smokey and Bacon the two (not so little any more) piglets have made themselves right at home. When the big farm truck enters the farm yard two little snouts appear from the door of the piggaloo (like an igloo... but for pigs) and it isn't long before shrill piglet squeals join the breakfast cacophony. T Bones insistent whinny's, the loud bleating of the matriarch ewes and the strident bleating of the lambs. The low moo from Daisy and the resounding thud of a wall kick from Player the gray thoroughbred. Clearly the breakfast service isn't fast enough and by the time I approach Pigville, Smokey and Bacon have virtually transfigured into battering rams on legs. Getting the gate open is my first challenge with the two rollypollys scuttling around my feet, getting the food into the usually upside down food bowl is a test of my ingenuity. Those chubby ladies are usually sitting in the dish before I can manage to pour the warm milk, mouths are open striving to catch the milk before it reaches the food bowl. Little pig's trotters scramble, milk splashes and little pig snouts loudly inhale the tasty mismash of milk bread potatoes vegetables and fruit as I empty the dinner bucket. Five minutes with little Smokey and Bacon feels like five minutes with Joe Frazier.....and they are still only piglets !!

Well, it's almost time to go down to the barn. The sun is shining over the pastures and glinting on the rippling pond. Another day is waiting to begin. Take care, keep safe. M

Bouncing bounding beautiful Bella. Our little Jersey calf is thriving and, almost  two weeks old, every moment of every day is an adventure. Bran the Border Collie has a new partner in crime as collie and calf play catch and chase between the sprouting raspberry canes and through the still sleeping grape vines. In the turkey pen, Tom the turkey is still unsure of the curious calf as she places her dewy black muzzle up against the wire. His snood turning from placid pink to furious red and brilliant blue, he loudly warns Bella that he is ready to defend his harem should the calf venture any closer. Tux the big black rooster angrily scratches the ground, his collar feathers fluffed up and his beady little eyes fixed on the inquisitive Bella who calmly appears not to comprehend that his angry warning signs had already gone from green through amber and were now firmly on “ no closer” red.  Easily guzzling ten quarts of creamy frothy milk a day, half a gallon in less than two minutes, it is difficult to recall our earlier anxieties when we weren’t sure the shivering little bundle of skin and bone was going to survive.

I had a few moments with Misty moo her lovely gentle mom yesterday as Greg was milking her. In between the pulsating surge of the milking machine, Misty put her beautiful face up against mine, her big brown eyes so close….her big wet nose against my cheek. It would have been a perfect moment… BUT have you ever felt the bristles on a cows nose ?!!!

Little Shrimp the orphan lamb is still a little shrimp. Each day the tiny lamb goes out into the pasture with her larger siblings and each evening we have to catch her to give her a bottle. Shrimp may be tiny but that little lady manages to give us a whole lot of trouble.

Smoky and Bacon the two little piglets are loving life on the ranch. To be a little more precise, I think it would be a little (lot) more honest to say…those little ladies are loving their food ! Progress has been made in persuading them that we aren’t going to eat them ( yet !) and I have managed ( at serious risk of losing my fingers at least…or my whole hand at worst !) to hand feed those voracious little piglets. Kevin and Greg were building muscles on Friday, busily building the new pig residence which will be grandly known as “Pigville”. Kevin is having the weekend for some well earned rest and relaxation after his week on the ranch and we thank him for all his support through a very busy week.

Jaden our young grandson returned to the city on Thursday after a three day visit to the Ranch. It is always fun to have the grandchildren and we look forward to more visits…soon.

Got to get this entry posted. Take care, keep safe, M

So, Greg claims that he relented, capitulated under pressure from the (various) girl teams, resigned himself to our two new ranch residents…but I knew that, once Misty Moo’s milky bar opened, common sense would prevail. Misty Moo is SUCH a happy contented cow, and happy contented cows produce rich creamy frothy milk in abundance, little Smokey and her little brown sister Bacon ( sad, but I have a deep suspicion that Greg is trying to ensure that I will always remember that our two little piggies remain on the freezer invoice )  are more than happy to suck up the surplus. On Monday the two plump (oh no,..not me too !)  little piglets were selected from the litter and with an inordinate amount of squealing and squirming, handed to WWOOFER Kevin and young Grandson Jaden. Happily, although neither little plump balls with funny snouts and not too curly tails pooped on the boys,Smokey and Bacon were clearly not impressed at the prospect of leaving home. With Kevin and Jaden in attendance they have quickly settled into their luxurious new accommodation in a little piggy heartbeat. Clearly, leaving home hasn’t affected their appetites and they are happily and very noisily slurping up everything put in front of them. Something tells me that they aren’t going to be cute for too long !

Our chickens have become escape artists. Over the past weeks I have observed some curious activity in the chicken pen, our feathered friends have become excavators and are industriously digging their way to freedom (or China !). Sadly, freedom around here typically translates into Coyote snack or eagle lunch and escapees are strongly discouraged. We have reinforced the pen, we have put down logs and bricks, we have blocked up holes and barricaded escape routes but still they broke out. Kevin was introduced to the fine art of chicken catching before he had even woke up on Monday morning….he was very quickly wide awake !! Thanks Kevin.  I had the opportunity to say “told you so” ….and after Greg had to round up yet another intrepid White Leghorn, the boy team were set on a mission to return the chicken enclosure to something akin to San Quentin !   The “ladies” were clearly unimpressed at the re modelling and we will hopefully have no further breakouts.

Grandson Jaden, spending his Spring Break here on the ranch has been busily employed feeding Shrimp the orphan lamb, Bella the adorable Jersey calf and the two little piglets. In the morning our hard working young grandson uncomplainingly joins Kevin our very hard working WWOOFER in the sheep and cow pens, and happily helped his granddad and Kevin in the garden before the rain returned late yesterday afternoon.

Having three hard working men around the ranch sent me to the kitchen…nothing keeps a smile on the faces of the boy team like an overflowing cookie tin !

Time to go, the cuckoo clock has spoken ! Take care, keep safe, M

I’m possibly going to destroy Greg’s self esteem and shatter his ego….you have NEVER been kissed ‘till a tiny Jersey calf turns her deep brown eyes to look at you and gently rub her dewy wet nose coated in bubbly milk froth across your face. Ahhhhh bliss. Sorry Greg ! Little Bella’s first hours were anxious, we feared for the tiny struggling life and fought all day to restore warmth into her crumpled body. Somehow her long slender legs had got twisted which prevented her standing and her weakness suppressed her natural instinct to suck. Misty Moo had left the shelter of her warm dry barn to give birth to Bella out in the icy field and her little calf was frozen to the bone. It was a tough day but watching Bella at play in the barnyard under the warmth of the Spring sunshine it is difficult to remember just how weak she had been just a short week ago. Bella TERRORIZES the other farm residents, Tiger and Shy keep a careful distance from the bouncing bounding gambolling calf. Tiger the ginger tabby cat did make an effort to introduce himself, tail up straight and on stiff legs he was clearly not too sure about the newest ranch member and was ready to beat a very hasty retreat if necessary. It was !! Bella bounced and landed on the spot the startled cat had just vacated. Shy his ginger and white sibling had remained a safe distance from the stranger and both he and Tiger quickly melted into the relative safety of the barn shadows until Bella was safely removed. As the sun set and all the horses were safely back from the pastures Bella prowled the barn, she investigated the tractor with eyes wide, she checked out my roses, chewed on my raspberries and bounded up the hay pile. Out in the orchard she bounced in the tall Spring grass and nibbled on the dandelions. Momentarily exhausted she flopped down to observe the garden activities in my strawberry bed before resuming her adventure. Busily combing Lady, the big Shire Mare’s long thick tail we suddenly had an unscheduled visitor to the stall, Bella the curious little Jersey calf wandered through the open door. Undaunted by the size of the occupant of the stall Bella confidently introduced herself to the less than confident mare and proceeded to walk under Lady’s tummy. All a little too much, too fast for Lady and little Bella was quickly evicted to a safer environment where she would hopefully be unable to cause chaos and mayhem under horses hooves. Hopefully !!!

Today we pick up our new venture, two little piglets…..I feel more fun and games on the horizon !!

Time to go, it’s going to be a lovely Spring day, take care, keep safe, M

Not quite sure if I’m ecstatic or miserable !!! This morning there was only one dewy wet nose to wish me good morning, ( no, not Greg’s ) only one set of little feet tapping across the kitchen floor (again, not Greg’s) and no little and large breakfast bottles topped by big rubber teats sitting on the breakfast bar….um…certainly not Greg’s ! My kitchen floor is no longer littered with shreds of Alf alpha and stray straw and I don’t have to negotiate the king size dog house that was bed for little shrimp after lights out. Shrimp the tiny lamb that took occupation of my kitchen would have preferred the king sized plush Costco dog bed but I think that sharing his people AND his bed with the mini despot was getting old for Bran the Border Collie. Yesterday as I wiped the sleep from my eyes…four sets of eyes were watching…and waiting. Bran wasn’t going to forfeit his breakfast dog biscuit treat and he sure wasn’t going to share it. Little shrimp in her baggy diaper was ready and Bella the Jersey calf warm and snug in her garage pen was expectantly drooling. Yes…I said four sets of eyes, Greg, supplemented by a strong coffee, with eggs waiting to be washed and taxes still to be done, surrounded by bottles diapers and animals was waiting for some relief in the farm breakfast service. So, the fact that I can sit at my laptop without a lamb in a diaper perched on my knee and no shards of straw stuck between my toes is goodness. The fact that beautiful Bella the Jersey calf is well enough to take her rightful place in a stall in the barn is a miracle and the fact that Greg and I can have all this goodness and share it is a blessing…..but it is SO good to have my kitchen back !!!

We were fortunate over the past week to have young Kevin, our current WWOOFER volunteer assisting with the ranch activities and have to thank him for hours sitting with the lifeless newborn calf, for his kindness and compassion when things didn’t go as planned and his fortitude and sense of humour when Shrimp designated his leg as a potty. Kevin has been there to help with the poop scooping, cut wood, build the beginning structures for the pig pen, fix and erect fencing, nurse our new borns, assist with milking Misty Moo our beautiful Jersey cow and generally been a great right hand man for Greg all around our busy ranch.

Yesterday Bella took her first walk in the grass, she sneezed as she inhaled a dandelion, she bucked and gamboled in the Spring sunshine and she investigated everything with her beautiful brown eyes. Bella introduced herself to Charm the golden palomino, she made herself known to the two barn cats who, it has to be said were less than impressed by the new attention grabber. It was after all dinner time !

Life is good, we know just how lucky we are as we look around the ranch, the grass is green, the leaves are just peeping through and blossom decks the branches. Time to go, another busy day ahead of us. Take care, keep safe, M

It's a good morning. Bella is alert and gaining strength. Yesterday was not the case to begin with. Bella was born at 0630 just at daybreak. Of course it was cold and frosty. When else to drop a calf out in the field. As our custom in rearing our calves, Greg swooped her up and off to the brood pen with a warm light. Alas, that was not enough to break the cold she experience in the pool of fluid she was dropped in by mom Misty as Bella made her entrance into the cold weather leaving the warm secure tummy of her mom. She suffered a moderate case of hypothermia and was needing quick attention. Instead of the usual heat lamp in the brood pen. It was off to the barn kitchen with a HOT fire in the stove. We were cooking and Bella was shivering. Her internal systems were beginning to shut down. More warmth in the form of hair dryer heat pumped under the blanket and many dry towels to clean her off. We started feeding little amounts of precious colostrum we were able draw from Misty. As time and effort progressed, the shivering subsided and body temperature was almost up to normal. We helped her get up and take more milk from the bottle. Each hour showed more progress. All our experience in dealing with a hypothermic animal was being tried as well as phone calls to other farm friends and veterinarians. Well as you can see Bella has pulled through the night and is much stronger. Yeahhh!! such a lovely calf. Today has started off as a much brighter day. Makes all the effort worth it. Thanks Kevin and all our friends.