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Everchanging life on the ranch.

1/30/2012

3 Comments

 
Life on the ranch is ever-changing The trees and pastures change colour with the seasons, family come and go, nervous WOOFER interns, once strangers turn into close friends ( we really don’t eat them you know !) Chickens lambs and calves arrive and leave ( in one way or another)…. with the notable exception of the favoured four, Lamb Chop, Chance Hol-ley and Alice. Each and every one of our two or four legged chargelings is special, regardless of it’s ultimate purpose and food water and shelter is never denied. Last evening we took a two hour road trip to collect a calf whose life was to be terminated before it had even begun and came back with a little (big) boy, two days old and as yet  (we understand) not fed. He is a strange little man, if he is the offspring of a dairy cow I can’t begin to think what his daddy is ( a bison !) In the warmth of the stall Greg and Quatre tried to persuade the weakened calf to respond to the sweet warm milk. Eventually instinct kicked in and showing a spark of life the bottle was drained. Next mission was to find and iodine the umbilical cord…which was nowhere to be found but all the searching on his underbelly stimulated the calf ( he has no name yet) to utilize his plumbing. I understand that it was a very close call but they had to move fast. Well at least we know his waterworks work !

Good news from Quest’s new home. He has settled in nicely and become star of the very big show. We must have done an ok job of our “on off” training because Jamie has been riding the big gelding,..with and without a saddle.Jamie said that all the children love him and he will never want for attention. We have no doubts that our decision to adopt out our boy was a wise one. Thank you Jamie of Thunder Rail Stables in Enumclaw..check out their website and see where he is.

Lady has apparently taken her son’s leaving home without concern. She is currently pastured with Charm the palomino “aka beauty with attitude”. There was an initial show of dominance, arrogance and ego,  ( pretty much normal for Charm when there is a female around) and Lady the big Shire mare settled in to being Charm’s girl. Being in Charm’s territory means that you get to eat when he has finished eating, graze when he allows her to graze ( and not on the patch of grass he was intending to find) and on no account go in the near vicinity of the divider fence between them and awaiting suitor Roman. Apart from that it looks quite peaceful out there.

Poor Gertie is in a period of readjustment. Having watched Quest’s departure from the pasture, the clearly agitated goose is apparently attempting to bond with another equine, any will do. Charm was unimpressed by her overtures and stomped on her tail, no harm done but a few tail feathers blowing in the wind. Lady doesn’t get the connection at all and Roman chases her. Maybe the new boarding pony Zingy will adopt her, she is still staying close, sadly so is Edgar the eagle who we spotted yesterday.
Well, back to Greg’s bookwork…tax deadline is looming !
Take care, keep safe, M
Please check out Hope for Georgia page it REALLY is a great cause and as a grandmother of a child with Dravets syndrome, I can only pray that research finds a way. M
3 Comments
Sandra Hayes link
1/30/2012 04:08:04 pm

I'm glad that Quest has settled in his new home, I know that you were worried, but what about Gertie?

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Quatre
1/31/2012 12:31:29 pm

You know.... I could always bring Goliath to Seattle, sneak him in my room and let him roam around the backyard (disguised as a dog). Take some work off you guys and give me baby cow time while I'm in Seattle. :)

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Annie x
2/1/2012 06:10:37 am

For a minute there I thought that was the calf of one of the Dexters and then \i realised - they aren't expecting are they ??
I do hope that Gertie does get a friend to replace Quest......
Love you all Annie and Mal xoxo

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