So, it's 2015. The Christmas lights reflect shamelessly gaudy against the icy frosted glass on the deck. The multi colored fairy lights on the Christmas "Welcome" wreath and the two twinkling porch trees still light up the night. The Christmas tree still occupies the corner of the room, tempting candy sits uneaten in crystal bowls and the nativity crib silently awaits the Epiphany and the arrival of the three kings. Gunfire, fireworks and international mayhem welcomed the start of the New Year and signaled the end of 2014....phone calls were made and received, international date lines meant England was listening to the resounding chimes of Big Ben whilst we were collecting warm brown eggs from cozy nest boxes and cajoling anxious horses from frosty pastures back to the security of the big cedar barn. Australia was well into her New Year and our young Eastern and Middle Eastern extended "farm family" were already celebrating as we headed back down to the barn and the challenges of sub freezing temperatures. A new year with all its challenges ahead of us, the old year now just a number in history...a year of love and learning, births and deaths, happy memories and melancholy moments, sickness and health. We welcomed beautiful grandson Maddox and said a sad farewell to much loved and sadly missed family members....we are blessed to have been able to share the closing days of 2014 and the dawn of 2015 with Greg's mom, Eleanore who has been fortunate enough to see close on a century of New Years...with relative good health and the love and respect of a close family. Our prayers are offered and requested for loved ones facing the challenges of terminal ailments
Down at the barn we have been happy to welcome new barn residents, the mellow bay gelding Ky and feisty chestnut filly Fiona along with their people, Erin and James and are grateful to continue to share our lives with Tim, Connie Sue and Dan. Ageing veteran T Bone has discovered a revitalized spring in his step. Still not too stable on 4 gangly arthritic legs, he has taken to adopting attitude when breakfast or dinner service is interrupted. It is hard to be too threatened when the archaic equine pins back his ears, scowls and waveringly lifts an unsteady hind leg.....which invariably results in the remaining 3/4 of his body being sadly unbalanced and in serious danger of landing nose first in his grain bucket.
Misty Moo the adorable Jersey cow is due to calve again in early March, her first calf, beautiful Bella Song is almost a year old and currently causing hormonal chaos in a three weekly cycle. Woe betide and God help the unsuspecting individual who may inadvertently turn their back on our wanton bovine. Bella is not discriminatory in her choice of available...or unavailable males...two legs or four ( possibly even one legged would do !), bovine, equine or ovine...Bella is clearly not too particular. June is the earliest that we will consider breeding her.....until then, her three weekly shenanigans will clearly keep us..Misty, the unsuspecting sheep and possibly even the cats and dogs on tenterhooks!
Time to go, the cuckoo clock has spoken, Bran the border collie and Luke the Australian Sheppard "wanna be" have gone out into the frosty night for their nightly potty break and for Greg and I, the end of another long and cold day on the ranch. Mom is simultaneously watching CSI and competing with herself in computer solitaire...must be bedtime. Take care, keep safe and warm. M
Down at the barn we have been happy to welcome new barn residents, the mellow bay gelding Ky and feisty chestnut filly Fiona along with their people, Erin and James and are grateful to continue to share our lives with Tim, Connie Sue and Dan. Ageing veteran T Bone has discovered a revitalized spring in his step. Still not too stable on 4 gangly arthritic legs, he has taken to adopting attitude when breakfast or dinner service is interrupted. It is hard to be too threatened when the archaic equine pins back his ears, scowls and waveringly lifts an unsteady hind leg.....which invariably results in the remaining 3/4 of his body being sadly unbalanced and in serious danger of landing nose first in his grain bucket.
Misty Moo the adorable Jersey cow is due to calve again in early March, her first calf, beautiful Bella Song is almost a year old and currently causing hormonal chaos in a three weekly cycle. Woe betide and God help the unsuspecting individual who may inadvertently turn their back on our wanton bovine. Bella is not discriminatory in her choice of available...or unavailable males...two legs or four ( possibly even one legged would do !), bovine, equine or ovine...Bella is clearly not too particular. June is the earliest that we will consider breeding her.....until then, her three weekly shenanigans will clearly keep us..Misty, the unsuspecting sheep and possibly even the cats and dogs on tenterhooks!
Time to go, the cuckoo clock has spoken, Bran the border collie and Luke the Australian Sheppard "wanna be" have gone out into the frosty night for their nightly potty break and for Greg and I, the end of another long and cold day on the ranch. Mom is simultaneously watching CSI and competing with herself in computer solitaire...must be bedtime. Take care, keep safe and warm. M
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