Good morning from deep in the heart of a beautiful Pierce County, Washington State. The good news is, Spring appears to have arrived, yesterday there wasn’t a miserable grey cloud to spoil a brilliant blue sky. The hawks drifted with the thermals and the nesting birds scurried to gather sheep hair and wisps of stolen hay to build tiny nests in the boughs of trees just bursting to bud. The willows Alder and the orchard are wearing a covert sheen of green like a chiffon veil over Winter’s bare branches.
The bad news is those pesky weeds are back, unconcerned by the heavy frosts torrential rain and whipping winds those tenacious weeds still manage to thrive. The brilliant golden daffodils and the sturdy tulips have suffered, either beaten down by the aforementioned weather nasties or a tasty lunch for marauding deer who frequently pop in for a quick takeaway…why don’t they eat my weeds ?
John has completed his mission in the woodshed and passed with honours. Where there was once disorder John has restored order, a coffee can of broken rusty nails and a nice tidy stack of reusable plywood ( sorry Tony !!) is all that is left to remind us of the chaos that once was. He is currently off duty, on a weekend diversionary road trip, trying I’m sure to forget his next assignment which will see him mixing and matching an assortment of tiles in the barn kitchen. This time big brother wont be counting rusty nails…he’ll be counting tiles in his sleep..who needs nightmares?
Little Hol-ley now promoted to big cow status is giving us attitude and according to true big cow practice is making life just as difficult as a little black cow can or even a big black cow !!. All day the three cows graze undisturbed, feasting on the lush Spring grass, and languidly chewing their cud when their appetite has been satisfied. As the sun sets, Molly, Daisy and Hol-ley with Rodney the ram and Macho the ever ready buck, tummy’s rounded with grass amble back down Cow Lane for supper where we have a system in practice.... Sadly, systems are unreliable and Hol-ley is determined to prove what we have believed for a long time…Systems however well intended are made to be broken here on the farm and little Hol-ley is just the cow to demonstrate it ! Each grain bucket is set in a designated spot, each animal designated a grain bucket in it’s designated spot and up to now the system worked. Hol-ley broke away from the normally orderly procession. Chaos quickly ensued, Hol-ley spotted a particularly lush blade of grass, Rodney went one way, Molly another. Macho the buck spotted his opportunity, Molly’s bucket surely had something more tasty than his, even if it didn’t, if he was quick, he could eat both. Molly not slow to seize good fortune when it presented itself, headed for Rodney’s bucket and poor docile Daisy Mae clearly confused by the system break down, just wandered from one empty designated (and now un-designated) bucket to the next. Meanwhile,Hol-ley the instigator of the chaos just buried her head deep in the grass and stoically resisted an incensed Greg and an amused Carla. Greg Pulled, Carla pushed, Bran the dog just ran in frustrated circles and Hol-ley the calf/cow dug her little hooves in and refused to move… Tonight there will be a new system, Hol-ley will be on the end of a very sturdy leadrope and designated grain buckets WILL get to designated critters !!
Number 20 is not proving to be a good mommy and her two little ewe lambs despite anxious searching are not finding a milky bar open. An executive decision has been made and two little Pepsi bottles with little rubber teats are going to be replacing the reluctant mother.
Well, time to go. The cuckoo clock is about to cuckoo 12 oclock and it’s time I got this post online before I have another protest at my overdue diary entry. Take care, keep safe, M
The bad news is those pesky weeds are back, unconcerned by the heavy frosts torrential rain and whipping winds those tenacious weeds still manage to thrive. The brilliant golden daffodils and the sturdy tulips have suffered, either beaten down by the aforementioned weather nasties or a tasty lunch for marauding deer who frequently pop in for a quick takeaway…why don’t they eat my weeds ?
John has completed his mission in the woodshed and passed with honours. Where there was once disorder John has restored order, a coffee can of broken rusty nails and a nice tidy stack of reusable plywood ( sorry Tony !!) is all that is left to remind us of the chaos that once was. He is currently off duty, on a weekend diversionary road trip, trying I’m sure to forget his next assignment which will see him mixing and matching an assortment of tiles in the barn kitchen. This time big brother wont be counting rusty nails…he’ll be counting tiles in his sleep..who needs nightmares?
Little Hol-ley now promoted to big cow status is giving us attitude and according to true big cow practice is making life just as difficult as a little black cow can or even a big black cow !!. All day the three cows graze undisturbed, feasting on the lush Spring grass, and languidly chewing their cud when their appetite has been satisfied. As the sun sets, Molly, Daisy and Hol-ley with Rodney the ram and Macho the ever ready buck, tummy’s rounded with grass amble back down Cow Lane for supper where we have a system in practice.... Sadly, systems are unreliable and Hol-ley is determined to prove what we have believed for a long time…Systems however well intended are made to be broken here on the farm and little Hol-ley is just the cow to demonstrate it ! Each grain bucket is set in a designated spot, each animal designated a grain bucket in it’s designated spot and up to now the system worked. Hol-ley broke away from the normally orderly procession. Chaos quickly ensued, Hol-ley spotted a particularly lush blade of grass, Rodney went one way, Molly another. Macho the buck spotted his opportunity, Molly’s bucket surely had something more tasty than his, even if it didn’t, if he was quick, he could eat both. Molly not slow to seize good fortune when it presented itself, headed for Rodney’s bucket and poor docile Daisy Mae clearly confused by the system break down, just wandered from one empty designated (and now un-designated) bucket to the next. Meanwhile,Hol-ley the instigator of the chaos just buried her head deep in the grass and stoically resisted an incensed Greg and an amused Carla. Greg Pulled, Carla pushed, Bran the dog just ran in frustrated circles and Hol-ley the calf/cow dug her little hooves in and refused to move… Tonight there will be a new system, Hol-ley will be on the end of a very sturdy leadrope and designated grain buckets WILL get to designated critters !!
Number 20 is not proving to be a good mommy and her two little ewe lambs despite anxious searching are not finding a milky bar open. An executive decision has been made and two little Pepsi bottles with little rubber teats are going to be replacing the reluctant mother.
Well, time to go. The cuckoo clock is about to cuckoo 12 oclock and it’s time I got this post online before I have another protest at my overdue diary entry. Take care, keep safe, M
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