I’m having a REALLY bad hair day !! The double Doppler was working overtime this morning. MJ ( Fox 13 meteorologist) was so excited she was almost doing a jig, the rain shadow on the weather map was so green it was almost black and above us the clouds are grey and unforgiving. The rain is coming down in sheets, the wind is blowing, the cedar branches are waving and as usual everyone in the barn and out in the pastures look pitiful !
Bad weather doesn’t discourage Gertie the confused Canada Goose. As new equine beau Charm was persuading me that the last carrot couldn’t possibly have been the last, loud honking signalled the immanent arrival of a very low flying goose. Luckily a quick diversionary shimmy saved me from having a very yucky goose poop shampoo as the soggy missile dropped from the air. Gertie barely cleared the pasture fence in her haste to greet Charm the golden palomino. Valentine the gander (in waiting…not too patiently !!) follows his reluctant mate at a much more subdued pace and cautiously paces the fenceline at a very safe distance from the horses feet. Gertie, totally unconcerned by Valentines impatience or any danger from Charm just grazes happily alongside Mr. Beauty with attitude and has clearly forgotten that she is a goose. The “visiting” flock of geese have still not relinquished ownership of the pond, the nest and, more significantly, the horse’s Summer pasture. Gentle Giant Meadows Ranch is beginning to resemble a wildlife refuge as The heron stoically fishes or stands motionless poised on one leg at the edge of the water waiting for a hapless frog. Down on the pond geese sail around the island, fight for dominance and ownership of the nest and fly in “V” formation fast and low, loudly honking over the barn.
The two little lambs, now called Cammi and Carla are still causing us concern. Tiny black and white Cammi and even tinier white Carla are on a gruelling two hourly feeding schedule. Neither lamb appears to have any instinct to suck and moms milky bar is sadly inadequate. A drench, slow and laborious is currently the only method by which the twins are getting sustenance and two hourly the lambs are kidnapped from mom. Camille our lovely French WOOFER has become very proficient with the lambs and kids, treating first one end then cleaning up the other as the need arises. ( very frequently !!) Bran the Border Collie is very happy to assist and enthusiastically lends his tongue to clean up milk sticky muzzles and dirty overactive butts. There’s nothing about poo we don’t know …or are becoming familiar with very fast !
Poor Lamb Chop, we must have the only whether in the world that has an allergy to grass !! Last year his rear end was scrubbed daily through the Summer, his poopy condition was considered to be as a result of falling foul of macho the buck and Allissia the doeling. This year, as the Spring grass has started to appear so has Lamb Chop’s dirty butt, the two goats have been acquitted, and we have had to accept that our scruffy, only a mother could love him ( but she didn’t !) Lamb Chop has a very serious problem. What are we to do with a sheep that doesn’t tolerate grass....just love him !
Time to move, the team will be coming up from the barn hungry wet and weary…..the rain is still falling and the wind is still blowing. Take care, keep safe, M
Bad weather doesn’t discourage Gertie the confused Canada Goose. As new equine beau Charm was persuading me that the last carrot couldn’t possibly have been the last, loud honking signalled the immanent arrival of a very low flying goose. Luckily a quick diversionary shimmy saved me from having a very yucky goose poop shampoo as the soggy missile dropped from the air. Gertie barely cleared the pasture fence in her haste to greet Charm the golden palomino. Valentine the gander (in waiting…not too patiently !!) follows his reluctant mate at a much more subdued pace and cautiously paces the fenceline at a very safe distance from the horses feet. Gertie, totally unconcerned by Valentines impatience or any danger from Charm just grazes happily alongside Mr. Beauty with attitude and has clearly forgotten that she is a goose. The “visiting” flock of geese have still not relinquished ownership of the pond, the nest and, more significantly, the horse’s Summer pasture. Gentle Giant Meadows Ranch is beginning to resemble a wildlife refuge as The heron stoically fishes or stands motionless poised on one leg at the edge of the water waiting for a hapless frog. Down on the pond geese sail around the island, fight for dominance and ownership of the nest and fly in “V” formation fast and low, loudly honking over the barn.
The two little lambs, now called Cammi and Carla are still causing us concern. Tiny black and white Cammi and even tinier white Carla are on a gruelling two hourly feeding schedule. Neither lamb appears to have any instinct to suck and moms milky bar is sadly inadequate. A drench, slow and laborious is currently the only method by which the twins are getting sustenance and two hourly the lambs are kidnapped from mom. Camille our lovely French WOOFER has become very proficient with the lambs and kids, treating first one end then cleaning up the other as the need arises. ( very frequently !!) Bran the Border Collie is very happy to assist and enthusiastically lends his tongue to clean up milk sticky muzzles and dirty overactive butts. There’s nothing about poo we don’t know …or are becoming familiar with very fast !
Poor Lamb Chop, we must have the only whether in the world that has an allergy to grass !! Last year his rear end was scrubbed daily through the Summer, his poopy condition was considered to be as a result of falling foul of macho the buck and Allissia the doeling. This year, as the Spring grass has started to appear so has Lamb Chop’s dirty butt, the two goats have been acquitted, and we have had to accept that our scruffy, only a mother could love him ( but she didn’t !) Lamb Chop has a very serious problem. What are we to do with a sheep that doesn’t tolerate grass....just love him !
Time to move, the team will be coming up from the barn hungry wet and weary…..the rain is still falling and the wind is still blowing. Take care, keep safe, M
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