So as the sun shines over the Pacific North West Greg has once again found himself with an all girl team, I have found myself with a houseful of cookie monsters and the new turkey pen is well under way. Our most recent WWOOFER arrival Anna arrived on Monday and hit the ground running….I don’t think she has stopped running since !
Sarah has been hard at work with Greg’s dads antique scroll saw, creating a special fun feature for the 2013 Farm Tour. Each letter and feature required painting and young Sarah is now a serious contender for John’s “I can get more paint on me than the paint pot” title. The new sheep wall is almost complete ( I LOVE IT !!!) and sadly so is Sarah’s stay with us, she leaves the farm this weekend and we will miss her…..but she still has today so it’s back to the cow pen and I’m sure Greg will find a worthy mission for her last day !
Anna has blended in to farm life like a natural, wandering around the barn with gloves in one pocket and a hefty hammer in the other, wielding a pitchfork or pushing a wheelbarrow. All 5 foot 2 inches of her (reliably informed 5 foot 3 inches on a really good day) has been up ladders, scaling walls, hammering sawing stapling and digging. She has with Sarah been instrumental in the construction of the turkey run under the scrutiny of the older turkeys who are clearly anxious to flex their wings and like vultures observe the proceedings through the window of the coop.
Player and T Bone together would have caused Greg’s schedule to be adjusted yesterday ( if he ever had a schedule !) after they effectively dismantled an outlet. It is almost inconceivable to imagine wobbly unstable old T Bone being able to twist the metal plate covering the outlet but the evidence was indisputable….both sides had been bent and mangled. I guess his legs may be wobbly but what teeth he has left are strong ! Together Greg and Anna relocated both outlet and switch ( player learnt long ago the satisfaction of lighting up the barn at 3am). It was a chore high on Greg’s “must do” list and he has the two horses to thank for forcing the issue !
As the sun went down yesterday Anna and Sarah took to the saddle. Riding Charm (aka beauty with LOTS of attitude) and Starbuck respectively both girls demonstrated that the drivers education, brakes (most important) steering (always helpful) and accelerator ( hopefully not yet in service) had been dutifully studied and applied. Starbuck, the black Appaloosa with no spots was a stallion for the first seven years of his life and clearly deep within his brain, (despite the absence of necessary appendages) Starbuck remembers the good old days. Occasionally the testosterone ( in the gelding’s brain, wishful thinking !) tips the scale and docile Starbuck becomes a force to be reckoned with. With Sarah aboard, the black Appaloosa began to shift gear from idling to turbo, walk became an animated jog and the beautiful black head began to toss. Sarah had her hands full, Starbuck had mutiny on his mind and we were still a way from the barn. Sarah handled the situation like an experienced rider, Starbuck’s attitude was ignored and horse and rider returned to the ranch still firm friends. Golden Palomino Charm, with new rider Anna aboard is never docile, he never even gives the impression that he may be. Despite the Arab temperamental jog and the wilful head tossing, Charm responded to his young novice rider and Anna was still smiling as she slid out of the saddle in the barnyard. Well done girls !
Time to get this entry posted, take care, keep safe, M
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