No…….we still don’t have a calf ! Daisy May is holding on tight, we know that she is in calf, we know that she has milk, we know that she is about due to pop…but we also know that Christmas is coming. We continue to keep calf vigil, we continue to supply protein rich Alf Alfa to our cow –in- waiting… and we keep checking her due date !!. Trust me ( don’t you just hate it when someone says that ?!) we will let you know when it happens and hopefully before Christmas !!
MJ Fox 13’s weather guru extraordinaire is confidently and over enthusiastically predicting a deluge over the next few days and the weather front she prophesised appears to be on the way. The brilliant sunshine and warm temperatures to which we have become accustomed ( amazingly for the Pacific North West) made way to a steely grey sky and persistent drizzly mist…a real bad hair day! ( much more in common with the Pacific North West weather pattern !!)The threat of 40 days of rain hasn’t quite influenced Greg into constructing an arc but it would appear that 200 feet of guttering probably takes as much discussion,engineering prep and clean up time as it took Noah to get all his animals 2 by 2 into the Arc and afloat. He and Quatre balanced precariously on ladders, measured, cut, nailed and, it has to be said loudly complained as the lengths of not too stable PVC gutters, surprisingly made in China (????) stoically refused to co operate. As MJ’s weather front threatened, Greg was trustingly raised aloft in the tractor bucket by a very enthusiastic looking Quatre to position the last resistant pieces of the Chinese puzzle on the corner of the barn.
Without a “proper job”, tiring of being a “go fetch…” and with dark clouds gathering above, I collected buckets and dodging the mole holes that have magically appeared in the orchard, (like cup cakes liberally sprinkled with deer poop) set out to collect apples before the rain arrives. Clearly Greg really should have the foresight to get accident insurance on me since even the simplest of projects appears to be fraught with danger when I am involved. There I was, under the apple tree gathering the fruit which it would appear didn’t suit Doris the deer’s palate (or the offending doe with a growing bounty on her little black tail simply couldn’t reach) when the biggest apple on the tree tumbled earthwards hitting me in the eye on the way. That apple had the whole orchard to fall on…why me ? Just to make me wonder if apple harvesting really was much fun, I began to encounter the resident orchard residents ( other than Doris the deer). A startled garter snake, taking advantage of the last of the Summer was less than excited at my arrival and slithered off in the direction of the road. A band of raucous crows that had ( along with Doris the deer. Grrrrrr ) been feasting on the fruits of our labour took flight simultaneously with loud recriminations at my intrusion and Lucky the black barn cat haughtily cancelled his hunting expedition. In the pastures across the farm road, Charm the golden palomino and Starbuck the black Appaloosa without spots ignore the hay so thoughtfully supplied in their feeder and continue to forage for the last surviving blades of grass. T Bone (30) and Cooper(20) the big bay old timers forget that their old arthritic legs no longer work as they once did. Clearly, the spirit is very willing but sadly the body doesn’t appear to be able to co operate. T Bones front legs go left, his back go right and his big brown body wavers uncomfortably unstable somewhere between the two. The old guys are happy and we are glad that we can give them a more comfortable Winter.
As I scanned the pastures and the barns, listening to the sounds of the birds and the distant growling of the old green tractor I thought about how peaceful, uncomplicated and happy my life is….
With that, I’m timed out again. Maybe today ………??
Take care, keep safe, M
MJ Fox 13’s weather guru extraordinaire is confidently and over enthusiastically predicting a deluge over the next few days and the weather front she prophesised appears to be on the way. The brilliant sunshine and warm temperatures to which we have become accustomed ( amazingly for the Pacific North West) made way to a steely grey sky and persistent drizzly mist…a real bad hair day! ( much more in common with the Pacific North West weather pattern !!)The threat of 40 days of rain hasn’t quite influenced Greg into constructing an arc but it would appear that 200 feet of guttering probably takes as much discussion,engineering prep and clean up time as it took Noah to get all his animals 2 by 2 into the Arc and afloat. He and Quatre balanced precariously on ladders, measured, cut, nailed and, it has to be said loudly complained as the lengths of not too stable PVC gutters, surprisingly made in China (????) stoically refused to co operate. As MJ’s weather front threatened, Greg was trustingly raised aloft in the tractor bucket by a very enthusiastic looking Quatre to position the last resistant pieces of the Chinese puzzle on the corner of the barn.
Without a “proper job”, tiring of being a “go fetch…” and with dark clouds gathering above, I collected buckets and dodging the mole holes that have magically appeared in the orchard, (like cup cakes liberally sprinkled with deer poop) set out to collect apples before the rain arrives. Clearly Greg really should have the foresight to get accident insurance on me since even the simplest of projects appears to be fraught with danger when I am involved. There I was, under the apple tree gathering the fruit which it would appear didn’t suit Doris the deer’s palate (or the offending doe with a growing bounty on her little black tail simply couldn’t reach) when the biggest apple on the tree tumbled earthwards hitting me in the eye on the way. That apple had the whole orchard to fall on…why me ? Just to make me wonder if apple harvesting really was much fun, I began to encounter the resident orchard residents ( other than Doris the deer). A startled garter snake, taking advantage of the last of the Summer was less than excited at my arrival and slithered off in the direction of the road. A band of raucous crows that had ( along with Doris the deer. Grrrrrr ) been feasting on the fruits of our labour took flight simultaneously with loud recriminations at my intrusion and Lucky the black barn cat haughtily cancelled his hunting expedition. In the pastures across the farm road, Charm the golden palomino and Starbuck the black Appaloosa without spots ignore the hay so thoughtfully supplied in their feeder and continue to forage for the last surviving blades of grass. T Bone (30) and Cooper(20) the big bay old timers forget that their old arthritic legs no longer work as they once did. Clearly, the spirit is very willing but sadly the body doesn’t appear to be able to co operate. T Bones front legs go left, his back go right and his big brown body wavers uncomfortably unstable somewhere between the two. The old guys are happy and we are glad that we can give them a more comfortable Winter.
As I scanned the pastures and the barns, listening to the sounds of the birds and the distant growling of the old green tractor I thought about how peaceful, uncomplicated and happy my life is….
With that, I’m timed out again. Maybe today ………??
Take care, keep safe, M
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