25 May
This Weekend we will enjoy family and time together….all because we have those who have served to keep us safe and free.
While we enjoy this time…we will pray for those who have lost loved ones for all of our freedom….and those who are separated from loved ones now….
Thank you for your sacrifice.
Have a Great weekend!
God Bless each and every one of you.
23 May
Well, I haven’t written in over a week. Things are so busy around here….and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love to have lots of things going on all around me.
For Mother’s Day we all got together here at the land and enjoyed a meal after church.
There wasn’t much picture taking since I was hosting. I was able to get this is one of some of the group coming back from a walk.
Unfortunately that was not everyone…but at least I got a few. There were Mother’s of all ages in attendance. Some celebrating 60+ years of Motherhood and one that celebrated her very first Mother’s day.
After we all hugged and parted ways….. Billy and I went to feed Tug and check on the girls.
A surprise was waiting for us…..
Brandy had delivered a baby girl!!!!!!
She is always a good Mama….
She is very protective though….she really keeps her eye on that baby.
She did let the other babies hang out with them. I like that these three babies are born so close together. They will probably grow up to be close to one another. The baby on the far left is TUG…the one in the middle is REY.
We haven’t really decided what to call this baby girl….so I will fill you in on that when it is official.
Meanwhile, it has been fun watching the Mama’s be Mama’s. They are neat to watch as they nurture their young.
This is Punkin and Rey…snuggling just like humans do…..
When they are first born….they hang really close to their Moms…
slowly the babies check out the pasture…watching the birds and sniffing the flowers. Quickly scampering back to mom with any new noise or quick movement.
About a week or so after birth you can get a glimpse of them running and playing through the field like little kids. Confidence builds a little more each day.
Although they venture out….it isn’t too far from Mama….
I took this picture yesterday….and you can see that she has already grown a lot.
I love seeing the Mama’s and babies enjoying time together….the way it should be.
Brandy had a GREAT mother’s day this year….and she made mine a little more special too!
12 May
This is my Mama. After visiting her, this is exactly how she would look when you were ready to leave. She would walk you out, after kisses and hugs, she would talk and laugh until you got into your car. She would wave goodbye and wait until you were out of sight before she would go back into the house.
Mother’s Day is always bittersweet. I miss her so much.
I would have to say that I also smile everyday thinking about her. Maybe something she said or did. Sometimes I see something I think she would enjoy, or something I would like to tell her. I miss not being able to spend time with her…laugh with her…look her in the eyes and tell her I love her…and give her a GREAT big hug. I was blessed to have such a great Mom. I am still blessed to be able to have wonderful memories of her. She provided us with a fun childhood and adulthood too. I have so many precious years of beautiful memories.
I remember Mother’s Day 2004. I told Billy that I wanted to surprise Mom at her church that day. We all have different churches that we are involved in. Therefore, we didn’t always attend church with her as we got older. We would usually gather together for lunch or something afterwards. I just wanted to go…sit with her…worship with her. When I arrived I was fashionably late….meaning Mom was already in the pew. I slipped in beside her. I can still see the look on her face. She was, needless to say, pleasantly surprised. I held one side of the hymnal….she held the other. I don’t remember the songs we sang on that particular day. But many times when I sing today at my church, it is as if I can hear her singing with me. It is all those familiar hymns that we sang together as a family for many, many years. She would also sing them as she busily worked around the house while we were growing up. I cherish them to this day.
I am so glad I felt that extra tug on my heart to go see her on that particular Mother’s Day at her Church. I had no idea that would be the last one I would celebrate with her. The look of joy she had on her face when I joined her that day…..will forever be priceless to me.
I smile even now….as I think of her.
Memories of Mama
Memories …Oh, how great they can be
For they can put you here with me
Sometimes I see you clear as day
Singing a hymn, bowing your head to pray
You could talk to Jesus… in such a sweet way
I saw it all the time….not just one day
Being a good example, you didn’t even know
How much you were teaching, your children to grow
You taught us how to put Christ first
Watched you do it, when times…. were at their worst
Like, when Dad died….you were so strong
Held onto your faith…your whole life long
With a memory it doesn’t take much
To hear you, see you, feel your touch
When I see a Jonquil…. in the Spring
Oh!….How pretty!!…I hear your voice ring
And that fig tree… that you loved so much
We would pick and pick….until we had enough
Fig Preserves…. is what you would make
Hot buttered biscuit, man…. it tasted great!
Sometimes when…. I hear a child cry
I think of the times….you wiped my eyes dry
You kissed my boo-boos and bandaged my knees
It always ended with a hug….. and a squeeze
Putting on lipstick, blot it with a tissue or two
Kissed me goodbye, followed with an…I LOVE YOU!
Home cooked meals….every night
Fried Chicken, Mashed potatoes…what a delight
Sometimes at school….I would see you come in
My heart felt….. like it would burst from within
I was…. SOOOOO…. very proud of you
I really hope….. somehow…..you knew
Drinking morning coffee, outside on your porch
Reading a good book, I still remember…. how you looked
When I needed to talk….be day….or night
You made me feel…. like everything was alright
Isn’t it neat how great a memory can be
In just a second you can be here with me!
Each time I reflect, a new memory I pull
I have so many, this page would be full
I love you Mama, that is what I would say
I love you too baby, is how we ended each day
Memories are good…. when someones away
Thank you God…. for those you give me…. each day
Proverbs 31:28
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
My Mom will forever be with me…..in my heart.
I surely do……Love my Mama!!!!
9 May
I am writing this story with great hesitation. It is actually embarrassing.
Why? You might be asking yourself………
Because we are feeding TUG……..
I know…..another animal that we are having to bottle feed. Sometimes I think that our critters just know that we will…..so they have them….and leave the feeding up to us.
The whole labor and delivery was very different with this heifer. This is her first calf. Maybe you remember that she had it almost three weeks ago. When I found her in labor she was with all the other cows….which is unusual. Normally a cow will go off to herself to have her baby. Later she rejoins the group….sometimes with the baby..but usually she will hide the baby in the woods or high grass. She returns to feed it throughout the day. That usually goes on for about two weeks or so. The baby then starts to join the mama in the field laying down while the other adults graze. The baby will get up ever so often to move with the herd then lay back down. They are like newborns and nap a good bit for the first month or two.
Back to the delivery story…the cows stayed with this Mama…Bailey….the whole time. Once delivered the Mama licked him a couple of times….but oddly enough some of the other cows came over and started licking him. Mama’s lick the babies to clean them… This also stimulates them to stand up. Tug took a little while to stand. Mama didn’t want to get up either….Billy and I pushed and pulled….but it was the encouragement and pushing of another cow that actually got her to stand. Once on her feet she walked away. She wouldn’t come back and feed her baby. That is not good, because the baby has to have the colostrum within so many hours after delivery or it will die. By night fall she had not fed the baby…..it was weak and could hardly stand. We got Bailey and tug into an enclosed fenced area so she would more or less have to feed him. Besides, we had a lot of rain headed our way and this would be the best spot for them. Apparently delivery had been stressful and long for both of them. Our neighbor said that sometimes if they have been stressed the Mama might act weird like this for a little while. Especially a first time Mama. So we just watched and waited.
Bailey still wouldn’t let the baby nurse. He was able to get a swig here and there…but she would kick him off. The next morning when we checked in on them we saw her bag was so full she was dripping milk….but she would not let him nurse. This went on for another couple days. He was just getting a swallow here and there. Mama was wanting out of the fence….oddly the other cows would come up to the fence and moo at her. Not all of them at once, but one every so often. I don’t know what they were saying…but it was different. It was a different kind of mooing that was going on. I promise you it was if they were scolding her.
Billy and I finally decided to just let her out into the field. Keeping her contained was not giving us the results we had hoped for. She still was not being the kind of mother she needed to be to this baby. Sometimes new mothers just need to learn….but it was obvious….she doesn’t want to take care of this baby.
I opened the gate and she bellowed a big moo and took off to meet the other cows in the next field. Baby went too, but he slowly walked away…not knowing what to do. He found a section of brush to lay under. Bailey greeted the other cows, but they were not very happy to see her. They all started pushing her around. Especially the black cows. They head butted her a couple of times. That is not normal for our girls. They pushed and shoved for a little while….and then they kind of shunned her. She eventually walked off by herself. The other cows went up to the baby and all started licking him. He was hungry of course and tried to nurse on each and every one of them, except for Punkin who is already nursing the other baby Rey. I was totally amazed at how patient they were. He even checked out the donkey. Throughout the day I saw that she still was not going to feed him and the only cow that has milk right now…wasn’t going to share. After much deliberation…..Billy and I eventually decided that it looked like we better feed him.
I know….we even discussed it with some other farm people here and they said that they would feed him too if he was theirs. Sometimes…just like with humans….you get one that just doesn’t want to be a Mama. I think that is extremely sad.
Still, when he is in the field with the others….he goes up to them and tries to nurse. Later, I give him a bottle when they aren’t paying attention. I hope they think they are satisfying him. Brandy is Tug’s grandmother, she will be delivering soon herself. It is my hope that she will let him nurse with her new baby when she delivers.
Meanwhile, we are soaking up the sweet affection of this baby. It is rare….and although I hope he will be taken in and fed by one of the others…..I am enjoying this rare opportunity.
He is really friendly and enjoys being petted. I try not to baby him too much…but every once in a while I have to love on him.
At least I hope this will be a rare opportunity…….we really want them all to be raised by their Mama’s.
He is precious….precious.
6 May
Well….I don’t speak Spanish…but I tried to say…crazy chicken.
These girls act like they were raised in a barn.
This is what the coop looked like when I first got them. I had fresh plants in the planters to welcome them to their new home. 
But they picked at their plants and knocked over the wheelbarrow until they broke the wheel off.
I fixed that and moved it over to MY front porch, with fresh flowers in it.
They either ate all the flowers and greenery off the plants or just sat on them….until they died.
Although that is frustrating….they are just chickens.
I will have to admit that it is pretty cute seeing them spread out, enjoying their porch.
Especially when I happen to pass by the coop and see one enjoying the rocking chair.
I walked by these girls when I went inside the coop to check for eggs one day.
There was not a single egg in ANY of the nesting boxes……
That was most unusual.
While I was inside I scooped some feed into one of the feeders, which is by the window. This little lady began to give me a tongue lashing. She made all kinds of chicken noises…..at the top of her little chicken lungs.
She kept peering at me through the window…..and then she would sound the alarm again and again. She had that CRAZED look in her eyes!
I got tickled…none of them had ever acted like this before. When I went back outside she had moved over enough for me to tell that she was sitting on some eggs. She didn’t want to be bothered, so I left her alone. I check the eggs daily….so I knew she couldn’t have been sitting long. When I went back at bedtime….she was in the coop asleep with the others and the planter was full of eggs. From what I read often one will lay in a nest and the others will lay there too. I suppose she was wanting to hatch some babies….but I do not have the fencing for that right now….nor the patience. Goodness, we were feeding baby goats at the time…..I didn’t need a yard full of baby chickens running around….not right now anyway.
However, if she had stayed on the eggs….you know I would have let her hatch them. I would like to do that process one day…..just not right now.
Each day she and the others would lay their eggs in that planter….but each night they would all go into the coop, so I continued to gather the eggs.
The round planter became the popular hangout spot.
I don’t know how they could both get on that planter…. move around…. and not knock it over….
They made a king size mess. Everyday I would sweep up the dirt, only to find the porch in the same shape the next day. I didn’t want to draw predators to the coop by having the eggs outside like that. So, I removed the planter….while they were running around in the grass one day.
On occasion I will still get one in the window box…..but for the most part….they went right back to laying inside the coop. They seem to be alright.
I will have to say I was really glad….I felt like I was on an Easter Egg Hunt everyday there for a while.
I have plans to replant the boxes….maybe with artificial flowers. Removing all the dirt…so no more dirt on the porch…maybe….just maybe….I can have that coop looking cozy again.
The other day the rooster came after me…..
Instinct told me to kick him away….and I did. He did it again…I kicked again as I was backing away onto the porch. He came at me again….I was kicking and screaming for Billy to help me….. I sounded like a WILD Woman. I had a little decorative brush broom hanging by the door. I grabbed that and started trying to back him down. All the while I was screaming for Billy. But Billy never came. The rooster finally let me scoot past him and I darted out of the fence. When I walked into the house I asked Billy if he heard me screaming. He said no…..ALL I CAN HEAR ALL THESE BABY GOATS SCREAMING TO BE FED! And they were…they were screaming at the top of their lungs. I had to laugh…it is like a zoo around here some days.
I suppose Roo was just protecting his girls….but he better watch it. I can get that crazed look in my eyes too!
Matter of fact we may all may be a little wild and crazy around here….
but we have fun.
I've Gone Country 