I've Gone Country A blog about a city girl learning a whole new world

Clementine is our biggest cow.  She is ….what you would call….big boned.  Due to this matter of being big boned….it is hard for me to tell when she is expecting.

This is her is October ……Early in pregnancy.

This is was taken two days ago.

I make my rounds around the pasture.  Sometimes I am on the 4 wheeler, sometimes I am just walking.  They know that it is that time of year again…..when I start checking on progress.

I noticed her milk bag is VERY ready.

Normally her bag is relatively small.

She took some time to soak in the pond the other morning.  She does that a lot. I imagine it helps with the load, she is so heavy it appears to be a real struggle to get her legs out of the muddy bottom.  It makes me nervous watching her.

Every time I am with the cows I look them over for any changes.  When you see them all the time, you notice even the little things.  Like spots of hair loss, maybe from rubbing their necks on the side of the trees.  Or scratches and scrapes that the ones with horns tend to deliver to the ones who don’t have horns.  It doesn’t happen often, but on occasion they must get aggravated with one another.  It is always good to take note of their appearances and keep watch on any boo boos they might have.

This is the start of calving season.  It is always fun and some what nerve racking.  Bailey had our first one a month or so ago.  I believe that Clementine just might be next.

  ………………………..NEWS UPDATE…………………………..BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!………………………………..NEWS UPDATE…………….

 

Before I could complete this post…...CLEMENTINE HAS DELIVERED!!!!!!!!!!!

Billy helped with a slight pull…..

That beautiful face emerged!!!!!!

It seems to be a good size calf…..

The calf started twitching it’s nose…so we helped clear her airway just a little so she could get a good breath.

It is at that point that I sigh a great sigh or relief!!!!!

Then we step back….and let Mama finish doing what comes naturally.

She will lick the baby….. stimulating the calf.

Within minutes the baby tries to stand.  Mama encouraging her all the way.

Finally….after a few flops…. it is up…..notice the front feet are still tucked under…as it gains its balance.

Once steady…it knows right where to go.   AMAZING!!!!!

Well, I believe we have a girl….with the quick look we got anyway.

Isn’t she BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

I absolutely love her markings.

I always stand in awe….at the beauty of LIFE!!!!!

Only God….can give life….and what a precious gift it is!

 

 

Spring has sprung and the green has begun!

The mountains are showing all the different shades…..

Cute little things aren’t they?  They are tender, soft and GREEN!!!!!!!

The plants in the yard are awakening from a LONG winters nap, while I cheer them on!

Like these Day lilies…..

And these Hosta…..they are growing quickly and opening up beautifully. This is only about 2 weeks of growth.  I mean from seeing NOTHING to THIS!!!!!

 

The crepe myrtle trees are leafing out as well.

Just look at how the leaves emerge and unfold from that old brown branch.  That whole tree looked as if no life was in it just days ago.

 

 

This is a volunteer red bud.

 

We have enjoyed the fuchsia blooms for several weeks.  They pop open first thing early spring.

Here you can see the leaves are beginning to emerge….like the crepe.

Of course Miss Willow….has once again grown her long flowing hair out for all of us to enjoy!

As I worked in the yard, a 2 year old came by with her Mama.  The little girl took my hand and led me to the willow.  She just wanted to walk under the branches.  She giggled with glee as she watched the branches flow to and fro.  The twinkle in her eyes made me smile.  Children experiencing things for the first time seem to make it new for us too as we watch their excitement.

Well….she thought it was great until the tree frog croaked!  Then she was out of there…..

The wild flowers are everywhere.

This is a Trilium.  Apparently they come in several different colors.  I’m learning all this as I go.

I have to google these things…apparently this is a Shooting Star.

I think it is beautiful…look at the detail…..Amazing.

I have posted pictures before of  our creeping phlox that we planted.  It comes back each Spring.

I just love it…and it spreads each year.  Hopefully in a few years it will fill this whole space solid above the rocks.

However, just behind this planter is the wild phlox that pops up voluntarily in the wood line.

It is beautiful too…

They grow taller….

Of course….up close…they are stunning.

And so are the wild Verbena….

They really make a statement when in a group…

 

The pink shade is one of my favorite colors.

Of course….. their are violets too.

I have no idea what this is…

But I love the little point on the end of the petals….picture perfect…with the delicate yellow center.  I find myself thinking that is pretty as a picture…but the truth is…no picture can do any of this justice.

This yellow is gorgeous…

Maybe it is golden ragwort?????

I only know it’s pretty…

This one shares the same color, but has different shaped petals….

With a variety of all these flowers sprinkled throughout the woods….they seem to come alive.

Today however….we are cold…. yet again.

Seems we haven’t had all our “Winter’s” yet.

You know…Red bud Winter , Dogwood Winter, Locust Winter and Blackberry Winter.

I don’t know for sure….but I have seen the Red bud’s bloom.

The Dogwood’s are in bloom now…

 

and I saw those things the Locust trees shed on the road….

goodness knows we have experienced the pollen….from all of these!  The deck is covered….

I happened up on these wild blackberry vines.

This was a couple  of days ago…so maybe they have bloomed.  If  so maybe that will take care of Blackberry Winter……

Meaning this COLD snap brings us to our last “Winter”.

Even if it’s not…..it has to be close.

Billy and I have thoroughly enjoyed the longer daylight hours, accompanied by singing birds and warm sunshine.

We are fortunate and get to experience all four seasons.

I truly am appreciative of all the different weather.  I know it takes the variety to bring us to this time in Spring.  I do tend to favor these days though.

It is the week before Easter, upon reading the Easter story out of Luke……

Luke 19: 37-40

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the 
Lord!”“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 

I  was reminded of this verse and I love it….

“If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 

To me….that is what happens when Spring rolls around.

Nature shouts loudly “GLORY TO GOD”!!!!!!!

And so should I…at Easter…. and every day of my life.  Nature should just be my background choir, it shouldn’t be the only thing praising God.

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Life is full of changes.

The past few weeks have brought many around here.

Gumby….

and Pokey, went to live with someone else.  They came into our pasture originally because a man had died and his family asked if we would take them.  So we did.  They have been with us for about 3 years.  They certainly were free spirited.  They had beautiful gaits and grabbed your attention when they would gallop by.

They’ve chased our new born calves and had the whole herd running circles trying to get the ponies to stop.  They even kicked one of the gates right off the hinges.

They just didn’t play well with the others.  They even started biting the cows this winter.  I mean like..taking a plug out of their sides… kind of bite.

It was still hard to move them on….but it had to happen.

They didn’t give us any trouble loading up on the trailer….which totally surprised us.  It was almost as if they were ready for a change themselves.

I watched as they made their way down the road.  The wind blowing through their manes… they looked like they were loving every minute of it.

 

That certainly made it easier on us.

A few weeks later…….

Our baby girl donkey….Jill

went to Nashville to marry another donkey about the same age.

The new owners have a farm about the same size as ours and have just begun selecting their animals.

Once they arrived here and saw our animals they asked if we would sell them a few goats too.

So…we did it…we actually parted with a few of them.

I know…we can’t believe it either.

They wanted one of the new boy goats…..so they picked this one.

They also wanted a girl.

They chose……our LUCY.

Now…that was hard.  When she was born this time last year…she almost died.

We spent all our energy and love…making her better.

and beamed like proud parents when she started making progress.

Billy and I looked at each other in horror when they picked Lucy.

We weren’t sure we could let her go.  But then again….it is hard to think of letting any of them go.

Each one has a story of their own.  Each animal has a heart string.  Each one is special.

But….we did.  We let Lucy and the baby boy goat go.  They loaded up on the trailer with Jill and they went to their new home in Nashville.

I reflected back on the first animals we picked out for our farm.

It was so exciting.

The newness of being an animal owner.  Learning about them and getting to enjoy them everyday.

Lucy had a bad start in life, being a runt, sick and rejected by her mother.

Now she gets to live her life …. really live it.  She gets to be the only girl in the goat pen and she can have babies, and be loved by the children in this family.

She’s actually fortunate that they picked her.

They thought she was beautiful…..and she is.

Billy and I shook our heads for several days….thinking what in the world have we done.   This is the hard part of  having animals.

We are trying to arrange who can go where for the upcoming season.  Once again we have some other male goats that cannot stay due to breeding problems.

A few days later we decided that we had to make even more changes.

Jed….who is our BIG….but gentle and kind goat, would have to go to a new home.   He has been a very good daddy and was one of our very first goats.  We have watched him grow up from a 4 month old….to a grown billy.

Charlie…..his son….is just a year old.

They will be leaving this weekend to live on a nearby farm.

One positive note regarding these changes were when people came to look at the animals, they were amazed at how sweet they were.  Surprised that all the animals greeted us and were eager to come up to us.

That seemed to make them super excited to get them to their own farms, anxious to enjoy their sweet dispositions.

That made me very happy and proud.

I’m pleased with the families that have chosen them, some brought the whole family to our farm.  I found it neat to watch the kids…all bright eyed, and giggling as they unloaded from their trucks.  They stomped through the muddy pasture with their little cowboy boots on, and cautiously approached the animals.   I melted when I saw our critters make an extra effort to love up on them.

That makes your heart smile.

I checked on Jill, Lucy and our baby boy goat the day after they left us.

The new owner said they were “FABULOUS”!

Well…..you can’t get much better than that.

Yes….change can be hard….but it can also be a good thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well…March has come in like a lion and is going out like….a lion.

It’s been a strange and LOOOOONG winter.  Due to that, there hasn’t been a lot of picture taking lately.

Today I share with you some moments I captured…. they make me smile.

I LOVE God’s beautiful creation and am constantly in awe of HIM.  I’m so glad He gave us all this and more to enjoy.

 

 

 

Today is our Eighteenth wedding anniversary.

 

Amazing how fast time flies.  It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long….but then I look at our children and I can’t believe how much they have changed.

And then I look at us…..WOW….I really can’t believe how much we have CHANGED!

YIKES…..

Life is full of changes, and we have had fun along the way.

We went on a cruise this past week with some friends.  The views were spectacular.

 

Starting with this amazing and humbling view from the airplane.   This verse came up numerous times in conversation with our friends…Psalm 8:3-4

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

The beauty continued…..

 

everywhere…we looked….

 

 

 

We met Bob…the donkey….

 

Gi Gi and Jo Jo the monkeys…..

And many beautiful people along the way….

Like….this gentleman….

and these beautiful ladies…who showered us with hospitality…….

 

hugs…… and….. smiles.

It seemed that everywhere we went we met someone who touched our lives in one way or another.

There were many people that we didn’t get pictures of that were also a pleasure to meet.

At one of the straw markets I saw a wood carving of two large hands cupped together.  I said out loud to Billy that it reminded me of how God has the whole world in His hands.

About that time the attendant started singing the song…… He’s got the whole world in His hands…

So we all joined her….singing….

He’s got the whole world in his hands
He’s got the whole wide world…….. in his hands
He’s got the whole world……. in his hands
He’s got the whole world in his hands

He’s got you and me brother…… in his hands
he’s got you and me sister…… in his hands
He’s got you and me brother…… in his hands

At another stop, there was a tree that was short and stout.  I remarked that it was like the tree I had pictured in my mind of Zacchaeus climbing.

Immediately a man standing nearby started singing the song!

Of course we joined in….

Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior passed him by, He looked up in the tree,
And he said, “Zacchaeus, you come down from there;
For I’m going to your house to-day,… for I’m going to your house today”

(A song made from the scripture in Luke 19:1-10)

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

As we all laughed after singing…we reflected that we had memorized those songs from childhood.  Fun to see that even though we live miles and miles apart…Christ was our common thread that pulled us together.

After meeting all these beautiful people, once again the thought came….who are we…that God would be mindful of us?   Each of us….all over the world…individuals…each one special in His sight.

WOW……

One morning on the trip, we awoke to this beautiful rainbow outside our window.

Genesis 9 :17

So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

Just like this promise…evident for all of us to see.   He promises to always be with us, wherever we go.

He is mindful of us….

Yes, it’s true that Billy and I have changed a lot through the years. But it is comforting to know that some things do not.

Hebrews 13:8 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

I find that amazing and comforting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s that time of year again.

What time you ask?

Ahhhh….Birthing Time….of course!!!!!

One of my very favorite and most exhausting time of the year.  The goats have started us off.  I personally feel as if I have delivered myself by the end of the process. Hoot-N-Nanny had her first baby this past Friday.  It was a boy and I must say that he is an absolute sweet heart.  He is strong and seems to be pretty content.  Of course he cries for his Mama when he is hungry, which is every 4 hours or so.

I started thinking the other day that I have a new title.

I believe I am an animal Doula or possibly a Midwife without the certification of course.  A doula is an assistant that helps before, during and or after birth.  THAT’S ME……

She provides emotional as well as physical support to the mom…a.k.a  Nannie goats, Hens, Jenny’s (Donkey) and Heifers (Cows). THAT’S ME……..

But I seem to cross over into the Midwife category too, except for that small technical part of being certified, which is important.  However, I do have on the job training!!!!! That should account for something.

A Midwife helps in detecting possible complications, taking care of things when medical emergencies arrive.   THAT’S ME…….

We try not to have that happen…but when it does….you just put your thinking cap and jump into action.  Of course learning new stuff along the way.

THAT WOULD BE ME!!!!

Actually it would be BILLY too.  He has birthed many a baby….. in the animal kingdom that is.

We are always most grateful when the process can just happen—- without our help.

Just like humans, every delivery is the same in some aspects and yet unique in other aspects.  It is still a guessing game and anything can happen, and be “normal”.

From our experience first time mother goats have 1 baby, in subsequent births they  have 2 or more babies at a time.

Friday, I peered out the window sipping my morning coffee.

The dialogue with Billy is always interesting when we have expectant animals.

We go back and forth with statements about the expectant Mom.  Is she looking or acting differently?  You would think we were veterinarians or something.

I watched …sipping my coffee…I tried to decide how to plan the day.  She sure looked uncomfortable, even the Daddy goat was hanging around her in a different way. I watched ….and waited and watched …..and waited….thinking I might see something that would give me definite yes or no.  She headed up into the woods.

I decided to stoke the fire in the wood heater…..and that’s when I heard a bellow.

WHEW….Hot Diggity Dog….we are having a baby!!!!

NOW!!!!!

I quickly grabbed my mud boots, binoculars cell phone and the camera.  Sure enough…through the binoculars I could see that she was delivering and the baby was in the right position.   That is always a blessing.  It usually only takes a minute at that point.

YEP…..She had it.    She walked off so I made my way through the woods and took a peek.  It seemed just fine.

It’s not a great picture…because I tried to keep my distance.  Last year we fed 5 baby goats for several months…and I didn’t want to do that this time.  I wanted the Mama to take care of the baby if at all possible.

Of course I contacted Billy and let him know that we had a baby!  It wasn’t long until he just happened to stop by the house.   We crept through the woods so he could get a peek.

It is ALWAYS  so exciting!!!!!   And so hard to leave them alone.

There it was…nestled against the rocks.  It was then that it  flashed us this I’m so “precious” look.

Billy said….Don’t you think we should take him closer to the house?

BUT OF COURSE!!!!!…..We have to make sure it’s alright.

But we both were careful to not handle it much.  We had agreed that we wanted the Mama to do the mothering.

That is when we discovered he was a boy.  He settled in beside the goat house, seemingly tired already.

His mother stayed away in the woods a for a little while.  I began to worry a bit.  You never know how first time Moms are going to act.

She eventually came down to the water trough.

By this time I was a little aggravated.  It had been almost 2 hours and she had not licked the baby or anything.  That’s not a good sign.  After she drank we were able to give her a treat and hold her long enough for the baby to eat.   Babies have to get the colostrum with in a short time to stay strong and healthy. Besides it was 32 degrees when he was born.  It had warmed a few degrees, but it was still cold.  She allowed him to nurse, but when he was finished she just wanted to get away from him.  We let her have some more time.

When the baby started crying, I made her stand still again.  That’s when I just about cried.  She placed her little head against my legs and just wanted me to pet her, while the baby nursed.

Look at that sweet face.

I realized that she was probably just scared.  All this was new to her.

Thinking about my own moments of motherhood….I imagined she was overwhelmed.  It is a lot to absorb.

While she rested her little head on my legs, I comforted her with a soft voice and lots of petting.  Meanwhile….baby nursed.

When night time came, we confined the two of them, so we could be sure she would keep him warm and fed.

The next day Motherhood had kicked in!!!!!

Whenever he cried, she would come running to him.  She has been giving him his little baths and taking care of all his needs.

Even Freddy, the father, has been concerned and attentive.

Now that we know Hoot-N-Nanny is going to take care of her baby….we can sneak in a little cuddle time.

Yes, it’s my favorite time of the year!