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Posts Tagged ‘outdoors’

10 Aug

The Hen Whisperer

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: chicken talk, nature, outdoors. 2 comments

Last Saturday I heavily pruned the cedar tree that the girls loved.

I did it in an effort to save their lives. However, they have fought the change all the way.

Well, except for Beverly….

She is on the left…Amy is on the right. Beverly was enjoying having the whole coop to herself. She would retire at dusk and settle into the coop just fine. Amy on the other hand is a little cranky. She is a beautiful hen…but she is bossy. She is also a little on the heavy side. She wanted to go with the rest of the girls and hang out in the tree all night. But she was just too “heavy” to get into the tree. She was always the last one to arrive on the fence….but couldn’t seem to make it the rest of the way up into the tree. She spent two different nights balancing on the barb wire fence, refusing to give up and go in the coop on her own.

We put a stop to that, she was a meal…..just waiting to happen. Billy caught her one night and placed her in the coop with Beverly. Oh my….you should have heard all the squawking when we closed the door. If I didn’t know better I would think it was Beverly…upset that she had a bunk mate.

So back to the limbs…..I sheared the tree pretty good so they couldn’t reach a limb and then climb into the tree. They walked over to me and watched as I cut. Each one giving a little bock here and a little bock there….I wish I could understand chicken talk.

After I finished cutting, I felt good about it, I couldn’t wait to count all the little chicken heads at bedtime….all tucked back into their safe home.

Dusk came, the chickens were not in the yard so I went to close the door. I counted heads and I was missing two. Doggone it….I marched back out to their favorite tree….NOTHING. Hmmm,,,,where did they go?

I finally spotted them on the other side of the fence in the wooded area….in two different trees. Billy was able to reach Maggie Mae, although she protested greatly, he placed her in the coop. Mara was beyond his reach.

She’s a pretty girl….and is really sweet…stubborn…but sweet.

The next morning I dreaded going to the coop, afraid of what I might see….or not see.

There she was…..waiting at the gate like a dog….wanting to be let in. I was amazed.

Next night, same routine……

I trimmed some more tree limbs on the other trees….but apparently that wasn’t where she was getting out.

The other night….I couldn’t find her…again.

Finally, I spotted her…..hiding in the tree again. I have to hand it to her…..she hides well. If you look real close….you can see her red comb shining through the cedar branches.

The next morning… she was inside the fence waiting for me to open the coop. Oh, I forgot to mention that we decided to move Laverne over to the chicken coop. She was staying all by herself in the pasture most of the time. Her leg is not a whole lot better so…we decided that having her at the coop would give her some company and maybe her presence would help keep predators away. Besides….. I can see her better this way.

So there they were….looking all cute.

She likes this new found freedom…..

But the freedom she so likes…..is dangerous. She doesn’t realize it. She sneaks off every evening around dusk….and goes where “SHE” wants to go. Little does she know that she is in the midst of predators. Billy attempted to reach her the other night. She clutched her feet tightly to the cedar branch refusing to let go. She was roosting just high enough that he couldn’t get a good hold on her. He decided that he would just have to let her be. Hopefully, she would make it through the night.

Last night we were leaving the house and wouldn’t be home until after dark. That always creates a problem. The girls….when they act right, go into the coop on their own around dusk. But due to the increase in predators this year, we shut the door behind them as soon as they enter. If we leave the house before dusk…then the door is open until we return. That can be very risky for the lives of the hens.

When we were about to leave Billy asked me if I wanted him to put them up for the night. I said sure….but you know that it is almost impossible to make them go inside before they want to. He said….Ah….don’t worry…I can do it. It just takes patience. I had to chuckle to myself…because …well….it was just last summer that the two of us were in the yard chasing chickens with a big fish net.

He continued to explain that all one needs to do is have patience. No running after them or waving arms frantically to herd them…..just patiently encourage them to move in the right direction. Showing them that they can trust you.

I watched carefully…..and I must say that I believe he has become the “Hen Whisperer”.

He approached the coop slowly……

Some hens decided right away to enter the coop…others darted around back….

He calmly went around the other way and headed them back to the coop door…..

They came back around.

He calmly and slowly got closer to them…..encouraging them to….take the next step….to just go on in.

And I will eat your hat if they didn’t go in.

Except for Miss Mara…..

It looks like he just might be talking to her right here. I think he had some special words……because

she decided to go into her home for the night…instead of the tree.

Billy closed the door and secured it with a big stick.

I couldn’t believe they were all finally back in their home. I could truly relax knowing they were safe and secure from harm.

I thought about this whole chicken thing. It all started when a predator started attacking the hens. They in turn became afraid, they made a choice to do things their way. To hide in the tree at night, not realizing that they were just opening up themselves to more danger.

Humans aren’t much different. Sometimes we think we can do things better than the way God tells us. If it starts with fear or whatever gets the cycle going. We don’t realize the dangerous situations we often put ourselves in.

I’m sure Mara thought she was doing what seemed best….but in the end she would have surely ended up dead if she continued in the tree night after night.

When I thought about us humans not being very different….this verse came to mind.

Proverbs 14:12

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

I remember the patience and kindness of loved ones that gently encouraged me to go in the right direction. I thought…..I should be more aware of those around me that might need some love, patience and encouragement.

I love the verse from Psalm 119:11

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

When I hide God’s word in my heart, it is almost as if God whispers it back to me, in my time of need. Pretty awesome. I just need to memorize more….

Well…..I just returned from counting chickens….they entered the coop on their own free will tonight!

They were all accounted for….even Mara.

WOO HOO!!!!!!

4 Jun

Not good……

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, nature, outdoors. 2 comments

Every day I count the chickens when they come out in the morning…and when they go in at night. Anytime I pass by the coop area…I count heads. I have a neighbor who loves the girls as much as I do. She cooks them homemade cornbread regularly. They run to the fence when they see her just like they do when they see me. They cluck and make the cute little noises that hens… make when she heads toward the fence. They know that she is coming with a treat. She talks to them and can tell them apart better than I can.

We went out of town a couple of weeks ago just for two or three days. When we returned we had two girls that had disappeared. The only trace of evidence were a few feathers here and there in the yard….and a war wound left on Roo.

He obviously tried to protect the girls, but whatever took them….was a mean old thing. My neighbor said that Roo comes at her like he is going to get her now that the attack has happened.

The girls stayed close to him for days after that.

A week or so went by and I was passing by and did the head count. I was missing one….and I saw something in the grass.

I went into the fenced area and followed the trail

Whatever it was…it chased our girl around the yard before it got her. Sprinkling feathers everywhere.

Then it apparently pulled her through the fence and into the woods.

Talk about a sick stomach….that will give you one. And it all happened just an hour after I let them out that morning.

I have been really watching…and trying to do what I could in between cows being born…bottle feeding calves, and goats getting their heads stuck in the fencing. Sometimes it is almost more than you can do in a day…..or a week.

I put everyone up the other night and they just looked pitiful. They all hunched together in the coop.

Egg productivity is way down. I didn’t know if they were just not producing because of the trauma…or if something was stealing the eggs.

The next morning….I let them out as usual and within an hour and a half….Roo was gone. This time there were feathers in the coop.

The girls seemed scared…and I don’t blame them.

Billy and I have discussed what else we could do fencing wise. It is a big undertaking to make most any kind of improvement. We are trying…but the predator is faster at this than we are.

Saturday, I cleaned the coop real well. I removed all Roo’s feathers and all the old bedding. I put fresh shaving down for the girls. They like it when I am working near them. They are curious little creatures, scurrying around to see what you are doing. Making you feel appreciated when you are through. Once complete they walk around their little dwelling and coo, seeming to admire everything you did for them. How can you not love that.

Sunday morning we had a quick, but hard rain shower move through. I decided not to let the girls out until we got home from church. I would then be around to keep that third eye out for trouble. I opened the main door…thinking this time I would keep the little side door shut…. so I could monitor all activity. I counted them as they passed by….One, Two, Three….

What?…Where’s Four? I put up four last night when I closed them in…..where’s four? I almost panicked. I looked behind the door, under the nesting boxes, and in the little rafters overhead….GONE.

NUMBER FOUR WAS GONE… The only evidence….was feathers…. again. This time I knew they were fresh feathers because I had just cleaned the coop. YEP….another sick stomach.

Those poor, poor babies. What horror they must have witnessed. And they were stuck inside with whatever it was!

Sunday afternoon…Billy and I looked at every possible opening that the coop might have. It is built really well so the only place we could see were the eaves. There is a tree right behind the coop….possibly a raccoon is climbing the tree and getting onto the roof and climbing in through the eaves. If it isn’t a coon it must be something that climbs. It could possibly be a snake, but there again it looks like it has to come in through the roof. I sure don’t want to walk in on whatever it is!

Billy worked until dusk getting it secured. While he was there he hung a star that we had been intending to do for a while.

The girls stood from a distance looking as if they were making sure the star was centered….however, admiring his work…I’m sure.

While Billy was there one of the girls laid and egg in the flower box. He hadn’t remembered to grab it before he left that night. The next morning this is all that was left of the egg. I had seen an egg like this one day after Roo died in the coop. Soooo…..whatever came up was the same thing that had come in the coop before.

Monday morning three girls were still in the coop safe and sound. Hopefully…. we have at least gotten the coop secured.

Yesterday, one of the girls didn’t want to come out of the coop, she decided to sit in the nesting box all day long. I suppose she is scared. I didn’t get an egg either yesterday. However, I didn’t move her to see if she was sitting on one. I decided not to bother her. Poor girls.

This morning everyone was well….. so far.

27 Mar

Oh….What A Night!!!

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, nature, outdoors, winter. 5 comments

Sunday marked a week since Violet’s babies were born. They seem to be strong, healthy and happy.

It is exceptionally neat that they have each other….and Billy. All the babies think he is their daddy….and love to go wherever he goes.

They push and shove to get fed first…they romp and play on the rocks in the back yard….and cuddle together when they sleep. They even include Lucy whenever she wants to join in.

Today, as well as this past weekend…. was rainy and cold, so the babies are still being kept warm by the wood stove. They have advanced to where they can be fed every 6 hours. That is a schedule that isn’t too hard.

We have gotten a pretty good routine going. Of course that means Lucy is still among those being fed.

Needless to say, we are going through a lot of milk around here. Billy said….hey, we should start milking the cows to get the milk we need. I looked at him as if he was talking in a foreign language.

You do know that it would be a whole lot more work than what we are doing now….right?

Can’t you just see us milking the cows twice a day to feed the goats, four times a day…. Whew…no thanks…we are not at that level of farming just yet. I don’t know that we ever will be. Besides, this schedule won’t last for much longer…well….a month….. or two….or….

I’m pretty sure we don’t have any more goats expecting any time soon. But, before long….it will be time for some baby calves to be born! I think as long as we can have a little down time in between.. things will be fine.

We try to start morning feedings around 6:00 or so. That puts another one around noon…dinner time and one at bedtime.

Monday was another COLD, COLD day. After dinner…Billy rounded up extra wood for the stove, while I prepared bottles for everyone. Billy came in the house quickly and ran his hand under cool water. He had burned his hand on the wood stove. Somehow, while reloading the wood ring, he performed an acrobatic move over the little fencing where the goats are. Loosing his balance he knew he was going down. He chose to brace the fall with his hand…instead of a full body burn. Bless his heart….he burned his palm and the tips off almost every finger. I don’t think he has any remaining fingerprints. Seriously…we weren’t really sure just how bad it was, until the next morning. For hours he FELT the burn. (Thankfully Billy’s “WORK ” hands were tough enough to take a burn like that….If it had been the top of the hand it would have turned out much worse…he is blistered…but we think it will be alright) Once his pain subsided around 11:oo p.m…..he headed toward bed. I warmed bottles and headed to the sun room, for the last feeding of the day. Just as I went out the door I heard a cry.

WHAT? OH…NO……

I darted back into the house and approached Billy with the news……..

Guess What?!?!?!

What?

I just heard a cry from the back yard……Pearl must have had her babies!!!!

OH…. NO…..ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!

I wish I were……

I will have to admit….of all nights…it was just not a good time.

Quickly I fed the babies their warm milk bottle and grabbed a flashlight. I saw Pearl behind the goat house in the woods. Once again….I heard a little cry. I entered the gate….that is when I saw two precious babies. Shivering in the cold night air. They were beautiful of course!!!!!! One looked like a little gray rabbit…and the other was white with a black/brown head and spots here and there. OH…. BOY!!!! Now what…..

Back into house I went to report what I had found to Billy. Poor guy….he bundled up…burned hurting hand and all…. to take a look. Mama seemed fine and must have delivered without any trouble. This was her second time to give birth. She had Hoot-n-Nanny around this same time last year. Pearl…the mama…was Violet’s first daughter…. anyway, the babies were wet and cold. The wind chill was 26 or so earlier in the evening.

Trying to decide just what to do….we checked out the babies. They were so cold…..especially the little boy…..he was limp and could barely hold his head up. We started brain storming again. How can we keep them all warm and together. It is always best to keep Mama and babies together.

Billy with his bummed up hand started gathering materials. Tarps, saw horses…blankets…Maybe we could do this….maybe we could do that….

But……looking at one another with that look……well…you know what happened next. We took the babies inside to warm them.

I know….I know….trust me…it wasn’t our first choice. We debated and debated, but it was our only choice if we wanted the babies to live.

Billy took the little boy and worked with him. He held him close, to get his body temperature up, while standing near the heater. The little girl was wrapped in a blanket and we placed her near the wood stove…all while Violet’ two were crying and trying to see what was going on. Lucy was in a cage in the sun room too…because it was so bitterly cold. Meanwhile, I warmed a bottle of colostrum for the newborns. I was able to ease a little bit down the little girls throat….then just a tiny bit down her brothers. When the babies are cold like that….they can hardly swallow. It is a slow process….warming them and getting nutrition in them.

We pulled out the blow dryer, rubbing and warming the baby boy. He slowly started moving around a little. He really grabbed Billy’s heart. Finally, we were able to get a little more food down him. The warm milk also warms them from the inside too….from what I understand. Billy had him in his coveralls all warm and cozy. Baby girl finally started sucking the bottle. That was a really good sign. About an hour after bringing them in….baby boy also started sucking the bottle a little bit.

So about 1:30 p.m. we put them to bed in the sun room with all the others….cuddled up in their own little box.

They were worn out……and so were we.

The next morning…..we gathered them up to see if Mama would still take them.

She looked excited to see them.

Checked them out carefully.

Poor Billy…. he had Lucy at his heels, the newborns under the tarp….and Mama just walks away.

So, we stepped back, waited and watched. The only problem with slow progress is that the temperature was still at freezing. That is brutal to a baby without heat from their Mama’s body. Pearl had decided to go to her house….without them…..so he took them to her.

He placed baby girl in first….

and then baby boy…..

Ah….progress….She laid down in the back of the house. We hoped that things would all fall into place now.

But…Mom decided to go into the woods with the herd. I checked on the babies throughout the hours to make sure they were warm. The little house provided a good bit of warmth, so that is where they spent several hours.

Eventually they toppled out of the opening. After crying and picking themselves back up they snuggled into the straw.

They were pretty strong for a good part of the day.

Then came the tricky part. Do you feed them to keep their strength up, or do you wait for them to get so hungry they scream and cry and cry and cry……and MAYBE she will come feed them?

So….we waited….hours…..

Meanwhile between the cold and the hunger….they became weak.

She would walk near them…but wouldn’t offer to feed them or lay down with them to keep them warm.

I know it is our fault….because we moved them the night they were born. The boy would have surely died and the girl…had a 50/50 chance.

You make the call at the time. It is just hard to go to bed knowing they will die due to the harsh elements. Especially when you can warm them and feed them…and they will probably survive without problems.

Baby boy was crying…hungry and cold. He looks strong here….but actually it is all he can do to stand. He can’t walk …he is so drained. Now, I was worried that I had let them stay out too long…waiting on Mama’s instincts to kick in.

Baby girl walks a little distance…. then takes a little rest. Both are ready for some food. It is amazing how much that energizes them.

Meanwhile, Violet’s girls…Viola and Freida….are playing full steam ahead…..

I have actually been able to let them play in the fence with Lucy when the temps go into the 40’s during the day.

Poo-pa took Riley and Layla to lunch and brought them by to see the new babies.

They arrived just in time to help feed the babies. Notice how this baby is all sprawled out….she needs nourishment. Their little legs slide out from under them and they don’t have enough strength to pull themselves back up. After food and rest she will regain her strength.

I really appreciate the girls help…we fed five bottles at each feeding yesterday. The babies will have to be fed every 4 hours for the first week or so. I hope and pray they progress as quickly as the other ones have.

Billy and I worked with Pearl and tried to get them to nurse yesterday. They aren’t strong enough to fight for it yet. This morning we milked her. By dingo’s we are trying our best to keep her milk producing, at least the kids were able to benefit from that. We are still hoping that we can have her take over….somehow…someway.

Meanwhile….we warm more bottles!

9 Mar

Lucy Jane

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, nature, outdoors. 2 comments

Little Lucy is finding her place…..

I introduced her to the back yard the other day. She shook like a little leaf when I first went through the fence with her and set her down, by my feet.

Violet is the oldest goat, the mother and grandmother of everyone in the pen….except Freddy. Violet gave her a head butt…letting her know that SHE was boss. I scolded Violet and she looked at me as if to say….that’s the way we do it here in the animal world. So, I stood corrected. However I did tell her to “BE NICE”. Violet and all the others walked a short distance away and just watched Lucy.

I stayed in the fence for a while…once I saw that they weren’t going to hurt her…I eased out and let her check out her new space.

Jethro…..which was our first baby goat born on the farm just a year and a half ago…..welcomed her.

He was soooo sweet, I was very proud of him. Hard to think I was holding him not so long ago….and now I couldn’t if I tried. He does still like for me to pet him and hold his little face in my hands. But only for a little while….then he is done. I think he remembers those days….but he’s a big boy now….and off he goes. Which is the way it should be.

It wasn’t long before they were all fine with her being among them. She did however, watch herself around Violet…..she didn’t want to get another head butt.

She looked so little. I felt like a mother sending her child to kindergarten….dropping her off to be with all those BIG kids.

Freddy was intrigued by her. Violet had given him a hard time when he first came to live with them, this past May. Now, they all live together nicely. Maybe he was reflecting on those days as he looked at her. He chose to be kind, and seemed to accept her without any hesitation.

Before long she was playing “king of the hill” with Jethro.

She is really enjoying smelling everything and even taking little nibbles of the moss on the rocks.

She looked like a little kid saying “watch this” as she showed off her new trick of jumping off the rock to Jethro.

And like a good friend…

Jethro watched….over and over again.

Hoot-n-Nanny on the other hand….

Says SHE is “king of the hill”!!!

Lucy played and played for a long time. Each day since….I have placed her in the fence to hang out with the others…and bring her in at night, until it warms up and she matures a little more.

Each day when the bigger goats decide to wander on….she stays behind. In one way that makes me glad…because I like to check on her and make sure she is alright. But on the other hand…I want her to go on…..and be a goat. Join in with the group.

She gets bored when the others aren’t around…..and well….you know what that means.

YEP….she squeezes through the fence….and scratches at the door…..just like a puppy.

That is one trick…you do not have to teach. I will be glad when she gains a little more weight and can’t fit through the fence.

But meanwhile……isn’t she CUTE?!?!?!?!?!?!

28 Feb

Little Lucy

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, health, nature, outdoors. Leave a comment

Sunday marked 3 weeks since the goats were born.

As you know, I had to bring Lucy home to warm her up and feed her since her mother wouldn’t take care of her. She was so weak that I wasn’t sure she would even make it through the day. But…..I have found that she may be a little thing…. but she has a whole lot of spunk.

Each week she has amazed us with her progress.

It was obvious that she was feeling a little bit better every day.

She had a lot of little issues. We went through a spell where her little nose was red and swollen….and would clog up. I found that a soft wet cloth helped to unclog her nose and a cloth with Vicks Mentholatum rub hung above her bed seemed to help. She also had a tiny little mouth complete with an under bite. I was worried that she might have a problem taking a bottle. But it didn’t seem to bother her.

Because she was so small she could only drink two or three ounces at a time. Now she has no problem inhaling a full 9 ounces at a time.

We have learned a lot along the way. Like they make electrolyte formula for goats…..who knew? I really believe that was the one thing that helped pull her through until we could get some colostrum in her. We have also had to use it when tummy issues have happened. I’m learning…..

From what I have read the rumen is still developing. We have been working this week on moving her off this supplement and onto other stuff. But it is harder than it would be if her Mama would have raised her. I noticed her brother Charlie was nibbling last week on some of the goat pellets. This week Lucy started nibbling around on the grass outside in the yard. She doesn’t really eat it yet…but she is picking at it. I hope that is a good sign that she is going to make the transition well.

Now…. her little nose is all better….

and she doesn’t have an under bite anymore.

She could hardly stand…. let alone walk, one of her back legs wouldn’t work right…so when she started trying to walk she would just drag it along. She seemed to be able to get around on the three good legs, so I wasn’t too concerned with that leg. You could tell she wasn’t going to let it keep her from walking. But by week two…all of a sudden….that leg started working! WOO HOO!

When we would go to the farm to visit her Mom and brother she wouldn’t move around a whole lot. She enjoyed being outside, but she didn’t have much desire to walk around or play.

Now you would never know that anything was ever wrong. She moves around just fine.

She is busy checking everything out….even taking time to smell the flowers along the way.

The first week or so she had her little tucked tail. She was pitiful. They say that means they do not feel good.

Now she holds her little tail UP….and wiggles it….A LOT. That means she is healthier and happier!

When we first got her she would just lay in your arms while she ate. Now she wants to stand and take her bottle…as if she was eating from her mother. Of course that means milk splatters on the floor…but that’s alright….I am glad she is getting better.

She is in fine form these days. She plays until you make her go to bed.

I have given her a blue collar…I am attempting to walk her with a leash. Mostly because I would like to be able to move her from pasture to pasture easily. She doesn’t mind the collar at all…..it is the leash that she hates. But I am as hard headed as she is….so she is getting used to it.

Billy took her on a little walk the other night, without the leash, and she followed him like a little puppy. She is really walking great.

Matter of fact she not only walks really well….she RUNS!!!! and JUMPS!!!!!

I had plans this week to inch her into the goat fence in the back yard, since her Mama won’t have anything to do with her at the farm. I figure we might as well put her closer to us…because we will still have to feed her for a while. Maybe Violet, Pearl, Jethro, Freddy and Hoot n Nanny will enjoy her company. We will see.

It has been raining and now it is really cold….so for now she is still in her little goat condo in the house.

Today, I let her hang out with me for a little while…

I was going upstairs when all of a sudden I heard the pitter patter of little hooves……

She discovered how to come up the stairs. Nooo…Noooo….NO. We are not going there.

I try to give her a little space…but contain her. She has broken through every little barrier I build. She has definitely gotten stronger and feels good enough to play.

I am so glad we are at this point, we have really enjoyed her.

However, she has now moved into toddler mode. She is getting into everything….just like a kid going through the terrible two’s!!!

She needs her freedom so she can run and play with the other goats. She tries to talk to me…I have even tried to talk back….but it just isn’t the same. When we are in the yard the goats all look at her with tilted heads and listen to her talk. They all seem a little puzzled as they watch her.

She is a sweetie.. She thinks Billy is her Daddy…she follows him around everywhere. This morning she tried to follow him all the way to the truck as he was leaving for work.

It is cute. But she will be CUTE in the goat pen too.

9 Feb

A Beautiful Day….

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: animals, nature, outdoors. 2 comments

Today was a beautiful day. It was the perfect day to be outside. We are supposed to have rain, rain, rain for the next few days…so everyone was outside around here…..enjoying the sunshine.

We had some of our kids and grand kids come out for a walk and to take a peak at the new goats.

We had a bit of excitement yesterday afternoon. Our little baby girl decided to start walking!!!!! I was sooooooo excited.

She has to be on a rug or on certain fabric….but she is walking. Yesterday when she would venture off the rug all four legs would slide in a different direction. Today she could walk on the hardwood a little bit better…but the rug is still her best place…. for now. She drags one of her back legs a little bit….but all in all she is amazing me more and more each day.

We took her to see her mother and brother. Once again I had to set her down and move back. Shortly, her mother came up to check her out. I was so proud of her….she was able to stand up on her own most all day. She even showed her mother how she could walk.

Surely her mother was impressed with her progress…….

Here are brother and sister, aren’t they cute together?…..

You can see that the boy is a good bit bigger…but this next picture will really show the difference in their size.

Isn’t that amazing……

Mothers nurturing is the best….but at least we are trying. Although Mama spent a little time with baby girl it is still obvious that she really isn’t very interested in her. At least not enough to tend to her needs.

Last night Billy and I noticed that baby girl was making a little noise….it sounded as if she was sneezing or something. We both looked at each other like…oh no….that’s not good.

When Billy gave her a bottle he said….it looks like her nose is clogged. Sure enough it was. I applied a warm wet cloth to it….and things loosened. It just might have been dried milk or something. She likes to bump the nipple of the bottle several times before she takes it. Of course she ends up with milk on her snout. Mama goat probably cleans her baby after all that….I don’t know. I do know that once the nose was cleaned good….the sneezing noise stopped. Poor baby. This morning I noticed that one side of her nostril swelled a little….but I think it must feel better all in all.

She also has a little under bite.

I personally think she is just a little beauty…swollen nostril, under bite and all.

She is a brave and courageous little critter. So far she has put up a good fight for life.

Once again we milked Mama and Riley was able to feed baby…

I am so glad the grand kids get to see nature and have a part in taking care of God’s precious creation.

I can’t help but think that these things make God smile…..I know they do me.

Genesis 1:26 (King James Version)

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

20 Dec

Seeing stars…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: outdoors. 1 comment

The other day I had heard that it was going to be a great time to see a beautiful display of stars. I made a mental note to be sure to take a look that evening. The day progressed and….well….”the ole brain ain’t what it used to be”…. I forgot. Around 8:00 that night I was puttering around in the kitchen and Billy went to the car to get something. He came rushing back into the house and said…grab some coveralls and come see this!

If he says coveralls…then he thinks its cold….if Billy thinks it is cold….then it IS cold. It dawned on me what the excitement was all about….. the stars. I turned the stove off, hurried to the closet for coveralls….rustled through the drawers to find gloves. Oh…wait…maybe I should get an extra sweater to wear under the coveralls. It was about that time that Billy came back in and said….what in the world is taking so long? He quickly grabbed a hat for each of us and out the door we went. We loaded up on the golf cart and took a ride to the lake. It was dark there…we were away from the street lights and the glow of any city lights. We were pretty sure we would have a good view.

We unloaded from the cart, tilted our heads to the great big sky, waited and watched. The stars were numerous and bright. In just a matter of minutes I saw a streak of light shoot across the sky. It was so fast I couldn’t even point to it before it was gone. This happened several more times. We counted each one as we spotted them. We never could tell the other one where to look, before it would disappear. But inevitably…. we would try. Funny….the cold wasn’t a problem…seems that paled in comparison to the event unfolding.

I had only seen one shooting star before this night. Billy and I had gone out for a boat ride, a date, the second time we had ever gone out together. Over 18 years ago. We went to a cave opening… by water… and watched the bats make their great exit at dusk. As we were leaving we came up on someone who had engine trouble…so we towed their boat back. It became very dark….there were no city lights, no other distractions. All that to say that it was dark…..and we were going slow……..so we had a lot of time to talk and star gaze. It was then….on that date….that I saw my very first shooting star. I remember there seemed to be a million and one stars in the sky that night. I thought it was amazing that I just so happened to be looking in the right direction… at the right time… to see it.

I wonder how many times there had been some, but I never, ever saw them…..in all those previous years of my life. I just never really looked for them. Too busy with other things that surrounded me…..distractions….and no real desire to look.

I went to see our granddaughter Layla in her Christmas program last week. I didn’t know that she was a “star”….in more than one way that day. Of course she in turn made me beam as she reached through the only opening she had…at her face…waved her little hand and said…..hey ME ME!!!…when she spotted me in the crowd.

There she is…with the shepherds.

As I looked as those precious stars and adorable shepherds….I thought about ” that” night. The night that Jesus was born. I am pretty sure the shepherds were used to seeing a million and one stars in the sky…night after night. I wonder if they happened to be talking and actually star gazing…on that particular night. Or was it only after an Angel of the Lord came to them …when the Glory of the Lord shone round about them…..that they really noticed all the stars that were in the sky.

And what about the special star that was set in the sky…to show the wise men where they could find Jesus. It must have been remarkable…surely others saw it….wonder why others didn’t come. Maybe they weren’t looking for anything special or were too busy with their surroundings to notice anything really different. Or just didn’t care to look.

It was pretty precious seeing all these little ones portraying the Christmas story. These angels were sweetly singing.

Scriptures tell us….the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men”. Now that is remarkable. Can you even imagine. It says that the shepherds were afraid. I can certainly understand why. Then they were told not to be afraid….that a Savior was born that day…and where they could find him.

I think that is pretty neat….because they didn’t let fear stop them. Even the fear of what others would think of them….they just went….. they searched for Him. Think about trying to explain all that to someone else.

Layla was one of the stars near the stable….but not the one directly behind it.

Before the children exited the stage…I noticed Layla quickly ran over to take a good look at baby Jesus….laying in the manger.

I suppose curiosity got the best of her.

It reminded me of the first night I ever saw a shooting star. I once again felt fortunate. Fortunate that I just happened to be looking at the right time….to see this “precious star”….looking for Jesus. It melted my heart that she just had to go see Him….for herself.

That is exactly what the shepherds did. Scriptures tell us that …as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Just as they had been told.

A few weeks ago…I helped Layla hang a few ornaments on the tree at their house. She could hardly wait until it was time to put on the star . Finally, it was time. Her father lifted her up onto his shoulders… she eagerly… but carefully placed the star on the very top of their Christmas tree.

I helped secure it and took that time to explain what the star symbolized. I couldn’t tell if she fully understood.

So the other day when I saw her in her costume, I thought it was really neat that she was able to play the part of a star. She was able to hear the good news of our Savior’s birth….and go check out for herself….what was in that manger.

I think telling others about Jesus is a lot like Billy and I trying to tell each other about the beauty of the shooting star. It is impossible to fully explain. I know I had to do like the shepherds did. I had to go….and see for myself what the Lord has made known to us…..through His Word. I let curiosity get the best of me.

I started searching the scriptures..I saw things for the very first time….things that were remarkable.

Sometimes God shows me things when I’m not really even looking for them….but, I really see amazing things when I truly search… by studying His Word. I have to focus on Him…and not let the distractions of things around me interfere.

God reveals himself to each of us even today…if we take time….. to look.

Just as He revealed Himself so many years ago.

Remarkable!

Jeremiah 29:13

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

30 Oct

S’more fun…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: food, nature, outdoors. 1 comment

Friday the temperature was perfect….almost hot actually. Just the way I really like it. But it didn’t seem like October. Cooler weather was supposed to be heading our way. Sure enough… by nightfall…. things changed drastically. The temperatures dropped and it turned downright cold.

We already had plans to have bonfire get together’s for some Middle School kids on Friday night and the High school kids on Saturday night. The cold air certainly made it more fun.

We fixed a small fire in the fireplace at the pavilion….

And Billy gathered wood for the big bonfire. Once it was lit…it was perfect warmth for the cold weather. There is just something about a campfire. It smells good and feels great. I love to hear the noises it makes.

The kids seemed to have a blast. Funny how gathering times like these make up some of our best memories when we are older.

We were amazed to find out how many kids had never roasted a hot dog over a campfire. We were glad they were able to give it a try. Between the two events we ended up with about 70 people. Needless to say….I wasn’t able to take many pictures during the events. I was a little BUSY.

But I did take a few pics of these crazy BIG marshmallows before hand. They are probably 3 or 4 times the size of a regular one.

It is hard to tell here….but….

This gives you a little bit better idea of how big these things are! They are GINORMOUS!!!!!

The kids loved them…..

This is an exchange student, one of those, who had never roasted a hot dog on an open fire or ever had a S’more….until that night.

We all had to watch as he experienced it for the first time.

Once he was able to free his mouth up from all the goo of the marshmallow….he told us he REALLY liked it!

I will have to say that the BIG Campfire Marshmallows are fun …..and worth trying.

However, I think I favor the regular sized marshmallows. Golly part of the fun is cooking them….and one of the big ones fill you up in one roasting.

But no matter which one you choose….you just gotta have a S’more before the season is over!

I know Billy and I had one….or possibly two…..(but who’s counting)

It certainly brings out the kid in you……

19 Sep

After the Rain

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: goldfish pond, nature, outdoors, rain came down. 1 comment

And the rain came down! We had almost 5 inches of rain the other day. When it rains heavy like this, it really flows down the mountain.

The next morning the rain had stopped, but the water still flowed. This is an area where the water runs into the goldfish pond. Usually there is just enough to refresh it….but when we have this much…of course it overflows. Billy has designed a spillway for times such as these.

I saw Mabel through the window, looking at something with great interest. As soon as I could put my shoes on…I headed over to see what had her full attention.

This is what it was….one of the goldfish had gotten washed out of the pond. He was still alive….even with Mabel pawing at him. She thought it was pretty neat that she could put her paw on him and he would flop around.

I moved her away….and placed it back in the pond….after I took this picture of course. Part of its tail was torn, it had a scratch or two from Mabel…and I noticed that little blood spot on his eye. Poor thing. However, it swam away quickly once back in the pond. I am hoping it will be alright.

I’m glad Mabel found it…I am also glad Ellie wasn’t around or she would have eaten it. She LOVES to eat fish….or maybe that would be sushi…since she eats them raw!

Next was to check on the chickens. It was raining when I got home from work that night and they were already hunkered down under the coop. I never could entice them to come out and get into their little home. So I left them to figure it out for themselves.

I found that apparently some slept on the arm of the rocking chair and some in the planter.

The chair had all the signs of bird activity on it….and the begonias in the flower box….well… as you can see….they were completely squished. They will have to learn that they are NOT allowed to do that again. ARGH..teenagers!

But everyone was alright and accounted for.

I then took a walk and checked on the goats. They were up on high ground, I sure can’t blame them. Everyone seemed to be fine…and the headband we outfitted Pearl in seems to be working!

The mountains were exceptionally pretty this morning.

All was well at the pasture…muddy…but fine.

When I first arrived, I called for the cows. They usually come if they hear me. But on this day they didn’t. The donkey’s were up close, so they came running, as well as the ponies and the goats. I try to spend time with all of them….checking to make sure they are not sick or injured. They wouldn’t cooperate for a group picture so that will be for another day.

The cows never did come to the front pasture so I loaded up on the four wheeler and went to check on them.

As I drove through the tall grass…these beautiful orange butterflies dotted the landscape. Flying to and fro from one plant to the other. They made it look so effortless. I watched as they fluttered past and glided into a landing on the very tip of the flower of their choice. Their weight wasn’t even noticeable when they landed. They stretched their wings out wide, showing all the intricate color and design details their wings possessed. …..WOW….

I continued on looking for the cows.

It always amazes me too how BIG cows can not be ….well….obvious. When I first came into the back pasture this is the only cow I saw….Clementine. Normally they are all together, so I wondered why she was alone.

Yet, as I got closer I saw she was on a slight ridge. It was then that I saw she was indeed with the others.

Cupid, Chuck and Ferdinand….the bull.

Right beside them…. next to another stand of trees was the rest of the herd.

Brandy, standing,…Zsa -Zsa, Joy, Punkin, Lee, Toots and Bailey…Notice how one is hiding behind the trees….all you can see is her nose. There are seven here…hard to think they could be tucked away so tightly, yet comfortably. Sometimes when they see me…they figure that I have a treat for them….and start walking toward me. They didn’t care on this day. They were content. I love it when they are…..it seems they are happy…and want for nothing.

I began to drive back through the field and just had to stop and watch the butterflies once again. Everything was happy. The birds, the animals, and especially the plants as they seem to welcome the fresh rain water.

The air was crisp and clear…..AHHHHHH. Beautiful….Just Beautiful.

This verse was in a song I grew up singing. It plays over and over in my mind…..

THIS IS MY FATHER’S WORLD—(in part)

This is my Father’s world,

the birds their carols raise,

the morning light, the lily white,

declares their maker’s praise.

This is my Father’s world,

He shines on all that’s fair:

In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass;

He speaks to me everywhere.

Thank you God……

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL WORLD!

30 May

Down in the Boon Docks

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: nature, outdoors. 2 comments

We have been working around the land the last few days. Billy has a lot of projects going. He amazes me with the things he envisions. He put up this little building over his pump for the well. It is not completely through….but real close. This will also be his little shop to work in. He plans to make signs for the land. He is so excited. I don’t think he will be doing much of that anytime soon though….because it is just tooooo nice to be inside. The sign work will probably be saved for really rainy days and the upcoming winter days.

We found this sign last year at a shop while we were out of town. He was glad that now he could hang it up.

This is down by the lake and we thought it would just be perfect.

Meanwhile I have some cat tails that have popped up in the goldfish pond. I believe I am going to have to take some to the lake….they would look perfect there.

He was digging around the yard and I got tickled at his shirt. He had sweated a face design!

Billy has always wanted a weeping cherry tree. They are really pretty , but I haven’t found one for a really good price yet. Sooooo he doesn’t have one. Sooooo the other day he came in and said I trimmed the Willow tree. I said you WHAT? You trimmed my Willow Tree….

Oddly enough it looks a little bit like a weeping cherry…hmmmm It certainly doesn’t look like a Willow Tree anymore. I think I will have to confiscate the clippers for a while.

He did do a good job on the bushes in front of the house. And that is where we found this.

Isn’t that so neat. That little baby waiting for its Mama to come feed it. I love this time of year.

There is new life everywhere you look, and that always makes me smile.

Especially here in the Boon Docks!

« Older Entries

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

Posts Tagged ‘outdoors’

The Hen Whisperer

Not good……

Oh….What A Night!!!

Lucy Jane

Little Lucy

A Beautiful Day….

Seeing stars…..

S’more fun…..

After the Rain

Down in the Boon Docks

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