Here I was, waiting for a sheep to lamb, and the martriarch goat, Florence Nightingale kidded! We have our first two babies of the year - twins - two white boys with ears that stick straight up in the air. What is really cool is that all the animals in the barn, including the billy goats and the ram, consider them part of the herd and are protective of them.
Wow, are they cute! Now, what to name them...
Monday, January 31, 2005
the life of two farms
It's a little after 11 am. A credit card salesperson woke me up, and I hung up on her. Then my husband called from his house to say good morning. There was a wasp buzzing in the window taking turns with a fly. I got up, checked the two flats of seedlings in the picture window to see if any more had popped up, and had a ham sandwitch and a glass of OJ. I looked out the window, and the sheep and llama are laying in the hay outside the barn, in the sun. I turned the baby monitor on, and the only noise this morning is birds. I put some coffee and water in the percolator and turned it on.
My husband is perfect for me. We have a unique relationship. I got divorced in 1993 from the father of my 3 children (now 13, 15 & 17). I was happily divorced for 11 years. I'd wanted Angora goats when I was married, and my ex used that desire to make numerous goat jokes - just a small portion of the mental abuse I suffered. I dated around off and on. I lived with a really nice guy, but that didn't work out. I went a year seeing nobody. I took out loans and went to nursing school so I could support myself and not have to rely on child support. Then I wound up on my parents' family farm in an effort to keep it in the family. I bought dairy goats, Angora goats, sheep and llamas over the course of 2 years. My kids thought I was nuts. My ex couldn't do a thing about it.
I found myself single with 3 children on this farm in this big old house, working my butt off. Then my husband, who was living on his family's farm, in their big old farm house by himself, just over the hill from here,...he and I started to notice each other. We already knew each other. His sister has been my friend for years. He was 49; I was 38. (He wants to know now if this is a ballog). (Oh, not a ballog, but a bullog). We got married last May. He has beef cows on his family's farm, and his brother and parents help him. But they live in a different house. He has to take care of his house (the homestead) and his cows, and he goes over to have a nice farm breakfast every morning. I work, so that suits me okay. I go over sometimes too. Then he comes back and has coffee with me if I'm not working, and sees me off to work if I am. He just came back, and is trying to figure out this entity attracting my attention. (He is more a curious guy than a jealous one). This week, his mommy is in Florida visiting another sister, though, so he has to fix his own breakfast, plus look after their house and his brother's cows too.
We are expecting a lamb at my house. It's like waiting for a watched pot to boil.
Last night it occurred to me that J.R.R. Tolkein may have been writing about Christianity vs. Islam. If so, he was very bigoted. I may read the books a 4th time. I read them aloud to my children, and that way, they were more enthralling than reading to myself. Each time I read something I missed the last time. If the Fellowship were Christianity, and Mordor was Islam, and Muslims were orcs, the Shire would be the British Isles; where is Mirkwood? (The Black Forest?); and Mt. Doom? What are the rings? Is Gandalf Jesus? Was the balrog Satan?
Bush made a big mistake getting us into a holy war. Even if it comes out that democracy overtakes the middle east, at what cost? What will happen to the Muslim community? 1700 Muslims (Bosnians) were tortured to death in Serbia [BBC Website]. Will we be watching Islam versions of the Haulocaust on TV in a few years? Ever? What about the Congo? Our media is so twisted by oil money. I used to be so faithful to the born again Christian movement, but it has been bought off. I used to think highly of Jews, but Serbia and the current prime minister fractured that illusion. Extremism and violence are what they are, no matter who perpertrates them; and greed is greed. It is "nice" in a very bitter sort of way that some people in Iraq got to vote. It will be good to make all the losses "worth it." But it will be a tough call for my government to buy me back. None of it should have happened to begin with.
There must be a bird sitting in front of the baby monitor, talking to someone. Geesh!
My husband is perfect for me. We have a unique relationship. I got divorced in 1993 from the father of my 3 children (now 13, 15 & 17). I was happily divorced for 11 years. I'd wanted Angora goats when I was married, and my ex used that desire to make numerous goat jokes - just a small portion of the mental abuse I suffered. I dated around off and on. I lived with a really nice guy, but that didn't work out. I went a year seeing nobody. I took out loans and went to nursing school so I could support myself and not have to rely on child support. Then I wound up on my parents' family farm in an effort to keep it in the family. I bought dairy goats, Angora goats, sheep and llamas over the course of 2 years. My kids thought I was nuts. My ex couldn't do a thing about it.
I found myself single with 3 children on this farm in this big old house, working my butt off. Then my husband, who was living on his family's farm, in their big old farm house by himself, just over the hill from here,...he and I started to notice each other. We already knew each other. His sister has been my friend for years. He was 49; I was 38. (He wants to know now if this is a ballog). (Oh, not a ballog, but a bullog). We got married last May. He has beef cows on his family's farm, and his brother and parents help him. But they live in a different house. He has to take care of his house (the homestead) and his cows, and he goes over to have a nice farm breakfast every morning. I work, so that suits me okay. I go over sometimes too. Then he comes back and has coffee with me if I'm not working, and sees me off to work if I am. He just came back, and is trying to figure out this entity attracting my attention. (He is more a curious guy than a jealous one). This week, his mommy is in Florida visiting another sister, though, so he has to fix his own breakfast, plus look after their house and his brother's cows too.
We are expecting a lamb at my house. It's like waiting for a watched pot to boil.
Last night it occurred to me that J.R.R. Tolkein may have been writing about Christianity vs. Islam. If so, he was very bigoted. I may read the books a 4th time. I read them aloud to my children, and that way, they were more enthralling than reading to myself. Each time I read something I missed the last time. If the Fellowship were Christianity, and Mordor was Islam, and Muslims were orcs, the Shire would be the British Isles; where is Mirkwood? (The Black Forest?); and Mt. Doom? What are the rings? Is Gandalf Jesus? Was the balrog Satan?
Bush made a big mistake getting us into a holy war. Even if it comes out that democracy overtakes the middle east, at what cost? What will happen to the Muslim community? 1700 Muslims (Bosnians) were tortured to death in Serbia [BBC Website]. Will we be watching Islam versions of the Haulocaust on TV in a few years? Ever? What about the Congo? Our media is so twisted by oil money. I used to be so faithful to the born again Christian movement, but it has been bought off. I used to think highly of Jews, but Serbia and the current prime minister fractured that illusion. Extremism and violence are what they are, no matter who perpertrates them; and greed is greed. It is "nice" in a very bitter sort of way that some people in Iraq got to vote. It will be good to make all the losses "worth it." But it will be a tough call for my government to buy me back. None of it should have happened to begin with.
There must be a bird sitting in front of the baby monitor, talking to someone. Geesh!
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Sunday Monday
This is day 4 of a 6-day stretch of afternoon shifts, and the unit is full of a demanding bunch of burgois. My house is not quite as it was for Christmas visitors. I still can't get to sleep until 3 am, and have been popping a bag of popcorn and sitting down to this screen after work each night for a couple of hours to wind down.
My wildest ewe has been in a stall in the barn for two weeks, full of milk, and still no lamb yet. 2 years ago, we had to chase her around the pasture for 2 hours with the lamb's head crowned before we finally got her in the barn to pull the baby out. He lived on to be Burdock, the ram. It's hard to tell for sure when a sheep is going to lamb. We turn on the baby monitor to the barn often, but all we hear is animals scraping hay to make a place to lay down. When we go to look at her, she stomps her feet at us.
I want time off to get started on my taxes. I want to brush out my cashgora goats. I want to take the llamas for a walk with my husband.
Two more days of helping people who've had their knees, hips and chests cut open and sewn back together move around and get ready to go home. Then I will be free for two whole days.
My wildest ewe has been in a stall in the barn for two weeks, full of milk, and still no lamb yet. 2 years ago, we had to chase her around the pasture for 2 hours with the lamb's head crowned before we finally got her in the barn to pull the baby out. He lived on to be Burdock, the ram. It's hard to tell for sure when a sheep is going to lamb. We turn on the baby monitor to the barn often, but all we hear is animals scraping hay to make a place to lay down. When we go to look at her, she stomps her feet at us.
I want time off to get started on my taxes. I want to brush out my cashgora goats. I want to take the llamas for a walk with my husband.
Two more days of helping people who've had their knees, hips and chests cut open and sewn back together move around and get ready to go home. Then I will be free for two whole days.
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