Winter Kidding: Part 1

Here is a glimpse of the cuteness that has been going on around here:

This is Ruth. Though mostly wild, apparently she is a ham for the camera...see following pictures.  And the picture at the top of the post that wouldn't insert where I wanted it below...

Our fall/winter kidding season has overall been a success, but started on a trying note.  Our first doe to kid was Ruth, a young first timer who went about a week early.  Luckily we happened to be out in the barn checking on things when she delivered twin bucklings.  One was 99% dead at birth, we managed to resuscitate it but it slipped away again a short time later.  The second kid was loudly letting us know that it was alive, hungry and deeply offended at being brought out into this cold world.  But he was weak, barely able to lift his head and nowhere near trying to stand.  And, his mother wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. (Please note, I do not like goats in the house and firmly believe that they should stay in the barn with other goats whenever possible so that they don’t forget that they are goats.  However, there is one thing I despise worse than goats in the house and that is: COLD.  Especially at 1am.)   Therefore, after both my husband and I, the doe and the goat kid had all reached a suitable level of frustration I simply milked colostrum from the doe and we brought the kid to the house to warm up and gain strength.

Still Ruth

Ruth still refusing to get out of the camera

In Ruth's defense, we were able to graft the kid back onto her a day later when he was able to stand and she has been a great mother since then.

After a successful round of tube feeding I fell asleep on the basement couch thinking, “Isn’t this the life?” - with my human baby in a bassinet on one side and a baby goat in an old playpen on the other.  Needless to say, between the two babies, there wasn’t much sleep for me to have that night....

I remember making a comment after the first buckling died (the one that we had briefly resuscitated.)  It went something like this: One of the things that I really appreciate about working with animals/farming/nature is how they keep you humble and realistic.  There is a lot of self-empowering talk in society today about how “Anything you dream, you can achieve” and “You can be anything you want to be!”  I’m all about setting goals, having dreams, and working hard to see them come true - but I also think we have to be practical.  As a somewhat slight built 5'4" female, I’m probably never going to be an NFL football player no matter how much it may be my dream and I may want to do it.  (And no, that isn’t actually a dream of mine.)   But sometimes dreams and desires just don’t align with real life (or “whole life” as our 3 year old calls it.)  So, no matter how much, for example, I wanted that goat kid to survive - he didn’t.  I worked hard, did everything I know to do, hoped, prayed, willed him to survive, begged, poured everything I had into that tiny creature for the short time I had with him....I wanted him to live.  And he didn’t.  Which brings me back to my point: Nature keeps us grounded.  It’s hard, it hurts and usually it downright sucks, but generally it does us good to be reminded that we are not masters of the universe - not even our own universe. 

Stay tuned for the 2nd installation of the kidding saga.

Sheer Joy

If the presence of life enkindles hope (see previous post) then joy is enkindled by the presence of hay.  Yes, hay.  I can still vividly remember moments of sheer joy in childhood, captured by galloping with unbridled enthusiasm on top of a long row of large round bales.  (And yes, while "galloping" and "unbridled" are figures of speech,  I will admit to, as a horse crazy youngster, always imagining that I was riding a horse.)  It sounds simple and silly I know, but those who have lived the experience will agree.  It is blissful. 

The paradoxically calming and energizing smell of hay filling your nostrils, the warmth of the sun on your back and the fresh farm air on your face as you sprint headlong - leaping from bale to bale when necessary.  Even slightly having the wind knocked out of you when you trip and fall onto the scratchy surface feels strangely satisfying.

So, though we are having an unseasonably warm spell here, I found myself looking forward to next summer when I came across these pictures from this past fall.  Enjoy, and may they warm and invigorate your spirit!

Hay is good for fishing,

And good for taking Senior Pictures,

And good for practicing Senior Pictures...

Where there is life, there is hope

dum vita est spes est.  (Latin: "Where there's life, there's hope.")

I often think of this as I gaze out our windows or meander through our barn, aimlessly observing all that surrounds me.  We are surrounded by life - the human kids, bouncing goat kids, animals everywhere calling out in their raucous mixture of voices, trees in the yard and struggling orchard, plants in the garden.  And weeds in the garden.  Well, mostly weeds in the garden.  (You want to talk about vigorous life and unconquerable spirit....weeds.)
 
Despite weeds, one of our gardening joys this year was our pumpkin patch.

 We carved out a pretty big patch and grew a few heirloom varieties, including: bumpy bluish-green "Marina di Chioggia" an Italian variety, beautiful "Long Island Cheese"  my favorite for baking, "Black Futsu" a rare Japanese variety, "Musquee de Provence" the classic fairy tale pumpkin from southern France, and the slate blue "Jarrahdale" from Australia.

We also planted classic orange "Howden" pumpkins and white "Luminas" along with a mix of decorative mini pumpkins and gourds.  Due to the dry summer and early fall it wasn't the best year for pumpkins, but we did alright and enjoyed fall decor that then became a parade of pies and pumkin breads and butter.  We still have some pumpkins keeping nicely in the cellar, so the parade will continue for awhile!