As Day 11 approaches for Grace and Clara's little lamb life, a lot has happened. I left off where Eve had her sweet twins, and settled in for the night. I will say that a big part of the reason David and I are both "worried" about the lambs is mainly because we struggled to get Belle through her first 2 weeks of life, getting her to feed with a bottle, and felt the responsibility of her life on our shoulders. Now, with two lambs at once, we were relieved that Eve was such a good mama to them.
Then, it happened. We noticed it the following day after the twins were born. The twins were only able to get milk out of one of Eve's udders/nipples. It became more and more profound, and the twins were fighting for one teat. I googled how to help this situation, but quickly realized I would need Dr Shelton to come check things out. And he did. Dr Shelton came back to the farm and evaluated Eve. He said, sure enough, that Eve was likely to only be able to give milk from one teat. He catheterized the "bad" teat, he gave antibiotics, he gave her a steroid shot (to be given again for two more days as well). But the udder would not produce milk. It was swollen by now, hard to the touch, and painful. Likely mastitis, or a nonfunctioning udder. This began making it harder for the lambs to suckle, because they would accidentally knock or hit the "bad" udder when they were nursing, and it would cause Eve to move away from her lambs due to the pain. The lambs would run towards her, still wanting to be fed. Dr Shelton had told us we were likely to have to bottle feed or supplement Eve's milk with bottles. He did shed some light onto the situation by saying that the one remaining udder/teat may start developing more milk. Only time would tell. It never did, so the twins would be left to nurse off of one teat and one udder of milk.
Grace and Clara were still doing well, acclimating to their surroundings. At Day 4, we let them move around on their own free will. Out of the barn, into the pasture if they wanted. They could always go back into the barn anytime. Our guard dogs, Levi and Whisper immediately took to protecting the lambs. They did not want any other dogs, chicken or such to get close. What good LGD's they are. The lambs were drinking from the only milk available, and sharing the teat/udder. Dr Shelton had warned us to watch for Eve to "kick one of the lambs off" because sheep will do that, esp with her current udder situation. But Eve kept on, letting both her babies nurse and take turns.
I did make a trip to The Dollar Store, because they have everything and it's close, and bought a couple of baby bottles. I dropped by the feed store to buy Lamb Milk Replacer. It's just like baby formula, but for lambs. I was set to begin the process of acclimating the lambs to the possibility of taking a bottle, in addition to nursing. Dr Shelton says when they get hungry enough, they will take the bottle, and that Eve will ultimately not be able to keep up with the lambs nutritional needs. It's only a matter of time, really. Good news? The lambs will most likely start nibbling alfalfa, grains and grass earlier than usual, due to this situation.
Day 6 arrives, and I go to the barn to check on everyone. Grace and Clara are thriving, and each day I'm pleasantly surprised. I have begun offering them a bottle morning and evening. Today is no different, and they reject it at first each time. But Clara will normally take a ounce or two, as Grace gets a taste and nurses while Clara takes the bottle. They both continue to nurse during the day on Eve, and nibble on whatever their mama nibbles on. They literally do whatever she does. They never get far from her, and the three of them talk to each other constantly. Sheep language is interesting. You can tell by their tone what they are saying. I'm lost! I need to be snuggled. I'm hungry. Where did you go? Night night. It's all very sweet.
This will be Eve's only lambing. Her udder malfunction is the #1 reason for culling. When a ewe cannot nurse appropriately, they typically should not lamb again. It's too risky. In the real sheep world, she would be sent to the freezer. But we are certainly far from that. So she will enjoy her life with her two babies, by her side, in the pasture for as long as she desires. They will wean with time, and in no hurry.
As the days pass, Eve and her lambs venture out further and further. The other day, they were down at the pond. I was so worried they might fall in the pond. What if!? Or it might be too far of a walk for those little lambs. Not to worry, they are doing real lambs things. When we compare them to Belle at that age, she didn't have a mama, and lived in the house with a diaper on. She stood on the dishwasher while I loaded it, she marched around the house in her little high heels (their hooves are thick and tall from the beginning of life), and she imprinted with David and I as her caregivers. She did not eat grain, grass or hay, even if we offered it. After all, we were not eating it. Only bottles. And she asked for them all the time. It wasn't until we bought Belle a couple of lambs friends, that she figured out she was to go out into the pasture and graze. It was quite a shock to her, but she did it. She learned how to be more sheep-like. But even today, she would rather be around us, very much like a dog would.
These new lambs will be nothing like that. They have eyes only for Eve. They are tough and thriving well. It's fun watching them grow up so differently. I certainly have learned a lot! And with that said, along comes Belle, following right behind Eve in the lambing department. Belle has grown significantly over the last week or so. Her udders are slowly growing, and it's hard to comprehend she will have babies too. We weren't sure, for so long, if she was pregnant. It's only been in the last week that we are seeing the real signs. The same ones we saw with Eve. Isolating themselves, nesting, resting more, seemingly uncomfortable, actually eating less. The last month of their 5 month pregnancy is when it all shows up. I somehow seem convinced she's going to have triplets. I just do. If I'm wrong, that's okay. After all, we've only picked out names for twins, so far. I picked out Poppy, and Lauren picked out LuLu. Granted, this is all assuming they will be girls, and it will be "they". Sam has done a fabulous job of helping us grow our flock. He's onto helping another family now, and will do the very same thing there. He sure throws pretty babies.
We saw Belle nesting in the barn area we made for Eve to give birth in. It's like she knows that's where she's supposed to be. She will have her day there. I don't know if it will be as smooth for Belle, as it was for Eve. Labor and delivery with no problems are certainly a blessing and it was not taken for granted. We hope the same is true for Belle, when the time comes. Maybe Eve and Belle talk about it in their sheep language.
The one thing I have failed to mention is their relationship. Throughout Eve's delivery and raising of the lambs, has been her best friend, Belle. They have been side by side through this. Belle would sit by the fenced area in the barn when Eve and the lambs were isolated for the first few days. She waited patiently. Eve has allowed her to be as close to her lambs as Belle desires to be. There is no competition. Just love between them.
As we wait and watch, living our life in fascination of these animals, I feel overly blessed at times that I have been entrusted to be their caretakers. I've read many blogs and sites on the internet of people just like us. Doing this hobby farm thing because it's what we love to do. Unsure, learning, hoping, guessing and loving every minute. To be outside, with no other people around and do exactly as you wish with no judgement. Only love and trust from the animals all around. It's my place in life. The one place that is therapeutic and peaceful. Literally, no other place I would rather be. Barn Sweet Barn.
Eve continues to amaze us with her motherly skills. She's doing a great job, and we love watching the new lambs grow and learn. I hurry home so fast after work these days. I can't wait to see everyone and how they are doing. And how everyone is doing. Speaking of, Whisper has surgery scheduled for 11/13 for her leg. She will be out of commission for 2-4 months recovering. The new LGD puppies will step up to the plate and be Levi's side kicks. That will be a circus in itself. Things continue to evolve and change. Everything is the same, yet nothing is the same. Another lambing event is coming......SOON. Belle will have her turn.
Soon.
Cyndi
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
As The Farm Turns
We ebb. We flow. The farm has seen many changes over the last couple of years. We've loved many and we've lost some. It took me a long time to understand and truly accept the losses, and that it would continue to happen, as it is the nature of having farm animals. Along with heartache, there is light. And the light is shining brightly at our little farm.
We received a gift of two lambs from Eve, one of our ewes, last Thursday evening. This extra special event represents our first birthing on the farm. We did receive Belle when she was a 1 day old lamb, and we bottle fed her around the clock. But this is the first time we have bred and birthed onsite. Sam The Ram is the lamb(s) daddy, and Eve is an amazing lamb mama. This is all despite the fact I have no idea what I'm doing. It happened, and everyone seems to be okay. Actually, more than okay. Eve and her new twins, Grace and Clara are bonding, thriving and blending in with all that is around them.
It all started well over a week ago now. Eve's udders were noticeably filling, and she was moving about less and less. She was getting bigger and bigger as the days passed. Dr Shelton made a farm visit to see how she was doing, and said, "She will be lambing soon." Soon. When is soon? No one knew. Just soon. Soon became Thursday. It was a regular Thursday at first. I came home from work, made my way from the garage carrying my usual purse, lunch box, cups, bags and all the things I feel the necessity to carry around with me. Into the house I go, not even noticing. I piddle around in the house a short while, and head out the door to go check on everyone - it's what I do every day. It's my favorite thing to do every day. As I walk out the door and glance into the front pasture, I see it. Eve with a baby lamb whose just beginning to stand. She's trying to stand up and nurse. OMGoodness! Where's my phone?! What's happening? I walk frantically to the fence, and Eve seems like she's not sure what's happening either. There's her new lamb, who I immediately name Grace, and she's trying to stand and nurse. I look around thinking 'where did she have this baby?' But I don't see anywhere that looks like it's the spot. So I move forward in my thinking, and wonder what to do next. Oh yes, take a picture and send it to David and Lauren. Soon is here. It's now.
Now, back to where did she have the baby lamb? She didn't have her in the barn. Why not? There is no why. There she is, right out in the pasture, a baby lamb less than 1 hour old. She was still wet with the sac, and still being licked by Eve to uncover her, dry her and stimulate her. Lucky for me, Eve had not needed assistance lambing, and had done a wonderful job of birthing her. Now, what to do next. Take another picture. It also seemed everyone else in the pasture was unsure what to do. They were standing around watching. Not moving. Then, I realized the need to get Eve in the barn, like a lightening bolt had hit me. My once paralyzed self leapt into action. I go into the pasture, and pick up the baby lamb and walk slowly towards the barn. The lamb is wet, but doing well. She's alert, hungry and from my inexperienced eyes, okay. A short jaunt to the barn, and I finagle Eve and Grace into their allotted place in a pen. For now. I will need to tweet this a little more after David gets home, and we can move a piece of fencing around. No biggie there. We happen to be the experts at temporary fencing. That's going to be my next profession: Fence Mover who specializes in Movement of Temporary Fencing. Every piece of my temporary fencing has been all over this acreage.
So, I now have Eve and Baby Grace in the barn, isolated from the elements - and other animals. Eve is as unsure of what to do - as I am. What I don't notice at the time, is she's having contractions. When I look back on the video I took that evening, I can see it. But at the time, I was clueless. I'll call myself Clueless #1. Luckily Clueless #2 (that's David) came home from work, and the two of us tried to figure out what to do next. Good thing we did not have a Lambing Emergency. And just 10 minutes after I mentioned that I think Eve might have another lamb, of which David said there's no way another one could be fitting inside her, Eve popped out another lamb. Lamb #2 glided out like she was on a Slip N' Slide. Remember those? There we are, knocked in the face with a frying pan.....again. What the heck. This time, Eve is tired. Get a towel! David grabs a towel, and runs over to wipe lamb #2's sac off her nose and mouth. Lamb #2 cries. She's alive! I'm so surprised. Too many YouTube videos. But this time, David wipes her wet sac from her little body to help dry her and warm her up. Eve is still standing there, and lamb #1, Grace, is trying to nurse. It's not going exactly as planned. Oh wait, we didn't have a plan because we didn't know what we're doing. And now somehow, everyone is alive and well. Literally, within 20-30 minutes of Lamb #2's life, she's trying to stand and nurse, too. What a miracle. I do the next thing I know to do. I name her. Lamb #2 will be Clara. Grace and Clara are healthy lambs who want milk. Eve is trying her best, but she's tired. The lamb's must get the mama's milk within 24 hours, the colostrum, that contains the antibodies that will be important for their existence, and provide them the energy they need to protect them from the cold. I then wonder if I need to stay out in the barn all night to make sure the lambs nurse and get what they need. If not, we will need to supplement it from a bottle. As we watch Eve and the lambs, we quickly realize that Eve's natural motherly instance kicks in. She's nursing them, and calling to them with noises I have never heard her make before. Grace and Clara answer back with their sweet, soft baa's. They are communicating in their Sheep language. I can hear her say, I love you to them. Stay near, she says. And that it will be okay. That's me saying that last part.
David and I are almost exhausted, too. That was a emotional experience. We stand and watch Eve, and realize that she's going to be a great mama. She took over, and we stepped away. It was then that David and I finalized their pen with the temporary fencing, where they would stay for 3-4 days to bond and be safe. We set up a warming lamp, made sure there was plenty of water and food for Eve in their pen, and knew we needed to give her some time with her lambs. Things were going very well.
We did some final cleanup of things, and allowed the rest of the animals in the barn since we had their pen set up now. It would now be time to rest. We did stay and watch her for a short while. We may or may not have checked on Eve, Grace and Clara a couple more times late into the night. But all was well. We knew with multiple births, that we had to watch for rejection of one of the lambs by Eve. It happens a lot with sheep. Eve was nurturing them both so well from the beginning, that the worry faded away, and would continue to as the next days were to come.
As I lay in bed that night, I was so excited about the thought of awakening in the morning to run out to the barn and see how everybody was! Like Christmas morning when you are 6 years old. But better. I was giddy, ecstatic and full of love for the gift of two lambs. If Sam only knew.
Farm Animal Population: 35. Not anymore though, it's been skyrocketing lately, and now we are sitting at 37. Sheep: Eve, Clara, Grace, Belle; Chickens: Whitie, Blackie, Coco, Frizzle (new silkies), Ginger (1st chicken we ever had!), Butter, Sunshine, Pebbles, Pepper, Peaches, Veronica, the Twins, Callie, Storm, Goldie; Barn CatLand: Kitty, Fi (i.e. May), June, July, Sweet Pea, Preston, Finn, Blackie (stray who has taken up residence), Smoky; Dogs: Levi, Whisper, Dixie, Davis, Duke, Maybe and visiting resident, Tula (technically not counted in the population); Donkeys: Mama and Papa.
While the population does ebb and flow, it's a very fluid and ever changing environment when living on a farm. It is my wildest dream. All these gifts are granted, and I am most grateful for them all. Our new additions of Grace and Clara will bring new experiences to share. We never stop learning. We are thankful for the safety of Eve and her new twin lambs. They all made it though just fine, despite the fact Clueless #1 and #2 were their cheerleaders for the lambing event. Nature pulled through for us all.
We've had a few bumps in the road the last few days with Eve nursing and providing milk. The lambs are doing well though.......that's for next time.
Cyndi
We received a gift of two lambs from Eve, one of our ewes, last Thursday evening. This extra special event represents our first birthing on the farm. We did receive Belle when she was a 1 day old lamb, and we bottle fed her around the clock. But this is the first time we have bred and birthed onsite. Sam The Ram is the lamb(s) daddy, and Eve is an amazing lamb mama. This is all despite the fact I have no idea what I'm doing. It happened, and everyone seems to be okay. Actually, more than okay. Eve and her new twins, Grace and Clara are bonding, thriving and blending in with all that is around them.
It all started well over a week ago now. Eve's udders were noticeably filling, and she was moving about less and less. She was getting bigger and bigger as the days passed. Dr Shelton made a farm visit to see how she was doing, and said, "She will be lambing soon." Soon. When is soon? No one knew. Just soon. Soon became Thursday. It was a regular Thursday at first. I came home from work, made my way from the garage carrying my usual purse, lunch box, cups, bags and all the things I feel the necessity to carry around with me. Into the house I go, not even noticing. I piddle around in the house a short while, and head out the door to go check on everyone - it's what I do every day. It's my favorite thing to do every day. As I walk out the door and glance into the front pasture, I see it. Eve with a baby lamb whose just beginning to stand. She's trying to stand up and nurse. OMGoodness! Where's my phone?! What's happening? I walk frantically to the fence, and Eve seems like she's not sure what's happening either. There's her new lamb, who I immediately name Grace, and she's trying to stand and nurse. I look around thinking 'where did she have this baby?' But I don't see anywhere that looks like it's the spot. So I move forward in my thinking, and wonder what to do next. Oh yes, take a picture and send it to David and Lauren. Soon is here. It's now.
Now, back to where did she have the baby lamb? She didn't have her in the barn. Why not? There is no why. There she is, right out in the pasture, a baby lamb less than 1 hour old. She was still wet with the sac, and still being licked by Eve to uncover her, dry her and stimulate her. Lucky for me, Eve had not needed assistance lambing, and had done a wonderful job of birthing her. Now, what to do next. Take another picture. It also seemed everyone else in the pasture was unsure what to do. They were standing around watching. Not moving. Then, I realized the need to get Eve in the barn, like a lightening bolt had hit me. My once paralyzed self leapt into action. I go into the pasture, and pick up the baby lamb and walk slowly towards the barn. The lamb is wet, but doing well. She's alert, hungry and from my inexperienced eyes, okay. A short jaunt to the barn, and I finagle Eve and Grace into their allotted place in a pen. For now. I will need to tweet this a little more after David gets home, and we can move a piece of fencing around. No biggie there. We happen to be the experts at temporary fencing. That's going to be my next profession: Fence Mover who specializes in Movement of Temporary Fencing. Every piece of my temporary fencing has been all over this acreage.
So, I now have Eve and Baby Grace in the barn, isolated from the elements - and other animals. Eve is as unsure of what to do - as I am. What I don't notice at the time, is she's having contractions. When I look back on the video I took that evening, I can see it. But at the time, I was clueless. I'll call myself Clueless #1. Luckily Clueless #2 (that's David) came home from work, and the two of us tried to figure out what to do next. Good thing we did not have a Lambing Emergency. And just 10 minutes after I mentioned that I think Eve might have another lamb, of which David said there's no way another one could be fitting inside her, Eve popped out another lamb. Lamb #2 glided out like she was on a Slip N' Slide. Remember those? There we are, knocked in the face with a frying pan.....again. What the heck. This time, Eve is tired. Get a towel! David grabs a towel, and runs over to wipe lamb #2's sac off her nose and mouth. Lamb #2 cries. She's alive! I'm so surprised. Too many YouTube videos. But this time, David wipes her wet sac from her little body to help dry her and warm her up. Eve is still standing there, and lamb #1, Grace, is trying to nurse. It's not going exactly as planned. Oh wait, we didn't have a plan because we didn't know what we're doing. And now somehow, everyone is alive and well. Literally, within 20-30 minutes of Lamb #2's life, she's trying to stand and nurse, too. What a miracle. I do the next thing I know to do. I name her. Lamb #2 will be Clara. Grace and Clara are healthy lambs who want milk. Eve is trying her best, but she's tired. The lamb's must get the mama's milk within 24 hours, the colostrum, that contains the antibodies that will be important for their existence, and provide them the energy they need to protect them from the cold. I then wonder if I need to stay out in the barn all night to make sure the lambs nurse and get what they need. If not, we will need to supplement it from a bottle. As we watch Eve and the lambs, we quickly realize that Eve's natural motherly instance kicks in. She's nursing them, and calling to them with noises I have never heard her make before. Grace and Clara answer back with their sweet, soft baa's. They are communicating in their Sheep language. I can hear her say, I love you to them. Stay near, she says. And that it will be okay. That's me saying that last part.
David and I are almost exhausted, too. That was a emotional experience. We stand and watch Eve, and realize that she's going to be a great mama. She took over, and we stepped away. It was then that David and I finalized their pen with the temporary fencing, where they would stay for 3-4 days to bond and be safe. We set up a warming lamp, made sure there was plenty of water and food for Eve in their pen, and knew we needed to give her some time with her lambs. Things were going very well.
We did some final cleanup of things, and allowed the rest of the animals in the barn since we had their pen set up now. It would now be time to rest. We did stay and watch her for a short while. We may or may not have checked on Eve, Grace and Clara a couple more times late into the night. But all was well. We knew with multiple births, that we had to watch for rejection of one of the lambs by Eve. It happens a lot with sheep. Eve was nurturing them both so well from the beginning, that the worry faded away, and would continue to as the next days were to come.
As I lay in bed that night, I was so excited about the thought of awakening in the morning to run out to the barn and see how everybody was! Like Christmas morning when you are 6 years old. But better. I was giddy, ecstatic and full of love for the gift of two lambs. If Sam only knew.
Farm Animal Population: 35. Not anymore though, it's been skyrocketing lately, and now we are sitting at 37. Sheep: Eve, Clara, Grace, Belle; Chickens: Whitie, Blackie, Coco, Frizzle (new silkies), Ginger (1st chicken we ever had!), Butter, Sunshine, Pebbles, Pepper, Peaches, Veronica, the Twins, Callie, Storm, Goldie; Barn CatLand: Kitty, Fi (i.e. May), June, July, Sweet Pea, Preston, Finn, Blackie (stray who has taken up residence), Smoky; Dogs: Levi, Whisper, Dixie, Davis, Duke, Maybe and visiting resident, Tula (technically not counted in the population); Donkeys: Mama and Papa.
While the population does ebb and flow, it's a very fluid and ever changing environment when living on a farm. It is my wildest dream. All these gifts are granted, and I am most grateful for them all. Our new additions of Grace and Clara will bring new experiences to share. We never stop learning. We are thankful for the safety of Eve and her new twin lambs. They all made it though just fine, despite the fact Clueless #1 and #2 were their cheerleaders for the lambing event. Nature pulled through for us all.
We've had a few bumps in the road the last few days with Eve nursing and providing milk. The lambs are doing well though.......that's for next time.
Cyndi
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Had To Happen
Back in Feb of this year, is when we brought Sam The Ram to our farm. He was born in December 2017, and was 3 months old when we transported his little self to Gunter. He joined Belle and Eve wonderfully. He's very similar to them, as all three are tame sheep, and either bottle baby lambs (Belle and Sam), or a triplet who required additional handling, due to the necessity to be supplemented with a bottle, as the fight for milk from her mama wasn't an easy task, with two other siblings (Eve). The three sheep blended well together.
Time moved on, and Sam grew into a true ram. He has horns to prove it. He's given us a potential new lamb with Eve (dependent on how the lambing event goes). And in the usual nature of a ram, he became very protective of his girls. His head butting began at around 5-6 months, and both David and I could handle him well. He mostly used this technique with people, to let them know he's in charge. He would sometimes began butting one of the dogs, playfully, but they put a quick end to it, as he is submissive to Levi and Whisper., Guard Dogs Extraordinairies. As each day passed, and months went by, the butting and battering (as I've heard it call) became scary. He's now a huge ram, with horns that sting, and the weight of a Sumo wrestler that knocks you over with one blow. Now, Sam and David have the same type of bond Belle and I do. Sam and David are imprinted, and he actually comes running when David calls his name. Sam wags his tail when he's petted, and his favorite rub spots are on his chest and under his neck. Petting him through fence, you would think he would never hurt a soul.
Sam does not bite, nor does he show aggression to any animal on the farm. Just to people. He's certainly not safe around kids, and David has had to start distracting him by petting him or feeding him, so that I can go in the pasture. Otherwise, when he sees me go into the pasture, he runs straight for me - to show me whose Boss. He is, so he says with his head butting and battering. For being such a huge ram, he's a surprisingly fast runner! I love that about him, he really is cute when he's running.
A wonderful solution David came up with is something I've always wanted - but with a twist. He got a bell for Sam, and placed it on a dog collar around his neck, so that we will always know where he is in the pasture, and how close he is to us. My original dream was of a Bellwether. A wether with a bell around his neck. Okay, so I have a ram with a bell around his neck, to warn me of impending danger. Not my original dream. But close. I'll take it. This has been a blessing. I can always have a warning bell now, when going out to the pasture, or while in the pasture. I can hear Sam coming, I can be ready for him.
This was magical for quite a while. The problem was, Sam was getting bigger and bigger, stronger and stronger, and his aggressive nature became a impediment to doing just about anything in the pasture. And as you can imagine, there's plenty to do in the pasture from mowing, picking up dog bowls, feeding/watering, and just going out to enjoy everyone in the pasture. That was now against the Law of Sam. It's just so odd. Sam is sweet, kind and loving. He loves to be loved. He wants to be petted. He baa's constantly to have someone come over and pet him. But the second you stop petting, he butts. He allows us to brush him readily, but it's almost like he can't control the natural instincts to butt and protect the ewes around him, even though he knows us. It's like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I don't really even though who they are, but the concept applies here. Sam is kissing and loving on you one minute, then BAM, he's crushed your knee with his horns. Now, a ram can seriously hurt you. I began reading about this in other blogs and sheep sites. Rams are dangerous, they can be aggressive, they want to be the dominant one - even over people. Granted, not all of them, but many of them. I did have this understanding when we decided to get a ram, but with the range-of-danger they present, I felt like Sam wasn't going to be "one of those". Ah, but I was wrong.
Silly me. Living in a world of denial. I swim in that river often, De Nile. I had to face the facts, Sam was "that" ram. Now what? Okay, let's put him in a different pasture. Let's cage him. Let's. Let's. Let's. Part of all these Let's was......let's sell him, let's take him to the meat plant. So many let's. Finally, I decided I can't take him to a meat plant. Granted, he is still considered a lamb, and his meat would be delicious. No, I don't think I can follow through with that. So, I decided he's happiest if he's with ewes and doing his thing. On another farm.
To sum it up, I sold him. I sold him to a man in OK City who has 10 ewes and would like lambs. Sam's their man. Sam can do that - just ask Eve. And just like that, this man is at our farm, picking up Sam in a horse trailer to drive for hours back to his new ewes. Sam loaded up in the trailer with ease. A little grain is all he needs, and waa-laa, he's in a trailer heading to Oklahoma. I kissed him GoodBye and told him to Be Good! Then, I explained in great detail the need to be safe around Sam, to his new owner. Please, I begged him, you must be careful. I left his bell on him, as the man is going to need it. I kept saying over and over.....he will hurt you if you are not careful. I hope he heard me. I hope he heeds my words. Yet, I have a feeling Sam will be immediately placed in a pasture in Oklahoma and left with the other sheep. He won't be coddled, brushed and rubbed. He's going to have to transition to the real sheep world. No more gravy-train Graves Farm. He's about to meet The Real Deal. He'll be 1 year old in December. He's got this.
Sam would have a long trip to his new home in a horse trailer. As they drove down the gravel drive back to the main road, I knew I had done the right thing, and wished him only the best with his new harem of ewes. After all, Eve is his witness. Eve will give us Sam's lambs soon. Sam will always be our first ram, our first boy crush, and forever in my memory and heart. I know he will love being in charge of a flock, as he's built for that and will mange it nicely. Go Sam Go. I have been thinking of you often this past week, wondering what your doing, if they let you in from the rain, or if it even matters now. The bell around your neck is ringing in my heart. My Sweet Sam.
You will live on here at The Graves Farm, as your babies will arrive soon. Be still my heart.
Cyndi
Time moved on, and Sam grew into a true ram. He has horns to prove it. He's given us a potential new lamb with Eve (dependent on how the lambing event goes). And in the usual nature of a ram, he became very protective of his girls. His head butting began at around 5-6 months, and both David and I could handle him well. He mostly used this technique with people, to let them know he's in charge. He would sometimes began butting one of the dogs, playfully, but they put a quick end to it, as he is submissive to Levi and Whisper., Guard Dogs Extraordinairies. As each day passed, and months went by, the butting and battering (as I've heard it call) became scary. He's now a huge ram, with horns that sting, and the weight of a Sumo wrestler that knocks you over with one blow. Now, Sam and David have the same type of bond Belle and I do. Sam and David are imprinted, and he actually comes running when David calls his name. Sam wags his tail when he's petted, and his favorite rub spots are on his chest and under his neck. Petting him through fence, you would think he would never hurt a soul.
Sam does not bite, nor does he show aggression to any animal on the farm. Just to people. He's certainly not safe around kids, and David has had to start distracting him by petting him or feeding him, so that I can go in the pasture. Otherwise, when he sees me go into the pasture, he runs straight for me - to show me whose Boss. He is, so he says with his head butting and battering. For being such a huge ram, he's a surprisingly fast runner! I love that about him, he really is cute when he's running.
A wonderful solution David came up with is something I've always wanted - but with a twist. He got a bell for Sam, and placed it on a dog collar around his neck, so that we will always know where he is in the pasture, and how close he is to us. My original dream was of a Bellwether. A wether with a bell around his neck. Okay, so I have a ram with a bell around his neck, to warn me of impending danger. Not my original dream. But close. I'll take it. This has been a blessing. I can always have a warning bell now, when going out to the pasture, or while in the pasture. I can hear Sam coming, I can be ready for him.
This was magical for quite a while. The problem was, Sam was getting bigger and bigger, stronger and stronger, and his aggressive nature became a impediment to doing just about anything in the pasture. And as you can imagine, there's plenty to do in the pasture from mowing, picking up dog bowls, feeding/watering, and just going out to enjoy everyone in the pasture. That was now against the Law of Sam. It's just so odd. Sam is sweet, kind and loving. He loves to be loved. He wants to be petted. He baa's constantly to have someone come over and pet him. But the second you stop petting, he butts. He allows us to brush him readily, but it's almost like he can't control the natural instincts to butt and protect the ewes around him, even though he knows us. It's like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I don't really even though who they are, but the concept applies here. Sam is kissing and loving on you one minute, then BAM, he's crushed your knee with his horns. Now, a ram can seriously hurt you. I began reading about this in other blogs and sheep sites. Rams are dangerous, they can be aggressive, they want to be the dominant one - even over people. Granted, not all of them, but many of them. I did have this understanding when we decided to get a ram, but with the range-of-danger they present, I felt like Sam wasn't going to be "one of those". Ah, but I was wrong.
Silly me. Living in a world of denial. I swim in that river often, De Nile. I had to face the facts, Sam was "that" ram. Now what? Okay, let's put him in a different pasture. Let's cage him. Let's. Let's. Let's. Part of all these Let's was......let's sell him, let's take him to the meat plant. So many let's. Finally, I decided I can't take him to a meat plant. Granted, he is still considered a lamb, and his meat would be delicious. No, I don't think I can follow through with that. So, I decided he's happiest if he's with ewes and doing his thing. On another farm.
To sum it up, I sold him. I sold him to a man in OK City who has 10 ewes and would like lambs. Sam's their man. Sam can do that - just ask Eve. And just like that, this man is at our farm, picking up Sam in a horse trailer to drive for hours back to his new ewes. Sam loaded up in the trailer with ease. A little grain is all he needs, and waa-laa, he's in a trailer heading to Oklahoma. I kissed him GoodBye and told him to Be Good! Then, I explained in great detail the need to be safe around Sam, to his new owner. Please, I begged him, you must be careful. I left his bell on him, as the man is going to need it. I kept saying over and over.....he will hurt you if you are not careful. I hope he heard me. I hope he heeds my words. Yet, I have a feeling Sam will be immediately placed in a pasture in Oklahoma and left with the other sheep. He won't be coddled, brushed and rubbed. He's going to have to transition to the real sheep world. No more gravy-train Graves Farm. He's about to meet The Real Deal. He'll be 1 year old in December. He's got this.
Sam would have a long trip to his new home in a horse trailer. As they drove down the gravel drive back to the main road, I knew I had done the right thing, and wished him only the best with his new harem of ewes. After all, Eve is his witness. Eve will give us Sam's lambs soon. Sam will always be our first ram, our first boy crush, and forever in my memory and heart. I know he will love being in charge of a flock, as he's built for that and will mange it nicely. Go Sam Go. I have been thinking of you often this past week, wondering what your doing, if they let you in from the rain, or if it even matters now. The bell around your neck is ringing in my heart. My Sweet Sam.
You will live on here at The Graves Farm, as your babies will arrive soon. Be still my heart.
Cyndi
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Barn Therapy
Back in the swing of life on the farm is comforting and theraputic. There’s so many new things happening! I’ll start with the chickens. We have certainly had our ups and downs with our chicken flock, but have seemed to find a happy place with the number of 15. We tend to swing in 'number of chickens' from 12-18 these days. Sometimes, we accidentally get a rooster, then minus one. That just happened (again), and luckily a friend wanted him, this time. Her/His name was Cloud, a beautiful light ombre grey chicken. She/He came with a recent intake of the 8 chickens we purchased from the Old Wild West chicken farm in Oklahoma. Supposedly we had all ladies. But no. One rooster snuck in, and we did not know it for a couple of months, as it takes time to really know whose a girl vs boy when it comes to chickens. Then all of a sudden, she was cock-a-doodle-doo-ing. You know the rules around here, Sheriff says "No Roosters" on the premises. And away he went this past weekend. His best friend, Storm was left wondering what happened to Cloud? Storm was the same chicken breed, but a darker ombre grey, hence more fitting for the name Storm. So far, she's still a girl in our eyes. It's a interesting phenomenon how chickens are in a flock all together, but 'pair' up with a chicken that looks like them, and typically their same breed. After all these years of having chickens, that still fascinates me. Anyway, Storm/Cloud is now broken up, and Storm remains with us, while Cloud is heading to a farm in Lowry Crossing to be his real rooster self. Storm continues to stay with the flock with her "other" half now obviously missing.
Chicken Math, it's great. The ebb and flow of our flock is always fascinating. We seem to always be counting and recounting. Recently, I made one of my better chicken purchases! On CraigsList (not sure why I was looking for chickens there, but they DO have lots of farm animals for sale), I found the deal of a century. Four silkie hens for $40.00. They are 6 months old and just starting to lay the smallest, cutest eggs you've ever seen. Silkies = chickens, like Yorkie's = dogs. Small, super cute, strong personality, packed full of punch and pizzazz. Yes, I got four of those sweeties! A white one, grey one (bonus - technically a Frizzle! Google that), a brown one, and a black one. They have been raised together and do everything together. OMGoodness, love them! It's as if they are somehow invisibly attached, roaming the yard in a tight knit group. And the best part is my existing Ladies welcomed them freely, so +4. Boom. I'm still trying to come up with names for these cuties. Right now, we call them The Little Girls. They all give me an egg most every day.
We have had another new grouping of animals join the farm. I surprised David a couple of weeks ago with a new Anatolian/Great Pyrenees livestock guard puppy. David has been asking and talking about getting a new guard dog puppy, who our existing guard dogs would train, for the farm. Our two Great Pyrenees, Levi and Whisper (brother and sister) are the best-est and most awesome guard dogs! Lately though, Whisper has begun to limp on her back left leg, and over the last 2 months it has worsened. We had taken Whisper to the Vet (which was a event in itself, since she's never left the farm) when she first started limping, and the Vet said she has arthritis, and not much will help her. But now, it's much worse, and so back to the Vet we go. We decided on a Surgery Work-Up including more extensive X-rays and evaluation, to see if any surgery might be available to help her live a better life. If it's a hip replacement, or whatever is needed, she's still young enough to live a full life without this pain she's having. What this means in the grand scheme of things is that she cannot guard like she used to. At least not in her current condition. And if this continues, we would need to train a replacement, and take her out of working the pasture. We have decided we need to bring Whisper into the inter sanctum (kind of like our front yard), as we call it, whereby she can relax and not have the compulsion to "work". She's not able to run like she used to, and she knows that. I'm not really sure how she's going to do with that scenario, but a change has to be in her best interest. To sum it up, a new Great Pyrenees/Anatolian puppy was now a necessity. I ended up bringing home a new LGD puppy, as a love gift to David: A boy puppy that David would name Davis, in memory of his recently deceased mother, as that's her maiden name. He's a handsome 8 week old puppy whose parents guard for sheep and goats, and they are big dogs. He will be the same. But that same night, David asked if there were more puppies available. Yes, I tell him. She still has 5 girls and 1 boy puppy left. David asked for 2 more puppies! WHAT? Is one puppy not enough? "Another boy", David says, "and then how about pick out one from the remaining girls". And so I did. After work the next day, I trek back to the same farm to pick up two more puppies. The two brothers and sister are now reunited at the Graves Farm. David's own puppy-dog eyes talked me into 3 puppies total. They are beautiful dogs, and will be large and in charge once trained by Levi. The process with take at least a year, but we will get there. This is all in an effort to relieve Whisper of some of her duties, and hopefully we can manage her pain. Her pain stops even her, from her natural instincts. So we will see where all this puppy business takes us. Right now? We are in puppy heaven, soaking up the joy of their love and loyalty. The other names for the boy and girl? Since they are his puppies, David ended up naming them all. The girl: Dixie. The second brother/boy: Duke. Our new puppies Davis, Dixie and Duke will be the next generation of LGD (Livestock Guard Dogs) that will guard our sheep, chickens and barn cats. And we thank them all every day.
We have one last addition to the group to introduce. Not yet born, but in Eve's belly, is a lamb. We now know for sure Eve is pregnant, and are pretty sure Belle is not. Belle has always been shy and sheltered. We have raised her as our own baby since she was one day old, feeding her a bottle around the clock. We are imprinted on one another. This is not to say she can't get pregnant, after all, Sam did his job with producing a lamb with Eve. But Belle is Belle. She's not your normal sheep. (This is what all mom's say, right? But my child is different. Special). Yep, that's Belle. If she's also pregnant, she's behind Eve timewise, so I guess time will really tell that tale. Now Eve is obviously with lamb. The thing is, I don't know when she's due. It takes 5 months for gestation with sheep/lambs. I guess we will find out with time. Eve is doing well, and lets us love her, and pet her more than ever. She's going to be a good mama. Thank you Sam, for giving us the opportunity to have baby lamb(s). I'm going to cry that day, for sure. A new lamb born in our barn will be a joyous occasion. Eve is the last/youngest of triplets, so can you imagine how hard I'm going to cry if she has more than one baby. I have chicken skin right now just thinking about it. Goose bumps bubble all over me at the thought of "the day". The day we have a lamb born here. I'm that 12 year old girl again.
God is good, and continues to bless us. We love and adore all our farm animals. They each have their own distinct personality and add a wonderful dimension to our little hobby farm. We have a lot of work to do in regards to training three new LGD puppies into adults that will do an amazing job. Granted, David nor I have done that before. We also have research and learning to do in regards to lambing. Shepherdess Cyndi has things to figure out. But then again, everything here from chickens to donkeys have been new at some point, and we do our best to keep everyone healthy, happy and safe.
I'll keep you posted,
Cyndi
I've already named the baby lamb Grace. Hope Eve has a girl! And just like everything in life, I probably have no idea of really what's to come.
Chicken Math, it's great. The ebb and flow of our flock is always fascinating. We seem to always be counting and recounting. Recently, I made one of my better chicken purchases! On CraigsList (not sure why I was looking for chickens there, but they DO have lots of farm animals for sale), I found the deal of a century. Four silkie hens for $40.00. They are 6 months old and just starting to lay the smallest, cutest eggs you've ever seen. Silkies = chickens, like Yorkie's = dogs. Small, super cute, strong personality, packed full of punch and pizzazz. Yes, I got four of those sweeties! A white one, grey one (bonus - technically a Frizzle! Google that), a brown one, and a black one. They have been raised together and do everything together. OMGoodness, love them! It's as if they are somehow invisibly attached, roaming the yard in a tight knit group. And the best part is my existing Ladies welcomed them freely, so +4. Boom. I'm still trying to come up with names for these cuties. Right now, we call them The Little Girls. They all give me an egg most every day.
We have had another new grouping of animals join the farm. I surprised David a couple of weeks ago with a new Anatolian/Great Pyrenees livestock guard puppy. David has been asking and talking about getting a new guard dog puppy, who our existing guard dogs would train, for the farm. Our two Great Pyrenees, Levi and Whisper (brother and sister) are the best-est and most awesome guard dogs! Lately though, Whisper has begun to limp on her back left leg, and over the last 2 months it has worsened. We had taken Whisper to the Vet (which was a event in itself, since she's never left the farm) when she first started limping, and the Vet said she has arthritis, and not much will help her. But now, it's much worse, and so back to the Vet we go. We decided on a Surgery Work-Up including more extensive X-rays and evaluation, to see if any surgery might be available to help her live a better life. If it's a hip replacement, or whatever is needed, she's still young enough to live a full life without this pain she's having. What this means in the grand scheme of things is that she cannot guard like she used to. At least not in her current condition. And if this continues, we would need to train a replacement, and take her out of working the pasture. We have decided we need to bring Whisper into the inter sanctum (kind of like our front yard), as we call it, whereby she can relax and not have the compulsion to "work". She's not able to run like she used to, and she knows that. I'm not really sure how she's going to do with that scenario, but a change has to be in her best interest. To sum it up, a new Great Pyrenees/Anatolian puppy was now a necessity. I ended up bringing home a new LGD puppy, as a love gift to David: A boy puppy that David would name Davis, in memory of his recently deceased mother, as that's her maiden name. He's a handsome 8 week old puppy whose parents guard for sheep and goats, and they are big dogs. He will be the same. But that same night, David asked if there were more puppies available. Yes, I tell him. She still has 5 girls and 1 boy puppy left. David asked for 2 more puppies! WHAT? Is one puppy not enough? "Another boy", David says, "and then how about pick out one from the remaining girls". And so I did. After work the next day, I trek back to the same farm to pick up two more puppies. The two brothers and sister are now reunited at the Graves Farm. David's own puppy-dog eyes talked me into 3 puppies total. They are beautiful dogs, and will be large and in charge once trained by Levi. The process with take at least a year, but we will get there. This is all in an effort to relieve Whisper of some of her duties, and hopefully we can manage her pain. Her pain stops even her, from her natural instincts. So we will see where all this puppy business takes us. Right now? We are in puppy heaven, soaking up the joy of their love and loyalty. The other names for the boy and girl? Since they are his puppies, David ended up naming them all. The girl: Dixie. The second brother/boy: Duke. Our new puppies Davis, Dixie and Duke will be the next generation of LGD (Livestock Guard Dogs) that will guard our sheep, chickens and barn cats. And we thank them all every day.
We have one last addition to the group to introduce. Not yet born, but in Eve's belly, is a lamb. We now know for sure Eve is pregnant, and are pretty sure Belle is not. Belle has always been shy and sheltered. We have raised her as our own baby since she was one day old, feeding her a bottle around the clock. We are imprinted on one another. This is not to say she can't get pregnant, after all, Sam did his job with producing a lamb with Eve. But Belle is Belle. She's not your normal sheep. (This is what all mom's say, right? But my child is different. Special). Yep, that's Belle. If she's also pregnant, she's behind Eve timewise, so I guess time will really tell that tale. Now Eve is obviously with lamb. The thing is, I don't know when she's due. It takes 5 months for gestation with sheep/lambs. I guess we will find out with time. Eve is doing well, and lets us love her, and pet her more than ever. She's going to be a good mama. Thank you Sam, for giving us the opportunity to have baby lamb(s). I'm going to cry that day, for sure. A new lamb born in our barn will be a joyous occasion. Eve is the last/youngest of triplets, so can you imagine how hard I'm going to cry if she has more than one baby. I have chicken skin right now just thinking about it. Goose bumps bubble all over me at the thought of "the day". The day we have a lamb born here. I'm that 12 year old girl again.
God is good, and continues to bless us. We love and adore all our farm animals. They each have their own distinct personality and add a wonderful dimension to our little hobby farm. We have a lot of work to do in regards to training three new LGD puppies into adults that will do an amazing job. Granted, David nor I have done that before. We also have research and learning to do in regards to lambing. Shepherdess Cyndi has things to figure out. But then again, everything here from chickens to donkeys have been new at some point, and we do our best to keep everyone healthy, happy and safe.
I'll keep you posted,
Cyndi
I've already named the baby lamb Grace. Hope Eve has a girl! And just like everything in life, I probably have no idea of really what's to come.
Friday, October 5, 2018
10 Things I learned at Ironman Chattanooga
- These people are my people. Everyone around me craves adventure, challenges, and pushing ourselves to a place of fascination and discomfort, all at the same time. We are all thinking the same thing, feeling the same feelings, having the same recurring thoughts (did I train enough, do enough, etc), and vibrating on the same universe level. We are focused, nervous, excited, and have the need to be around each other, even if we remain quiet. We crave the incessant logistics, and actually welcome the uncertainty of the “big” day. What will happen on race day? It’s an intriguing and grueling option in life, that even I don’t always understand. But the other racers do, and we silently go about our preparations as one big spiraling, ball of chaotic energy trying to reach the finish line. The closer we get to that Finish Line, the tighter our bond gets.
- Unpredictability is the name of the game. No race is really like the last one. There’s different external conditions/locations, weather fluctuations, personal feelings, training preparations, and body condition. In the case this weekend, the flooding in Tennessee has been so extreme that the Tennessee River was no longer safe to swim in. The swim portion of the race was cancelled, and racers were disappointed. Considering we were told the E coli levels were dangerous in the water, and the current would sweep you away, it was best. This is after months of swim training that everyone did. The early mornings at the pool, the endless laps, and the anticipation of what the swim might be like, vanished. And, there’s also the unpredictability of things like flat tires on the bike portion, malfunctions (all-of-a-sudden) from your once-reliable bike. The hydration and nutrition plans that go awry in a flash. Esp on the run, when you need it the most. It’s almost as if you must prepare for the unexpected. A full day of swimming, biking and running has to be planned, practiced and mastered. It can be done, and we can all do it. It’s just a matter of “is that your passion”? Anytime I participate in an activity that generates a large amount of unpredictability, it makes it even more of a challenge. Esp a mental challenge. Our body is a machine, we can all train it to go the distance. But our mind? What's a whole other aspect of racing. If a situation becomes unpredictable, mental strength has to be greater than your physical strength. My mantra for those extreme unpredictable moments? "Be calm. Stay calm. Stay in the moment. You can't think if you panic. So stay calm, Cyndi." And my favorite? "It's going to be okay". I say it even when I know it's not going to be okay, and then.......stay calm.
- The famous question: Why? The most common question asked. But why do you do it? And why do it? Most people would rather give their big toe, or take a sharp object to their eye, than compete in a endurance race that saps vast amounts of time from life. I had many people I met during the race, tell me that's the most common question they get. Why? And then even the racers would ask each other, how do you answer that? It seems we all came to the same conclusion: Because. There is no definitive Why. It's like asking why does the sun shine? Why do the clouds look like marshmallows? Why is there starvation in the world? So many questions in life remain unanswered. This will likely remain one of them. Why did you participate in the Ironman, and want to do it again? There is no Why.
- Surprisingly so, food played a much larger role in this endeavor than I realized. I typically bounce along in life eating what sounds good, what hopefully is good for my body, and then eat sugary things because I just love it so much. What I learned about food this time around is, that if you give in to food your body is not used to at a critical time, it can upset the apple cart. It took one wrong food choice Day 1 of my arrival in Chattanooga to realize that I need to tow the line on food until after the race. I had been training on particular food sources, that when I stepped out of that box, my body said, "Not a good idea". I quickly realigned myself until after the race. I had fallen into that trap of eating comfort foods over and over, and adjusted my body so much, that when let my guard down, I paid a hefty price. As much as I'm a fan of non-attachment to food, I had been on autopilot so long with my training foods, (which always made me feel energetic and good), that it was a wake up call to see the effect it had on my body, when I choose otherwise. Noted.
- There's no place like home. Vacations are great, hotels are nice, eating out is new and different, but really, I like being home. So the hotel I stayed at was great, comfortable and convenient. I really have no complaints whatsoever, except that it's not home. You know how this goes, you find your new routines on vacation, new sights, new smells, new people. It's wonderful for a period of time, them home beckons. I came back home with a new outlook, which brings me to :
- I found I did this race for me. That's what I learned when I arrived back home. I could feel it as I was training, moving inward and being happy in the process of it all. It was a personal journey that fed my soul. The more I fed my soul, the less I felt the need for others to feed into it. I have found a level of satisfaction during this Ironman journey, unlike any other. I didn't feel the need to talk about it when I went back to work after the race. The internal satisfaction was beyond my own understanding. It was all about moving through the training and race - with me, myself and I. I also learned that a big part of the reason I felt this way was the natural and unconditional support I received from my family. They watched and supported me throughout the process without question or resistance. And I am most grateful for their undying love and devotion to allow me to be me. This time, the fan fair and celebration all bubbled deep inside my soul. Inside me, not outside.
- I found comfort in the discomfort. Who knew I would ever think that discomfort meant to keep going. One foot in front of the other. Don't stop. Keep moving. Don't stop. Keep moving. It was a natural mantra that played over and over. A record I could not turn off. I found the discomfort wonderfully calming, as that meant I was getting there. It's all a part of this process. It's the one thing that is expected, and it will happen. It's a guarantee. It's about taking a deep breathe and resetting yourself. When I looked around, there was discomfort everywhere, as everyone around me felt it, too. There are varying degrees, but we are all in this together. Regular people like me there at the race are all feeling this same way. It's not all sunshine and unicorns. But the Finish Line will allow all the discomfort to fade away, and bring about the exhilaration and smile that remains.
- It's not about having a snazzy bike. I love my bike! I've spent many hours alone on it, covering many miles. Her name is Lil Blue, and she's a Quintana Roo who is a tri bike I happen to adore. She's not snazzy, she's just-right. A fancy-pants bike is not necessary. I've passed many a biker who might look like a pro, but looks can't get me to the finish line. High dollar equipment can shave minutes off your time, but I've found a good training plan, dedication, consistency, maybe a training coach and most importantly - a good bike fit will be key to success. When you and your bike fit like a glove, you move well on it. Biking becomes easier, less injuries occur, and enjoyment of the sport improves. A reliable tri bike shop can fit you to your bike. It makes a world of difference.
- What you build from training will last for months. Now I love this one. It's a great feeling to think you can bust out a century bike ride, go run a marathon or decide to swim around the Island of Key West -because you can.That's the wonderful part of pushing yourself to your personal edge. The payoff is not just finishing the race, but being able to walk out your front door and go. Go far.
- Anything is possible. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things. It doesn't have to be about swimming, biking or running. Climbing mountains, crossing the desert or getting to the moon. I mean day to day things in life. We can do whatever it is we desire, and we have the freedom to do so. It still amazes me that it's so easy for me to be able to do the things I'd like to do. Living in a free land, that allows a endless amount of options for people to chose from is priceless. God is ever present, and comes along for the ride every time. Right there with me. The peace and serenity that brings, along with the faith and trust in every step I take, no matter where I am, is what sees me through it all. I love this feeling of "I can do anything!".
This particular journey was different than all the rest. Mindfulness and enjoyment were my best friends. During the long bike and runs, calm set in. I smiled more than I ever had in my previous trainings for Ironman races. It flowed well. My sweet husband, David and supportive daughter, Lolo supported me every step of the way. I'll carry the journey of this race in my pocket forever.
I'm back home with my tribe. I'm blending back into normal life and it feels so good. The people I met during these last 6 months have been fascinating. I think about them, and what they do every day. People living their lives, the way they want. Pushing me to keep going, and be the best in my endeavors. I can take a step back now and reflect. My soul is settled, my heart is happy and onto other things out there waiting for me. The window of life is open wide, and I'm busy looking out that window deciding where and what I'll do next. For now, home. It's about going to work and coming home. The farm animals need me, my love and my touch. I want that as much as they do. Probably more.
Proud to have Ironman #6 under my belt, with more lessons learned that ever imagined.
Cyndi
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