Have you herd

Who knew that goat and sheep herding for Tula was in the cards. 

Marie and Tula working it out

Turns out, it's not. I mean, it could be. But it's not going to be after all. 

We tried 😎

Here's the dealio. Here on the farm, we've taught Tula not to chase the sheep and goats, or the chickens or ducks. We've intentionally pushed against her natural herding instinct for her whole 4 years of life. Now, we're trying to convince her it's okay to chase the goats, and move them to a different location. Tula looks up at me like, Have you lost your mind? Yeah, I know, for 4 years I've told you not to do this, and now I'm telling you to do this. She's so confused. We stopped. We called it it, and called it a day with herding. But OMGoodness did I learn ALOT. These people know herding, they know dogs and they know so many things I don't know. In our 3 sessions, they taught me 1) those people are not my people, but I really like them, 2) details regarding the ins and outs of training a dog to herd and that it takes forever, and 3) that Tula can be a pet and farm dog without having an exact job. That sounds odd to even say that, but in my mind, I was pretty sure that Tula needed a job to fill a void in her smart mind. It's always interesting when someone else puts words together that seemingly gives you permission to let go of an idea. That's exactly what Marie (sheep/goat herding coach and judge) did. Maybe Marie knew she was doing that - or maybe she didn't. Either way, my mindshift is that Tula is our companion and is allowed to enjoy life without a job, and that's okay. I was probably overly focused on finding her a job, and now I know she's fine without one. Somehow I thought Tula, as an Aussie, would be happier with a job. But it's just not necessarily so, according to Marie, anyway. They taught me that it's really more about obedience training for Tula, and with further training, she can be obedient and still do some of things around the farm that's beneficial for everyone. Perfect. 

Our pack

And, Tula can then look up at me with her bright eyes, and I can give commands that helps her use her brilliant mind and body. Together, we can stimulate that smart little brain of hers - just in a different way. She's by far the smartest dog we've had in the family. We'll just tap into that in a little different way. Thanks Marie at Alamar Farm for teaching me what sheep and goat herding is all about. I've always wondered about that. I mean, David and I have always herded the sheep around here ourselves, and I can tell you, it's not an easy task. Now we know. 

What's the dealio in the kitchen

I'm here to tell you that the kitchen has a ways to go. 

The cabinets are in 🤩

You know how this goes. It sounds like such a great idea, and then all of a sudden, it gets real, real fast. The demo of the kitchen started around May 24th, if I recall correctly. We had taken everything out of the kitchen and placed it in the dining room and living room. There was an abundance of stuff in our kitchen, I mean, who knew. We are leaving Week 4 now (feels like more, trust me) and feeling like we live in a house without a kitchen on some kind of permanent basis. We are estimating that it'll be 4 more weeks. It's hard to say, but this last week was a delay as the contractor had to special order the flooring. We can't move forward without the floor fixed first. There's an order to all this business. 

Floor corrections and painters are next up

Turns out finding the same flooring to fix the wood floor was not as easy as it sounds. We had a commercial type of flooring placed 5 years ago at our initial renovation of the home, and it's not like you can just go up to Home Depot and grab it. Same with the stain. It's okay though. In the long run, what's a couple of months without a kitchen. So what if I forget how to cook. That's not necessarily a bad thing, right? 

Whatever happened to the ducklings? 

Speaking of learning alot. As the mallard ducklings approached 3 weeks old, David and I started researching how best to release them. At first, we thought we'd release them to our own pond. Turns out, after talking to Texas Parks and Wildlife extension, we were told releasing wild mallards to our own pond where there's existing (boy) drakes, not to mention turtles the size of Montana in the pond, we were advised to take them to a rescue in Hutchins. We were referred to Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation in Hutchins who then told us they are 3 weeks out from taking more ducklings because they are so full. They, too, told me not to release them to our pond, and to call the Game Warden of Grayson County. Turns out we need a permit to be raising and keeping wild ducks. Remember the Migratory Bird Treaty Act? You know the one that protects migratory birds of certain species (of which mallards are included). Turns out we need a permit to be incubating and keeping wild mallards. We are also supposed to "mark" the ducklings appropriately (there rules for this) and then keep them safe for the rest of their life. That, or release them ASAP so they stand a chance of surviving in the wild. The Game Warden told me to take them to Hagerman Wildlife Refuge and release them. He said the sooner the better, as they stand a better chance of survival. Otherwise, they will not learn how to survive if we raise and feed them. 

If you're ever close by, this is a magical place

I could not take the ducklings myself that particular day, and actually I don't remember where I was that particular evening either, but David collected the ducklings and drove them to Hagerman Wildlife Refuge to set them free. 

Even though David found it difficult (in the tall grass) to watch them pitter-pattering away, these ducklings scooted away like a boss. It was as if they knew exactly where they were going, even though they've never been there. Kind of like the first time you take your kid to a candy store. They just instinctually know what to do. 

Turns out, there are TONS of birds and fowl at Hagerman. It's a refuge for millions of migratory birds and ducks. The Game Warden had said, Just go drop them off. Like I do that all the time - or that people can do that all the time. I had no idea that I could drive in and drop off wild things. But what I think what he was saying is, "Please let those wild ducklings go now, thank you". And then promptly sent me a flyer/handout for 'what to do when wild ducks attempt to lay eggs in people's yards or swim in people's pools'. I'm thinking part of his job is to teach people like me what not to do. He's basically saying 1) contact them if there are eggs abandoned from wild (protected) ducks, and 2) follow the guidelines for what they suggest to keep those said ducks from hanging around suburbia homes. Consider myself educated. Check. The learning never stops around here. 

You so fly

This time, it's not Suga Suga you so fly. This time, it's that there's so much rain, water, no wind and lots of farm animal poop around that the flies are having a hay day. This is universal, and I know it's not just here. But it does seem like all the flies ARE here. 

With that said, since I can halter the mini horses, I am able to spray them for flies, brush and groom them and basically take the kind of care they need each year when it's heavy fly season. Now the donkeys, they are a whole other story. I struggle every year. And we always make it through. 

Mama & Papa 

These donkey donks are not only rescue donkeys and were living here on the property when we arrived in Gunter, but they are in fact (as people say) simply donkeys being donkeys. That means they do what they want, when they want and how they want. It's just what donkeys do. 

Sweet Mama

Sweet Mama donkey is all about the love, the brushing and the treats. I can groom her forever. She's all about that, and will stand still on her own. No halter, no restraints.....just brushing please. But as soon as she smells any insecticide/pesticide whether it's in a spray, pour-on or ointment.....she's out. No thanks. 

 

I’ll be over here, thank you

Proud Papa donkey is all about independence. He'll allow pets if he feels like it. He loves Mama donkey more than anybody or anything in this world, except for treats. Treats are his thing, besides Mama, of course. They lovingly lay their heads on each other, and get highly upset and agitated if they are apart for any reason at all. 

David and I's fly defense this year for them were some newly purchased lower leg mesh covers. They work great. If you can get them on the donkey. David and I went full-court press on them and pinned them tight (up in the barn) so we (I) could reach in and place these much-needed covers on each leg. David held them together (penned) while I carefully placed these covers on the lower region of each of their legs, all while chanting to God out loud, the whole time. Something like, Please God, Please God. 

Success, and now the flies can't get to the coveted area of lower leg flesh which the flies love to eat. Yes, Papa did take off 3 out of 4 of his leg covers over the next week, but I figured having one leg protected was better than none. Mama being the sweet thing she is, left her leg covers on, and continued to allow me to put ointment and spray on her (reluctantly mind you) to keep the flies at bay. 

I was "that" mom recently and called the vet to ask what more I could do to help with this fly situation (they create sores on horses, cattle, donkeys, etc) and Dr Shelton gave me several nice alternatives, and said they are about 15 years old (give or take) and that they'll live until about 30-35 year old. He said that many people do nothing, and wait out fly season. Donkeys are tough, he says. What he doesn't know is that it's very hard for my tender heart to watch flies devour my donkeys, for a couple of months every year. 

Fast forward to a conversation with David about the donkeys having 20 more years of life. How can we take care of these beautiful creatures as we age. People do it all the time. Then, the idea of giving them a new home, just as we had done with the sheep became a lightbulb moment above our heads. David and I's cancer diagnosis has us right-sizing our lives. We are trying hard to take care of our business ahead of time, so that no one else will need to do that for us. It's not like we are stepping off the curb tomorrow. But one never really knows, and reality has SNUC up on us and David and I both understand that we have cancers that are 1) not curable (me) and 2) highly likely to reoccur (David). We are eliminating many things in our life, and find that we still have tons of things left. It's a process. We feel like the responsible and right thing to do is take our life down to a more manageable size. 

David and I made the difficult decision to find the donkeys a new home. Yes, I cried. For days I mulled this over, just as we had done with the sheep. As we searched for answers, we fell upon 4-5 families that were fighting over Mama and Papa donkey. These people are what I like to call Donkey People. I had no idea about this, but quickly found out people are looking for full size donkeys. They want them with cattle, for pets, and for training of new horses to show them whose boss and calm them down. Donkey's purpose in life was so much broader than I ever knew. And people know precisely what they want their donkeys to do for them. They are great protectors from predators, we know that for sure. But so many other things as well.

We ended up picking Tanya, a cattle and horse lady in Aubrey. She was looking for a couple of donkeys (for a couple of reasons, actually) and has been a Donkey Lady her whole life. She knows how to get them to move, care for them and knows a donkey's personality like they were her own children. She can drive a 20 foot gooseneck trailer like a boss. She's a badass ranch lady who was raised as such. 

It all went down around 9 pm on a weeknight recently. The air was still, the weather called for 100% chance of mosquitos - and the barn was lit up like a shining star in the sky. They were coming for the donkeys on this late night. Tanya (and her mom, also a cattle lady) pulled her 20 ft gooseneck trailer into the pasture like she was driving a small riding mower. Easy peasy. She backed it up to the barn and hopped out. She asked if David and I wanted to do this - or her. We picked us. 

We had meticulously rearranged the barn (earlier that day) for this very moment. We had moved the horses out to the back pasture and welcomed the donkeys up to the barn area. Mama and Papa were very inquisitive about all this hub bub. When the time came, David and I corralled them into the barn, and hustled them towards to other side of the barn where an open trailer door was awaiting them. The donkeys came to a screeching halt, like there has hot lava ahead inside that trailer and they knew it. Mostly because it was a step-up into the trailer. No, thank you, they said. We don't do step-ups. 

David and I tried and tried to cox them into the trailer several times and using what we thought, were different ways. Mama and Papa were in complete disagreement with all this. Yep, it was going to take Tanya to make this magic happen. And sure enough, she got her cattle prod out and boom, the donkeys were in the trailer. In my self awareness of the moment, I could feel her watching (us) the city slickers trying to get their spoiled donkeys into her trailer. She was patient with us. Tanya has a soft heart. We've learned alot about her in a short period of time, and could not have picked a better place for our special donkeys. God sent her to us, I know no other way to explain it. The other people lurking in the background on my phone asking for Mama and Papa faded away quickly. In our one evening adventure with Tanya, I learned more about donkeys, as well as driving a huge truck with a 20 ft trailer with a cattle prod on hand at all times. She's a cattle kind of women. The donkeys will help her with protection for her cattle - as well as pasture pets for the family. They have a pig that I swear lives inside their house. She talks about Toots like I talk about Brooks. I have complete confidence the tradition of spoiling these sweet but fierce donkeys will carry on. Thanks, Tanya for showing me what a strong women with a soft heart looks like. 

It wasn't the next day, but day after that, that my heart hurt the most. I found myself looking around for the donkeys and saving my banana peels for them. This is going to take awhile. In my mind, I will carry the donkeys with me in the same sweet spot in my heart as I hold the sheep. And the goats. And. And. And. These animals will never leave me. I will forever carry them in my heart and soul.

Watching myself from outside myself

Something I've noticed lately is how my self awareness is growing, the more I practice it. I can actually see myself having conversations with people, like I'm watching from above and seeing it from an angle I've not seen before. I find myself thinking about what I'm saying - or what I'm going to say. I find that I'm super curious and just wanting to absorb information, esp from others where I find the topic interesting or new. I've definitely become more aware of the energy in a room, and take note of it more readily. I watch people more intently as they move or talk. It's like I can see myself in my own life, happening right before my very eyes. 

It's this self awareness and realization of what's going on around me that is moving me towards the continuation of the right-sizing of the farm. I don't feel in control of it happening. It's more like I'm watching it happen before my very eyes. I don't necessarily have reasons for everything I'm doing in regards to it. It's just happening. I trust that my intuition is guiding my decisions, because these decisions and actions are unfolding almost on their own, and with such ease. Somehow, that makes it feel intentional and true. I don't feel a need to find excuses or reasons for everything I do. I find myself doing things that feel like they need to be done. And with that said, I'm filled with a sense of knowing that I'll find out in the future why I'm doing what I'm doing now. Time will answer everything that I need to know. 

It's like a new realm I've somehow stepped into. A new level in the universe that has engulfed me. As if I'm going somewhere, and will find out when I get there. And somehow I'm okay with that. And even more oddly enough, I don't question it. I just notice it. 

This frame of mind I'm in now is allowing me to make changes that seemingly are meant to be. Whether it's on the farm, at work, or simply in my thoughts - I'm incredibly settled and at peace about the decisions and activities around me, even those that are volatile and unsure. Life hasn't always felt like this. Maybe the best way to express it is that I feel more connected as a whole in the world, rather than separate. Like I'm part of the sunrise and it feels good. Maybe Eckhart Tolle (love his book, A New Earth) has taken up residence in my brain and helping me awaken to a more conscious life. 

Oddly, this all relates to the donkeys. That not everything is meant for me. And the records that play in my head may not be the reality around me. I just need to trust my intuition and I've been listening to it more and more lately. I wished I'd had a class in high school titled that: Trust yourself and listen to your intuition. I wonder if I'd have taken that class - or had the capacity to take that message in. I might have found my voice sooner, played small less and turned inward more for decisions. I rode all the others trains before I found this new one called self awareness. Whew, glad I'm on this train better late than never. 

Little Brookie

Someone turned 8 months old!

Happy boy 🥰

It's so fun watching him grow and learn, and grow some more. 

He shines his light bright

He's in that sweet spot. He babbles and coos right now, and is unable to say the word No. He can't get too far away, as he's crawling and reaching for things within reason. He's all smiles and goes wherever you take him. Yep, that sweet spot. 

If we could freeze time just for a while to really enjoy this. If only. But what's around the corner is what makes life exciting. For now, it's the calm before the not calm ( I don't want to use the word storm, and scare Lauren). I am soaking in the beauty of it all. Brooks babbles and noises always brighten my day. Always. 

What the road said

I recently bought a new children's book, What The Road Said for a couple of gifts. 

The book is thoughtfully and cleverly written by Cleo Wade and has become one of my fast favorites. She is a writer and poet, and this is her first children's book. Yes, it spoke to me as an adult. Her book reminds me that it's okay to be afraid or to sometimes wander down the wrong path. 

We love us some road time

The author encourages us to lead with kindness and curiosity, remembering that the most important thing we can do in life is keep going. One of my favorite lines in the book:

I said to the Road, Where do you lead?

The Road said, Be a leader and find out. 

As Cleo says, from my heart to yours, we take it one day at a time, 

Cyndi

Wait! I forgot to give a turtle trap update: 15 turtles were moved far away from us. We took them on a road trip to a special creek far away from our pond. And our fish in the pond thank us. 

And......more on Cluckingham next time 😊