Conundrums

I've decided this word describes everything farm-related: Conundrum. You've heard me speak of the "I wonder what I'm going to come home to today" syndrome. Sheep escapes, random gates open, chicken tragedy's or maybe a horse injury.....all while I'm simply away at work for the day. It's more common thats something is amiss rather than calm upon any return back home and seemingly a roll of the dice. I used to think it was just me experiencing this, but turns out, its some kind of continual farm phenomenon that no one tells you about. So, Sunshines, let's start with a few recent examples.

Bees Please

I used to have a sign in my garden that said "Bees Please" because having bees in your garden provides an environment of cross-pollination all while the bees get the nutrients they need and your garden may flourish with more plants and flowers. It's a bee-ewe-tiful thing to watch the bees work in the garden and do their busy work bees do.

Can you see the bees?

Yet, my conundrum is that these same bees have recently decided that they enjoy the chicken feed. There's bees and I mean a lot of bees all in and around the chicken food. When I asked my best friend, Google, she said that bees are not actually eating the chicken food but instead are collecting the pollen, minerals, dust and yeast. Chicken feed dust is high in protein and serves as a winter substitute to winter pollen. Who knew. Why is it 6 years later this is just happening? I have an idea. 

I started noticing these bees about 3-4 weeks ago. They just showed up coincidentally after our pasture neighbors (they don't live there, just their cows do) said they had placed some new bees on their property for honey. Then, they told us the bees went missing. I'm thinking the bees now live near us somewhere and enjoy hanging out at our place. I've not yet been stung by them, but I am careful not to irritate them, as they way outnumber me. That's all good and fine, but just like humans, chickens can be stung by bees and actually die. 

So the problem is the chickens won't go near their chicken food while the bees are there. Which means the chickens will only eat in the early mornings and late evening when the bees go home. What to do. And where is their home?

After further research I've learned that 1) it's illegal to intentionally kill bees, 2) these bees are called foraging bees, 3) I'm supposed to contact the beekeeper and let them know their bees are eating for our chicken food, and 4) changing the chicken feed won't discourage the bees. The bees are hungry. 

In summary on this conundrum, I've read some suggestions to offer sugar water, honey or sliced fruit to the bees to distract them from the chicken food. I'll give that a go and let you know how it shakes out. I thought the article I was reading was funny when it said, "It's not polite to feed the neighbors bees, after all, if your free ranging chickens went to the neighbors, would you want them to feed your chickens?" Huh? I'm missing something here. Like I can call up their beekeeper (the bees have not even told me who that is for sure, I'm just guessing) and ask them to come get their bees. This is quite the conundrum. 

Hope me out here

An ongoing conundrum I'm faced with is a skin issue with Hope.

I see some hair growing back in there 🤔

It all started with a single owie. Then it went to several, and then a patch of owies. I thought it was an infected fly strike situation and placed antibiotic ointment on it for awhile. Nope. Fast forward to the farrier coming to do the girls nails, and she suggested it might be ring worm. Okay, no problem. I can fix that. So for a few weeks, I put clotrimazole (antifungal) cream on the area and it only somewhat improved. 

Now, the hair has fallen out in a circular area and I'm at a loss about what to do. I called the Vet and scheduled a farm visit. Dr Bing comes out and looks at it crossways and acts like he's never seen this before and is unsure what it is himself. "Keep putting the salve on it and come by the office for a pill you can give her that should take care of this". The salve? Who says that anymore. 

But I did. I kept putting the clotrimazole salve on it and stopped by the Vet office to pick up 2 horse pills. Now I know what a horse pill really looks like. It's like pills we take, but truly gigantic. Like for a horse. The conundrum of the conundrum was getting Hope to 1) take the pill, or 2) trick her into take the medication inside it inside a treat. Let's just say that David and I tried our best and a partial dose got inside Hope. 

Turns out, the skin condition improved somewhat, but here I am today with a mild version still going on with Hope. Next up? I'll call the Vet back out and ask them to come do a culture and see what it really is so that we can treat it properly. The farrier did give me another option she uses "for these kinds of things' of mixing timothy pellets, a cooper supplement and use only filtered water to help decrease her iron levels. And supposably this, in turn, will help with her coat and skin issues. And just like the bee situation, this saga continues.

Then there's this

In the last blog post, I spoke of the barn cats and that they live in either the garage, laundry room and the barn. Each kitty cat decides who they are friends with, where they prefer to stay, and sometimes fight for alpha position (I'm talking to you, Smokey and July). Nonetheless, I did not show you where in the garage or barn that the cats sleep or rest. So let's take a look:

Kitty BnB Suites on top shelf in garage

This set of two plastic containers turned upside down with a hole cut out serves as a safe and warm place for cats in the garage to sleep. These reside on the tippity top shelf for optimal privacy. In the cozy cat container on the right, you'll notice an electrical cord hanging out of it. That's because I have a warming pad (actually made for chicken coops) and it allows the cats to have a tad of warmth underneath them during the cold winter months with a little blanket on top of it. What's the conundrum, you ask? It's that a couple of the chickens make their way to the garage and lay eggs in there. Every day. It's warm and cozy and just right for egg laying. 

Collecting eggs around here is just like it being Easter every damn day and the egg hunt ensues. Did I mention every day? Can't the chickens lay in their nesting boxes please?

Just some of the nesting egg box options

The barn is full of egg laying place opportunities. But no, the chickens seek out fun, new and different places all the time to keep us guessing - and looking.

Speaking of barn, in the Tack Room in the barn is another cozy cat corner up on a shelf for Blackie (stray turned resident).

Penthouse Suite for 1

Let's take a look around this picture. There's his cozy container also with a warmer and blanket in it. Then, his own cat food bowl and water up there. AND a litter box. Yep, you heard that right. There's an actual litter box on "his" shelf in the barn. Why is that? Because when it's cold and there are new guard pups around to scare you, you tend to stay on your shelf (if your Blackie) and need a place to potty. 

It's crazy, I know. But it's also a conundrum because if I don't provide the litter box, he ends up going potty in his cozy warm bed. 

But wait, there's more......

Chicken a-laying while kitty a-waiting

Here's the next conundrum. The chickens kick him out of his cozy container several times a day so a few of the chickens can take turns laying eggs in there, too. 

Then, once the chickens have all laid their eggs, Blackie can then go back in his cozy container and proceeds to lay on the eggs and keeps them warm. He does not crack them nor eat them. He simply lays on them. And I have to remember to climb up the step ladder to gather these eggs each day. Luckily, Blackie willingly allows me to reach in underneath him to gather the eggs. 

The cozy, warm containers placed for the cats double as a chicken nesting area as well for egg laying. And to add to that, if I leave the laundry room door open (on nice days to let the sunshine in) the chickens will come in there and lay an egg on the cat beds scattered around in there, too.

Yep, they lay eggs in the laundry room
when they can sneak in there.

So apparently the chickens and cats are the boss of me. 

Piggie problems

Pigs are smart. Very smart. They know how to get to the food, and are strong and have no problem knocking everything over to get food. Now that Prissy and Maggie are free ranging with the chickens, I have a conundrum of keeping them out of the chicken food. 

David helped solve this dilemma by placing cattle panels and fencing around the chicken feeders.

Fenced chicken feed area that the chickens
can get to and through

This is not only to keep the pigs out, but also for Dutch and Penny who enjoy a little chicken food and any random eggs laid on the ground in those areas.

Messy, but it works.
The chickens are just the right size to 
get through these squares to the food.

Recently, Prissy has become highly food aggressive. Even to the point of randomly chasing the guard pups around and biting at their back legs. I'm not sure why she started doing this, but Penny and Dutch were very confused about Prissy's behavior. I considered finding Prissy a new home (because Maggie is easy going and not aggressive at all) and thought it would be best for everyone. I even went to the length of posting Prissy on CraigsList - for a day. And then took the post down. I then decided to create a new holding and sleeping place for Prissy and Maggie instead. 

This space works to keep Prissy
(and Maggie) in check.

And since those two piggies fight for the best sleeping spot at night, I included 2 sleeping quarters for them to pick from. 

The conundrum of feeding pigs and chickens is mostly resolved with the piggies having a new area of their own, with the option to free range in the mornings/afternoons (to graze). 

As you can see, this conundrum is multilayered. Pigs eat chicken food. Pups will eat random chicken eggs. Prissy can be food aggressive. Pups like chicken food. And around and around we go. I'm just a girl trying to not spend her entire fortune on chicken food. Luckily, the demand for eggs (up front at the road side stand) is still at a higher demand than my girlz can meet. With the warmer weather, I'm getting more eggs now. That helps. Income from their eggs goes straight to their feed. And treats. Lots of treats for the chickens to try and bribe them to lay more eggs. Spring will bring more sunshine and warmth, which in turn brings more eggs to the yard. Oh, and I imagine some chicks are in my future as I saw some at the feed store I need. My pick this Spring? More Ameraucana's please, as I love their blue/green eggs.

Penny and the 7 ducks

It sounds like a storybook title, but my conundrum here is that Penny is a duck chaser. And since they are up at the pond, it's hard to continually correct Penny each time she does this. I'm happy to report that Penny and Dutch are leaving the chickens alone. This is wonderful news! Yet, Penny thinks chasing the ducks is a fun game. I don't think she wants to eat one, but chasing them is too hard to resist.

Our hodgepodge crew of 7 ducks on the pond

Guilty girl, I saw you.

It's little things like this that linger and can fester into not-so-good situations. Like all my other conundrums, this is a work in progress.

Eye sore

I've given up and decided that I'm going to be "that person" with random fencing everywhere. Don't get me wrong. I've been that person for awhile, it's just that I've grown to accept it now.

It's just works.

This eye sore is a necessity if I want to keep peace around here. Starting from left to right, let's review why.

Again, the chicken food has to 
be protected from non-chickens.

I've already ranted about the need to protect the chicken's food. This cattle corral with cattle fencing is perfect to allow chickens through the holes all while keeping piggies, pups, sheep and horses out of it. And eye sore? Yes. Functional? Absolutely. Except for the bees. We already talked about that.

Paul's bachelor pad 💟

Paul is still penned due to the uncertainty in his mating choices. He's banned from getting to the girlz, and instead, lives in his own bachelor pad complete with 2 mirrors, horsesaw roost, crate with straw for when it gets cold - and food and water all his own. I think it's kind of nice. Paul seems to think so too.

Little girlz area

Did you see the new silkie/frizzle chicken coop I got? David painted it to match everything else and it turned out great. I've penned my bantum chicken population (off and on) since I've lived here because they cannot fly and get away from things like new guard pups that find them attractive. 

Super excited about their new coop

Plenty of roosts for the 7 little girlz

3 nesting boxes and a camera to
keep an eye on them

In an effort to not "tempt" Penny and Dutch with small chickens who can't run fast or fly much, I've chosen to pen them and keep everyone safe. The silkie and frizzle population are doing well and love their new little coop. I even put a barn cam in the coop so I can keep an eye on them, should I so desire. 

You saw this pic above already

And you saw the new piggie area just a little earlier, and together, all this fencing is functional and needed, but an eye sore to some. What I've discovered is: this is me. This is what I want and how I want to live. I want the animals to be safe, and I want it to not be difficult to feed everyone all at the same time. I'm forever moving this portable fencing. It's one of the best purchases I've made, so that I can accommodate various animals in various capacities when needed. Sometimes, you just gotta make life easier. 

Here lamby lamby

Sometimes the conundrums around here are fun - and cute - all at the same time. 

One day, I noticed my sheep were mingling with the sheep in the pasture next door, which they do often. After all, they are all friends. 

They mingle, then the neighbor sheep 
head back home for the night.

But then later that day, something happened. Do you ever hear a baby lamb crying outside the house? Well, I did and looked out the window to find this nugget left behind from the flock of sheep in the neighboring pasture. 

Sweet little boy lamb

It was so cold and windy that day, and the baby lamb was crying and crying for its mama. I ran out the door and jumped the fence to pick it up. I then climbed back over the fence with it in my arms, and took it in the house to warm it up. It was a baby boy lamb with its umbilical cord still attached although dried (not yet fallen off). 

Sugar was intrigued. The lamb made himself
at home.

I knew this little one needed to get back to it's mama pretty quick. That, or stay with me forever and bottle feed him. No, no, no, it's not my lamb. I have to take him back home. So I load up the sweet baby lamb in the back seat of the truck and drove him over where the sheep's owners live (down the way and around the corner). I returned the little guy back home, so that he can go be with his mama, who I'm sure was missing him. These are the conundrums that are my favorite. 

Changing gears 

For our 31st anniversary and Valentine's Day, and also (approx) 1 year after David's cancer treatment, David found something that he wanted. And it's not a farm animal.

Sometimes you just gotta buy it

Long ago, David and I had a white Saturn Sky. We loved it, but it was not useful at the time as we had small children and a family. Fast forward to now, and David was ready for that Saturn Sky again. After much research, he found the exact one he wanted. In Pennsylvania of all places. 

After negotiating, he made the car purchase, flew out to Pennsylvania and drove that sweet little shiny red convertible all the way back to Texas. It was an adventure of his own. I was so happy for him!

And only a day after he has it back home, he's adding stripes to it:

Before

After

And he's adding a backup camera, bluetooth and other things that make him happy. Which makes me happy. 

David and I both have gone from cancer diagnosis, treatments, facing our own mortality, performing death cleaning and ridding the house of many unneeded items in case we step off the curb sooner than later. And then it hit us. Let's have the things we love. 

David is getting some things he loves (a red, shiny Saturn Sky) and I'm happy with my farm animals. David loves to fish, golf and many other things. I love to farm, run, bike and be outside. We both cherish family and friends. Most importantly, we turned a corner in life. When it was hard to remember that all the stars in the sky are out there all the time and we were blinded by the sun and could not see clearly, we have learned the stars are still shining brightly. It's been a journey and will continue to be. David and I have changed our trajectory to enjoy all the shiny things - and all the conundrums that arise.  We embrace it all. We constantly move fencing and we take cross country trips - and we are loving life. 

Thanks for always being here with us through it all,

Cyndi

As promised:

Mag Pie

The End

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Twas the night before blog time and all through the house, all the creatures for stirring although there was no mouse. The piggy dresses were hung in the tack room with care, hoping someone soon would be able to wear. The animals were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of the blog danced in their heads. A positive piggy update, along with Covid woes too, oh and don’t forget the new shiny something-something would soon arrive too. But for now, I’d just like to say, Happy Valentine’s Day to all, and to all a good day! 

Tails of the Graves Farm

It's been awhile since The Graves Census Bureau has determined a recent population on Little Elm Creek Rd. In Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution, it mandates a census to be taken every 10 years, and is conducted in years ending in zero. In Australia, the census is taken every 5 years. Here on the Graves Farm, a census is typically taken whenever I want to tally out what I have going on around here. Just to get my mind right. 

Feathered Friends

Our barn is not as full as I'd thought it would be with close to 80 chickens now in Cluckingham. With this many chickens, I've lost the ability to remember everyones names, and somehow the girlz don't seem to mind this less personal situation. Most all of my girlz have names, but many of the newer ones were not given names yet. With time. We have older hens and young pullets (to be hens) who are both in the Not-Laying category. Then we have the Tweeners who are between the pullets and old girlz who do fall into the Laying category. Seemingly, we have one of two situations going on: 1) We have more non-laying then laying hens, or 2) many of our laying hens aren't laying due to the cold, molting, not feeling their best, or just not feeling like laying eggs right now. Either way, for the number of chickens I have vs the amount of eggs I'm getting is a stark contrast. Before winter, I was getting 3 dozen eggs a day at times, and since winter and molting season hit, I'm down to getting 1-ish dozen a day. This would not be an issue for me egg-cept my egg customers still desire to buy more eggs than I have (at this time). You know the Egg Fridge is up at the front of the property now and I have more people who like the idea of just pulling over and grabbing eggs out of the fridge. Correct me if I'm right, but it sounds like I need more chickens. I don't see how that could even be wrong, as supply and demand is a real thing. After all, this is a real business now. People want their fresh eggs. I'm just a girl, selling eggs, who needs more chickens. Did I mention the barn does not even seem very full of chickens? 

I love how this compilation shows the baby crane in it too. 

One does not simply stop buying chickens. You gotta wake up early to understand my logic, I know. For now, I'll try to wait until spring arrives and decide how many if I need more chickens. Well, I always need more chickens, but if I will get more. That's what I meant to say. After all, what chickens cannot cure, there is no cure for. 

This chicken feeder help us control waste of feed.

Let's go with chicken population 77 for the moment.

Paul Sweet Paul

Poor Paul. He was once free ranging, but for the meantime, he's in restriction from the girlz. You see, he came into heat and since there was no girl turkey around, he decided the chickens were looking pretty good. This is perfect scenario for bad things to happen. Kind of like when you're watching Ozark, and Marty is once again putting someone in his crematorium at his funeral home. That's what happens when a turkey mates with a chicken. Unless the chicken can get away, it won't survive. 

He does very well with the cold.

Paul is living his bachelor turkey life with a north wind break fence, a crate with straw, his usual sawhorse that he loves to roost on, and not 1, but 2 mirrors so he can oogle over himself as often as he pleases. He's obsessed with mirrors and throughly enjoys looking at how good he looks on any given hour of the day. 

I literally beg him to go in here.

What's interesting about Paul the Turkey is that he thinks it's okay to roost out in the open on his sawhorse when it's super cold/windy. I know he loves that sawhorse, but come on. It's cold out. We have had a talk with him, and he's now willing to go into the crate and get out of the wind and cold, but only when it's super cold out. We agreed on that compromise. 

1 total here (just to help me keep track and add it all up at the end)

Red capes

I know it's been said that we all wear red capes, but the guard dogs are the real deal around here. They in fact wear their invisible red capes every night. Levi and Whisper are the reason why everyone is alive and they take their jobs very seriously. 

Levi, oversee-er of all things farm animal

Whisper, watchful and waiting quietly

We could not have the farm animals we have without them. They patrol the parameter each and every night without fail while all the farm animals sleep peacefully. As an update on Whisper: it took a little over a week for her to bounce back. Her bites have all healed and we were blessed that they did not get infected. She has a couple of missing nuggets out of the tips of one ear, but overall she's healing well. Whisper did lay on her bed in the barn for close to a week, as I imagine her body was sore all over. You may remember she had the TPLO surgery with a plate and screws in her back left leg, so that was tender for a while as well. She's getting back up more and more, as it just took some time for her to heal not only physically, but emotionally as well, as it seemed she was feeling a bit down. Her little spark is coming back and I'm so happy to see her okay again, and getting back in the swing of things.

The guard pups, on the other hand, are still just pups at heart. 

Penny and Dutch's love language is ear biting

Mostly Penny biting Dutch's ears

Penny is showing wonderful progress in the guarding department and is bonding well with Levi and Whisper. She watches them closely, and wants so desperately to be accepted by them. The bonding process is happening, but it takes time. Dutch, on the other hand, well, let's just say that he's not quite as assertive as Penny. He's more on the level of Winston (our most senior doggo).

Dutch and Winston enjoy the more calm things in life

Dutch and Winston get along famously and Dutch is in fact is an old soul. Dutch likes Winston's slow moving speed, his gentle nature and calming presence. 

Dutchy Boy

Penny always helps me check for eggs

Still checking for eggs 

Winston, along with the sheep, have been in the front pasture lately so that the sheep can eat the fresh forbes and grass there. It saves us hay by doing so, and they might as well eat what the ground has to offer. There's shelter up front for them as well, so everyone is happy. 

5 total here

Wait, I can't forget The Littles (inside doggos).

The Littles

Maybe showing off her tummy freckles.

Sugar has no trouble relaxing on a soft blanket.

These 2 little girls are best friends who argue like sisters. Maybe is turning 11 coming up in April and Sugar just turned 5. We adopted Sugar as an adult, and although Maybe has tried to show her how to be sweet and social, how to ask for treats and pets when out in the world, and that other people (besides mom and dad) are okay, Sugar is skeptical. David says it best, "Sugar is a little whack-a-doodle". And since Sugar does not allow pets or to be touched or picked up by others, she's like a cute toy that everyone who comes to the farm wants to pet or hold and all she does is run away from them. (** there have been only a couple of soft-souled people who Sugar did let get close to her though!) Kids always think it's a game of chase-the-cute-little-dog while Sugar is terrified, running away. Awwwhh, the joys of an adopted dog. 

Make that 7 total

Throuple

I know you think I’m talking about David, I and Sugar. But instead, the new kid in town, Washington, has decided he enjoys both Sugar and Maybe. This new throuple is still forming their boundaries, play rules and closeness levels. 

They are doing surprisingly well.

Wash is protective of his house and is not a fan of Sugar being in it, yet they bop noses, and each desire to play with the other. Everyone is getting along better these days since The Littles have learned that Wash actually lives here and is not dinner. 

Bunny snugs 💙

David loves his cuddles with Wash, as do I. He's very friendly and enjoys being petted. But he's still 110% rabbit because if there's a blanket around he's the first to dig in it and do rabbit things with material. It's just what he does. He feels very comfortable with jumping on the couch or chair and coming up to us to ask for love and pets. We were told he is potty trained and I will say that in his cage, he's 99.5% potty trained to go in his litter box. It's great! But when he's out running around the house, we are still working on how to navigate the pooping things because he did have an accident or two. It's not every time he's out that he has an accident, so hopefully we'll figure out what to do to help that. It's not been a huge problem because Maybe or Sugar nibble up the tasty treats ("smarty pills") he leaves behind. I know, that's gross. Having a clean-up crew is nice though. Side note: he doesn't poop alot at any given time, so that's also a plus. We are still learning about this rabbit situation. I’m still surprised that there's a rabbit living in the house. 

Total 1 here

I'm feline happy

Wow, it's been awhile since we've talked about our furry, clawsome cattitudes. We have been very stable in regards to our Cat Community. We have 6 total "barn" cats: June Bug, Finn, Smokey, Kitty, July and Blackie. They all came to us from either other people not wanting them any longer, or we found them abandoned, or they just show up on our property as strays. Either way, we love them dearly and they are family. They all do a wonderful job of keeping the mice, snakes and rats away. They do not do a good job with opossums though. Nor do I expect them to, as opossums are stinky and mean. I digress. These wonderful cats range in age from unknown age to 8 years old, each with their own personality. Finn and June Bug are so so sweet and if not for the sheriff in town, I'd let them in the house. Kitty is just Kitty. She's in a category of her own: Love me, don't love me, wait love me. Blackie is a stray who was feral that is now forever asking for pets. July is what I consider "head cat" in charge, yet Smokey fights with him sometimes for the title. They are both somewhat aloof and have other things to do besides pacify me. 

June Bug and Finn (calico)

The rare pic of Blackie. Love his long coat.

Since we have a doggie door into the laundry room, 4 of the 6 cats will come in from the cold to sleep in there. (The laundry room is closed off to the rest of the house). And since everyone gets along for the most part, we are sitting tight with these 6 wonderful cats. Smokey is the most rude to not only the other cats, but to me as well (Not to David. Smokey loves David). Overall though, they get it ironed out and everyone understands what's what around here. I've learned I'm not allowed to pet Smokey (his rule) and I'm okay with that. I would buy him a cat sweater that says "I'm not for everyone" but I'd never get it on him. Blackie lives in the barn up on a shelf just for him. July prefers the garage, but is usually anywhere he desires to be. I can typically find July just sitting out in the pasture guarding the sheep. I’ve never seen a guard cat before apparently he fills the role well. The other 4 cats enjoy the laundry room life when the temperature outside does not feel comfortable to them. 

6 total here

Mini Me

Who knew that Dora, our blind in one eye, old mini horse mare would turn out to be almost dog-like in nature. She loves a good pet (on her terms) and would literally follow me around everywhere if she could. She's like a shadow that's always there when you turn around. Quiet, gentle and loving - and right behind you. 

I can't ever imagine them apart

Then there's Hope, our Shetland Pony whose slightly larger than petite Dora. Hope was a rescue who was abused previously and has come along way with us. She's a kind soul who wants to trust us SO badly. She tries so hard. I secretly hope that one day Hope will be as tame as Dora, and I believe it can happen, but she needs a few more years with us. We'll continue to show her love, halter her, brush her, and let her see that life can be wonderful. We've come so far, but I desire to push her limits of trust even further. Let me love you, Hope. I see she wants more too, but she's been hurt too bad in her former life. Hope and I have many moments of soft conversations and staring into each others eyes. And there's plenty more of those to come. 

These two mares are also best friends who can't stand to be separated from one another. They insist on always being able to see each other, even when in their stalls. I don't think that's asking too much. 

2 total here

Sheepishly Me

Ah, yes, and then there's my sheep, my heart. We ended up getting them back after we settled back home last year from our time at MD Anderson in Houston. I was thrilled! 

Always happy to see us 💜

Grace with her adult daughter, Brooklyn

The ever famous Belle

LuLu with her adult daughter, Willow
Daughter and granddaughter of Belle

Words cannot explain the love I have for these precious girls: Grace, Brooklyn, Belle, Lulu and Willow. I can't imagine life without them and am so glad they are home with us forever. Yes, we talked about breeding them again. For now though, we just enjoy them and find them entertaining, even funny at times. Their own little HERd has elements of things we will never understand like their sensitivity, the amount of love that pours out of them, how they look through their rectangle eyes into mine while I wonder what they are thinking. They are such docile creatures who are unlike any other animal we have. Belle loves when I stroke her face. Willow, too. It's a connection that I never imaged having with a sheep. I've known them all since Day 1. They are the frosting on the cake. Yes, they are spoiled, no doubt. I wouldn't have it any other way. Can you believe Belle is 5 years old? Somebody stop time, please.

5 total here

Here piggie piggie

What has happened to me and where did Cyndi go? I actually have pigs and absolutely love it. Maggie ("Mag Pie") and Prissy are so bonded with each other that I've never seen anything like it. They are always within ear shot of one another and if they get too far away from each other, they squeal and squeal until they know they are okay. They sleep together so closely that they are practically sleeping on one another. 

Prissy (watch your fingers around her)

Getting ready for beddie bye

They allow chickens to sleep with them, I mean after all, they are sleeping in one of the chicken coops in the bottom level. The munch up their straw in tiny pieces to make it nice and soft for their nest they make themselves, and sleep in. Maggie is laid back while Prissy is fiesty. They sometimes chase the sheep for fun. 

They have access to all of the property and can run surprisingly fast. They scare easily, and are like little children running back home if a noise is too scary. They love all the other farm animals and are very social. Even the guard pups play with them at times all while the piggies are squealing (talking) to them. It's fun to watch. 

They are smart and will come when you call their names. They know the ducks at the pond will not eat all their food and they are happy to do so instead. They are utterly and completely food motivated. They are always happy to see you and make all the pig noises that you hear about. They oink and they squeal, and are fully capable of telling you just what they need. They teach me to be happy all the time as they certainly are. They live life in the moment and if they could say words, I imagine them saying something like, "Isn't it a great day to be alive?!"

I never knew pigs could be such close friends

They were the farm animal that completed our farm. We needed piggies. I love it that they can go everywhere as their curiosity takes them here, there and back here again. I never knew in the story book that when the piggies went to market that they never came home. Mag Pie and Prissy are not "go to the market" kind of piggies. Even though I haven't gotten their dresses on completely yet, I'm not giving up just yet on that. 

2 total here

Duck It 

Lastly, down at the pond are 7 ducks of all kinds. We have had our share of duck incidents around here over the years. I'm happy to say that these 7 ducks are a tight-knit group and thriving well. They wake up at the quack of dawn and I can actually hear them up at the house. And it's the tiniest ducks that are the quackest. Yes, we feed them once a day, typically chicken feed or scratch and they also eat things in the earth and from the pond. 

Surprisingly, they do not have names and I don't know why. 3 of them are technically ones we bought, and the others were gifted to us from friends who no longer wanted them. So I'm not really sure what kind they all are really, as they are different breeds but they all get along just fine. Oddly, even though we have some that are females, we are yet to find eggs from them. Maybe in the spring? My thought on that is that the guard dogs would find them before we do and eat the eggs. They too love fresh eggs I suppose.

7 total here

Tally please 

Let me count now, that's 77 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 6 + 2 + 5 + 2 + 7 (carry the 3) = 108

Population on the Graves Farm? 108 

Every now and again, I like to see where we are at on things like this. We have found a cruising altitude here on the Graves Farm and many of our animals are life long farm animals with us. Our relationships change over time, and we grow closer to the animals - and they with us. They've settled into their lives so well, that it's hard to imagine them not being here. They know the routines of the day and of the night. More importantly, they teach me life lessons on a daily basis. Like a class each day. Somedays it's about patience, or how to find peace, or when to approach and when to let things just be. They teach me it's my own breathe and energy that determines action. They have taught me how to pour my love through my hands and fingers into them with a soft touch on their face or just with our eyes locking. They teach me daily how to enjoy the day even on the hard, cold days. And at the end of each day, as I close down the barn for the night and turn on their nightlight, I think to myself 'class dismissed'. Until tomorrow, when I come turn the lights on again and another class begins. It's my never ending education through farm animals. The 10 year old me is so happy she could cry. This is what me living my most authentic self looks like. What's even more amazing than that is my husband who understands these desires and feeds my soul with acceptance and love. So much love. Valentines Day is coming up and that being our anniversary will bring us 31 years of life together. And this year, we'll celebrate at home. That's all I want. Here with the 108 sweet souls who love us. 💕

Cyndi

Cancer updates: I had my first blood drain (phlebotomy) of the new year a couple of weeks ago, and will go again in March for another one. I'm feeling pretty good these days. And David goes to MD Anderson for his PET scan and MRI in a couple of weeks. He's been stretched out to 3-4 months now for his follow ups, rather than every 2-3 months. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. 😃 

Pageholders

What is it with all these new pageholders lately? I think for me, it's my way of saying "the blog is in my head but not on paper yet". Is paper still acceptable to use in this day and time? Luckily, I know you know what I mean.

So until the blog falls out of my head and lands here, I hope your day is exactly as you'd like it to be. 

I was gifted this one recently. 
Wonder if she's a girl or boy.....

See you soon,

C