Nobody said it was easy

The road to my heart is paved with paw prints

And hoof prints, and chicken feet prints, and and and. My favorite time of day is all of the time that I'm outside checking on everyone. 'Everyone' is an ebbing and flowing number. We are sitting at Population 67, after the acquisition of 24 chicks, our two miniature horses and counting Blackie as an official resident now. Happily, the farm is thriving and in a state of calm. Can you actually say that with so many to care for, that it's calm? Why yes, I can.

What about the chicks, man

The chicks are almost feathered out. Meaning they will be able to keep themselves warm, with the cooler weather coming. We actually had two smaller coops that we have transported down to 355,  for them to snuggle in together. And snuggle together they do. Now, tonight is the first night that it's going to be super windy, and cooler weather blowing in. You bet I'll be down at 355 first thing after coffee to check the chicks. The Sheriff has a nick name, by the way. He's also Chuck the Chicken Checker. Did I already tell you that though? So Chuck will likely check the chickens too. It's what he does. When I lay my head on the pillow at night, I need to know everyone is okay. There's never a guarantee. They are good for the night though (as we've got everyone tucked in tight), and I'll take a peek-e-poo at them in the morning to see what's shaking. Those 24 chicks are bonding, eating and splitting cells faster than Usain Bolt. (How he has a name like Bolt and is the fastest person gives me pause. How does that happen?)
Did we name the chickens? Yes and No. They only have names that start with P or D. So you can call them whatever you'd like. Pretty, Priscilla, Dandelion, or Delicious. With so many chickens like that, that's the easiest way to name them, and stay within a name parameter. Maybe the craziest, too.



Some have an abundance of white feathers growing in, which is attractive to the eye, and the eye of a hawk. It looks like about 8 (or so) are Rhode Island Reds, with about 9 (or so) Orpingtons, and then the others are variations of egg layers, and we'll know once they grow up a little more, what their breed is - and if they will all be hens. They do love eating out of their swing feeder.

Blackie, Blackie, where for art thou

Yep, still in the guest room. He went for his second trip to the vet, and a second antibiotic shot. His wound is drying up, healing and the best part? He's bonded with us and is an official resident now. A once feral and stray cat has found his way into the Population - and the guest room. I'd say he has about 2 more weeks, and he'll be set free to roam with the other cats. Did you know he lets us pick him up, brush him, and no longer runs away. We made it into his Circle of Trust. I mean, where can he run really, right? He's in a bedroom with the door shut. Another bright side? He does use the litter box. All in all, he gets a 10 for best behavior for a stray. Welcome! You'll learn to love us. That's part of the deal. We have a great and loving cat community, and he'll blend in wonderfully. Fun Fact: He has an overly stimulated salivary gland, and tends to drool. It's kind of cute.

Donkeys vs Horses

Question: Will you put the miniature horses in with the donkeys? 

Answer: Why mess up the calm?

Question: Do the donkeys and the horses both take shelter in rain, into their stalls?

Answer: Donkeys do. Horses, not so much.

Question: Whose your favorite?

Answer: It's like with your children, you pretend they're all even and the same on the List of Love. But if I were to list them in any particular order, it would go Diego, Mama, Dora then Papa.



Dora, who’s blind in her left eye, gets around well. She's loving the freedom she has.



Diego is the sweetest boy and you'd think he's a dog. He loves to be touched, petted and loved. He's grown into this, as he did not arrive like that. He's offered his trust to us, and we are careful to not abuse it. Well, except when it's time to spray him for flies.

Maa and Baa

Since placing the sheep and goats together in the back pasture, I don't think we'll ever have to mow it again. They are all so docile, sweet and kind. Granted, the goats get a little feisty, as goats do. Playfully so, though. They all eat, eat some more, rest, and eat again. One of my favorite things is looking out the window while washing dishes, and seeing them all grazing. It's very picturesque. The biggest difference between the sheep and the goats? The goats absolutely hate getting wet. They do not like rain, dew in the grass or water on them, or to walk in wetness of any kind. The goats are meticulous at keeping themselves clean, always grooming themselves. The sheep? Uh, no.



But it's Belle. She can do no wrong. Pure joy. Pure love.

Can someone raise their magic pond please

Phresh off the press: Pond workers dried up. Took the bait and ran. 

The "company" we hired has left, with no site of returning. We asked them to leave, nicely actually. If I had taken note of all the red flags shooting into the air, right behinds their heads early on, I could have stopped this train a long time ago. But no, I'm the Master of Bad Contractor Decision Making. Either that, or nobody really wants to come to Gunter and provide quality work. Okay, how about decent work, at least? Nope, sorry. You lose again. This suppose-ed company who began to expand our pond did not work out. We mutually bowed out - and now will figure out what's next. It's like trying to figure out where the last couple of pieces from the puzzle in Grandma's closet went. Do we finish it, do we put it back in the closet, do we buy a new puzzle. Do we throw it all away and forget about it. I'll have to get back with you on this one.

Well, if that's the worse thing that happened this weekend

Ever have a bike rack malfunction? Yeah, that happened today. After a wonderful bike ride to Lake Texoma/Rock Creek to meet David at the Clubhouse after his golf game, we loaded the bike on the bike rack on the truck. Just like we always do. Apparently, not. After a man in a car frantically motioning his arms and yelling the words BIKE!, we realized we were dragging my bike down the road. One tire on the rack, the other off. No one was hurt. That's really what matters. I'll get it fixed, or there's lots of new bikes out there. Note to self: You'll always wonder now, if your bike is "really" on the bike rack securely, from now on. Every time now, I'll be a freak about it. That's not a quality I'm proud to have. It hurt so much I couldn't bring myself to take a picture to post it.

So go on and let the rain pour

After a stormy weekend, and I'm not talking just about the weather - it did rain tonight. A cool front is coming. Relief for all the animals with their fur coats on. A welcome change. A change in season brings a fresh start, new feelings and a sense of renewal. I'll be applying this concept to several areas of my life. Finishing some projects, beginning some new ones.


Did someone say new beginnings?

In the World of Sugar, a trend has started that warms my heart. All the hard work David has put in with her, finally paid off. After 9 months of giving his heart to her, she has finally allowed David to pick her up. And again, and again. Sugar has given herself wholeheartedly to David now. Whatever has happened in her previous life, has begun healing. Her broken self is finding joy, strength and trust on the farm, and now esp with David. We serve it up in heaping, abundant servings - and she's eating it up.

Sharing is Caring

I'll leave you with a nugget of information I learned. I found this while looking at the Weather on my phone yesterday, and seeing it say:  Gunter, 6 pm, 30% with a rain symbol next to it. 

It does not mean:

* There's a 30% chance it will rain and a 70% chance it won't

* Three out of 10 times when the weather is similar, it will rain

* Precipitation will fall 30% of the day (or night)

* Thirty percent of the forecast area will experience rain

No, none of those things. 

Rather, the correct interpretation would be:

* There is a 30% chance that 0.01 inch (or more) of rain will fall somewhere (at that location given, ex: Gunter) within the forecast area. 

This was news to me. 

Let's go find our sweatshirts,

Cyndi




Chuck The Chicken Checker, David's younger alter ego