in a comment the other day, yvette used these perfect words. i have been since, holding them up
to the light, as a veil, over so many things.
But, here, Robyn asked about the milking the other day and this is as good a time as any to say things about that. Julian arrives tomorrow or Sunday and i don't really know how that will effect things....again, that veil of unpredictable with unknown outcome. i want to say the things about the milking telling just the facts as much as i can. let go the narrative, the qualifiers, the adjectives and adverbs and just say the facts. so, here goes.
i missed the "window" for most of it. there is a space of time between 2 weeks of the goats nursing their young ones and continuing good milk production. i was learning to milk during this time. i was unable to deal with separating the babies from their mothers during the night. this last week...
woops
i was sliding back into narrative. No.
so...i could say that i failed. and it feels some like that. missed the opportunity, for sure.
but i have, in 3 months completely transformed this acre. with pens and spaces and fences and worlds. 14 baby goats have been born. healthy. beautiful.
i have learned to milk by hand, with the MaggieDan. i will be ready when we try again.
What i realized in a very difficult moment last week is that what i most want to do now is learn the ways of these creatures. i want to create relationships with the 4 doelings we will keep for now. Understand more about how they experience this world.
This is enough.
and so...it will be Spring when the window will appear again. i think i will be more ready then. but who knows? things are "unpredictable, with unknown outcome".
These are the goats that have patiently stood on the milkstand.
Onday, mother of Mercy
Ona, mother of Darth Vader and Inky
Lucky Star, mother of Just Going and Los Dados
CaroLine, mother of Jude's Magic
Ginger, mother of Cinderella and Sunny Ray
