Today was like when we are in Transition, in our own LABOR of childbirth. during that part of it all, we are Sure that we would Never want to do this again. (but that often changes).
Today was like that. during the whole day, the undercurrent was...Only this One Time. I Will Never Do This Again. and really, i might not. but then, you never know. i had wanted to take a bunch of pics...but being Present for Them and for me and for the merging of Both, taking photographs seemed uhhhh, frivolous. it was Not a frivolous day.
First, after securing all weak spots, i moved the Herd to the Way Back. i forgot one thing...to cover the baled feed with the tarp....so at the first moment of this, it seemed like Havock....They, having No Clue of what i had in mind, began milling. Fortunately, Ginger listened to the furtive Come Come and came. then dear old bitchy Snowbunny, the Matriarch and she has a collar and i hooked on to that, shaking my bucket of pellets and by some Miracle, they Came. and that part was done. They ran, they startled, they climbed the new Stump. they inspected the new Shelter.
and after a point, they were ready to go
home.
not knowing that home had changed. that they ARE home. now. in the Way back.
and then, right after getting them there, i unhooked the gate of the Albatros to the World and hooked the two inside gates together for Passage
put a cement block. now, all kids could mingle. Lucky Star came through to the Out Side.
and then, from there, the Hard Part. I am Not a Goat. I don't have the genetics that inform me about survival. Caroline, Sweet Caroline, needed to dominate. In thinking about it now, there is some understanding. it's all, still, about one's offspring. Lucky Star makes 4. Her stakes are High. Caroline has just 2 but in her sense of it, the stakes are equally high. they Worked at it. They rose up and came down, head to head. Over and over. BAM BAM. slo mo. they MET. head to head and both were bleeding. all the while, the babies were all in the close side of the Albatros. Venturing out and returning. and i watched. not knowing. interfere means interfere.
i looked to the Cloth. ?????
maybe, probably, eventually, they would have worked something out. but
i interfered.
i gathered up Lucky Star's babies and took them across the DMZ to the Guinnea Hen Palace.
so...now. Some re evaluation on Their Part, Lucky Star and Caroline...and it quieted. babies on both sides making forays into the DMZ. some Auntie head butting, some Auntie ear nipping, but, Quieting.
and in the Way Back, i hauled a bale of bedding straw . spread it. maybe they will get the Drift. but at last look, in deep twilight, they were standing. Standing in a cohesive Herd, at the gate.
ready to go Home. and Home won't happen.
What will they DO?, tonight???????
