went to harvest apples from Bill and Nelia's tree. They are gone to Maine. Apples are tart...not the exact pie apples, but close enough and there are many. So, called Jan, the Dog Trainer...for her pigs? yes and i can see the changes in the Goat world at her place.
apples and a few huge cucumbers. there's one more pig but it was off somewhere doing something.
like everywhere, an abundance of Wild Sunflowers
around the side...over by the hay barn, the Chicken's Place and around the corner from that...
the dog kennel from when she used to board and train dogs. But now, here, are two of Sunny Ray's progeny. The white one in the front with the horns is a wether (neutered male) the other a doe. They are just about a year and a half. The woman she sold them to had called last week....torn her rotator cuff and said she couldn't care for them and Jan needed to take them back. Eyebrows go up....who, we wonder, hasn't had a rotator cuff injury and just kept going ?, but the woman was insistent and so here they are. Good news is that the guy who comes to help Jan with things like bush hogging saw them and wants them. But not till after he is back from elk hunting...next week. But this gave me an opportunity to see what Sunny Ray throws. Nice. Very Nice.
Jan had gotten two new does from a herd in Tularosa...supposed to be bred when they came. and yup, 3 days ago. I smell them, like all Goats do. Smell is the Link.
the mother smells me
where this is is the lambing jugs. Three small "rooms" that can be separated by cattle panel. From when she had the Hair Sheep up until last year. A ram would be brought to breed all of them at the same time...i think she had probably over 20 ewes. So as they would lamb, the ewe and her lambs would be separated out and put in a jug so that they would bond. In a day or so, would be moved out into the main herd and another ewe brought in. It would only take a day or so, but would ensure that Each knew their own.
i have and do value my time here knowing Jan. She is a no nonsense person. She cares for her animals with impecability. She "loves" them in her own way, that is different than how i love things. But her difference has taught me well. I will not be able to butcher Goats that i know. She does. I found it incredibly hard to let the kids go, she is good with it. And for these years, the exchange between us has been so much for the Good. I am Grateful to her.
