Late Afternoon Ramblings

Since I've been enjoying the beautiful weather during my spring break, Mike and I have done some afternoon rambling.

Actually, I think that by the time late afternoon rolls round, we are both so pooped from the chores and projects that about all we are good for is to ride around and enjoy the weather and the sights!

One afternoon this week we rambled up the hill and it was just before feeding time for Stephen's goats.  One particular lot housed 20+ babies and I just couldn't resist a bit of play with the camera.  Mike and I just sat and watched and laughed for a few minutes several moments an hour or so.  I've put together some posts which feature these caprines.

They are in all sorts of colors and combinations.  I am in love with this year's crop because they range from white with soft brown spots to mostly brown to brown and black to a rich russet red and white combo.

They sometimes seem to just bounce on one another.  The shot below shows a little one about to pounce on his little friend.

This little fellow seems to be hiding behind the edge of the barn so he can jump out and spook whoever might be coming out the doorway.

One goat in a tub...

...two goats in a tub...

...how many goats can fit in a tub?

The little friend below is a bottle baby.  He was orphaned and Stephen nursed him along with a bottle.

He is ultra-friendly and will follow a person everywhere.  He just kept walking up to me and giving me a shout-out.

There was all sorts of scampering and pouncing and leaping...

...and just some simple running round.

A couple of them climbed into a feed tub and took a brief nap.

They are curious little creatures and completely playful.  They are not picky and each will play with the other without discrimination.

They just wander up to one another and give a little nudge...

...and the next thing you know, they have squared off and are competing with one another head-to-head.

Notice the little fellow in the tub has a front row seat to the competition.

I think the word capricious comes from the word caprine and is based upon the impulsive and whimsical nature of goats!

Ah...late afternoon ramblings with some beautiful late-winter/early-spring scenery and some free enteratinment!

On to Greener Pastures...

Well, a couple of weeks ago the day came for Blacky, Spot, and Patches to find a new home.

Blacky had really kind of become a nuisance in some ways.  He didn't really realize his full size and strength and he would try to rub his head up against you to show his affection.  When a 430 pound steer does that, a normal-sized person is likely to wind up mashed against the barn wall or something. Even though it was tough on the tender-hearted farmer, he realized it was time.

So, the day came when Mike could finally say goodbye.

The three largest calves he has here on the farm were loaded onto the trailer and taken to the nearest livestock auction barn on Monday morning a couple of weeks ago.

We made guess-timates of what they weighed and how much per pound they might bring.

We are not really that good at guessing.  Mike and I thought they would weigh 500 pounds or better and Blacky was the heaviest guy at 430 pounds with Patches being the lightweight at 355 pounds.

I gave Mike a call at about lunchtime to see how the departure went.  He reported that they were no trouble to load, haul, or unload.  He also reported, "Old Blacky started down the lane of the livestock barn and then turned around to look at me."

I wonder who thought it was hardest to let go... on to greener pastures...

Perspective and Age

Isn't it funny how perspective changes as we age?

The granddaughters came for a visit on Saturday and found more ways to have fun with the simple, ordinary trappings of life...

...a hand-me-down-wagon...

...a hay ring that will be used for a cattle feeder...

...became monkey-bars for climbing...

...and an agility tool for walking...

...up and down...

...under...

...and over...

..at rest...

...and at play...

...all for the sake of fun!

When I showed these photos to Mike, he said, "I guess I'd better buy another one for the calves and leave this one here for the girls to play on when they are here."

I don't think he would have even considered such an option when our grandchildren's parents were climbing and pretending, do you?  Perspective seems to evolve with age...

A Lesson from the Master

An age-old tradition of educating each generation is for the elders to teach the youth.  We had just such an impromptu session in our barn on Saturday.

Mike had promised Lillie a hanging hay basket for Blaze a while back.  So, when she came for a visit on Saturday, she took home her basket as well as the knowledge from Daddy Mike for how to fill it without getting tangled and knotted up in the process...

I don't know who was most intense for the lesson

...the teacher or the learner.

First, you find a bucket or a tub on which to spread the netting of the hay basket...

It is important to have a surface 

where you can let the netting drape down over the sides...

Once you get the netting stretched out to the bottom ring 

and the sides draped down over the sides of your bucket/tub... 

set the hay right atop that ring in the center 

there on the bottom of the basket. 

(I forgot to take a picture of the hay filling step!)

Then, you take the top of the hay basket, where the white rope is running through the rings, 

and pull the sides up around the hay...

The white rope can be pulled to draw all the rings up around the hay and be snapped to the side of the fence or the wall to hang for the animal to eat. (Yep, I forgot to take a photo of that stage, too, but this shot shows one in action.)

I just love the intensity of their faces in this photo series.  

Both, the learner and the teacher were glad to be involved in the session.  The skill is one that will be important when Lillie gets home to put the hay basket into service for Blaze and she knows it.  Mike looks so glad to be able to share his expertise with such an eager pupil.

(I also love the intensity of the peripheral audience who happen to be taking in the lesson as well, don't you?  Check out that stance and rapt attention in photo number three above!)

More Babies!

Well, the barn is FULL!

Mike set a goal for these winter months to raise ten bottle calves.  He is off and running...

Well, as close to running as Mike or I ever get, anyway!

Last weekend he and his cousin Jeff went to a dairy farmer friend's and picked up five New Babies.  They were both about as excited kids in a candy store.  They began to get them situated and settled and then got the call that there were five more ready at the middle of the week...the first day the temperature didn't get above freezing.

As soon as they could get the crew unloaded and the trailer unhooked from the truck, the guys went to work to get some warm milk into the new little fellows.

They each got a warm bottle of milk and were settled into a pen for the night.

These two snuggled down to get warm.

This little fellow curled up into a ball.

This one earned the nickname George Washington.

Now the guys will have their hands full providing a little TLC for all these guys.

When I let Bridgette know that Mike has ten babies on the bottle and eight more fellows at the back of the barn, she sent a text message that said:

OMG.  Is he crazy?

I responded:

Yep.

She finished the conversation:

He is NUTS!

New Babies!

Mike jokes daily saying that he is farming.  He talks about his livestock.

Last week he and his cousin came home with five new babies...

Here are a couple of them.

This one has earned the nickname Jughead.

This is the youngest one.

Isn't he a cutie?

These are vital to the operation right now!

After they had a drink, the little fellows all settled in for the night.

Mike's cousin Jeff is the assistant who serves as the second pair of eyes and Jack-of-all-chores.

Here is the Big Papa nurturing all the babies.

This guy is living the dream, right now!