Sunday, May 18, 2008

Nature's Recipe

After work on Friday I took a journey across the bay to a farm of two students at my school. It was really only a car ride around the bay. Their mom and dad had ordered chicks for me and then brooded them while I was gone. What a beautiful farm. I drove up a long drive with pastures full of sheep on either side. On one side of the drive was the original log cabin and on the other was a beautiful Frank Lloyd Wrightish house. I wanted to live there. When they told me their cabin was for rent I had to think twice about going home.

I had ordered 3 Light Brahmas and 3 Speckled Sussex. The Brahma chicks were easy enough to spot but the Speckled Sussex blended into the Americanas. So I would say to the little girl, "See that small one with the specks and white legs? Get that one." And she would dive into this flock of about 50 chicks and come out with one every time. She is normally shy but around the farm she opened right up. Now at school we share a special bond. Funny how animals do that.

On Saturday Cora Belle and Filbert's goatfarmer came by to drop off her papers and see the herd. I was anxious to have her look at my little bitty buck that is no bigger than a minute.
Ruckus has hardly grown. He is smaller than the two new babies and he is 9 months old.
Well she thought he was the cutest little thing, but there is something not quite right with him. He doesn't seem to be developing into much of a buck. He appears to be a bit light in the loafers.....not that there's anything wrong with that. I call him my micro buck. Trust the does!!!! They never did liked him, in that way.

Saturday afternoon my mom came out with my nephew, who is 8. He wanted to spend the night. I would like to think it was the farm but really it's the motorcycles. He loves to ride with his uncle. He only does the farm stuff with me when we have to give hubby a rest. We had a bonfire and roasted hot dogs and made smores. He was thrilled to have farm fresh eggs in the morning and even more thrilled when he found one in the nest. I let him dissect it. He's a city boy. He needed convincing that it was the same thing that he bought at the store. He also wore me out. What a smart, capable little boy that loves to talk......about everything. We went to get our tomato plants from Farmer Dick and planted them with potatoes. One thing that kept him really busy was a sprayer filled with vinegar. His job was to spray the weeds in the driveway. I taught him how to pump it up. It kept him busy for ever and the weeds are dying as we speak.

It reminds me of another nephew that loved to come stay. He would get a feed pan and fill it full of all the things a goat loves and called it Nature's Recipe. While the goat ate he would brush its coat and sing.
So the weekend was a little of every thing I love. A Nature's Recipe

3 comments:

Danni said...

Aw, what a great post. First of all, good for you for listening to an 8-year-old boy chatter. Some very important things come out when they are just allowed to yak with no parental corrections or "shushing". :-) Time at your farm are making important, happy memories for him!
Um, does straight vinegar really kill weeds?
And so, what about Ruckus? Is he sick? Are you still worried about him?
And whatever happened to the nephew who could come over and sing to your goats?
:-)

goatgirl said...

Yes straight vinegar does kill weeds. It smells like a salad for awhile but it works just like weed killer. Everything he sprayed is dead.
Now about Ruckus, He is not sick and never has been. The jury is still out on him. He may be a hermaphadite(sp?) Which happens in polled animals. He just hasn't grown up. Wouldn't you know that when I decide to get a buck he turns out not to be. I may neuter him and if I found the perfect home that wants a micro mini goat I may consider it. In the meantime he will just be his cute little self.
And the nephew who sang to the goat is now playing Stairway to Heaven on his electric guitar and driving the girls wild with his curls. He is 16.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like he enjoyed his stay with you:) I did not know that vinegar would kill weeds! I will have to give it a try.
Glad to hear all is well beyond the sidewalks:) Have a great day!
Regina