Close Meditations of a Visual Kind

It's coming on evening and things are winding down here. Herself has a gumbo in the crockpot, will be wonderful Great dinner for a cold night. Livestock are fed, water points disconnected and drain. Let it freeze, let it freeze, let it freeze ... so long as the PVC is full of air, won't matter. Won't break.

This year's round of bottle kids are now onto the Bucket of Nipples. No current videos of this phenomenon, but this one should give you the idea:


Alas, Ms. Broody Henny who hatched out four chicks (on one of the freezes last month) succumbed to a fox. Her chicks are fine, and relocated closer to the House. Also alas, one of our oldest does, June Bug, succumbed to old age. The past couple years we kept her in with the doelings, to provide Wiser Elder Status to them. Wonder who we'll move there now. What Bug left behind is now returning to teh Ranch in one of Herself's gardens, rather a singular place of honour here.

June Bug got trapped beneath some barn flooring by one of our first bull calves, and lost both toes (hooves) off her right front leg as a consequence. No one told her she couldn't do, though, so she just did, with attitude an style.

Work is... work. I am amused that last year, this time, I found myself quite happy and calm to be back in OR, knowing there was one year left to a change in status. Now, with that change in status, I find it quite amusing that my attitude about being there is so much different. What, you think I'm here because I have to be? I'm here because I want to be helping people, not because I have to.

Very interesting, indeed.

Time for dinner.

( Triple Bella! )

New triplets (see file name below for date) and their mother, 'Nose'. So called for the white blaze on nose. Named in order (more or less) Annabella, Eirabella, and Isabella. Isabella is a wee thing. Not a lot of room in the oven on the bake cycle, I guess.

( Elsa the Kid )

You saw Elsa in part yesterday, behind/beside her sister who needs a name. Regarding that, her sister is behind her in this photo, simply the angle & distance & focal length hide her. Names proposed for Sister are being delivered to Herself this evening.

In other news, it is time for dinner.

( Or, Southern Kids Practicing To Audition For the Southern Sleigh Pullers Team )

Practicing for the chance to audition for the Southern Sleigh Pullers Team, where goats substitute for reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh. Too warm here, usually, for those poor reindeer. Receiving coaching tips from an advanced student to the side, and practicing on a rooftop a bit... closer... to the ground, just in case.

Now, tongue out of cheek, this is another one of Herself's photos. Mind you this: she was using our point-and-shoot, not one of the DSLR's, and this photograph is not photoshopped, other than to add the signature/copyright.

Herself is now in on it, and says Ante Up!

( She Offers... Triplets! Fresh from the Chute! )

Who will indeed be able to answer the future question 'Were you born in a barn?' with... Yes, actually, we were.

Mother is Corndelia. Received her name because she would eat corn kernels from Herself's hand.

Not sure if yesterday (or Sunday as well, apparently) the DDOS attack on LJ affected this, but I am not able to post photos from Flickr here. Alas and alack, that means I can't show you this, here.

Blue skies, nothin' but blue skies...
This is what we kept an eye on the new kids under this past Sunday, here in North Central Baja Jorja. Yes, the Goats are Kidding. Srsly! Follow the link to see, and in case the link doesn't work copy and past the URL
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madshutterbug/2978072932/

You may need insulin. You are warned.