When it rains, it pours
Well…I wish it would really rain here…it’s awfully dry. But that’s not what I’m talking about.
The ranch grew in population rather spectacularly over the last few days. First, we had a chicken we thought was dead turn up with a couple of chicks in tow. So we got four more chicks, and four duckies too.
Today, we brought home our sheep…we got two shetland sheep, and some cross-breeds.
After getting them settled, we got a phone call from a friend offering us two feeder pigs for a great price, so I guess we’re going to get them too.
Oh - and a couple of weeks ago, we got three new kittens. They’ll be barn cats eventually, but for now they’re fuzzy terrors racing around the house.
It seems I’ll be building even MORE fence in the near future. Still, it’s kind of neat to have all these critters (even if some of them are just for eating (insert evil laugh here). It occurred to me today that I never had kittens or puppies growing up, and I sure didn’t have anything that would be considered livestock. I had cats and dogs, but they were grown by the time I was old enough to remember them. I had some fish, and a salamander for a while.
Several years ago, when we were moving back to the farm a friend of mine (*cough*cough*mike*cough*) made a comment about our children rolling around in a dirt lot with the animals. He thought it was funny…I think I was a little put-out, because I didn’t see myself as all that rural at the time - it was just a place to live that had 75 acres attached. Irony is a wonderful thing.
Well, we don’t have any dirt lots (does a big garden plot count?) but somehow our kids find enough dirt to warrant baths on a regular basis. They don’t roll around with the animals either, because the animals are either too big to roll around with (i.e. horses) or too fast/smart to get caught by small children (chickens). They do maul the dog on a regular basis, and they have learned to catch the kitties, who seem to enjoy beeing caught.
The funny part about it is I’m very pleased with it all. I can get all the critters I want. Sometimes I think “sigh…another animal to feed”. It’s not the cost of the feed…it’s just one more chore. But mostly, I really enjoy having all the animals, and look forward to having more.
I’ll have to let everyone know when the pigs are big enough to eat…I’m thinking “big ol’ bbq!”.
Allena said,
August 12, 2006 @ 10:33 pm
I’m curious. What’s wrong with rolling around in the dirt with animals? Mike are you making fun of my upbringing, again? You city slickers just don’t get it. Rolling in dirt with critters is CLEAN fun. That’s what I was doing while all the other kids were trying pot, feeling each other up and removing body parts with kitchen tools. I was/am happily playing in the dirt with the cat, cow, dog, chicken, ect.
On the other hand, recent studies say that children whom are exposed to animals, and believe it or not good ol dirt have vastly fewer allergies. Perhaps thats why some of our number took shots for years and some of us can roll in poison ivy at will and suffer no reprecussions.
Still I guess I think, God made animals, and dirt. They are pretty wholesome. God did not make parks, zoos, pavement, sidewalks, landscaped yards, and well you get the picture.
Barefoot, pregnant and a dumb hick from Missouri signs off.
MO'B said,
August 14, 2006 @ 9:55 am
I don’t recall ever being *that* critical of the idea.
Just mildly humorous for the computer geek from California to turn gentleman farmer.
:)
And I don’t think it’s a bad idea - even Maria Montessori (look her up) though that there was a certain age when educating children that it was better to just turn them out to work on the farm for a while then try and educate them some more when they calm down.
MO’B
Allena said,
August 14, 2006 @ 10:24 am
Mike, please, DOminic went to montessori kindergarten, I’m familar with her :) Don’t take it so serious, just poking fun at you because I love you so much and your so cute when your flustered. I like the Montessori methods and we use them a lot around here, to learn from klife. I have three year olds that know their right from their left for example. People are always amazed at that, easy, everytime we put on shoes, socks, mittens, we say “first your right foot/hand, then your left. They learn stuff intuitivly.
Beau on the other hand is probably just being mean.