recovery is a bitch.

i used to be better at convalescing. back when i had a desk job. surgery was almost like vacation. i got to sleep late. watch tv. be pampered. etc...

times have changed. i no longer have the dreaded 9-5. i am my own boss. and i actually enjoy getting up and working. because i am a farmer now. i wake up each day to fresh air and aerobic exercise. oh, i know, it's not all wine and roses. i bitch about farming too. especially in the dead of winter when it's freezing and i've got a flock of goats screaming for their breakfast. but i realized that as hard as the work is sometimes, i miss it. i like my life. i really do.

had my implant swap surgery on tuesday. went off without a hitch. was sent home same day with meds and instructions. the instructions are actually quite simple... "do nothing". all i am supposed to do is take 10 deep breaths every hour. and every two hours take a gentle walk inside the house. other than that... i'm not supposed to do anything! it even says in all caps in my post-op instructions "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO HOUSEWORK NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU FEEL". so what exactly is a yoga-addict, field-walking, dog-playing, animal photographer, farm-girl supposed to do with nothing?

i feel like i'm wasting time. but i have to keep reminding myself that i will end up wasting much more time if i don't follow docs orders and wind up developing complications. so, i've been watching lots of movies and documentaries on the ol'roku. and reading a nice depressing swedish vampire book. learning prince songs on piano. and translating warren zevon's songs into french. and surfing the internet like a mad woman.

meanwhile, my husband is taking care of my flock. we recently lost our dear female pygmy goat, violet, to polio. she was a beauty. we are afraid her sister daisy might be going down the same road. jason is making sure that she is getting the bestest of best care. and last night daisy got to come into the house for a bite of dinner (a special blend of minerals, grains, & nutrients just for her) at "happy joe's". this little excursion was i think, perhaps the best medicine for the both of us.

daisy at happy joe's

twins, goat mid-wife, and the mark of the horn.

this has been an interesting week. two days after audrey was born, marla finally gave birth! to twins! a boy and a girl. she had them in the morning before i awoke. and after constant observation, the little boy did not appear to be nursing and looked a tad unthrifty. baby goats need to nurse especially right after being born. if they do not get colostrum (milk with antibodies from mom that is only produced for first day or so after birth), they will die. i first tried to get the little feller to nurse. tried holding him up to nipple and squirting a bit of milk. the little man wouldn't have it. and to top it off, marla panicked a bit. marla is a big big goat. and even though we've had her for over a year, she is still pretty wild. oh and by the way, all this is happening while my husband is at work. so i'm here alone. step two: try to milk marla. why did i think this was even a possibility? i crawl into kidding pen with her. and bribe her with treats. grab a hold of her horns. and then let go with one hand and try to access teat. she takes advantage of the loosened grip and tries to butt me. i put free hand back on horn. talk sweetly to her. pet her nose a bit. then try again. again she tries to attack. this goes on several times. and finally ends with... bam! she flings me against the side of the stall. and leaves a perfect imprint of her horn on my thigh.

i decide i need to jump ahead to plan 3: drive to town and pick up colostrum replacer. long story short. fed little boy colostrum replacer several times throughout the day. and by evening he nursed from mum. and is doing well. meet russell and ramona....

the twins and marla

russell (named after russell brand)

ramona (named just because it sounds good)

a few days go by. and we wake to daisy going into labor right as jason is going to work. he asks if i'm going to be ok alone. i feel confident. daisy is a sweetheart and has no horns. i gather my supplies. bucket, warm water, book with birthing assistance instructions, gloves, lube, and snippers (in case i need to trim umbilical cord). i take a seat in field with daisy. and watch as her water breaks and bubble appears. next i see two little hoofs. no head yet. she seems to be straining. goats need assistance if labor goes on for more than half an hour after water break. so... i consult book. by this time daisy really looks like she needs help. i put on gloves. lube up hands and grab hold of the two little hoofs. then i see something frightening. it looks like the baby has suffocated. it's tongue is sticking out of mouth and appears rather blue. i gentle pull on hooves and the head comes all the way out. i wipe the mucous off face. i see little nostrils blowing bubbles. i clear mucous away from mouth and out comes a sweet little cry. the rest of goat slides out. mom is fine. baby is fine. she cleans him. and within a half hour the little boy is standing and nursing. what an amazing act.

daisy and little boy (not named yet since this just happened)

mother and son

what's next? 842 is still pregnant. i feel it will be within the next few days. and talk about wild goats.... 842 makes marla look like a trained poodle. i'll be wearing armour on that day.

the fence, the fence!

never thought i'd see the day. but it came. and there is peace in the belgrade valley. goat, pig, black mouth cur, all getting along and enjoying the fine front field (aka our former front yard). yes, we are officially hillbillies.

the hog & the hogdog

who needs a tractor when you got samson?

842 approval

now playing on goat tv...

and yes, there are two dogs piled in with the goats.

sorry the picture ain't the greatest. i didn't subscribe to the new fangled digitial transfer. i'm a rebel. and a hippie. and a borderline hermit.

patrik moves out.

today patrik got to move out of our basement cellar and back to the barn. it's been three months and he's got about two inches of new hair growth. it was a perfect day. sun was shining. temp in the 50s.

the whole gang was waiting to welcome him back

lil'ann was all grins

marla greets patrik with a friendly smile

842 screams "hay! it's what's for dinner!"

if only the truth could have been this picturesque. but alas, goats are goats. marla didn't so much offer a smile as her horns. bernadett & bianka also displayed some major head butting action. seems the girls didn't think a smelly billy was necessary. he's staying in a private barn suite tonight. hopefully things will settle down tomorrow. 842 & the GLOPs, however, were truthfully portrayed above.

a word from the GLOPS.

hewwo. dis is wil'ann. i was given puhmishun to make an announcement. furst off, GWOPS wuv snow. it's twoo. we do. it doesn't bodder us at awl. secondwy, our twin pygmy goats viowet & daisy just turned one yeewrs ode dis week. happy burfday cwackah goats. we awso hurd dat some baby chickuns waz hatched. i tink wike sevunteen of 'em or someting.

dat's my sistah jahwiza-woses finding out how many chickuns waz borned.

awso newswuthy... owiver da beagle waz adopted by a nice wady named patty. he moved to da city wast night to wiv at hiz new fowevah home. and finawy, we haven't escaped in monfs. da new ewectric fence is a weel doozy. oh, and baby snakes stinks.

stinks!

giant steps for baby snakes.

somebody likes baby goats. likes them so much she entered the barn for the very first time. you've come a long way, baby!

cracker goat.

i'm afraid our little daisy has a case of the cracker goat. suppose it could be the warm weather. but she's been acting completely batty lately. see for yourself.



by the way, i discovered one of my favorite books was made into a BBC series. "all creatures great and small" is available on DVD. i love you, tricky woo.

friday, muddy friday.

not much new to report here. it rained again. as it did yesterday, and the day before and will probably do again tomorrow. the ground is good and soaked. ponds are full. creeks are up. grass is green. shoes are dirty. puppys are filthy. and i'm tired.

trying to figure out voice over program for my video editing software. the new goats are demanding their big screen debut. but i like i said, i'm tired. and i hate computers. might have to have their first film be silent. after all, they are naturally black & white. check out "violet & daisy" on you tube.

farm of fools.

happy april fools day from washington county, MO!!!! can't believe it's april already. i have officially been a farm girl for 6 months. my how time flies when you are knee deep in mud. so... what did i do on this fine day, you ask?

i was entertained by our new twin acrobats, violet and daisy (named after the famous sideshow twins) while their giant puppy sisters watched in awe...

listened to dagmar & cocoa declare, "mud, what mud?"...

and told baby snakes the old joke about 3 cows and a bucket of feed which she found hillarious. all in all, a pretty good day.