“Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.” William Jennings Bryan

Sunday, August 29, 2010

August 29, 2010

Been one of those weeks, but the good news is that the bees are still working on their “we didn’t sting him” record. Thinks its close to 8 weeks since any took a taste of me. Sorta forgot all about that til my daughter said something about if I am still getting stung. She was home for a week and was just catching up on my bumps and bruises I guess.

Yeah, the bees have been awfully quiet…content is more descriptive. Maybe I have just gotten a little better at handling them?

A few months ago what we determined to be a fox visited the back field and helped her/himself to a few chickens. A few meant seven. An eighth, our oldest named Sam, was one that escaped. Her tail feathers were ripped out and her back was deeply scratched with teeth scrapes. But she healed. She’s a really personable chicken, follows us around, and when I weed she waits beside me patiently for a worm or a bug to be exposed by my rummaging fingers. We coexist happily. She’s the one I let roam the garden, nipping at the lower tomatoes and beans for little bugs. She’s pretty cool – always willing to help me out…

We were able to find six chickens to replace the seven. They are young, but should begin to lay eggs in a month or too. When we are home we let the flock roam, thinking that as long as we are in the area, the fox will be too shy to attack. I like roaming chickens. When they are in their fenced yard, the fields seem too empty – a green sky without stars. It looks a bit lonely. There is just something about wandering chickens that makes me feel at home.

Back to my week.

Zips has come down with a foot disease called laminitis. It is not good. Laminitis is when the hoof loosens from the coffin, or foot, bone. Its very painful for the horse, and if it worsens, the horse can become too lame to walk. And if it comes to that…I don’t even want to think of it. We are doing all we can, and the vet we are working with is a good one. Next week she’ll be taking x-rays to see what the damage is and we’ll go from there. Meanwhile he’s on pain meds, a different diet, and meds that help the blood flow to his feet. We also give his feet cold water treatments as many times a day as we can. And we pray…

So its been one of those weeks. Really sucks. But no one around here gives up – its just not in us…

1 comment:

  1. It's a special treat to read about your joys and sorrows on your farm. What I notice about getting close to nature is that life seems more real and vibrant. Sitting on our porch having breakfast and watching the birds and squirrels in the tree tops just makes my whole day better. Thanks for the loving care your giving to your land--and then sharing the journey with the rest of us! Marguerite Chandler

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