Tick Tock, Have You Checked Your List Today?

We are well on our way into January 2012.  I keep telling myself that the days are passing quickly because each day is packed with wonder, fun and joy, so what's another tick on the calendar page?

Given the variety of animals that call this ranch home, there always is something going on.  I know, I've said this several times before, but no two days are alike. I cannot count on a quick run out to get something done because inevitably, one of the animals or an animal related topic has other plans for me.  I have learned to prioritize--a challenge for a Sagittarian. 

There is the short list, the immediate list, the "oh crap" list, the in-my-dreams list, the where is my list list and a few more as yet untitled lists.

Juanita, one of my two year old hens, has an infection of sorts and is seriously underweight.  We don't know why.  We thought perhaps she was egg-bound.  Dr. Brown saw her, gave an antibiotic shot for the infection and a calcium shot to move along any stuck egg and recommended continued antibiotics and house rest.

A little research was needed as to the antibiotic.  How many days does it last in her system as we eat our hen eggs.  It's 21 days.  Juanita hasn't laid an egg since Wednesday, so no worries there.  She has an appetite but won't eat her pellets, which is where she'll get her calories.  She eats a bit and then stops. 

Today, I gave her the antibiotic in a water mixture via syringe in her mouth.  I also went to Target and got some Pedialyte and have given her that too.  She's a very compliant Rhode Island Red. 

My newest theory, she either has sour crop or an impacted crop.  Internet research is very helpful.  I know what to look for tomorrow morning and we'll see if this is what it is.

Graysin, one of my feral cats, has been acting weird lately.  She eats, which is good.  She's been hanging out under the windows of the house at night and sometimes hiding out in the hay during feeding.  Does she want in?  I put a kitty bed on the porch under the living room window.  I have yet to find evidence of a kitty in it.

I woke up the other morning to find Kenna in the pasture.  She took herself on a self-guided tour, including breaking through the wire gate.  We now have two gates.  It seems to be working.

Bodie and Pinkie had their excitement of the New Year.  They got into a real dog fight in the house!  The new Christmas toy was the instigator; it rolled under the couch and how that led to the outbreak, I have no idea.  It was ugly.  They were both sent to their respective houses for a time out.  It took them about half a day to really get over it and carry on as usual.  Well, Bodie was ready when he woke up; Pinkie needed her time.

All of the horses tested negative for the latest fecal egg count!  This is good news by the way.  In order to gather the samples, I have to separate the horses and wait for each to poop, collect a chunk of steaming horse manure, label it and get it to the vet for analysis.  This determines whether or not they need to be wormed.  Negative there too.

The newest excitement is that I'm going to purchase my own microscope (why didn't I include that in my amazon order tonight?) so I can do my own testing for the horses and goats.  Well, and look at anything else around the ranch that strikes my fancy.  Dr. Cole, the equine and caprine vet, will show me how to prepare the slides and what to look for.  I can't wait!

I am allergic to hay.  Ah, positive thinking restatement, I was allergic to hay.  Last week I did an acupuncture allergy treatment for hay.  This means I cannot be around it for 24 hours.  I planned my day to have as much time off the ranch as possible and to sleep in the guest house so as to avoid the dogs  who roll in the hay, my coats with pockets filled with hay, my shoes also filled with hay, the mudroom with hay on the carpet, the SUV with hay on the floor mats.  I even had the Lexus washed and vacuumed while I was in my appointment so any misplaced hay would be removed.  I met my friend April for lunch.  My phone rang.  As I picked it up, I noticed the big twig of hay stuck in the phone cover.  Need I go on?

Pippin and Shadow are complete and total wethers now.  They were banded at the end of September and I had to wait for their little ballicles to fall off.  I found Shadow's on the floor of their stall one morning.  Pippin's fell off a week later in their playpen.   I did find it necessary to show the men working on the ranch the little dried up goat testicles dangling on a rubber band.

The joy of seeing my goats everyday is indescribable.  Shadow is an absolute love bug and is becoming more so as he gets older.  He just eats up affection and happily returns it.    Pippin, who usually gets chased off by Shadow, is warming to the idea and now gets what it's all about.  I try to separate them so I can love on each of them.  When I hug them and smell their coats, which at the moment are about 2" thick, their smells are very different.  I know which one is calling me just by their sound.  I know which one is in the barn by the sound of various things crashing down onto the floor.  And I know which one will get out of any gate, on top of anything climbable, and inside anything with an inside.  Shadow just wants to be a goat and browse and eat.  Pippin eats while pondering his thesis.

The biggest news of late is that Pinkie finally learned to play ball!  Really, this is big.  She just never got it before.  Bodie was born to chase balls.  Yesterday morning in the pasture, I focused on her with the ball and tossed it directly to her with the words "Get it!"  and while she was in front of me, I said "Bring me" and then praised her for pretty much going nowhere.  Then I tossed the ball just behind her, then a little further and a little further.  When she got it and brought it back I thought she was going to go pee-pee with excitement.  Come to think of it, she probably did, she does this.  Today we played again and she is completely into the game.  I love it!

Just to round out the ranch tales, we had 8 domestic ducks.  A band of raccoons came and one by one killed the ducks.  I worked with Wildlife Services and trapped four raccoons.  There was at least a fifth that I couldn't catch and that was the end of our ducks.  It was quite sad to find a dead duck by the pond each morning.  I try not to go too deep into the sadness of ranch life but look for what comes of it.  I now know how to trap a raccoon, what their tracks look like, how to spot their place in a tree, and what not to do with a raccoon once you trap it.

On a lighter note, the holidays were spent with good friends.  We had some delicious times together,  and we played many games of Mexican Train.  If you have not discovered this game yet, check it out.  Lots of fun for us gamers.  

And the weather has been delightful.  Days in the 50s and 60s in December and January?  Why not.  Of course, we really do need the precipitation so everyone can water their pastures and keep the price of hay down.  It's a real need.  I vote for a day of wet every week followed by more of this winter warmth. 

As I say each time I post a blog, I'm going to post more often.  It's on the short list.

Happy Holidays

I say it. I say "Happy Holidays!"

Back when I was in my early 20s, there was a year that unique hand-made ornaments were the gifts I sought out for my friends for Christmas. I looked for weeks for the perfect ornament for each friend.

I had recently met a new friend, Suzanne. I admired her very much, as i still do, and was looking forward to giving her one of my carefully mined gifts. I went to her cozy apartment in Brookline one night and found her simple decorative lights charming and tasteful. No signs of wreaths or stockings or Santa wrapping paper though.

Suzanne opened her gift with grace and appreciation. She marveled at the delicate intricacy of the ornament, admired it for its artistic value. Politely she noted that she doesn't have a Christmas tree. Huh.

She had never had a Christmas tree; why would she? She was raised in the Jewish faith. Suzanne found a safe place on a shelf to mount the ornament that had no flat foundation, after all, it was meant to hang on a Christmas tree.

Needless to say, the Merry Christmas card which accompanied the ornament was a little out of place too.

From this year on, I became aware of the fact that not everyone celebrated Christmas. Obvious as it may seem now, 20 some odd years ago I didn't have too many friends outside of gentiles. I made a point to find cards that read something other than Merry Christmas.

Then Glenn married Rene and although they have agreed to have a tree in the house, it is not for the "Christmas" reason but for the beauty and elegance of a family decorated tree.

Stacey married Scott. And the list has grown.

Everyone has a right to celebrate something this time of year, be it a recognized holiday or holy day or just to celebrate the fact that consumerism is at its peak right about now and you can get some pretty great shopping done regardless of faith or practice.

My take is this: unless you are at work in a public office where church and state are in fact to be separate, say what it is you want to say during this season.

When you send your greeting out to someone, say it with the practice of Dana in mind. Dana is unconditional generosity or giving; it's a Buddhist practice of seeking nothing in return. This is believed to lead to greater spiritual wealth.

So instead of waiting for someone to trip up and not respond the way you are expecting them to, do not expect. Just send your greeting out with all the love, compassion, sincerity and the biggest smile you can muster. And that should feel pretty good.