December 11th, 2010
by Brian Higgins on 12/12/10
I arrived at the Farm a little too early today and sat in my car listening to the sounds of the Farm waking up from 5:45 until about 7. Now that it is cool enough to go outside without being ravaged by mosquitos, it is a peaceful feeling to just sit there and absorb it all. While the primary order of the day was barn cleaning, I had some quality time with many of my friends.
My first visit of the day was with Justin, the pygmy goat. It turns out that he is not as young as everyone thought (He is about a year old), and he will probably not get much bigger than he is now. He is still shy, but I was told he loved carrots and he didn't disappoint. For a piece of carrot he would gladly consent to some petting. When I was out of carrots, he started to check me out and it was really cool when he put his nose to mine briefly. It was the kind of moment that will never happen when I have my camera running.
I am happy to say that the piggies were on their best behavior today and were quite cooperative when it came time to get up and let us clean their barn. Blossom, the adorable little piglet, was in her isolation stall trying to melt me with her sweet eyes. I keep forgetting to bring her a treat when I come up and she isn't shy about reminding me. She is still receiving some treatment for her little pig feet, but hopefully she will be back amongt the rest of the big pigs soon; I think they need a little porcine hell-raiser to round out the bunch.
Coco and Melvin were in the next barn that we cleaned and I relished the chance to give them their special feeds. Coco is a little on the slim side and she needs to be reminded that swim-suit season is over (Although it was a pleasantly balmy day in Orland, contrary to the weather forecast). I hugged on both of them for a bit in between raking sessions and promised that I would come back later with treats.
Recently I have added "chicken time" to my visits. While I love the chickens, I had previously thought that they weren't as approachable as some of the other animals. I have learned that it is just a matter of patience. If I try to pet them I can't, but if I sit down and let them come to me, their natural curiousity will allow us to have some time together. One of the chickens (I am sorry I don't know her name), even let me hold her in my lap for a while. If you've never held a chicken and felt their warm body and soft feathers, you are missing out.
As promised, I came back with some "prescription" treats for Coco and Melvin. I always love watching them come up to me when I approach the barn. Since they do this even when I don't have treats (And before I started bringing them treats), it always feels special. It's a wonderful feeling to have that connection with these amazing, furry friends. Coco and Melvin gobbled up the grapes and carrot chunks I had brought and it was clear that neither of them had lost any of their appetite. I had to coach Melvin a little of chivalry after he tried to butt Coco out of the way, and he acknowledged the error of his ways. I like to imagine Coco as Melvin's girl and he needs to treat her nicely. After hugs and kisses, I needed to get ready to hit the road for an appointment in San Francisco.
I couldn't leave, however, without visiting with Elliot and Oliver. They are still very tight with each other as evidenced by the lick marks on each other's sides and the fact that they are never far apart. When I approached them, Oliver came to see me first and checked me out before giving me some licks. He has become a lot bolder in the last month and it is good to see him coming out of his shell more and more. As soon as Elliot decided to take a break from stuffing his face with fresh hay, he also said, "Hello" is his own special way. I am glad to say that he still likes to suck on my hand and arms. I am sure he will stop doing this at some point, but I love those special moments with him. He gave me lots of licks on the face and put his head on my shoulder. Time with him is a treasure.
There was an element of sad news during this visit. Fritz the cow had passed away. Since the Farm is focused on life, I would like to briefly reflect on my experiences with Fritz during his. When I met him, he was the biggest cow I have ever seen. His shoulders were well above my head. I never knew cows could get that big. The day that I met him was also the day that my wife met him. She had always been afraid of cows and I was intrigued as to what her reaction would be. Fritz's handsome face and gentle demeanor won her over in a flash. Her fear of cows was forever fortgotten in one brief visit. I know that Fritz has had this same experience many times, winning over hearts as a noble ambassador and he will be sorely missed. I am proud to say that I know one of the biggest cows in Cow Heaven.
