December 20th through December 23rd, 2010
by Brian Higgins on 12/24/10
Since I am required to take two weeks off for the holidays, it seemed fitting that I would spend at least some of that time at the Farm as a gift to myself. I am happy to report that my buddies are doing well.
I kept pretty busy with barn cleaning and using gravel to fill in holes due to digging and erosion in the barns, but as always it was a great experience. I have it on good authority that all of the animals are on the "Nice List", although it was touch and go for a while with Romeo Goose. I am sure that when Santa comes, they will be well rewarded.
Blossom was looking as cute as ever, complete with her little "duct tape ballerina slippers" on her rear feet. Her hairy heel warts have healed up and she should be out of her corrective foot wear soon. I can definitively say that she has the cleaest snout of all the pigs. She seems to enjoy washing it in her water bowl, which is quite a sight to see. Blossom enjoyed copious treats during my visit, although I suspect it is never enough for her. I think she looks forward to being back in the main pig herd once her feet are fully recovered.
Coco and Melvin were in fine form, despite the chilly and wet weather. When they first saw me across the pasture, they began to amble over from their repsective spots. In my last couple visits, they have shown a particular fondness for carrots, so I didn't let them down this time. I am glad to see that they are both getting along well with the rest of the goats since they are still somewhat in transition. In between carrot pieces, I had plenty of time to hug on both of them. Melvin's coat is so think that I am sure he keeps warm, but I look forward to the spring where he can get it tidied up a bit.
Elliot and Oliver are still the perfect examples of goofy calf-ishness and it is so fun to watch them play. I even had the opportunity to take Elliot on a "walk" when we moved them from the Cattle Barn to the Oak Tree Pasture (My favorite pasture on the Farm). As is often the case with our dog Heidi, it wasn't always clear who was walking who. He still sucks on my hand, practically to the point of swallowing it, while Oliver gives him a look that seems to say, "Grow up!" Oliver would be entitled to be a little grumpy since he was neutered (With anethesia, of course) during the vet visit on Tuesday, but he has already made a quick recovery. It hopefully won't be long until he starts to bulk up a bit more, like Elliot who is probably pushing 350-400 pounds now.
Speaking of goofy calves, Whitaker put on a show of puppy dog/cow eyes this week. He still longs to join the human herd, despite the fact that he has a large and diverse bovine herd to hang out with. I saw both photographic evidence in the Main Office as well as lick evidence on his back to indicate that he has been having cattle encounters, but given his choice he still seems to prefer human company. This can be a little daunting when he is barreling down a hill towards you at full bore, but he means well and continues to be a real sweetheart. I suspect that if he had a "Whitaker cam" on his head, we would see a lot more cattle encounters and have a better sense for how he is integrating. Unfortunately, Edwin is still the male equivalent of the "Belle of the Ball" and has largely moved on from his relationship with Whitaker. I did see them together briefly on Monday when Edwin strolled up to Whitaker and they pressed foreheads together. I am not exactly sure what it means as a gesture, but I am choosing to believe it means, "Hi, how are you doing? Would you like to join me in a bale of hay after these humans are gone and you stop giving them the sad puppy cow eyes?" There is some talk of moving Whitaker in with Elliot and Oliver in the hopes that he will be a "big brother" to them before they are all introduced to the main herd. Maybe it will be a case of bovine three's company.
Daisy Duck seemed to be enjoying the wet weather, like all the other ducks and geese. I surprised her at one point as I was walking past the pond and she vigorously protested what she perceived as my having snuck up on her. She darted off into the water and quacked her disapproval. After letting me plead my case, all was well though and I watched her swim around for a while before taking my leave.
Boe and the other bunnies have been moved to the Main Office while maintenance is being done on the Rabbit Barn. They seemed to really enjoy it there and were making the most of their new digs. I am sure that, like all of the animals, they will enjoy and benefit from the proximity to the refrigerator.
One of my last assignments was helping to move Harrison, Moe, and three donkeys to join the main cattle herd in their grazing area. As is often the case, a little food is a powerful motivator and between hay and millet, we were able to get them all moved, albeit occassionally reluctantly. As we called, "Come on Cows" to get them to follow, it was cute to see the main herd respond as well and it was awesome to watch them welcome their comrades back after some R&R for injuries/illness.
The rest of our Farm family were all doing well and on behalf of Coco, Melvin, Blossom, Whitaker, Ramona, Elliot, Edwin, Daisy, Sweetpea, Indigo, Amelinda, Boe, Ady, and Grace, I wish you all a Happy Holidays and a Compassionate New Year.
