Sunday, January 27, 2019

Saying Good-bye to Moose

It was time last Thursday to say goodbye to our little fluffball. 



We adopted him from a friend who thinks he was dumped in the field behind her house.  The vet guessed his age to be 5.  That was 14 years ago.  He would have been 20 this year.

We named his Dusty, but somehow that turned into Moose for me.

I'm missing that boy every day.

I miss him waiting in the kitchen for the bowl of crunchies (kibble) to be set down.
I miss having a small (but heavy) body rocket onto my stomach when I dared lie on the couch to read. 
I miss playing the "provoke you" game by quickly patting his paws as he sat next to me.
I miss the quite vocal demand for breakfast, which toward the end included as much tuna and pumpkin as he wished.
I miss his insistence on going out on the deck on the hottest of days to soak up the sun.
But most of all I miss the purr every time I picked him up the last week of his life. 

He had found a dark room in the basement to spend his last days.  I'd go down often, bring him up to the kitchen and set him before the water bowl to make sure he stayed hydrated.  And he purred each and every time.


Goodbye sweet little Moose

Sunday, January 20, 2019

Blanketed Bundles of Donkey

The gang is all ready for the -5 degrees predicted for tonight. 


As with horse care, there are controversies for donkey care and for chicken care.  To blanket or not to blanket is one.  I use my "it's Damn Cold" meter to guide me. 

Many chicken owners do not think coop heaters are necessary or wise.  Well, tonight the girls will be in heated comfort for sure.

This evening I needed help getting blankets on Sugar and Spice.  They had to be convinced it was a good idea but I do believe they'll be thanking me tomorrow.

 
All you Michiganians out there, keep warm!

Friday, January 11, 2019

Christmas Over?

We do not follow the conventional holiday decorating timetable.  Our tree goes up mid-December and comes down mid-January.  That stems from our former tradition of cutting a fresh tree late enough to keep it kicking for a few weeks.  We haven't done that since our son moved out on his own and, although I miss that tradition still, it's not worth a battle with you-know-who.

Were it not for the flu bug I've had for the past four days, we'd most likely be taking down the tree and decorations this weekend.  But my energy has been down the tubes so it will have to wait just a few more days.

So for the time being, yes, it is still Christmas in our home.



Saturday, January 5, 2019

Mornings On Our Teeny Tiny Farm



Feed the donks first to get them out of my hair




Emmy Lou 2 thinks she'll get an extra treat by hopping up 



Girls always love to scrabble in the straw during their morning walkabout



Nabbing some bird seed treat on the coop porch 
(usually everyone is huddled around the bowl)



Oh, that face
My little Luigi


Ah yes, a new hole for Rick to fix.
Thank you donks.