A gift of a day. Couldn’t tear myself away from my outside ‘To Do’ list. I started the day with the jennies and then headed for the back yard to work on my reclaimed garden area. I had six giant lily patches to dig up before a friend came with his rototiller. I’m not thinking out a ‘planned’ garden … Instead I’m packing in hardy well proven lilies and hydrangea around patches of lilacs that are bravely trying to recover from two summers of serving as donkey snack food. I’m hoping to create a thick mound of green with orange and white blooms that will compliment the sandy paddock. If I can nurture a swatch of blanket flowers too – that would be marvelous. I think I will be experimenting with this spot for a few years. While all this was going on the jennies retreated to the woods. Ede and I joined them and dragged more of the trees and branches we’ve cut out this spring. Pinterest has planted some ambitious ideas in my noggin’. So I’m saving it all and sorting it into piles for ‘art projects’ this summer … Hmmm… details might not follow!
Finally noon hour arrived. My duty shift down at the Tryon farm! And my chance to reconnect with my little buddy. As I got to the goat room door I was having a conversation with Bailey and Tessa (the Tryon dogs). Seems my voice carries … and was still recognizable. I could hear Little Grey on the other side of the door. I think we were both as happy to see each other. Be still my goat nanny heart! xoxo He looks great. He sure has filled out. In fact, I think he was looking almost chubby. He grew lots in height as well. After I had caught Sandy and Apple (the wet nurse goats) and he and BB had a good long drink we settled down. Little Grey jumped up into my lap, folded his little legs, sighed and promptly fell asleep! I checked my watch and saw that we had a good half hour to just hang out like that. What a precious little thing he is.
Back home I found time to sit with the Guineas. They’ll soon be exploring the paddock and woods. I need to help them feel relaxed with me walking around their spaces. We were passing back and forth by their perches as we worked at clearing the brush from the hillside. Sitting inside their run I find they gradually come closer and closer to my feet to see what is up. I put some fresh millet into a wooden bowl for them. As always that scary looking new bowl sent them into a tizzy. I waited to see what would happen. Turns out chipmunks are braver than Guineas! Ha! At least they were not running away from the chipmunk! They were doing that a few weeks ago! But they sure didn’t feel the need to protect their millet from him. Not sure what I’m going to do about that. Seems any millet I put out there will become chipmunk food. I’m not even so sure that he isn’t also helping himself to food in the coop!
And so the day passed by. Gardens, spring clean up, little goats and lots of fresh air!
The Meadow View 