I live in the middle of a high desert valley. The view from here is beautiful and interesting. I never get tired of looking - at the sky, clouds, weather, mountains, vegetation and closer to my pets and livestock, and the activities of the road yard, traffic on the highway. It is winter now and I have been doing a lot of horizontal and down looking. I bundle up for the weather with a stocking cap, and it has a tendency to slide down into my line of vision. I even have a bruise on my forehead right now to prove it. I also put my head down during snow and rain to protect my face. In other words - sometimes it is hard to look in the distance and to look up.
Today I was feeding the goats, sheep and calf hay around 1 p.m. All was calm in the barnyard. This is purely routine stuff. There were no dogs loose to put the critters on alert. All of a sudden, all the goats ran for shelter, while the calf just ate hay. I searched the ground to find a reason for such behavior. I saw nothing to warrant the fright. Then I looked up - there was a good sized hawk flying over the goat pen. So my goats were paying attention even though the hay was their main focus. A similar incident happened last spring; same time of day, same activity scenario. That time I looked up and saw a big black plastic bag floating by on the wind.
So, what are you looking at: Luke 21:25-28 NIV There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
I want to be looking up, for Jesus.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Dogs and Cats
Dogs and cats: we have two young male cats. That is about the right number to keep the mice at bay, though I have to feed them too. There are four dogs here - that is two or three too many, but for various reasons, they are here. Shadow, German Shepherd, is half scared of the cats. Larado, half Border Collie, sits on the back porch and the cats climb onto him and sit there - warm and secure. The younger dogs, Drover and Tovi want the cats to play with them, but the cats aren't scared. This afternoon, the cat called Ranger sat under a small trailer that Tovi can reach while chained. Ranger knows the exact spot he can sit without the dog being able to reach him. So Tovi enlisted the help of Drover to move the cat. Sorry dogs, it didn't work. I watched you for half an hour from the big dinning room window. Later, when I was outside doing the evening feeding and milking, I saw the same two young dogs playing tug-o-war. It was getting dark, sun already down, and light snow falling, but I didn't recognize the piece they were tugging on. So, I hollered at the dogs. They dropped Ranger and he casually sauntered off. Silly critters.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wind and Weather
We have no choice of the wind and weather that comes our way. This valley gets lots of wind, we do live in an earthquake zone and because of the elevation, we can get big temperature swings in short time spans. This area is classified as desert, but we did get a flood in our valley in the winter of 2004, that was quite an experience. Since we cannot make choices of weather, I see no reason to complain either.
We have winter weather heading our way. It is actually fun to watch it. I expected to wake up to white ground this morning, instead I saw a big moon and lots of stars. Temperature was a "toasty" 32*, but the wind was the miserable piece. The wind caused waves in the livestock water tubs that prevented ice from forming. How nice!?! So with such good weather, I did a wash load of towels and hung them on the line. My fingers got painfully cold, but that is expected at this time of year, no big deal. As the sun came up the wind picked up. We had a good thirty mile an hour wind going by 11 a.m.. I had to ask Ari to hold the laundry basket so that I could take the towels in (some from the line and some from the ground).
I dress in layers for winter weather. I have ok gear, but sure nothing to look at. I feel sorry for the goats when I have to milk them with cold fingers, but I try to wear gloves when it is cold. The dogs think my gloves are great toys, whether they are laying on the ground or on my fingers. I do not enjoy the wind because it blows the hay around. DO NOT put on chap stick before feeding hay and wear tight clothing to prevent it from sifting down through all the layers. Oh well, I do admit there is usually some green leafy material that comes off in the shower. I think snow is beautiful and usually enjoy it more than rain. (Let me see, the snow shovel is in the lean-to). During one snow storm about Thanksgiving, maybe three years back, we let some stranded strangers spend the night on our living room floor. Poor folks, they were headed all the way from California to Maine.
Rural living - this county does NOT close school for bad weather. I hear my favorite Christian radio station in Colorado Springs announcing school closures and delays. Guess what - no such thing here. A bus run may be suspended as happened here during the floods. One bus (0f about 20) was sent home early and then missed a full day.
Chickens can be real funny in the wind. Mostly they just hunker down in a sheltered place, but when they move across the back yard, the wind hits them in the side and their feathers are all messed and out of place and very often they have problems getting to their destination in a straight line. Another funny thing with chickens is that they have no traction on ice. I have seen chickens blown the 20 foot length of a frozen ice puddle in the back yard. And I have such a good view out a big window in the dining room.
The sheep just seem to take the weather in stride, after all, look at their insulation. My sheep are young, so this is their first winter experience, but last year the three year old ewe just laid down where ever she chose and there she was.
The goats are fussy, fussy, fussy. They complain about the heat, the wind, the snow, the rain, the... I think I have my animals penned in such a way that there is room for everyone under a roof. In the big pen, the calf usually sleeps in the shed and the goats outside as sleeping by a calf is beneath their dignity. Tonight I expect a 150 pound goat to push the 300 pound calf out or lay beside him. My only question is if the the 150 three year old goat will "allow" the 125 pound yearling goat to share the roof. Poor Miracle, she doesn't have a buddy to hang out with and most of the other goats push her around and pick on her. I will be watching closely, but not sure what to do if Lollipop will not give her shed space. How can I tell Miracle that she can hide behind Ole, the calf for shelter and warmth?
Cold is not bad without wind. I own a couple sets of long johns. The last couple of winter we had very cold and enduring temperatures. I got to wondering how life would feel without long johns. I even had most of poem written in my head called "Life After Long Johns", but I never wrote it down. I could have another chance to do that this winter.
Lord of all creation - watch over us as we have winter.
We have winter weather heading our way. It is actually fun to watch it. I expected to wake up to white ground this morning, instead I saw a big moon and lots of stars. Temperature was a "toasty" 32*, but the wind was the miserable piece. The wind caused waves in the livestock water tubs that prevented ice from forming. How nice!?! So with such good weather, I did a wash load of towels and hung them on the line. My fingers got painfully cold, but that is expected at this time of year, no big deal. As the sun came up the wind picked up. We had a good thirty mile an hour wind going by 11 a.m.. I had to ask Ari to hold the laundry basket so that I could take the towels in (some from the line and some from the ground).
I dress in layers for winter weather. I have ok gear, but sure nothing to look at. I feel sorry for the goats when I have to milk them with cold fingers, but I try to wear gloves when it is cold. The dogs think my gloves are great toys, whether they are laying on the ground or on my fingers. I do not enjoy the wind because it blows the hay around. DO NOT put on chap stick before feeding hay and wear tight clothing to prevent it from sifting down through all the layers. Oh well, I do admit there is usually some green leafy material that comes off in the shower. I think snow is beautiful and usually enjoy it more than rain. (Let me see, the snow shovel is in the lean-to). During one snow storm about Thanksgiving, maybe three years back, we let some stranded strangers spend the night on our living room floor. Poor folks, they were headed all the way from California to Maine.
Rural living - this county does NOT close school for bad weather. I hear my favorite Christian radio station in Colorado Springs announcing school closures and delays. Guess what - no such thing here. A bus run may be suspended as happened here during the floods. One bus (0f about 20) was sent home early and then missed a full day.
Chickens can be real funny in the wind. Mostly they just hunker down in a sheltered place, but when they move across the back yard, the wind hits them in the side and their feathers are all messed and out of place and very often they have problems getting to their destination in a straight line. Another funny thing with chickens is that they have no traction on ice. I have seen chickens blown the 20 foot length of a frozen ice puddle in the back yard. And I have such a good view out a big window in the dining room.
The sheep just seem to take the weather in stride, after all, look at their insulation. My sheep are young, so this is their first winter experience, but last year the three year old ewe just laid down where ever she chose and there she was.
The goats are fussy, fussy, fussy. They complain about the heat, the wind, the snow, the rain, the... I think I have my animals penned in such a way that there is room for everyone under a roof. In the big pen, the calf usually sleeps in the shed and the goats outside as sleeping by a calf is beneath their dignity. Tonight I expect a 150 pound goat to push the 300 pound calf out or lay beside him. My only question is if the the 150 three year old goat will "allow" the 125 pound yearling goat to share the roof. Poor Miracle, she doesn't have a buddy to hang out with and most of the other goats push her around and pick on her. I will be watching closely, but not sure what to do if Lollipop will not give her shed space. How can I tell Miracle that she can hide behind Ole, the calf for shelter and warmth?
Cold is not bad without wind. I own a couple sets of long johns. The last couple of winter we had very cold and enduring temperatures. I got to wondering how life would feel without long johns. I even had most of poem written in my head called "Life After Long Johns", but I never wrote it down. I could have another chance to do that this winter.
Lord of all creation - watch over us as we have winter.
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