Life on the Farm is Kinda laid back

More than once this week, I have disagreed with John Denver, when he said “life on the Farm is kinda laid back”.    It just seemed that nothing was easy, nothing went the way it should have and there was nothing laid back.  With the impending cold snap, there was a plethora of things to check on and make sure they were in working order.   

There is a decided “pecking” order in the feeding areas and some goats had to be moved so that they could get their fair share.  We have some poll does, which means they have no horns, so their defense mechanisms for pushing and getting to the feeder are very limited.   I had to rig up a feeder they could get into and the horned does couldn’t.   “Mean girls” had to be moved where they were more limited in their meanness.   Goats that needed a little TLC were moved in the barn.  A group of does that were being readied for special breeding were grouped for their upcoming procedure.  

But no one seemed to appreciate the effort that I was making to make sure they had a warm place to be protected from the weather and plenty of feed.    Everyone wanted to be somewhere else and I moved, chased, and was banged by sheep and goats that just wouldn’t stay were I put them.  I tried using the one of the dogs to help me with the sheep and that ended with me chasing sheep down the Bradshaw Road. Needless to say, my frustration level on Monday was pretty well off the scale and Catherine, bless her heart had to take the brunt of it.

But as Scarlett says “Tomorrow is another day”.  Well it wasn’t Tuesday, but it was today (November 13).    As I was listening to the Nashville Channel 5 reporter talk about the temperatures, no one would have braved the elements.  To hear her description we lived in the Arctic, rather than the upper South.   But it didn’t matter there were animals that needed tending.   I usually get out between 6 and 6:30.  With the time change it’s getting daylight a little after 6 and this morning was spectacular.   Yes, it was cold, but with no wind, it was really pleasant.   

Now the laid back part.   Two little does that had been in the barn were out in the yard and on Monday this would have been another level of frustration, but today it made me smile.   Both were show does and pretty spoiled, thank you Tobee Hagerman and Casey Siimpson, but that does have its pluses because they will come to you.  One doe came right up and I caught her and put her on a halter.

The other doe, a little paint (lots of red color), named Amethyst was just enjoying the day and I had to just stop and watch.  She ran up and down the drive way, jumped pranced and decided she wanted to be in charge of leaf control.  Now mind you, she has extremely good feed and hay in the barn, but the leaves were what she wanted.    Watching her became a Kodak, or in my case Iphone moment and I had to get some shots of her in the leaves.

momentary stationary cat

Amethyst wasn’t the only animal enjoying this gorgeous morning.  The garage and barn cats were romping around the house.  The barn cat, named BC, for yes not much imagination, Barn Cat, will be featured in an upcoming blog,, comes to the house to play with the garage cats.  I couldn’t get any really good shots of them, since they were in so much action and having so much fun.         

  It was nice to just stop and enjoy the day and watch what was going on right around me.   All to often in the hustle and bustle of the world, we don’t take time to just stop and look and watch and listen.  Leaves were falling, goats were eating, cats were playing and it was just  - well it was just nice to stop and watch it all.   Life on the Farm WAS kinda laid back.  At least this morning, as Scarlett says "Tomorrow is Another Day"