Closure to the Curiosity

In the past few weeks, I have left you, dear reader, with several open-ended stories. I will take today's blog post and get you caught up with all the happenings here at the farm. When I speak with someone and am told a story with an open-ended finale, I am always curious about how the tale played out. This is my way of satisfying your curiosity.

First, allow me to give you an update on the baby goats. Dinky Daryl and Merle, the two abandoned bucklings from Brown-Brown, are doing well. Brown-Brown is still acting like a wicked mother from a fairytale, but she continues to feed the boys with assistance. Five times a day, The Bibbed Wonder has to catch her, escort her into a stall, stand over her with her head between his knees, and allow the boys to nurse for 20 minutes or so. They are growing, gaining weight, and bouncing about like the adorable little creatures they are meant to be. They continue to stay in a stall together because we are concerned for their well being. They have no one to protect them from the bigger bully goats in the herd...which sadly includes their mom.

Second, I will bring you up to date with Waddles, our sick mama goat. Yesterday, Waddles was on her feet without assistance, she drank from a bucket, and she is showing some interest in food. She was given a small ration of grain and some alfalfa pellets. We tubed her with an electrolyte blend in the morning, but she drank and ate during her mid-day and evening feedings on her own. This morning, I am pleased to report she was up, nibbling at hay, and letting her baby nurse. We are continuing to supplement her baby with a bottle of milk from the dairy girls to be on the safe side. We are also continuing to supplement Waddles with probiotics, electrolytes, and one more dose of antibiotics. Thank you all for the good vibes.

Next, there is the sad, disheartening case of the missing Three-Legged Pete. Pete's mysterious disappearance has been solved. Sadly, it does not have a happy ending. As we had feared, the little guy had been sleeping nestled against the base of a large hay bale. The ever-curious and active goats did indeed roll the hay bale on top of poor little Pete. His demise was quick and immediate but still heartbreaking. We are always sad and disheartened when a baby does not make it, but having a freak accident that we feel we could have prevented makes our hearts ache a bit more. From now on, all hay bales will be placed in the barn flat side down. Although they enjoy the challenge and the exercise, the goats will no longer be able to push and roll the bales for entertainment. It's all fun and games until someone gets squashed.

Lastly, the story about us and what we do was in our local newspaper last night. I found out that it was published from a phone call from the sweetest lady...with a British accent! (FYI, I love ALL things British!) The dear woman phoned me to place an order because she is "88 and did not grow up with the internet." She informed me she read about us in the paper and wanted to place an order. I was smitten with her and her accent. After my lovely conversation with her, The Bibbed Wonder and I drove into town to purchase a paper. I laughed out loud when I saw the photo choices that were printed. The content page displayed an up-close picture of Dot, our spotted diva. The article showed The Bibbed Wonder in the process of making moisturizer and a picture of the soap. When I read the article to Eric, his initial reaction was, "No one ever calls you Smay! You're not even athletic! I am Smay! You are the Wife of Smay! I am not photogenic! I feel like the world is upside down! I am Smay, and you should have your picture in the paper!" When it finally settled in, and he accepted his new found fame...insert eye roll...he then informed me the newspaper just couldn't resist, "sticking with the eye candy of the operation." My evening ended, and my morning began with him striking a pose and announcing himself as the eye candy. Eye candy that puts no effort into his appearance and giggles that he isn't even sure he was wearing clean underpants for the photoshoot. Sigh...it's going to be a long road with this one.

I hope this helps you fill in the blanks and brings closure to your curiosity. As always, dear reader, stay safe, stay smart, enjoy basking in the glow of my eye candy...eye roll...and wash your hands.