In the Barnyard

Yesterday in the barnyard started with a lot of sunshine and blue skies.

It was nice, and it provided enough heat to start melting the snow on the barn’s roof.

Every so often, a big patch would slide down and crash to the ground.  Blaze is showing you how it made a lovely little snowhill.

Blaze

That makes her queen of the snowhill.

Unfortunately, the noise as it fell would scare the goats.  They would take off running to the far end of the barnyard.  During one of these quick escapes, Maisie fell off the old foundation into a pile of old fence.  She caught her foot, but she escaped quickly (with my help).  I was really lucky to be out there and help her right away.  I really want to get rid of all the junk in the barnyard this year.  Really.

The sun also helped to soften the huge ice flow by the cattle tank.  I’m not done chipping it away yet, but I’m making progress, and it’s supposed to be even warmer for the next couple of days.

Cinnamon and Maisie

My nephew is stopping by tomorrow to help lower the float.  I’m hoping that will end the last of the drama around the cattle tank.  Even though most of the snow is gone, some of the goats have decided it’s safer just to eat inside the barn.

Vinnie

I love how yellow the hay looks with the afternoon’s golden light.  By this time of afternoon, the sun was no longer helping to melt the snow and ice.

I’ll be back out there tomorrow to chip more of the ice away from the tank.

Linking to Barn Charm and Clever Chicks Blog Hop.

The Other Kids

I told you yesterday what the destiny of most of the kids will be.  Today I’ll share the other kids.  There are three that will be different because they get to stay here.  First is Maisie.

Last year I promised her maa, Pam, that she could keep a daughter.  It just didn’t work out.

Pam                                 and                              Maisie

This year she gets to keep Maisie.

Then there’s Myson.  Millie gifted him to me to raise as a bottle kid.  It would just be rude to re-gift or, heaven forbid, sell him.

Millie and Myson

Early on, it became routine to hear “Myson is so cute~darn that Millie!”

Or “Isn’t Myson sweet~darn that Millie!”  Yep, I gave up the idea that he was leaving the farm early on.  After all, I needed another wether, didn’t I?

Then there’s Tim, my little black and white kid.  He started out at a tiny three pounds and six ounces.  He was weak and skinny and obviously didn’t get what he needed for nutrition before he was born.  That’s him in a shoe box by the computer.  He was tiny!

It’s a miracle he lived.

As he’s grown, it’s become obvious that he’s a special goat.  I’m sure it’s due to the lack of everything he needed to develop properly.

He walks like a drunken sailor.

He has cognitive deficits as well.  He does a lot of things because he follows and imitates the other goats.  He’ll chew on grass or weeds.  It is unusual if he actually eats them.  He’s just copying what they do.

He has discovered that he likes the sweet goat feed, which is good.  He’s also discovered the water bucket, and he’ll drink and drink and drink.  Then he won’t take his bottle.  That means I have to make sure to give him his bottle before I put clean water out.

Despite all of his challenges, he really is sweet though. He’s truly special, and my mother did the unthinkable.  She fell in love with him.

That means this special little goat will get to live here forever, however long that might be for him.

After all, can you ever have too many wethers?

Linking to Mosaic Monday and You Capture where the theme is black and white.

Move

The theme for You Capture this week is move.  You might remember Annie’s little boy was born nine days early, and was pretty weak.

I have to say, in the last day or so Hershey has really started to move.

His legs have straightened out.

He’s filling out all that skin.

It’s still obvious that he was a premie by the way he acts, mostly sleeping and eating, but he’s exploring his surroundings a bit more.

Okay, he’s not into moving that much yet, and he still gets shaky and knocks himself off his feet, but he’s made amazing progress.

It’s been pretty warm around here, more of a put your hooves up and lounge around

Harley

or just curl up to take a nap type of weather.

Max

Still, you have to feed your kids.

Pam and Maisie

Look at that tail!  It’s moving so fast it’s a blur!

Talk about movement.  I never get tired of watching those tails when the kids nurse.

Vist Beth for more You Capture pictures.  I am also linking this to Macro Monday.  I know it’s not truly macro, but Hershey is too cute not to share.