Oh, sometimes things simply don't go the way you planned. Sometimes they're a little wrong, sometimes they veer WAY off course. This is one of those WAY off course tales. To start this tale, you need to know I wear a ratty North Face black puffy jacket in the winter in the barnyard. It's like the official Colorado State Uniform. It keeps me warm and it was too big when I got it so I can … [Read more...]
Doink and The Goats
Doink the pig and Brandy the goat were raised together from birth and came to Happy Mama Acre in 2012. We're pretty sure they don't know they're not the same species. Doink is our resident curmudgeon/comedian. For this we are eternally grateful. We affectionately refer to them as "the poats".
Jessie arrived at the barnyard a year later. I thought Brandy would appreciate a playmate. I was wrong. A year later, I got Sammy and Kenny. Because you can never have enough goats!
Sub-Zero Thoughts
December 5, 2013 by
There's some things I know for sure. I would not have been a good pioneer. It was -11 degrees when I got up today. I am a certified wuss when it comes to this kind of adversity. And by this kind of adversity, I mostly mean worrying about the animals. The animals who have heated water containers, heat sources in both the coop and the shed, and masses of fresh straw and clean blankets for … [Read more...]
The Pig Is A Comedian
November 11, 2013 by
I've always loved to laugh. It's one of my favorite things to do. I'm not terribly discerning about what makes me laugh. I'm not above sophomoric humor. But I really appreciate smart humor. I should have gotten a pig sooner. Doink makes me giggle every single day. I don't know if he intends to be funny, but he is. Oddly enough, his humor is mostly smart. He's funny because he's all … [Read more...]
One Hard Workin’ Pig
November 9, 2013 by
I've got another project going in the barnyard. I needed to dig into a little slope and build a small rock retaining wall. Doink got his snout into action and helped with the digging. When we were finished, he was one pooped pig! Enjoy your well-deserved nap, big man! (Shared at Clever Chicks Hop, Homesteaders Hop, Homestead Barn Hop, Tuesdays With A Twist, Backyard Farming Connection … [Read more...]
Can’t We All Just Get Along? Well, Maybe….
October 6, 2013 by
With winter weather soon upon us, I've been watching for signs that Brandy has really, truly accepted Jessie as part of her family. Indoor time will greatly increase as the snow flies and I'd like for the mood in the goat shed to be all happiness and butterflies and unicorns. Just the way I roll, you know. Overt animosity has decreased, that's for sure. I've observed Brandy letting Jessie … [Read more...]
Rain, Rain, Go Away
September 12, 2013 by
Oh, the rain. The drenching rain for the past three days. Last night it turned very serious - national news kind of serious. We've got major flooding. My thoughts go out to everyone in harm's way. Here at Happy Mama Acre, we now have lakefront property. Nothing horrible. Nothing life changing. Nonetheless, we've got a LOT of water flowing through the … [Read more...]
A Pound Here, A Pound There…Uh-Oh!
September 4, 2013 by
Recent guests to cocktail hour at Happy Mama Acre have almost all asked the same question. Is Brandy getting fat? The answer is, unfortunately, YES. When sweet Jessie came to live with us, I started putting out free-choice hay. That's what growing baby goats need. Before Jessie, I gave Brandy about half a flake a day (a flake is a measure of hay, a piece or section that a square bale … [Read more...]
Sofia’s “Animalality”
August 28, 2013 by
I find the behavior of my animals endlessly interesting. I could, and sometimes do, watch them for hours. As I was sitting out back a few days ago, observing, I came up with the word "animalality". Like personality, only in animals instead of persons. Doesn't roll off the tongue, but I still like the concept. Each animal in my barnyard has a distinct animalality. And just like humans, some … [Read more...]
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