It’s been a rough start to the new year around here. Excellent Son Sawyer came down with a very nasty case of mononucleosis while here on winter break from school. Yuck! My computer keeps crashing. Ugh! I’m driving myself crazy because for some reason I can’t seem to finish anything I start. Aargh!
Then there’s the weather—it just keeps draggin’ on with clouds and cold and snow. The dreary part of winter is upon us. Some of us deal better than others.
Come on, Molly Brown! It’s not that bad out here!
Nope. Not. Coming. Out.
Cindy Lou seems to manage ok.
Doink, on the other hand, despises walking in the snow on his teeny tiny hooves.
To top it all off, sweet Brandy has been feeling poorly. She totally stopped eating, then she stopped laying down. Weird, right? She stood up for three straight days as far as I could tell. I checked on her numerous times during the night when everyone else was asleep—there she stood. She didn’t move much and seemed to be very stiff. Something was obviously wrong. I called the vet up in Ft. Collins and made an appointment. That’s an hour’s drive from here, and I had no idea how I was going to get her into the back of my car, not to mention how she was going to tolerate the ride.
What’s wrong, pretty girl?
About four hours before the appointment, I went out to the barnyard and talked to her. I shared why I was worried about her and told her she’d need to take a trip to the vet. I swear she stared at me and listened to every word. Then she turned around, walked into the shed, hopped up on the platform and started munching on hay. A few minutes after that, she strolled out into the barnyard and started eating leaves she found at the edges of the snow. Then she wandered back to the shed, drank deeply from the water bucket, looked at me and laid down.
I’ve got my listening ears on!
In fifteen minutes, she did every single thing I hadn’t seen her do in three days. It’s like she understood what I said and set out to show me she was ok. Go figure!
I am NOT getting in the back of your car and going to the vet. I’m fine, thank you!
I have no idea what turned her around, but she’s better. Now, if I could just shake these wintertime blues and get something done around here, I’d be better too 🙂
Seems like I’m not the only one. Keela looks just like I feel!
(Shared at Farmgirl Friday, Homestead Hop, Tuesdays With A Twist, Maple Hill Hop, (mis)Adventures Monday, Simple Saturdays, Fabulous Friday, From The Farm, Old-Fashioned Friday, HomeAcre Hop, Thank Goodness It’s Monday and Clever Chicks)
I believe! It seems to me that goats and other animals (not to mention chickens) have a lot more intelligence than we give them credit for sometimes! Glad the trip to the vet was avoided. 🙂
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Hi Joan,
I am Homer’s wife. We haven’t met. I just want to let you know how much I adore your blog. I feel like I know all the animals just because of your ability to share so much about them. We visit Colorado a lot and Homer and I would love to visit when we come out. I have 3 nieces ages 2-10 that would love to meet Doink and Brandy and Topknot, Noknot etc. Perhaps we might do that in the Spring. And in the meantime, thank you for sharing the animals lives with those of us who don’t get to interact with pigs, goats and chickens on a daily basis.
Angie Wood-Page
Angie, you and Homer and your nieces are absolutely welcome to visit the barnyard the next time you’re here!
Hah do goats go through menopause ? LOL yah know the not sleeping thing and all the rest of that ! I am glad she is better . Happy 2015 hoping for a mid winter thaw .
Joan, I don’t “know” and have always suspected, that animals do indeed understand what we’re saying, or maybe our tone. Read a book that said animals see in pictures, not words. So, maybe Miss Brandy saw the pictures in your mind, and figured it out! Those who don’t love animals may think we are addled, but oh well. Communication with humans ain’t all that easy, and WE can talk! The winter blues are real, and damned annoying. I am normally a get-up-go-do-enjoy-the-physical-labor kinda woman. NOT lately. It’s been brutally cold here in Illinois. Makes me want to move South. Today. Thanks for sharing your trials, tribulations and joys!!
I’m so glad your sweet goat is doing better. Sorry to hear you’re a bit down with all the winter weather going on. Have you thought about getting a light to help keep your spirits up in the winter months? They really do work for alot of people. Hope everybody gets well and stays well at your house!
This stretch of gloomy weather is kind of unusual for us. If we lived some place where this weather was the norm, I would definitely get a light. I need my sunshine!
Glad to hear all is well in the barnyard! This winter does seems to be colder than usual. I hope Sawyer is on the mend and that he has a speedy recovery.
Thanks, Tia. I never knew what a miserable bug mono could be!
So glad everyone is doing better, sick kids and animals really tug at my heart strings. Stopping by from Thank Goodness it’s Monday 🙂 It was nice to meet you! I enjoyed reading your post. My doggie gets the wintertime blues usually but this year she has a new puppy to play with. My brother brings his pup over daily and she has really been a lot more happy lately 🙂
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Oh how I hate the winter blues. Since moving to Minnesota in 2013, I realized that I don’t do well in cold weather climates. I definitely need to get back to California some day soon. The best way to cope is to take it day by day and eat cookies. At least for me. 🙂
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I am so ready for winter to be over too. I am getting the planting and hatching itch but here in Michigan, spring likes to come late….. Oh how I miss the green. So glad Brandy is better. I wouldn’t want to go 2 hours round trip with a goat in the car . They are some pellet dropping machines! LOL Thanks for sharing on the (mis)Adventures Mondays Blog Hop!
That’s pretty awesome how your goat “listened” to you and your worries. They are so intuitive that it’s crazy! Enjoyed seeing the pictures of your homestead animals. Thanks for linking up to the Homestead Blog Hop!
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