There's been more snow. And ice.
When I start morning chores, it's often rather gloomy.
Piper usually comes along, but to be perfectly honest, she doesn't always help. This morning, for example, she went straight off on some mission of her own. Very busy, she was.
While I dealt with frozen latches. I use these double bolt-clips for all sorts of things, such as hanging each goat's feed bucket.
It's hard to hang a feed bucket when a latch is frozen.
The answer to a frozen latch is directly-applied heat.
Glove off:
(Not my favorite thing.)
This morning, Sambucus had a suggestion.
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| "Never mind that frozen latch. You can just stand right here and hold my bucket for me while I eat!" |
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| "See? Perfect! Don't move! I'll only be ten minutes or so." |
Yes, Bui, that would work if you were my only goat. But I can't hold everybody's bucket at once, and naturally everybody likes to eat at the same time. This is why we put on collars and ties, and everyone has their own bucket, hung up with a latch and...
???
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| "What are you saying? I am NOT your Only Goat?!" |
This morning, after everyone had finished their grain and been turned loose, and I had collected the collars and topped the water buckets and distributed the hay and filled the mineral feeders, the sun suddenly came up. It sent bright lateral rays here and there across the paddock.
Lily, searching for that one perfect blade of sweet, dry meadow grass hidden deep inside a million lesser blades, was lit by a dazzling ray:
I wonder if everyone with livestock enjoys hearing them eat.
The goats' little munch-munch-munch always makes me smile.
As I headed back to the house carrying the empty water buckets, I whistled for Piper and she raced up to reveal the success of her mission:
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| "Found it!!" |
It's amazing how much can happen in an hour.
~~~~~
