wednesday with ice

Please enjoy the sight of Azalea, back up on her bench today and looking relaxed and happy. Hard to believe that exactly one week ago I could have lost her. Life, as they say, comes at you fast.

Beginning yesterday, we've had several fresh inches of heavy wet snow, followed by hours of sleet that added a hard crust. The smallest goats can almost walk atop the crust, but not quite - every few steps a hoof goes through and sinks. It makes for very lopsided and off-balance walking, which, for sure-footed goats, may be annoying. Or at least unsettling. I think several of them eased their feelings by redecorating the barn this morning:

Mineral Tub: pushed out the door and emptied.

New divider: one board shattered.

My chair: hooked from it's corner in the back of the barn, and tossed out the door.

I felt like a landlord, visiting my rowdy tenants the morning after a party.

Everything is coated in ice again, and while I was doing evening chores tonight, more snow began to fall. I'm not even going to check the forecast - I'm already doing everything I need to do, whether there's a blizzard or a thaw. I'll let it be a Big Surprise this time.

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods,

whether it's winter or summer!

~~~~~

february snaps

It's February in New England.

Best to just take it as it comes.

~~~~~

azalea update

Friday morning update: 

Azalea ate an entire carrot's-worth of carrot pennies this morning, and after I had returned to the house, she ventured out of the barn - with her mama Lily of the Valley by her side and her son Mallow trotting along behind - and into the roundtop to the self-serve hay dispenser. I still don't know what caused her to become ill, and I'll continue to watch her closely to be sure she is eating well and is fully recovered. But for the moment, I'm feeling much relieved!

Thank you very much for your concern and kind words - it meant a lot to me when I was sitting out in the barn for most of yesterday, trying to watch Azalea without making her feel that she was being watched :)

~~~~~

azalea

Azalea isn't feeling well. She was off her feed last night, and today I've spoken with the vet and spent the day doing everything that can be done to help her feel better, with no apparent improvement by evening.

Now there's a cold rain falling, everyone is settled for the night, and all I can do is hope Azalea has a comfortable night and will feel more herself in the morning.

Not eating is a very serious matter with goats.

Fingers crossed.

~~~~~

sambucus

The black goats - especially the solid black goats - are always difficult to photograph.

So I was very pleased to get this portrait of Sambucus today.

Did you notice her lovely little smile?

I think Bui deserves to have an entire blog post, all to herself.

~~~~~