Tagged by Karen

This is my 6th picture from my 6th folder in my pictures. It is of a YSA activity in England. We were playing Uno Attack. I'm shuffling the cards in my usual way which means that everyone is being flipped off. Look closely at my hands. HEHEHE

Hot Time in the Old Town

The other day I was eating breakfast on my couch and saw an ambulance and a fire truck go speeding by. I thought thought nothing of it and finished my breakfast and then headed off to the farm to feed the animals. My mom called and said that the road was blocked off right after our house. So I drove over to the farm and told the fireman that was blocking off the road that I was going to a house on this side of the road block. He let me go through and as I got closer to the farm I saw all the fire trucks and a few ambulances parked in the middle of the road. The house on the other side of the road was engulfed in flames and firefighters were all over the road. Smoke was pouring of the front windows as the firefighters where climbing up the latter to the roof to open up holes and let the smoke out. Mom and I sat in the front room window and watched it all. They fought the fire for about 2 and 1/2 hours before it was out. The house is still standing but it is nothing but an empty shell. I found out later that in was started but a clothes dryer that was on the front enclosed parch. Unfortunately, 3 bull dogs did not make it.

I was thinking about all the things that are lost in a fire like that. All the memories that where made in it, all the pictures from over the years and all the important documents like a marriage or birth certificates. Those are things that can't be replaced. You can always get another can opener or blender but it is impossible to get other more important things back. It made think what I would want to take on the way out(if I had the time). Of course I would want to get my husband and cats out but other then living things I'm not sure what I would take.

We're Having a Baby!

So the exciting news of 2009 is that Aaron and I are going to have a baby! I'm due the end of August. I always said that I didn't want to be really pregnant in the hottest part of summer. SO wouldn't you know it, that is what appended. Very funny Heavenly Father. If that is how you work then, I would hate to have some more money in bank account then I should. Go ahead, get me with that one.

We will be finding out weather it is a boy or a girl. I hate not knowing what to call it. I would like to be able to call it by name and talk to it. What an exciting adventure. Like have an anchor with a diaper. We will never be able to go out again.

Saying Good-Bye to Danny Boy

Last week was a very difficult one. Aaron and I were feeding the animals at my parents farm when I noticed something was wrong with Danny Boy. He always walked funny because of the hip deformation that he was born with. But this was something different. He looked much worse. He wasn't interested in eating grain which is very unusual. The next day I was really sick so my dad went and feed the animals. I called him to see how everyone was and he told me that Danny Boy didn't even move. This is not good. The next morning I feed the animals and saw that Danny Boy was stilling not very well. He was walking but very slowly and not very much. So I put him by the water and gave him some hay. I came back later that day to feed everyone and he wasn't walking anymore. So I knelt down in front of him and put his little head in my hands and said a prayer. I prayed that the Lord would have mercy on this little goat and take him home quickly. That he wouldn't suffer. I also prayed that his grandma Pearl would be there for him. She died this summer. I cried and petted his head and told him not to worry and that it was OK for him to go. I would take care of his mom and brother.

The next morning I feed the animals and was pleased to see that the Lord had compassion on even the smallest of goats. He looked peaceful and I was glad to know that he didn't need to hang around and suffer. As I picked him up to carry him out I let his mom Tess smell him and say good-bye. I then stood up and started to walk out. I couldn't leave without Kuzco, our guard llama, saying good-bye. He smelt him for a very long time and I told him it was OK. He didn't need to worry about Danny Boy anymore, he would be OK. He seemed to except that and went back to eating. I will miss your cute little face and the funny way you would try to run with all the other goats. Plus the cute way you would sit on your tail because it was comfortable for your hips. But I know that you are made whole now and can do all the things your body wouldn't let you due here. Take care my little Danny Boy.

We Will Miss You Pippin

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about cow behavior and dispositions. I mentioned a very friendly cow named Pippin 767. She has always been my favorite cow. Always waiting by the gate just waiting to have me scratch her back and talk to her. She's never set the world on fire with how much milk she made but she always got pregnant and made enough milk to keep her around. Well last year she lost her calf at 5 months and was not making enough milk to really justify keeping her around. So instead of the usually fate of a cow in this situation we turned her into a donor cow. She had a surgery in which we put a rubber plug in her side to allow us to reach inside her rumen and get some of the juice out to put in a cow that has been sick. You see every cows rumen it is a fermentation vat with tons of little bugs that digest the hay and food. Sometimes when a cow is sick her rumen bugs die and without them they can't break down all the cellulose they eat. So in comes Pippin. We can take some of her rumen bugs and put them in the sick cow. That way the new bugs allow the cow to repopulate her rumen and hopefully save her live. Pippin was the perfect cow for this since she was so friendly. She saved many cows on our farm as well as a few cows on neighboring farms. Now that I've explained how important Pippin has become it is so sad for me to say that Pippin got very sick last week. The vet found a very large and painful kidney which is not a good sign. Weather it was kidney failure or cancer we will never know. She didn't suffer for very long which is the only way I would have her go. May you rest in peace Pippin. I know that you are all better now and that I will see you again someday. First Danny Boy and then Pippin. I hope that next week is better.