Since I am a teacher, weekends are the only time I have to truly focus on the farm. It's also my recharge time to become centered and shake off whatever happened during the week. Each weekend is spent cleaning and taking pictures as well as spoiling all of our farm critters as much as possible. Our ducks and geese look forward to weekends just as much as I do because they get quality time in the pool (that gets dumped and refreshed multiple times a day) and get sprayed with the water hose when they get over pushy about the clean fresh water. Chickens get kitchen scraps and can pick through bunny dropping for bugs and leftover food. Bunnies get freshly scrubbed cages and cuddle time plus grooming details (brushing out, clipping nails, checking ears, etc.). Coops and pens get cleaned and refreshed for the upcoming week. I get to do little improvements on the farm and spend time daydreaming about big improvements.
This weekend's daydreaming included our new rabbit barn and putting in a bigger duck/water play area which led to the beginning of cleaning up the project wood pile so that we could have clear space to put said water area and/or the barn (although there are 2 possible sites for that). As I watched our chickens scratch and peck and just be chickens, I daydreamed about adding a few more breeds and how much fun having tiny fluffbutts around will be which led to the creation of a chicken wishlist. Then we were doubly blessed with our first goose egg! Which after much overly excited happiness, led to thoughts of incubation...which is impossible with to female geese... so that led to thoughts of adding a gander because we can. So many new dreams and hopes. I am quite pleased and blessed with the growth of the farm.
Then we get to the trials portion. We get emergency vet visits and injuries. We get pest treatments and meds that have to be given. We get heartache and struggle and sometimes death. We get better and better at doctoring and patching and repairing things. We get to play plumber with leaking faucets and busted hoses. We get to play repairman broken doors and windows. We get to stretch budgets to new breaking points with low supplies. Then we remember the blessings and somehow, it all seems worth it. For every trial there IS a bright side (although sometimes it seems as though it's buried within concrete and you have to use a chisel to find it).
We have had a rough last 3 days, after the upturn (finally) from January we were dealt another blow. Started with a fight and ended with many bills and death. It hurts. It's rough. It brought hard decisions and even harder work. We struggle daily to ensure the absolute best lives for our animals which sometimes brings death, unwanted and ugly but necessary. It also brings joy and good memories, laughter and tears. Farm life is hard. Pet life is hard. Both bring so many rewards we will continue to live in this way. We will be stronger for the trials we endure. Hurt eases with time, scars form and serve as reminders of lessons learned and time moves forever onward.
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