While Momma goose sits on her eggs for 30 days,
sheep are bleating,
horses are hoping that Blair brought them another carrot or apple,
goats are begging for food,
Sugar, the donkey, doing what a donkey does,
while Mr. Bull, the small bull that he is, moans to be scratched,
(Notice his head is down? That is because he is begging to be scratched behind is hump.
He is the funniest thing as he shivers and shakes with pure enjoyment as he is scratched.)
and baby calves are being born.
This is all happening at All-Natchur-L diary farm, in Cleburne, TX. A few months back I decided that our family should start consuming raw milk. Little did I know where that would lead! Nor did I know that I was only fostering a love for animals in my youngest daughter, who is already obsessed with horses. I try to stock up on milk when I go so that we only need to go once a week, but every now and then there is this urge to go the "farm", as our family calls it, just to visit. Blair loves to feed and pet all the animals, especially the horses. She tries to remember to take Bill Barton, the owner, an apple after he teased her one time about only bringing them for the animals.
Several weeks back Janice, the owner's wife, showed me how the goose was sitting on her eggs. (Ok, she didn't actually show me by squatting down, but rather showed me where the silly goose choose to build her nest for the duration of the incubation period. I know that you must be getting a visual on this woman pretending to be a goose!) I watched each week as that poor goose continued to sit on her eggs. What dedication! I don't know about you, but if the Lord required me to sit on a hard egg for 30 days, I'm pretty sure I would have never of had children.
This past week when we showed up at the farm, Blair immediately jumped out of the car and took off to visit all of her "friends". I was sitting in the car waiting, while Blair got her weekly fix of animals, and Janice showed up at the door. She asked if they could give Blair something. My mind went in a hundred different directions, but I honestly never thought about a goose! She went on to tell me that the geese eggs were finally hatching and that a couple had already died because Momma goose couldn't keep them warm. I didn't know what to tell the lady! Here I was trying to be a good mom and allow Blair a chance to visit the farm once a week, but I really didn't have any plans on bringing part of the farm home with us! Oh, and I knew Brent would kill me!! But, as I walked with her to the barn to see the gift that was being offered, I knew that I couldn't say no. Blair and Riley, Bill and Janice's daughter, were trying to pick up the gosling, but Momma was not wanting them get near her. Janice took over and grabbed the gosling and placed it in my hands. It was so soft, sweet, and cuddly. How can you say no to that? In the back of my mind I was thinking, "What am I getting myself into? Brent is going to have a fit!" Blair was so ecstatic when she figured out that they were giving the gosling to her. Her life has been a lot different this past week: caring for a squawking goose, diapering a goose, changing dirty bedding, feeding, watering, and babysitting! All in all, it has been good for her and her sister. Yes, big sister actually likes goose as much as Blair, in fact she is wanting her very own! We still aren't sure how it is going to work out as a pet, I'm still thinking it might make a good dinner, but Blair is determined to see it to the end.
