Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Meet Blondie

Blondie is a Nubian goat that belongs to my cousin Bobbie Carol. She owns Annie's Soap Barn in Kerrville, Texas. Visit her website and and order up some really great soaps for yourself. They make great gifts also.
This goat is truly a miracle woman. Not only does she supply the milk for the soaps, but she supplies the foundation for cottage cheese for the family. She has also taken on a little orphan goat and in my book she becomes the "Woman of the Year".
I think BobbieC is a whisperer; she communicates on a whole other level with the animals. I truly understand the link. My husband thinks I am too anthropomorphic with my alpacas, but I call it communication.
Laura gave me a book on this topic and I really can feel in the spirit of the author.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Annie's Soap Barn

My cousin ,Bobbie, lives in Kerrville, TX. She has found herself !!
Many of us go forever until we say, "Yes, I am!".
Our Aunt Jeanne sent a photo of Bobbie's turkey hen carrying her chick on her back. This is way too cool for words.



I guess this is the orignal version of the "papoose pack". Now I do nto know if you can see this, but this hen is on the move, camera shy , you know?
Excuse the blurry appearance but were lucky to even to get this shot.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Two "miracles" in one day at Carodel Farms!!




Tuesday May 6, was an incredible day on this farm. Usually alpaca crias are born between 10Am and 2 PM. Sergio and Anna had finished for the day and were leaving around 2:30PM to go get their boys from school.
I got a call on the cell and the heavy Spanish voice said "BABY"...Well, that meant that we had a cria on the ground. But when i got to the pasture and Sergio was headed up the hill, i did not see a cria on the ground. What i saw was a mama way out in the field. When she turned around, there was a head and one leg protruding from her hind side. We got the big towels and convinced her to stand and after flipping the other fetlock free, the 22 pound white Symphony's Sonata was in this world and breathing on his own. Sonata is being held by his owner, Penny Millar in the above photo.
While all this was happening, Tiarra, my grand dam, put her head over Charisma, the mama in labor's back and groaned. I did not pay immediate attention even though both of these females were due on this exact date!

So, we took Charisma and Sonata up to the bonding pasture, cleaned him up, dipped his navel stump, checked the mama for colostrum and all seemed to be right on schedule. The placenta presented later, but Sergio thought it best if they leave. They left to go get into their truck down the hill.
As I was attending to the new cria, another phone call "BABY". So i dropped everything, got some fresh towels and headed to the lower pasture and surely enough Tiarra had delivered her cria, Coeur le Candeaux was now on the ground and reddish brown, but that was the dirt! Tiarra had her in their dirt bath bowl. The cria is snow white, but could not tell it at that time.
So, here we go again, taking a mama and a baby up to the bonding pasture.
So, we are now : dipping two navels, on placenta watch for two mamas, got to make sure two babies are hooked up with the nursing thing and that all are resting quietly for this first 36 hours. I truly believe that the "First 36" is critical.

A cria never gets over a good beginning or a bad one.

The photo tells the story.
Now, here we are one week later and these babies are best friends, the mamas take turns watching them. They are in a bigger pasture and will be integrated with the main herd this week.

God is truly good. He blesses the faithful and I am here to tell you that He runs my life.
MCMx