The farm animals may take a little work to do...
but, they sure can entertain while we give them their benevolent dues
it's a little walk down to the pasture fields where we keep the cows and goats
sometimes, a good thing
sometimes, not so good
it just depends
most times, it is good
and most times, it is my husband who does this particular chore
once in a great big blue moon I go with him
first we visit Ms. Ruthie Moo
she gets first dibs on attention for being a mother
she gets treats from the hand
and because it's mango season, she gets lots of mangoes to snack on
and she thoroughly enjoys them
she knows how to eat them by swishing them around her mouth with her tongue...
then when all the fruit and skins are eaten, she spits the seeds back out
the mangoes are yummy enough to make anyone slobber through them
I look like this, too when eating mangoes
if we do not have her down close enough by the river...
she gets a whole bucket of water, more if she needs it
and when she is finished, she lets us know by kicking the bucket over
Ms. Moo Moo's little bull calf is always nearby...
not too tame, but not too shy
he is not too shy to come up when he spies my camera and wants to know...
"what is that?"
my husband bought a little ram who was not well kept and quite wild...
but, he is now doing well and while still timid...
likes to come near enough to watch with curiosity
we think he is quite a good looker for a ram
I don't understand why someone who had him wouldn't want to care for him
but, God put him into our hands and hopefully, in time, he will lose his fear of us
in the meantime, he has friends in our goats and plenty to eat
my husband gives Snowflake her rations while he milks her
she is pregnant but, we will continue to milk her until a couple of months before she kids
as you can see, we are quite simple in our milking of the milk animals
we don't worry much over how, as we keep the milk for ourselves at this time
we just make sure the udders are well cleaned
after the milking, I give Snowflake her reward of a whole papaya
Queenie also gets her ration of grain treat, but we don't milk her at all
because you see, she is too smart for that and when anyone tries to milk her...
she gives us a dirty look and sits right down on her back haunches...
and she will not stand back up until everyone else gives up
but, someday, Queenie, you may not have that choice...
'cause we are going to figure it out by the time you kid
hopefully, we are smarter than you
the pasture field where we keep our animals sits by a beautiful running river
and along this river, the grass that they love to eat grows quite well in spite of the dry season
my husband will cut and take some of that to the animals to fortify their drier hay
the goats don't drink as much water as the cows and the smaller buckets suffice...
in giving them what they need
the last one to get the attention is our nearly grown bull...
Ms. Ruthie Moo Moo's first calf
he gets to have some papayas from the trees in the field
and my husband likes to keep him tame by hand feeding some to him...
while his little brother looks on
hey little bull, it's time to leave you all
and little bull says "good bye" and runs back to momma Moo Moo
The beasts of the field brings to remembrance the promised covenant of the Lord...
to His people...
And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field,
and with the fowls of heaven,
and with the creeping things of the ground:
and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth,
and will make them to lie down safely.
And I will betroth thee unto me for ever;
yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment,
and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness:
and thou shalt know the Lord.
Hosea 2:18-20
May your day or night find grace in the Lord.
