When I heard Abba tell me, in the spring of last year to prepare practically for the purpose, I took it quite seriously. Some of the preparation seemed still a bit of trial and error, while other efforts have landed smoothly in place. I've had a bit of trouble with practicality and goats, as I pretty much like them all, but I have done some maturing in this area in the past year . . . I bought one, a beautiful Oberhasli doe with a great udder. She led beautifully, jumped up on the stanchion and kicked and stomped for nearly a month. It usually takes three days to "break" a milk goat that has never seen a stanchion. My pride wanted to win this one, but she was taking valuable time and eating organic grain, only to have milk slung around the milking parlor . . . I wasn't about to try to sell her as a milk goat, nor was I going to waste any more energy and expense. She went to the auction, ran through the ring, displaying her "high spirited self" and glory to YHWH, still brought more than I paid for her. I've broke two goats this year, and they've done beautifully, still are, as a matter of fact.
Thursday morning, I loaded another big doe that I'd also had on the stanchion and milked, but she was too aggressive with some of the rest of the herd, so she also had to go. She was beautiful!
Loading her was no simple task . . . Her horns were as wide as the pen gate and I'm still not sure what she weighed. In taking her to the auction, I decided to check out what might be for sale that evening. I purchased the biggest most amazing Oberhasli buck, after buying a couple of young does. The young does should milk train nicely next spring, and Big Leroy is docile. Considering the fact, it is breeding season, he is very well behaved. From a practical perspective, YHWH willing; all of next year's kids will be half Oberhasli, a very good dairy breed.
Having run into some friends who also "unexpectedly" bought a goat, knowing I would now be making a second trip back to bring home the buck, I offered to pick their purchase up as well. Between night highway construction, hooking up the trailer in the dark, and making it "big buck tight," it proved to be a pretty long night. I got the two young does unloaded and did the milking before heading back to the auction. Got loaded out with my big buck who was positively enamoured with my friend's doe. Hit the road heading for the OK line about 10pm with the trailer rocking all the way . . . By the time we got the doe unloaded and headed toward Goshen it was after 11. Leroy was unloaded and chores completed a little after midnight.
As I gathered some leftovers together for Mr. B's dinner and poured a glass of red wine, I contemplated the day. A brood of chicks in a tub in the guest room, one goat loaded out early that morning, a stop at my computer guy's so I can "work from home," three new goats, with a fourth delivery, milking at dusk, chores at midnight. It was official, 1:15 am Friday morning, I was officially "farmed out!"
Friday sunrise, was a new morning! There's something about, even an exhausting day on the farm. I could get up the next morning and see the evidence of all the hard work and long hours! Ready to hit the ground running on Preparation Day, I was no longer "farmed out."
It is of YHWH's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. YHWH is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. Lamentations 3:22-24
No comments:
Post a Comment