IN PRAISE OF MOTHERHOOD AND CHLOROX
JANINE'S NEW MOTHER DONKEY IS TENDING TO HER FOAL--- AND ALLOWING IT TO NURSE.. EVEN THO IT APPARENTLY IS NOT HER FAVORITE THING TO DO... MOMMY NATURE TAKES OVER-- WITHOUT DSS, CONGRESS OR LEGAL INTERVENTION.- BUT THERE ARE MINIMAL STANDARDS... SHE IS FEEDING HIM.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THERE ARE DEMANDS THESE MOTHERS MAKE ON THEIR FOALS/ CHILDREN... FOALS ARE TO KEEP TRACK OF WHERE THEIR MOTHER IS- ALSO WHICH ONE SHE IS IN A GROUP. TEHY MAY RUN AROUND - OFTEN IN LITERALLY CIRCLES-- BUT IF THEY RUN TOO WIDE, AND LOOSE TRACK OF HER... OFTEN MOMMY KEEPS RIGHT ON GRAZING AND LET THE FOAL FIND HER.... MOMMY WILL GET INVOLVED IF THERE IS A SECONDARY DISTRACTION-- LIKE A BIG DOG... BUT A FOAL IN THE HERD WHO DOES NOT STAY IN TOUCH - IS ALLOWED TO GET CONFUSED-TO ME, IT LOOKS LIKE SOME KIND OF LESSON.
EXCEPTION? BACK WHEN WE HAD A COUPLE RACING HORSES.... WE HAD A FOAL WHO LACKED THE INSTINCT TO GO TO WHATEVER TOUCHED HIS MUZZLE-
I HAVE SPOUTED THIS BEFORE IN A DD I AM SURE...., HOWEVER--- ANY ANIMAL HORSE, DOG (OR HUMAN) MUST HAVE THE BASIC INSTINCT FIND THE SOURCE OF MILK, BY MOVING TOWARD SOMETHING THAT TOUCHES THEIR MUZZLE .. THIS IS WHY YOU MUST NEVER TAKE THE HEAD OF A PUPPY ( OR HUMAN ..! ) TO STEAR IT TO THE NIPPLE -- YOUR PRESSURE ON THE PUPS HEAD PUSHING TOWARD TEH NIPPLE MEANS THE PUP SHOULD TURN IT'S HEAD TO THE PRESSURE...AWAY FROM THE MILK SOURCE.-
SO BACK TO OUR FOAL.... HE JUST DID NOT HAVE THE INSTINCT OT FIND THE MARE'S MILK BAG-- AND WE SUFFRERED THRU THAT -- HE WAS OFTEN FOUND IN THE FAR CORNER OF THE STALL... LICKING THE WALL-- JUST DID NOT GET WITH THE PROGRAM--- LITERALLY HOLDING HIM AND HIS HEAD .. SEVERA L TIMES A DAY -- THEN SUPLIMENTING WITH FOAL LAC--- TIL HE FINALLY GOT TO EAT AND GRAZE... BUT HE WAS DEPENDENT ON ARTIFICIAL HUMAN SUPPORT FOR TEH 6 MONTHS WE HAD HIM...- AS HE GOT TO BE OF A FEW HUNDRED POUNDS, HIS ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR/ REACTIONS BECAME A DANGEROUS PROBLEM ESPECIALLY WITH A BARN FULL OF 4H KIDS... SO WE HAD TO PUT HIM DOWN.
LESSON? YOU CAN FIGHT MOMMY NATURE ALL YOU WANT , AND EVENTUALLY YOU WILL NOT WIN. THERE ARE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAVE NOT --- YET--- HAD A WANDERING PUPPY. LUCKILY--- BUT THERE IS SUCH A THING... A PUP WHO DOES NOT SEEK THE WARMTH OF MOMMY AND WANDERS TOO FAR, GETS CHILLED AND SLEEPS AWAY.
?FATHERS? I HAD A WONDERFUL DONKEY STUD-- THE MOST RELIABLE PLEASENT GUY--- WHO'S APPORACH TO FATHERHOOD WAS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THAN THE MOM'S... HE WAS KIND AND GENTLE UP TO A POINT... THEN AS THE SON'S AGED, HE BEGAN TO ARGUE WITH THEM MORE AND MORE- TIL THEY LEFT TOWN... OR STOPPPED ARGUEING ( DUE TO A SURGICAL CORRECTION)
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SO ON TO CHLOROX???
I MAKE THOSE LEASHES-- WHITE COTTON ROPE... SPLICED INBOT VARIOUS CONFIGURATIONS..... AND TEHY GET VERY GRUBBY LOOKING...
EVEN WITH A SOAPY DUNK ONCE IN A WHILE... THE WHITE IS GONE.....FINALLY YESTERDAY I HANDED A BUNCH TO DONNA-- THEY WERE SOOOOOO DIRTY I HATE TO THINK WHAT WAS ON HTEM.... SHE SET UP A PAIL OF CHLOROX ON HTE DECK AND THOSE ROPES ARE FAR WHITER THAN THEY WERE TO START WITH... BOY WAS I IMPRESSED !!!
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER.... THERE ARE NOT TOO MANY PLACES WE CAN LEAVE ANYTHING SOAKING FOR FEAR A DOG TRYS TO DRINK IT... SO SOAKING LEASHES DEMANDS A SEPARATE SET OF RULES....
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WHICH BRINGS US TO BUDS LATEST-- WE SHOULD HAVE THE PERSON WHO "CLOSES THE FARM" AT ABOUT 7PM DUMP ALL TH E OUTSIDE WATER BUCKETS-- JUST TIP THENM SIDEWAYS-- BECAUSE THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE REFILLED IN THE MORNING.. TO OFTEN PEOPLE GLANCE FROM A DISTANCE AND FIGURE IF THERE IS WATER, IT IS DRINKABLE..
NOT TRUE-- I HAVE WATCHED MO LITERALLY TURN HER NOSE UP AT A BUCKET DEEMED UNDRINKABLE BY HER STANDARDS.
SO EMPTYING THEM IS A GOOD IDEA.
JUST ONE MORE DETAIL OF LIFE ON THE FARM
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HEAVEN KNOWS WHY IT REMINDED ME OF........... THE SCHOOL BUSSES-- WHICH ARE PARKED IN A ROW EVERY NIGHT AT THE FARIGROUNDS...
THEY USED TO REQUIRE THAT DRIVERS AT THE END OF A RUN---GO TO THE BSCK OF THE BUS AND PUT UP AN EMPTY" SIGN. JUST TO PROVE THEY HAD CHECKED FOR A LOST KID....I USED TO RUN THE DOGS THERE IN THE MORNING.. AND COULD CHECK ALL THOSE SIGNS--HOWEVER.. TH E PRACTICE WAS STOPPED, BECAUSE THERE WERE TOO MANY TIMES THE DRIVERS STOPPED PUTTING UP THOSE SIGNS...
OK... HOW SENSIBLE IS THAT? EVERY YEAR THERE IS MORE THAN ONE KID GETTIN G LEFT IN THE BACK OF SOME BUS....-- SO PUT THI DRIVERS PAYCHECKS BACK THERE AND TEHY COUD MANANGE THE SHORT WALK...
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GEORGE HAS TO BE THE HAPPIEST, AND BEST MANAGED DOG IN TH E WORLD.... BELLA'S MOM DESCRIBES HIS ADDITION LIKE HAVING ONE MORE KID TO DEAL WITH... SHE DOES IT WELL
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WELL OUR WEEKEND AWAY HAS ENDED. WE ARE NOW ALL HOME AND BELLA AND GEORGE ARE TUCKED INTO BED SLEEPING SOUNDLY. WE HAD SUCH A GREAT WEEKEND WITH GREAT FRIENDS. BELLA GOT TO BE A KID IN THE WATER WHILE GEORGE WATCHED ON HAPPILY. WE STOPPED BY A COUPLE OF OUR FAVORITE BREWERY'S FOR SNACKS, DID A LITTLE SHOPPING, BIKING, AND OF COURSE SWIMMING! GEORGE IS GETTING BRAVER AND BRAVER AND GOES IN A LITTLE DEEPER EACH TIME. HE WAS LOVING FETCHING STICKS OUT OF THE WATER WHICH IS NEW FOR HIM THIS YEAR. THEN HE LOVED DIGGING HOLES IN THE SAND AND RUNNING AROUND LIKE CRAZY. ESPECIALLY WHEN NO ONE ELSE WAS AT THE BEACH. LOTS OF FUN ALL PACKED INTO A FEW DAYS. NOW TOMORROW IS INFUSION AND THEN THURSDAY MAY BE ANOTHER ADVENTURE BEFORE OUR CONVENTION THIS WEEKEND IN LOWELL. SO I AM OFF FOR NOW! LOVE BELLA AND GEORGE
