Friday, March 12, 2010

Just Wait

As the saying goes, if you don't like the weather, just wait a day (or sometimes five minutes).  These pictures are taken two days apart.  The snowfall was pretty wimpy and only stayed until late afternoon, but it just goes to show how fast it can change. 

I'm also "just waiting" for Sheila to drop her kid(s).  We're at that stage when I'm continually checking under her tail for signs of impending delivery.  (Again, it's a good thing no one is watching me...I'd hate to think what would be said about me now.)  There are two tendons running from the spine to the hip points that are normally taut as bowstrings.  These soften and stretch just before birth to allow the pelvis to expand, so I'm also feeling her back end for those.  The girls are perfectly capable of delivering on their own, but it seems to give them comfort to have me close by when their time comes, and I never get over the awe of watching the miracle of birth. 

It's time for my semiannual tirade against the time change to or from (I've lost track of which is "real" time) Daylight Savings Time.  It makes me nuts and totally upsets the schedule.  The goats and chickens all run on the daylight they can see, not what the clock says, so what good does it do a farmer to move the clock hands?  The best analogy I've heard is that of cutting six inches from the top of a short blanket and sewing it to the bottom so your feet will be covered.  There are only so many hours of daylight, winter or summer, and changing the time will not create more...period.  Case in point:  the girls go to bed at sundown.  Right now the sun sets at six o'clock.  I received a dinner invitation for six o'clock.  I could put the girls to bed a little early and still make it on time and enjoy the evening.  However, with the time change, bedtime won't be until seven.  The chickens will not go in their house until sundown.  Do I go to dinner, leave in the middle of the meal, come home and put the girls to bed, and go back, stay home and miss the rest of dinner, or let them stay out and try to find them in the dark when I come home? 

Why isn't a chicken worried about the economy?  (Because she always has a nest egg.)




1 comment:

Cally Kid said...

Fast changing weather is the norm here in Florida also. A tornado tore through here last nite, it's raining like crazy now and tomorrow is going to be sunny and 75 degrees. I agree with the seeming futility of a time change. "Real Time" worked for how many milenia before we decided to "fix" it? As for your dinner, since the chickens would interfere with your dinner time couldn't you just invite your friends over for a "Chicken Dinner"? And then you could all go down to barn and lift the goats tails until then find the new (soon to be) mama!! Okay, okay it's not something I should joke about but....I'm just sayin.