Getting Better

Inga's injury seems to be healing; at least we seem to be over the worst of it.

If I thought I had a clown act before, the new system must look twice as funny.  I will never be able to ask anyone to take over barn chores for a day; they couldn't follow the choreography involved.  It goes like this:  open the milking room door, put the buckets inside, fill the cereal bowl and put down a handful of grain for the mice.  Go around to the back stalls and herd Cindy outside.  She dawdles.  Go back for Inga, who hasn't yet gotten with the program, and pull her by the collar around to the milking room (MR) and up on the stand.  Go around outside to let Tessie and Esther out of the big room.  Back to MR and milk Inga while listening to Poppy bellow and Sheila whimper as they wait.  Push Inga out the door, go to back stalls, let Poppy out and throw a rope around Sheila's neck to bring her to MR.  Milk Sheila, squirting milk for the mice, and push her out.  Esther pulls the seniority card and comes in next.  Rake and shovel the big room floor while Esther eats, and empty the poo bucket contents over the fence.  Cindy is impatiently waiting outside and rushes in when Esther is done.  Take bucket, rake, and shovel around to clean the back stalls.  By the time I'm done with that, Cindy is finished and Tessie is ready to come in.  Milk Tessie.  Goat work complete, all that's left is putting down the nighttime snacks and filling the feed bucket for the next day.  Is it any wonder I hear calliope music?  All I need are the big red nose and floppy shoes.  I wish I knew then what I know now; we'd have built the barn with an entirely different plan.