I Talk To the Animals

My neighbor Judy drove up for eggs just as I was walking out to start the day with Stumpy under my arm.  Judy gave me the strangest look.  I don't think she was serious when she asked if Stumpy slept with me too.

While milking, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and there were six sets of tiny eyes staring back.  Braveheart's kids had come out from their corner to watch the show, lined up in a row, no bigger than thimbles.  It took Mrs. Braveheart a while to join her kidlets, but the babies were fearless.  I put down grain for them, and they each politely took a piece and settled in to see what would happen next.  They'd duck out of the way when I'd switch goats, but come right back to their seats, not two feet from my feet.  I assume Mr. Braveheart was off slaying dragons or some such.  Leaving the barn, ground squirrels in the pen had come up out of their burrows to enjoy the sunshine, resting their elbows on the edges of the holes and watching the goats.  It doesn't take much to amuse a ground squirrel.

I had to waste a perfectly good day of gorgeous weather by going into town for supplies, but as I made a stop at one store in Diamond Springs, there...right there in the parking lot...were two Canadian honkers sitting beside a mud puddle.  I guess when you're on a long trip, you take your rest stops where you find them.

Just before going out to put the girls to bed at sundown, I glanced down into the front orchard, and saw four does standing under the blooming cherry tree, an awesome sight.  These pretty ladies must be some relation to Tawny.  She was much lighter in color than the standard black-tail deer, and these were blonds, too.  It's so nice to see deer back in the neighborhood.

I had no idea California and Ohio had much in common, but it appears we share weather.  In the high seventies right now, a storm with snow down to 2,400 is predicted for Tuesday.  In the past, I've been wearing a tank top while hanging turtleneck sweaters on the line from the previous week's laundry.  Looks like it's going to be that way for awhile.

It was a most excellent day, spent in the company of large and small furred and feathered friends.