Tessie saw Twenty-Two yesterday for the first time in two weeks. Paul Simon's song immediately came into my mind (and has been stuck there) as soon as I took this photo. Twenty-Two had an identity crisis; he's so firmly bonded to me I'm not sure he knows he's a goat. Like a shy little kid, he hid behind my legs and it took a bit of urging to get him to go to the gate to say hello to his real mama. Tessie certainly remembered him and talked to him constantly in that special voice goat mothers use for their kids. I hope it reassured her to see that he's fine and didn't make the separation more difficult for her. He's a sturdy little boy and is fast outgrowing the nursery stall. After breakfast and lunch I've been letting him into the hall to get some exercise, but hadn't let him out to the play yard until he was big enough not to squeeze through the gap by the gate posts. In another week I'll give him the run of the barn, but will keep him separate from the herd until he's weaned.
Going to get the goats' alfalfa in the morning, I discovered these tiny eggshells under the swallow's nest. At first I feared they'd been thrown out intact and broke on impact, but on inspection it was obvious that the babies, at least two, have hatched. The speckled shells are incredibly delicate; even putting them on this small oak leaf for size comparison was difficult without shattering. The nest is too high for me to see into, even climbing up on a couple of bales. Mama bird stayed close by and I didn't want to send her into a dither by prolonging my visit.
My dear little camera is showing a "lens error" message and needs to go to Nikon for repair. The nice lady I spoke to assured me it would be back in seven to ten days. I'll be lost without it when I send it in, as I just never knows when a great "photo op" like the two above is going to turn up. Putting the camera in my pocket now is as natural as putting on my glasses.
A cooler day was incentive to get the side and back yards mowed in the afternoon. The danged star thistle is about the only thing growing now, but it does persist. If it stays cool today, I might actually get the mountains of pulled weeds moved out of the front yard. Or not.
2 comments:
Well Dang - about the camera, that is! Maybe you can use your phone if an op appears and you are sans lens! Cute, cute, cute mother and child reunion, and now nice that the barn swallows have been successful. You are surrounded by nurseries! Here's hoping for cool for you - we are "June Gloom" surrounded - even looks like fog...and yesterday was so bright at this hour that it looked like mid-day at the beach! I personally don't think we are in charge of the weather at all! If we are, then whoever is doing the ordering needs to be fired!
Make that "how nice" about the barn swallows.
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