This little man will turn one week old tomorrow. We weren’t sure if the other two lady cows were pregnant or not but here’s proof!

Scarlett is the herd leader so I have been extra respectful of her space and letting her dictate how comfortable she is with me around Rhett. She is allowing me to pet him often and trusts I won’t hurt him. He’s brave and even starts chasing after me – it’s too cute!

These cows are living the lives all cows should. They have a beautiful and safe home, get fed good groceries on a schedule and are free to roam around at will. As a reminder, I am simply their caretaker not owner. They are gracious to allow my girls to share their home and in return I make sure they all eat.

He’s still trying to figure out all his parts. Finding his legs was fun! These baby cows grow fast. He’ll be big and strong in no time and he has a good mother keeping him safe.

Hello World! I”m Rhett Bull

I’ve been fine-tuning things for the past couple months. We are now in a good groove and my girls make me look like I’m such a good trainer! Every morning I’m greeted at the front gate by Becca and usually a cow or two and the donks. Cass is always waiting at the barn gate. I open the gate and we all walk into the barn together. I hurry and put Eva (the cattledog) in the empty stall and then I open Cass’s stall for her. She’s always standing quietly waiting.

Becca tends to dawdle a bit so I get the donkeys food and they skip with me to their stall. They follow me in and eat their breakfast.

Sometimes they have a visitor who tries to horn in on the grub! That’s the dangers of having your own donkey door, you can get out when you want but those small enough can come in when they want.

By this time, Becca is usually fiddling with things she shouldn’t in the front of the barn. I ask her to walk to her stall and usually she does. Sometimes I have to guide her with the whip but when she realizes there’s hay waiting she’s in. Because of her desire to kick everything around with her front feet I start off with her hay in a bag…it still all ends up on the ground.

What does she see across the aisle?

Yummy! I always like having more than enough for them to eat.

With the big guys in their stalls, I let Eva out so she can assist me in the rest of the feeding. The girls munch on hay while I feed the cows. Then it’s their turn and they waste no time in devouring every bite. I bring Cass a bucket of water and she usually drinks it before I can even set it down. Becca doesn’t go through hers nearly as fast.

Becca & Cass hang in their stalls while I go about my chores. This keeps them away from the bugs and gives them a little rest. In the next few days we’ll be getting fans hung up to blow directly into each stall. It’s already horribly hot here. My girls are cold-weather horses so our heat and humidity is tough for them. When it’s time for them to go back out I groom and fly spray them and put their fly masks on. Cass doesn’t seem like she’d need one, does she? It’s more for her ears, she’s allergic to the bugs so we’re trying hard to keep her comfy.

These tails are professional fly swatters! Cass’s reaches to the ground. I have to keep it slightly trimmed so she doesn’t step on it.

Becca’s as long as her momma’s. Not quite as thick, yet. Hard to imagine when she barely had a little tail…just about time for her 2nd birthday!

They spend the day in the small pasture so they can get in the shed under the fan when they need to. Every night when I drive up for dinner, Cass is always standing under the fan. She’s a smart one. Life is good.

The blog has been heavy-handed with somber musings so today I write about the cute, cuddly and feathered. You’ve previously been introduced to our dogs and cats, now meet the critters!

This is Aunt Bea, a senior Cockatiel. When we originally rescued her she was estimated to be in her teens and that had to have been about 5 years ago. We know she’s an old-timer. Her feet are withered and crumpled due to arthritis but she still dances a jig when she gets excited. She has a special needs cage to allow her to get around without too much fuss. When her partner, Andy died last year we were afraid she wouldn’t be far behind, but she’s still kicking. In fact, I pulled an egg from her cage today! She’s a feisty old lady and quite pleasant to have around.

Bunnies have been part of the family for many, many years. We have a nice, safe set up for them but they aren’t the cuddly pets some people may think. They’re prey animals so they don’t appreciate being held like a cat or dog. They think everything is going to eat them. Ours are litterbox trained and love munching on greens. The brown male (neutered, of course) is Hugh. He did have a Hef but she passed away a few years back. He came from the feed store – I tore him from the grasp of a demon child and brought him home. He fit in the palm of my hand. That was over 5 years ago because shortly after the 3 hurricanes hit. After Hef died I felt he needed a friend so home came the other two (also from the feed store.) I don’t condone buying them this way but… the other two are Lionhead bunnies and were a fad for a while. Fads fade quickly and these two weren’t selling. The guys at the feed store gave me a deal and so Hotcross and Sticky came home. They’re sisters.

Dorothy the Dove is a pure love. She was from animal control, taken from a hoarding situation. All the big parrots got adopted quickly but no one wanted the little dove. She’s one of my favorites. She’s gentle and sweet and makes the coolest cooing sounds. She’s also laying eggs, it’s definitely springtime around here.

Felipe is a Roller Pigeon and he’s a failed rehab and release project. I really shouldn’t answer my phone when animal control calls. Oh, he rehabbed fine – just needed some groceries and rest. He was released but he kept coming back. One day he was sound asleep next to the front door so what else could I do? He joined the others on the back porch. I had been told by some “bird folks” it’d be ok to put him in the same cage as Dorothy because they couldn’t breed… well…

… where there’s a will, there’s a way! Meet Eggtooth, son of Dorothy and Felipe. Pretty boy, isn’t he? I hand-raised him after it was evident he was going to be killed by his father if allowed to stay in the nest too long. The star-crossed lovers were separated (much to Dorothy’s delight and Felipe’s dissatisfaction) and Eggers became my favorite helper. That is, until he matured and turned on me. He and his dad are aggressive little buggers! They’d kill one another if given the chance. All live in their own, separate cages and the noises they make are delightful and entertaining.

This stunning beauty is Jezebel, an Orange-Winged Amazon. She must be over 10 years old by now. I was taught to syringe feed her and we formed a tight bond. When she was little she would shower with me and we’d sing “Singing in the Rain”! She’s funny and independent. She only says a handful of phrases but she gets her message across. We were having a cold snap when American Idol began this season so she was living in the tv room for a while instead of the back porch. You should have seen her light up when the contestants would start singing! She also loves to imitate sounds like the microwave and phone.

Nambu is a Bronze-Winged Pionus and is just a bit younger than Jezebel. They’re friends but have their own big cages. She was in a couple homes before we got her. Nambu is much more sensitive and doesn’t like change. You can see where she plucked her feathers out when she had to come in from her big cage for the cold snap. First night in her entire chest was plucked. She doesn’t talk but will come over for a head rub. She loves to get baths and puts on quite a show when it rains. She’s stunning to look at, her coloring is amazing.

Last, but certainly not least, is our Sugar Glider … Pica. What’s a Sugar Glider is our most asked question. She’s a marsupial, which means she’s nocturnal, has a pouch (like a kangaroo) and has  “hands”. Pica lost her mate, Pixel last year but she seems to be managing without him. He was 13 years old when he passed. She’s been with us over 10 years now. Pica came from a school teacher who didn’t have time for her anymore. She’s sitting on my shoulder in this shot, she’s tiny enough to fit in the palm of my hand. They’re really not the right pet for just anyone. They’re fragile and super fast. They have specific diet and caging requirements. Read up before getting one, people.

I heard a story today about a Teddy Bear Parade. An aunt picked her two nephews up from school and set about creating a float to be in the Teddy Bear Parade. They used an old boot box, some blankets and lots of giggles and glue to put it together. The next day at school the two brothers proudly marched with their teddy bears. When you’re in first grade life is simple and all about Teddy Bear Parades.

(Jim in the Teddy Bear Parade, 1st grade.)

Jim and his brother, Nick, haven’t had it easy growing up. Up until they were pre-teens my sister was raising them alone, but that was a much better option than with their real father. Vickie’s the first to admit she’s not always made the best decisions in her life but her love for her boys is steadfast. Their little trio has an unbreakable bond which comes from living amongst chaos. Unfortunately, love isn’t all you need. Teddy Bear Parades can only fix so much.

(Vickie looking so pretty.)

(Jim & cousin Kelly, big-time love.)

(Little brother Nick & Jim.)

(Jim & Uncle Craig playing air-guitar.)

(Jim & Nick, having a birthday.)

(Jim)

There once was joy in this little boy. He had endless possibilities to a great adult life but he didn’t take them. Or maybe his chaotic life kept him from being able to take them? I don’t know. My only real memories of my nephew are from these joyous times as a child. I’ve lived in a different state all of his life. I’ll remember his joy and potential, which I mourn deeply. I regret not reaching out to him as he began struggling. Many times I thought about sending him songs that helped me. But I never did. I’m so sorry. I know many people did reach out and we still ended up with the same result, a life lost at 21.

(Kelly, Nick, me, Vickie, Jim.)

(Me & Jim in the hot tub.)

(Cousin Lindsey, Jim, me & Kelly in the hot tub.)

(Jim looking forlorn.)

No one aspires to be a drug addict. No one wants to do the things necessary in order to feed your habit. Jim somehow became what he hated most. And that fueled a rage he would allow to consume him. It didn’t have to be this way. When he was a young boy, any sport he tried he excelled. He has trophies from baseball, BMX bikes, wrestling and football. The first time his Grandpa Payne took him to play golf (he was 8 years old) he made a 30 foot putt without so much as a thought. His Grandpa took him to the Masters Tournament and bought him clubs. He was one of the many who tried so hard to save this boy from himself. It broke his heart when Jim, as an adult, asked to move in with them after a stint in a correctional facility. He’d been his only weekly visitor for many months. His Grandpa told him no, he’d shown he could no longer be trusted. That’s what drugs do. Jim was a good person at heart and loved them but when it came to drugs all his morals went out the window. Drugs become your only focus and the only thing that matters. What a lonely world one creates.

(Samurai Jim @ Halloween.)

(Vickie & Jim @ Christmas.)

(Another exciting birthday.)

(Kelly helping Jim w/his cards.)

Jim had many people who loved and would do anything for him. I can only suppose he convinced himself he wasn’t worthy. I believe he wanted to stop and have a normal and good life. He just wasn’t strong enough. He was running away from himself. But addiction was in his genes.

“The same gene or genes are responsible for all forms of addiction. Regardless of your manifestation of the addiction gene, you will have about a 50% probability of passing that on to your children. But remember, genes are not destiny, and what you are passing is the predisposition.”

“Addiction is a biological switch having been thrown in the deep regions of the brain. For the most part emotional disregulation is why people go to drugs in the first place: Difficulty regulating feelings, trying to feel better, seeking solutions to emotional states, and inadvertently throwing that switch.” ~ Dr. Drew Pinskey

Addiction is addiction, no matter what your drug of choice. In my mind, it’s all the same, be it heroin, pills, alcohol or nicotine. If you can’t step away from it, if you can’t function without it, then you have a problem and need help.

Jim was surrounded by bad influences. He wouldn’t take the help offered. The number one reason people get back into drugs is because they go back to their useless druggie friends. To get off the drugs you must do more then stop taking them, you have to break all links with that drug culture. That is where this sweet boy failed.

(Jim & Nick on a rare vacation.)

His mother has been  married to Joe since the boys were around 11. He’s a good man, good to her and loves both her sons like his own. He tried to help Jim, too. They have a young son together, Joey, who idolizes his big brother. It’s difficult for a 10 year old to understand the finality of death, especially when that brother just made him promises. My heart breaks for all of them. I know this, love does heal the wounds it makes. I pray their little family reaches out to those who truly love them.

(A brothers love – Jim, Joey, Nick.)

(Jim 13 years in red in the middle, next to Kelly holding Joey. Grandma’s birthday party.)

(Joey, Jim & Dubbs.)

With the loss of my nephew, I’ve met his fiancee’, Genevieve. I’m thankful he knew her love before leaving us. I know nothing of their story but it doesn’t matter. Her heart is broken along with the rest of us. I pray she finds the strength to make the good life for herself Jim wanted. A friend told me, “I cannot honestly say what the reasons for the journey was to only lose in the end, but I am sure it is not ours to question why, but to believe that there was a reason and a season.”

( Gen & Jim.)

When I got the call about Jim, I began questioning my faith. Life is just too cruel sometimes. I got angry. Then I simply felt sorrow. I wished we could all be back watching the Teddy Bear Parade. I cry for the little boy lost. I cry for his brothers. I cry for my sister and her husband. I cry for all of us. I pray my sweet nephew is now in the arms of the Angels. May you find your comfort there. I can smile as I know he feels all the love and hope and peace he couldn’t find here on Earth. He has his Grandpas with him and they will now watch over us, without judgment or anger, only Heaven’s beautiful light.

(Vickie & Jim. A mother’s love.)

James B. Waller of St. Charles, MO born Nov. 22 1988, passed away on April 6, 2010. Dear son of Joe and Vickie DuBois; beloved fiancée to Genevieve Hewitt; beloved brother of Nick Waller and Joey DuBois; dear grandson to Agnes (the late Bobby) Payne, Mary Ann (the late Harold) DuBois, the late James C. Baize, and the late Jane and Jim Waller, nephew, cousin, and friend.

Gone too soon. We love you Jim.  Always have, always will.

Our great and powerful veterinarian, Dr. Rick, battled with Dixxy’s dental dejects and won! The poor girl was a mess. One abscess had begun to work it’s way out of the front of her face. She had several broken teeth with roots dangling and just the pulp exposed. The girl had to be feeling massive amounts of pain. He pulled a total of 10 teeth after working on her for over 2 hours. She had to lose both upper canines but the bottom ones were ok. If we’d lost those, too, her tongue would be permanently hanging out. She was sneezing up blood a good part of the night but she already feels much better. We’ll be continuing the heavy-duty antibiotics.

Her orthopedic worries are much more than simple age-related arthritis. In fact, he thinks she’s only around 10 years old. Dr. Rick also thinks she has the equivalent of rheumatoid arthritis, every joint is affected except her hips. All of us viewing the x-rays cringed in pain as we saw all the inflammation and creaky edges of bone that are supposed to be smooth. The body tries to heal itself and make up for any instabilities. Her spine has attempted to do just that. Each vertebrae has formed a bridge to the next in an attempt to further protect the spinal cord from damage. All the doctors felt it’s unreal she can walk at all, much less sprint across the yard. Remember, this is one tough broad. Dixxy’s range of motion in her wrists, ankles and knees is severely limited. That, along with the swelling, is why she resembles a bulldog in her conformation. Her attitude is amazing. She’s happy, she’s joyful at every little thing and that’s with being in a tremendous amount of pain. So, we work on giving her pain relief. Usually we start off with the basics of pain care but in Dixxy’s case we have to start by throwing everything at her. Her plan includes diet, supplements, drugs, acupuncture and hydrotherapy. I’ll be administering one of the drugs at home to save costs. It’s called Adequan and it’s shown great results with injured race horses for many years. It can actually repair joints. The dog world has been using it and seeing great results, too. We’ll start off with 2 injections per week for a couple months and then go to once monthly for potentially the rest of her life.

She’s sporting a cute, pink bandage on her back left foot. The growth that was there was removed during the dental surgery. Dr. Rick first did a needle aspirate to determine if there were any cancerous cells but all he got was blood. The location and size of the growth dictated removing it since she was already under sedation. Let’s all pray the lab tests come back showing it’s benign. Dixxy is also hypothyroid – meaning her thyroid doesn’t function properly. This makes them feel sluggish, itchy, thirsty, etc. That’ll be the easiest problem to get back on track. Thankfully, the meds for that are cheap. So, all in all, Dixxy Blü’s a trainwreck but no sweeter dog deserved our help. She’s got a fantastic team in her corner.

Red Jöölz went along with her mother (we all feel that’s their relationship) to meet the great and powerful Dr. Rick. She worked him just like I told her and immediately climbed in his lap and started kissing. She has a strange gait and I wanted him to do an orthopedic check on her and pull some bloodwork. In comparison, Jöölz is the picture of health – she’s probably hypothyroid, too, but he couldn’t find much else to worry abut. Her hips and pelvis were ok. She also has a simple joy about her and it’s infectious. She makes everyone smile.

I have no idea what our bill was from yesterday. I left with them after hours so the computers were already shut down. We’ve already gotten some generous donations from fans and we thank you deeply for that. Dixxy’s got a tough road ahead of her but she’ll walk it as pain free as possible. Please keep these sweethearts in your prayers.

Sometimes, as seen in the case of Karen the minpin, this is true. But not so for the girls you’re about to meet. If you’re a fan of John Cusack movies then you’ll get my reference, “Now that’s a real shame when folks be throwin’ away a perfectly good dog like that!” This is how we first met Dixie and Jewel, in a photo from a neighboring county shelter. You can see the fear and the question, “why are we here?”

These two adult, possibly senior dogs, were found when shelter workers began their day. They were left together in what’s known as a night drop cage. It’s set up so people can leave dogs, cats or whatever animal, under the cover of darkness but without facing the scrutiny of others. God takes care of selfish cowards. The note left with them simply said their names, estimated ages of eight years and “they’re good girls”. I suppose many will say, at least they did this much for them.

As it often does, word got out on the internet. It didn’t take long for Dixie and Jewel to start amassing a fan base because, after all, they’re perfectly good dogs. Word travels quickly from rescue group to rescue group and these weren’t just your run-of-the-mill-generic-mutt-dogs. These two are purebred Australian Cattledogs, also known as Blue or Red Heelers. One of the most awesome breeds in all of Dogdom! The shelter staff noticed the bond between the two, are they sisters? Mother and daughter? They also noticed everyone passing them by as they saw their skin problems and the obvious age in their bodies. Who wants an old dog, even if it is a perfectly good dog? So Dixie and Jewel sat and waited. They tried to comfort one another. Both also tried to show people how good they were, but Dixie’s mouth hurt really bad and made her look as if she was snarling. Jewel couldn’t stop chewing her own itching fur long enough to tell people how much she loves giving kisses. So, they kept waiting, for nearly twenty days. Were they waiting for the owner that let them down? I’m sure of it.

Scottie and I took our two Cattledogs, Eva and Barby to our county shelters Adopt-A-Thon last weekend. It was to be a fun outing, not a work event. Barby got to see all the shelter staff from her time of incarceration and everyone was amazed at her progress. It was a challenge for Eva, who tends to be a bit on the aggressive side towards dogs outside her own pack but she behaved perfectly. We couldn’t walk two feet without someone stopping to ask us about our gorgeous girls. More than one rescue group mentioned to us that there were two perfectly good Cattledogs at another shelter. (Told you the word had gotten around.) When we got home I looked them up and saw the above photos. My heart broke for them but Scottie’s heart broke even more. I forced myself to get them out of my mind, as we didn’t need or want another dog – much less two! He, however, couldn’t do it. A few days went by and I saw a posting for them on Craig’s List. Their fans were really trying hard to get them out. The shelter was full and Dixie and Jewel now had an expiration date. They’d already been there longer than the norm.  I “accidentally” left the posting up for Scottie to see and he put things in motion to get these girls out before they were euthanized.

And that’s exactly what we did.

Many fans of Dixie and Jewel came together to make it possible. They would like to thank Cheryl Lynn, Kim, Jynni, Flavia, Tracey and Second Chance Rescue. Without them caring these two would not have had a chance at a comeback. And what a comeback they’re already making. They know their names so we’ve kept them as such, but with a twist. In keeping with our nod to the eighties and being fans of metal bands we now introduce to you Dixxy Blü and Red Jöölz! (yes, complete with umlauts over the “u” and “o”)

Dixxy has some major health issues we’re addressing. Her mouth is atrocious. The entire side of her face is swollen with infection from all the broken and abscessed teeth.  She has knees and elbows riddled with arthritis. Doesn’t stop her from sprinting across the yard or chewing on a bone, though. If one were to define her in human terms it would be as one tough broad! We probably need to buy her a Harley shirt.

Jöölz probably has permanent damage to her skin from years of infections running rampant. The likely cause is a simple flea allergy which is not so unusual. She also has some crunchy hips but will do a pirouette straight up in the air to give you a kiss. She’s the free-spirited, butterfly chaser of the two.

The acclimation into the pack went surprisingly smooth. We took advice from watching many episodes of The Dog Whisperer and made the four cowgirls walk together as a pack immediately. Barby is a bit miffed there are now more dogs to take her Scottie’s attention but she’s being good. She won’t start anything but will defend herself if someone gets too far into her space. Heck, she growls at us if we get too close. (front to back: Barby, Jöölz, Eva, Dixxy)

Eva is showing respect to the elder cowgirls. Being the youngest, she may get reprimanded but so far I’ve been able to remind all of them, I’m the alpha around here! I have no doubt Dixxy is just the biker chick to put her in her place when she needs it. (Eva front, Dixxy back)

The comeback of these two, thrown away dogs has now begun. It’s crazy that someone would toss out two perfectly good dogs that are housebroken, obedient, good with cats, calm, quiet, sweet, funny and wise but it happens on a daily basis in this country. We have a lot of work ahead of us to get them feeling better but we’re definitely on the right path.

We’re hoping Dixxy’s bloodwork will come back today showing she’s strong enough to have Dr. Rick take care of the years of neglect in her mouth. She’s gonna feel like a different dog once all that pain’s gone. He has yet to meet these two in person and I’m looking forward to it. He’s quite the Cattledog fan, as well. How could you not be?

(excuse me for a moment, we have to pose for our 80s metal album cover)

If any of Dixxy Blü’s and Red Jöölz’s fans would like to contribute to their comeback it’d be much appreciated. They’ll do their best to get back into shape and be the rocking duo they once were. They love getting out and about so look for them soon at a venue near you!

Keep in mind, any donation is not tax deductible – we’re just a couple of dog devotees who do the best we can by them. You can call Longwood Vet Clinic at 407-834-2526 to help with the bills. Just tell them you’re calling to help Dixxy and Jöölz under “Kathleen Rescue”. They can take your credit card over the phone.  Or you can donate through Paypal by clicking the button below:

Thank you so much and please keep these lovely gals in your prayers.

Becca’s going to begin training under saddle soon so we needed to address any dental issues beforehand. It’s not nice to put a bit in a horse’s mouth if there are owchy teeth in the way. She hasn’t actually lost any of her baby teeth, yet, but she did have what’s known as Wolf Teeth.

“Wolf teeth are very small teeth located in front of the second premolar and do not have long roots that set them firmly in the jaw bone. They rarely appear in the lower jaw A horse may have one, two, or no wolf teeth. While not all wolf teeth are troublesome, veterinarians routinely remove them to prevent pain or interference from a bit.” (http://dclahdvm.com/articles/dental.htm)

Yes, the horse needs to be heavily sedated for this and any dental procedure. Much safer for them, much safer for us and you can really get in there and work without the horse having any memory of it. There are those that claim “no sedation equine dentistry” and don’t use the head gear for support – I don’t buy it. Becca is so loopy because we had to double dose her, I’m holding her up. My Fjords are tough, tough girls!

Can you see that pointy thing in front of her premolar? That’s the Wolf Tooth. Cass still has hers but they’re flush to her gumline so shouldn’t cause any problems. Becca’s were another story.

The tools used are actually tools, picks, pliers, etc.

She started seriously wobbling around so we moved her to where she could lean into the barn a bit.

Dr. Roberts had to use a lot of muscle to get these teeth out. She was wiped out when we were done.

Left side out…

Working on the right…

Yep, it’s bloody in there…

Right side out!

After pulling the teeth it was time to file down any sharp points,

and remove any built up tartar.

Rinse & spit, Becca – good girl!

Smile for the camera!

Becca did well. She turns two soon and she’s shown maturity in these past months. Leslie (our trainer) thinks she’s gonna be a breeze to train to ride. I try to do my best by these big girls and we all have to keep up with our teeth. I took advantage of the drugs and trimmed Becca’s mane while she was out of it. I liked her wild look but our unbearably hot weather’s right around the corner and she needs to look like a respectable Fjord, anyway.

After about an hour’s rest in the stall she was back out in the pasture with her mother. There’ve been no repercussions and now we can start working for real. It’s very exciting!

Barby, our elder cattledog, accompanied Scottie to the barn the other day. Becca’s used to seeing Eva everyday so meeting another dog was no big deal.

Barby requested he never bring her there again! As soon as we let her off leash she made a beeline for the gate.

When Dr. Roberts came out to do Becca’s dental, she was able to get a good look at Maybelline’s injuries. She’s as perplexed as we are as to what happened. Is this just the best cow, or what?!

This shows how the inside digits on her back hooves were literally broken in half.

These are not the weight bearing toes so it’s not really plausible she did it herself with some type of quick movement. She was very sore  and limping until the pieces broke all the way off.

During the exam, the onlookers show their support and concern.

Maybelline is no longer limping. I’m keeping a close watch on her to show any signs of infection, but so far so good. She’s also off the pain meds, which is good. Sure wish we knew what happened that night. We’re fairly sure “it” was scared off by our bravest girl, Becca. Ever since she’s shown a new dominant air and the cows are showing her respect. I wouldn’t want her whomping up on me!

Our baby lamb was put out of her misery this morning after being attacked by something overnight. We don’t know what happened. Her hoof was gone and she was trying to get around on her bloody stump. Maybelline (momma cow) and Becca were also sporting injuries. Their wounds are not life threatening. We are desperately trying to piece together what happened. One guess is coyotes, Maybelline intervened by kicking, Becca clipped herself in a frantic run. We just don’t know. Life on the farm sometimes means death. Guess I’ll see you in the clouds now, little one. Our sweet, scared, Little Mary Lamb.

This marks the 2 year anniversary of my girl making her trek from Canada to sunny Florida. So many things have changed. I’ve changed. Our family has changed. She’s certainly changed and Becca just keeps growing. When we started out both Cass & I were terrified. I was dependent on everyone around me. Now, we confidently run our own little barn and care for cows, donkeys and even a lamb. We’ve weathered some terrible sadness and loss. Cass is always there for me whether I need to cry or laugh. Enjoy the beauty that is Cass and Becca.

Cass & I walking to the small pasture. See why I love her so much?

Cass doing what she does best.

Becca hanging out with Clementine & Mathilda.

Beautiful Becca…who needs a haircut.