How was your day hon?
Fine. Yours?
nothing different. Hand me the peas. Thanks. Jonnie, stop that. I am sure your sister doesn't like peas in her ears. No not up her nose either. Just sit down and eat.. . . mmmm. . . you know that blog I have been reading? A Homesteading Neophyte?
umm. . . that the one with that odd girl fee-lynne.
Fay-lynne, and yes.
What about it?
You should have seen her post today. It was rather disturbing.
Did she talk about butchering an animal again.
No not really. She is odd, I'm not sure why I even read it. I have this romantic vision of homesteading, and then she goes and says things like she did today.
What?
She said that it was really cold yesterday.
It was freezing here.
Would you let me tell the story. She went out to milk, and her fingers were sticking to the metal of the gates, her skin came off! I just can't imagine that this is what homesteading really is.
That it? She'll be fine.
I wasn't done. Here let me get that. ok, anyways. Her goat died, and well, yesterday in twenty below windchill, she sheared the goat. It was dead, and frozen. Can you imagine. It just doesn't seem right.
Why would she shear a dead goat?
It's nasty. She said something about practice and that the hair in the middle was fine, it was the either ends that had the dog damage. She didn't cut those. She said it was hard to do, emotionally, but it was part of the life. She would have cried if her eyes weren't frozen.
hummm. . .
She scares me.
20 comments:
HAhahaha. Well, you are a bit frightening! ;)
so sorry to hear about your Dora. As far as the frightening part goes - nah you're just right! Thanks for being you! K
It's sad when we have to do things like that. It hurts and we push the pain away and get on with the things that have to be done.
I have never had to do what you did, but I compare it to burrying a loved pet for the THIRD time after another dog kept digging it up--and finally giving up and putting the carcas in a black bag and throwing it out with the trash.
I'm sorry you lost Dora and I'm sorry you had to do that. But I'm glad you were able to do it.
(Besides... scary is AWESOME!)
I've only just found your blog, but I am sorry to hear about Dora. When you posted that she had died, I was wondering if you were going to shear her or not. And I hope your fingers are ok. That's really cold!
Ouch! And she might be scary but she's oh so inspiring too...
The healing has begun. Dora is gone but not from your heart. She will always be there.
Death and Life are a part of farming. Many people do not realize the harshness of farming...but people also do not know the wonder and the beauty of farming.
Hang in there.
Sorry for your trials. Bluck. Think warm and fuzzy thoughts... that's about all you can do.
I totally get the shearing thing, my dh is now realising that the romantic version of homesteading is not real and there are difficult things that have to be done. Hope your fingers are better.
Always thought I would love homesteading, but on second thought, it is kind of heartbreaking at times. I don't think I would or could deal with it. Love how you treat your critters by giving them the best possible life.
Anyone who wants to homestead should know that it's anything but easy before making up their minds. That's how the life is and regardless, some of us are just scary (crazy?) enough to do it.
I think it's great that you didn't let some misguided sense of morbidity or inappropriateness dissuade you from make best use of your goat. I know you loved her and you miss her, and I'm glad that there was some residual use for her fur after her untimely demise.
By the way - any idea whose dogs did the attacking? Any recourse there?
I love the way you posted this.
I am sorry you had to do that. And Pooldad [my hubby] asked the same thing...any recourse against the dog owners?
I know when we lived in a rural area during the winter months [from October until April] it was legal for dogs to run loose and not obey leash/pen laws....but I was wondering about you.
Hugs and I hope you are warm soon!
She doesn't scare me. She shows me strength of character and takes good care of all her animals. That's a good sign to me.
I'm sorry to hear about Dora. I hope donkey finds another friend, apart from you.
We had a terrible period during the year when our fish died, then some chickens (killed by dogs), then our beloved old Airedale Rosie. We thought it was something we were doing but we got over that and realised when you keep a lot of animals some of them will die. It doesn't make it easier though.
Take care, Phelan, and good luck dealing with the bank.
I tagged you at my blog: http://living-away.blogspot.com/2008/12/green-meme-2.html
Shearing Dora makes sense. Now with the wool sheared from her you can spin some nice yarn and incorporate it into a nice scarf or hat you can keep and it will still be useful.
I hope your hands get better. Perhaps you should use her wool to knit yourself some mittens so this doesn't happen again ;P
Heal up and good luck all around.
i had to do that when my 'pet' sheep died a few months back. and, it wasn't freezing so i did cry. but, it is life.
oh, and today, i butchered a chicken in 18 degrees weather. before i could finish plucking it, all the feathers were frozen together.
I love that gal she is an inspiration to everyone, she is loving and compassionate not only to others but to her animals.
So the dog thing, the only thing I can do is shoot them once they are in the yard again. These dogs are the same dogs that were attacking our horses when we were in the road. No one will do anything. My good neighbor has told the onwers that if those dogs are on his property again, harrasing his goats again, he will shoot them. I screamed at the owner to get his dogs when they were bitting our horses. The dogs bit a runner. And for some reason the "dog catchers" won't do anything about them. Dora was 10 years old, didn't have much time left in normal time, she could no longer breed, so trying to get anything for her is moot.
LOL I so enjoy reading your posts. =)
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