Star has been here now for two months. It seems like she just arrived in some ways, but the pasture is mostly eaten and the dry weather has limited the new grass that’s available. She’s very happy eating her hay. Star’s past is largely a mystery. She was brought here from Maryland by my neighbor’s…
A whinny greeted me this morning and all mornings now since Star arrived on May 11th. The sound is music to me and I love hearing her and seeing her pretty self at the gate wanting to know when I will be out to feed her, brush her, walk her, fix a new pasture section…
As my good studio cat Singer left the earth I walked with her tiny body that had given me joy for close to sixteen years. Her purr was strong and her little body would vibrate filled with happiness and gratitude as she purred and curled up next to me over those years. Steppin had left…
The seeds from the wildflowers fell softly to the earth that was Steppin’s grave. There were forget-me-nots, shasta daisies, marigolds, and wildflower mix seeds for bees and butterflies. They made a gentle contact with the earth. Steppin is buried here at the south end of the pasture, near some tall maple trees. She used to…
It was yesterday April 23 that I had to say good bye to my old best cow Steppin Up. Cows have been a part of my life for about fifty years now and Steppin has been our last cow. The winter was a hard one and Steppin turned 15 years last September. A few other…
We had been on our farm but two years and there was little to report as profit. The book work was long and full of tiny details and big expenses. Each category of expense had many breakdowns with in it. Barn supply, milkroom supply, medical expenses, bedding, feed for cows, calves (what kind of feed,…
The chair lift stopped mid way up the mountain. Dick and I were at Stratton Mountain, Vermont. It was 21 below zero, but we had so looked forward to skiing on our anniversary we were out there anyway. The wind picked up rocking the chairs back and forth. We sat high in the frigid air…
The morning on pasture gave a renewal to our spirits, even though each day was long and left us with the feeling that we had accomplished little. I felt happy to be alive when I went to get the cows from the pasture covered with sparkling drops of dew. (There were days I wasn’t happy,…
I’ve been dreaming a lot about my horses, which I think I’ve spoken about — missing them so much. And I began to go back and read one of the books that I’ve had for almost 50 years now, The Morgan Horse by Jeanne Mellin. Jeanne is an equine artist but especially a lover of…
As winter approaches, the days get shorter and grey. I find myself often staring into a sunset and being swept up in a wave of melancholy. The angle of the sun seems to shines into my eyes and pierce my brain, I can almost taste it. I go about my chores but not with my…