In earlier American rural life, communities raised barns because many hands were required. These events occured in a social framework with a good deal of interdependence. Members of rural communities often shared family bonds going back generations. They traded with each other, worshipped with each other and celebrated with each other. Barn raisings were an integral part of life and socializing.

In our modern American life, communities don't mean nearly as much as they did back then. It is our family's goal to bring a sense of community back to our lives and those lives that touch ours.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Ups and Downs

Life on a ranch is lovely, gratifying and heartbreaking all at once. The ups and downs of an average day are as varied as the cycles of the moon. So it goes. Today was a very up and down day.
The morning started out with a heavy grey fog and a dusting of snow. By afternoon, we were in the sixties with blue sky and a radiant sun.
 We cleaned out most of the the chickie pen for our new arrivals coming next week. 1/2 a stall down, 19 1/2 to go. I can't wait to see the chicks running amok.


Hubby using a come-along to move the horrificly heavy
 mats in the pens so that we can level the ground under them.

Nosy Liza, checking out the action.

Me scrubbing the bars. Possibly the most
 pointless job I have ever undertaken.
 We also had to shampoo the carpet in parts of the house due to Ranger being sick as a, well, dog. We were already planning to go to the vet to have him microchipped. Which really translates into driving in an Outback with three kids, one Hubby and a smelly dog for 30 some odd miles, just to get there and have the vet say, "Yep, he must have gotten into something." Gee, thanks. Clean vomit out of  the back of the car, load everyone back up, take a driving tour back home, including being charged and nearly sprayed by a skunk, only to have the dog get the runs a half mile from home. Oh, Ranger, I love you anyway.

Big dog sleeping in a small space. He chose it, not me.
We had a loss in ranchland today. Our sweet little/big heifer, dubbed Belle by Meme and the children, died today. Hers was a hard, short life. But not one that was missing love. Born broken, we tried everything to help her be strong and whole, but Mother Nature won this battle. A tough thing to witness for certain.
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