Lights in the Woods

Mom came to see me during Lights in the Woods, our winter fundraiser.  Miss Kathy hitches up the big draft horses to the wagon, and the girls get a little exercise hauling people around the farm while they sing songs and drink hot chocolate (the people, not the team!).  The guests always smile a lot, and stand in line to take a ride.  They come and visit me, afterward. The big Percherons and Belgians enjoy showing off in their dress harnesses and bells, too.  They like the crisp winter air and all the attention.

Mom wasn't interested in the lights, but she sure took lots of pictures of me and my friends.  After that, she sold hot chocolate and other yummy things to the humans (and snuck some to our cat friend, 24, who always mooches from her during these events, and to Faith the dog.  They're both lucky enough to be able to wander all around by themselves.  I'd mooch from mom too, if I could do that!  But mom always brings me treats anyway.  She loves me a lot.  Yesterday I got a cabbage heart.  Yum!

Anyway, here are some of our friends:

Last spring's doelings.  They sing for mom. 

Alfie sings too, but mostly for his supper.

One of my Toggenburg friends. What a show off.

Micah keeps an eye on things.

Here are the girls, waiting to get dressed for the evening.

"I know I'm beautiful!"

"So do I!"

Micah's puppy/ girlfriend, Faith.  I was the first Faith here, but we needed more.

Mom can't resist me.  This is my serious look.

That's silly Gopi in the middle.  She's a yearling calf, and kind of grouchy.

Baby Pumpkin still likes his chin scratched.  He begs mom for a good scratch like this!

So does Darla.  She makes lovie-eyes at mom, and gives her wet kisses.

Baby asked mom for attention, but was too lazy to get up. She's getting fat.

Doe looks like a deer in the headlight.  She's getting fat, too!

Isn't little Pumpkin cute?  He's bigger than we are now, and he was only born on November 2nd!

Of course, mom loves ME the best. You see my ear?  One of my goatfriends tore the clip out of it last summer.  Mom was mad, but she said it would heal, and it did.  Mom says, "NO MORE CLIPS!" I think it gives me a kind of dangerous look.  Mom said it adds character.  My friend Daisy has an ear like that, too.

Those cows don't like the snow much.  They were grouchy today.  That's Pumpkin's mom, Daisy on the right, and Candy on the left. You should see them chase pigs!

And last, but not least, Kathy's "million dollar cat".  She made an emergency trip to the vet when she was a few months old, because she had a belly full of kittens that she couldn't get out by herself.  Now she's fixed, like the rest of the cats on the farm.  I guess she was broken before.  One of our humans found her trapped in the barn wall when she was very tiny.  Mom says that she's accident prone. But she sure is beautiful.

Lights in the Woods is over this year, but you can visit me and my friends whenever you like.  We live at Flint Hill Farm, in Coopersburg.  You can read all about it here.  But for now, you'll have to excuse me.  It's New Year's Eve, and we're having a party here in the barn after the humans go to sleep.  I have to find my tiara. Happy New Year!

Does This Stall Make Me Look Fat?

I'm not sure why, but something is amiss.  My normal girlish figure has been rounding out a bit lately.  Here's me, last summer, hanging out with my BFFs.:

Notice my svelte figure?

Now that the winter has arrived, and I've moved to the lower barn to keep warm, I'm getting kind of chubby.  Funny thing, though...so are my friends!  Maybe it's something in the feed.

I'm going to have to diet in the spring!

A girl can't get much exercise in the winter.  Maybe that's it.

My friends tell me that they get chubby every winter.  They have a wonderful week or two with the boys, then they all let themselves go.  Well, when spring comes, things will be different.  I've heard that most of us will have kids then (I never got to keep mine before.  That'll be different!).  All that babysitting will take off the pounds, I'm sure!  I wonder if my kids will have beautiful long ears like me and Jolt Cola, or pokey-outey ears like Herve and George?  I can't wait to meet them, no matter what!  Last year, I didn't have any kids, because I missed my herd and didn't get bred.  This year will be different!  I can tell. 

But boy, am I hungry!!!!!  I sure hope mom brings licorice again!

Licorice and ice cream?  Please?

A Sad Day

Candy the cow finally went into labor the day before yesterday, at 1 AM in the morning.  We'd all been waiting to see her new baby, but he was stillborn.  What a terrible night.

Miss Kathy keeps a human baby monitor nearby when our times come, and was on hand to help Candy.  She told mom that she and Eric had to work hard to straighten out Candy's calf's feet so he could be born, and that he was a very large baby.  Sometime during the delivery we lost him.  It's a very sad week at the farm.

Poor little Pumpkin was looking forward to having another calf to play with.  I guess he'll have to wait for our kids which will be coming in March now.  By then, he'll be much bigger.  I hope he'll still like to play!

We mothers-to-be are all so sorry for Miss Candy.  Thank goodness she has her health, and can try again next year.

Your Lady in Waiting,
Faith

Winter is Here!

Just when you think you've seen it all, something new happens on the farm; well, not exactly new...these horses know exactly where they're going.  But mom said it was new to her.  If you notice, she had to back up while she was shooting the video.  Those guys are BIG!  Check out the video footage on out YouTube right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6iUx_N14vg

All Dressed Up for Lights in the Woods!

Those horses knew their way, but we young mothers-to be were rudely moved from our outside stall to our winter quarters yesterday morning.  We didn't like that one little bit!  We get awfully nervous when we're separated, or when our routine changes, and BOTH happened yesterday!  Though I must admit that we're lots warmer here in the barn.  And now that I think about it, I do recall being here last winter. 

Hey, that's Daisy, with Last Year's Kid!!!!

Before we were moved, that silly calf Pumpkin joined us in the pasture for one last day. 

He's not sure WHAT he is. 

Kathy made us all come in though, because we were awfully curious about the strands of lights her crew had strung for "Lights in the Woods", our Christmas fundraiser.  We need those fundraisers to buy our feed and pay for our vet bills.  I hope you'll join us; there are wagon rides, hot chocolate, cookies, and of course we'll be there if you'd like to meet us (I like licorice, if you're interested!). Here's more information for you: http://www.flinthill-farm.org/.  If you come, you'll be able to see those big, beautiful Belgians in action!

Aren't they beautiful?

Lights in the Woods will happen on Dec. 18, 19, 23, 26, and 30, from 5:30 - 8:30 PM.  It's good family fun.  And I'd love to meet you (especially if you bring licorice!)