Long Day

Today started out early. 3am to be exact. One of those nights when sleep decided to take a hike and left me wide eyed. Seeing as how it was hopeless, I gave in and made a pot of coffee. I had the alarm set for 5 anyway. Today was moving day for more of our animals. We have some of our creatures at a friends place because when we moved to our little farm, you couldn't see the pasture fences, or for that matter, the pastures either for the 12' tall grass and weeds that had not been touched in nigh on two years. We surly would have lost some animals for weeks to come in those pastures. I had to fire up my old Ferguson 40 and do some serious bush-hogging. After a month, and several trips to the gas station to refill the tractor, I finally made some headway and began once again to see Terra firma. There were times my old tractor would just stop and refuse to go any further. Just because I ran it into several large sink holes and a couple of yellow jacket nests, it decided to get ornery on me and just stop when it wasn't sure what was in front of it. I tricked it though, and several times put some hi-test fuel in its tank. It then thought it was a duel wheel, 4wd $25000.00 John Deere. Sometimes it just takes a little horse sense to outsmart your tractor. Anyway, the pastures were mowed and fences repaired so it was time to get more of our animals home. The creatures I picked up today were goats and cows. There were supposed to be sheep on this trip too, but that didn't happen. As I pulled into our friends drive, which is a 3 hour trip one way, not to be confused with a 3 hour tour. I know, you've now got Gilligan's song stuck in your head. Anyway, I pulled into the drive with full intentions of loading sheep, goats and two cows; Never, never think things will go as planned when dealing with animals. Especially goats and sheep. I don't have the luxury of having a stock trailer, which is one with a divider in the middle, where you can load some animals, close the divider to hold them in, then load more in the rear. No, we have a horse trailer, which really is only suitable for hauling horses. However, you use what you have. The cows were the first to be loaded, and with just a little coaxing went right up in the trailer. Next were the goats and sheep. Now goats will come to just about anything that shakes, such as a feed bag, if they think they are going to get a meal. Sheep, however, are a little more suspicious. At this point I had two major things to accomplish. 1. Keep the loaded cows from unloading themselves while the trailer door is open, 2, Convince the sheep and goats that the almost empty bag of old oats I was shaking was completely full and that they should come into the trailer to get the best meal they have ever had. As I had one eye on the cows, shaking the bag with one hand, holding the door with the other, all but one goat, and one of four sheep came on the trailer to see what was in the bag. Dilemma. Still one goat out along with three sheep. The ones in the trailer were now butting heads and salivating at the few oats that I placed in a feed container in the trailer, the ones still outside the trailer stood just far enough away to see if my now empty bag was going to magically drop more feed. I decided if I could get behind them I could shoo them on up into the trailer. I let the trailer door go and attempted to get behind the varmints still outside peering in. As I did this, the ones in the trailer just happened to look up and saw me leave the trailer. In their minds they knew that I was going to leave them in the trailer to starve while I was intent on feeding the ones on the outside a gourmet meal. Before I could get back to the door, they quickly made their retreat back to the pasture from whence they came. Now, I'm back to the two cows in the trailer, who by this time had decided that they too must be missing out on something just outside the trailer door. Fortunately, I had on my PF Flyer farm boots and made it back to the trailer door before they made their escape. They mooed me with discontent. By now, the three am coffee has long lost its effect and I'm getting weary. One last effort. I found a little more feed that my friend had in his barn and put it in a cup, a cup that rattles. Now mind you, a goat just cant turn down a free meal. I closed the door on the trailer, containing the two cows, and drove the truck and trailer over to the barn. I opened a stall door then returned to the pasture fence. I decided the best way now to accomplish what I needed to do was to get the goats and sheep into a closed space and allow them only one exit, straight into the trailer. If only plans always worked. I opened the pasture fence, took my little cup of feed and began to rattle. As I rattled I walked toward the open stall door at the barn. This was just to much for the goats and they decided that whatever it was rattling in that little cup was far better eating that a pasture full of grass. All the goats followed me, just like the rats followed the pied piper. Into the stall they came, one by one, eagerly seeking the reward of the contents of the little cup. As the last goat entered I quickly closed the door. Goats captured. Yes I know, No sheep. If you've never been around farm animals let me inform you, sheep aren't fooled. They figured when I opened the gate to freedom, whatever was rattling in that little cup just wasn't enough to entice them to follow me to that dark scary barn. No, they took the sure thing and headed straight for the manicured, untouched green grass that is on the proverbial other side. I now figured 5 goats in a stall is worth 4 sheep headed for greener pastures. With a little effort I finally corralled the sheep and got them back in the pasture to be coaxed another day. I backed the trailer to the stall door, opened the stall door, stood inside the trailer and again rattled the little cup of feed. And yes, all 5 goats again decided that what was in the cup was better that what was behind door number three and they all entered the trailer. The trailer door was swiftly, again I say, swiftly closed and I made my three hour trip back to the little farm. I will post pictures of the varmints soon, but now my eyelids are refusing to cooperate any more and I must find Mr. Sandman as this day has been very, very long. More to come...;-)