The farm is rocking with life, and there are changes here and decisions to be made. Chloe is uneasy with the sheep, she has been chasing them around the pasture, she doesn’t know what they are, so we put them in the side pasture for a few days. We have decided to let Fate do some work with sheep, she is so keen and gifted with herding drive. But we have to train her carefully.
Chloe and the donkeys seemed to have bonded, and Chloe seems very happy on our farm, and very connected to Maria.
Maria and I turned to one another out in the pasture this morning and said “wow, it’s so much fun again.”
Millions of people in America had a hard winter this year and we got through it fine, but it did seem joyless sometimes, a grind. There is only so much fun one can have when the temperature goes below -20 for a week. We are having fun now. The sheep were running away from Chloe and burst through some of the five-wire fence, we have to figure that out.
I have to decide how to train Fate, re-focus on patience and clarity. We have to groom and care for Chloe in a different way than we have to care for the donkeys. Soon, Maria will be riding Chloe all over the place, yet another chapter in our lives.
This weekend we will plant the Dahlia gardens and on Sunday, we plan to go and visit Pamela Rickenbach at Blue Star Equiculture, see how she is doing. People romanticize owning a farm, in part because of people like me. A farm does not guarantee happiness or fulfillment, some people argue everyone should move to the country and iive on a farm, I do not.
It is not for everyone. The problem with moving anywhere is that you bring yourself with you, and whatever problems you have or things you are hiding from will come also. A farm is hard work and expensive work, it is a system of never-ending chores and responsibilities.
But there are times when it is mystical and magical. A life with animals. Spring. A sweet and happy horse coming into the mix. Wonderful dogs who love to work and help. Mists on the hillsides, sheep to work with, wool to shear and sell, chickens marching around industriously, the connections and values of small town life.
It is wonderful to get to know animals, to watch them, learn about them, talk to them A farm is a game of chess, all kinds of moves to make, changes to make, things to try. Maria took Chloe over to the fence where the sheep were and let her get close to them, she made sure she saw they were not dangerous. I think that is working. I am very happy with the work we are doing with Fate, she will be a great dog for Maria, for us.
This is one of those sweet times, it is great to be at Bedlam Farm, to have these new animals to learn about, new issues to consider, new strategies to adopt. Maria and I love it, and we especially love doing it together. That takes it beyond fun, and into the realm of meaning and joy.