Home with the family

We got home about 9 PM last night. We were not going to drive in our driveway in the dark - as I said before... but we did anyway. We wanted to get home so badly, and we were so close. We managed to get the 5th wheel in without wrecking anything, other than our nerves, and man did it feel good to be done driving and to be home again. 

I was going to wait until this morning to go to the barn - but of course that didn't happen. First I went to see Max & Flavious, the Pyrenees. They both knew it was me right away, even in the dark. We had a big snuggle and I walked (who am I kidding, I ran) up to the barn. 

When I opened the door and turned the light on and called to everyone, Lambie pie the blind ram answered me right away as he always does, and then I heard Brina (my bottle baby from the spring) start crying, but that was all. 

I said hello to my oldest girl, Bucket first, whom I was so happy to see looking happy and healthy after her bout with bottle jaw in the late spring.

Then there was my baby. Sammy Sannen. He wouldn't even look at me or bother getting up. 

I went in his pen and crouched down, asked him if he was even going to bother saying hello to me and reached out my hand for him to smell. He smelled it and then looked away. I sat there for a minute, and he got up, stretched, and started stomping his foot at me, letting me know he was royally annoyed with me. 

I pulled his head up against my chest and cuddled him, and he let me calmly. Then I got up and went to say hello to everyone else and give them kisses. Brina came running out of her pen and started looking for milk on me right away - I was surprised. I asked Jim if she was still doing that looking for milk, and he said, no. Apparently she remembered mama and thought maybe I'd give her milk again. 

After I said hello to everyone else, I went back towards Sammy's pen. When I got there he was standing with his head pressed tightly against his gate. I opened it, and he pressed his head against me, and we had a long, long, snuggle. He's still ticked I left him, but the showering him in snuggles is helping him forgive me. I missed that boy so much. And he knows it. 

Everyone is just fine. Jim did an excellent job of taking care of everyone and everything. 

I stayed up and washed our sheets so we could crawl into our bed freshly made and clean. It felt good. 

I fell asleep watching the Sumac trees blowing outside our bedroom window, so happy to be back in this place. 

This morning I went over to see Jackson and Izzie who I didn't see last night. Jackson is in a real snuggly mood. He's a very moody little man, sometimes he's the sweetest thing on earth and sometimes, he just wants to bite you in the butt. 

Buckwheat is starting rut. He's got that lovely musky stinky goat thing going on, but it's just starting. He's always quite lovey dovey, but he's even more lovey now and wants to give and receive constant affection. When he's not looking for love, he stares off into space. Goats are so weird when they are hormonal. I wish I could get inside their brains just to see what's going on in there during this time of year. Then again, humans are weird when they are hormonal too. 

Basswood was pretty shocked to see me in the barn last night and he wasn't sure what to do about it, but this morning, he was very friendly and outgoing. I guess he realized he wasn't dreaming, and it really was me in the barn late at night. He was back to usual goofy self. 

Lambie is doing very well. He wanted lots of loving, which is about normal. He's such a big baby. He may be a big ram now but he's still that tiny baby lamb who wouldn't go to sleep at night unless I let him sleep on my tummy in the arm chair by the fire first. And yes, sang to him. 

Biscuit is looking lovely. 

It is so much fun to be able to snuggle with everyone again. I missed them so much. 

Brina says, cuddle me!

Max time

Flavious wants a kiss too 

Brina pushing her way back into the middle of everything

Max wanting a tummy rub

my big boys

My baby, Sammy (and baby Brina)

Flavious & Brina 

Beatrice 

Brie, Sammy and Bucket

Horace is almost white! 

The boys, Norman and Douglas are so, so, happy to be home. Especially Douglas. 

It's been a lovely day full of sunshine, snuggles, and pumpkins. 

For now I'm heading out in the bush to visit my favorite trees and creeks and then I'll return to the house to start a chicken pot pie for dinner, and pumpkin donuts for desert. 

Then on to more snuggling.

P.S. Norman thanks everyone for the Birthday wishes!