Life on the Farm Known as Critterhaven

Welcome to Critterhaven Farm's Blog

Raising Nigerian Dwarf Goats in Southern Middle Tennessee

Love, Life, and Thanksgiving...

I was in Good Samaritan this morning, and all of the sudden my phone rings.  It's my hubby, and I just knew he was calling to tell me that they are only working 4 days again this week, and that he'll be off work again on Friday, after being shut down last week all week long.  Great.....

"Happy Anniversary", he said as I answered.  I was stunned.  I NEVER forget our family date.  Kids birthdays, parents birthdays, holidays, I remember them all.  But I forgot today.  I have been so wrapped up in figuring out ways to make money to pay the mortgage, I completely forgot.  We usually have a date out planned, but with money being, well, not here, this year we decided to combine his birthday on the 12th and our anniversary and go eat out at a later date and go to a movie, with granny keeping the kids.   So yes, I forgot my first anniversary in 6 years.  Happy 6th Anniversary hubby.  I love ya!

In today's day and time, I never believed in the kindness of strangers.  I mean really, take a look around you.  I'm a news junkie, and DH loves the fact (NOT) that every time he gets in the car he has to move the radio off talk radio.  And most of what you hear, like over the weekend with the tragedy at Walmart in VA I think, is everyone is out for themselves.  Well I'm here to tell you...NOT SO.  Last year a lovely family in AL purchased one of my baby goats.   Then she called me this year to help her sell her goat herd.  I did so eagerly and willingly, because she is a fellow goat person, and because she is one of the most caring people (and her hubby too) that I have ever had the opportunity in this life to meet. 

Then this past week, this wonderful caring family came to pick up a couple of the goats which had not sold, and unbeknowst to myself brought a trailer full of food...for us.  Four full boxes, a chest cooler full, and a wonderful ham.   

Then a tiller for our spring/summer garden next year on top of it all.  And what did she say as I stood there stunned?  "Merry Christmas".  I have never in my life experienced such generosity and compassion as this family has shown to us.   We truly gave thanks this Thanksgiving, and will continue to do so.  With friends so dear to us, I know we are not alone in our cares and concerns as we struggle through this life...one day at a time.  Gail, you and your family mean the world to us, and you know we are always here if you need us also.  Words cannot express what your gifts have meant to us during this time.  Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts.

I can't help but think our giving daily on freecycle to someone who might need something, kid's clothes and toys, and today two computer printers and a monitor, might be playing a part in all of this somewhere.  The phrase "what goes around comes around" keeps playing in my mind.  I will continue to daily find something to give away.  My house is becoming less cluttered by the day, but my heart is full.

The kids are so excited.  It wonderful seeing Christmas through the eyes of our 2 and 4 year old.  The spirit of Christmas is so alive in them as we put up the Christmas tree and decorations.  My only concern this year is where to get my daughter a unicorn?  *g*  I've tried explaining they are not real, but she has 'seen them on tv' so she knows they are.  *sigh*

My plan was to sell daily on ebay until Christmas.  Heaven knows I have enough stuff to do so.  But time is passing swiftly, so today that is the plan.  That and finish the Christmas decorating.  Time to go let the girls out now to graze.  Yesterday they were confined to the pen with hay since it was raining, and while it isn't warm today it's just misting snow, so they will go out in that.  I hate leaving the babies up in the stall, but I don't want to risk any pneumonia this time of year.  Next warm day they can go out.  I still have a few bucklings for sale, but if they are not sold by mid February I'll probably end up wethering them and selling them as pets.  All but 2 of them.  One I know we are keeping to replace Zorro, the other is so gorgeous in coloring and conformation we will keep him as a buckling and use him for some of our future does. 

I'm going to move Mamba into the pen with Rider and have her bred to him for spring.  I don't think Lancelot has bred her yet, but he seems to have covered everyone else.  That pairing gave us little Misty, and I'd like to get those same genetics again.  And maybe Paris.  She seems to be coming in, and since we still own her I'd like to get a doeling from her.  I'm going to remove her and Sierra from the sales list, and keep them on as breeding does.  I was going to retire Paris and Auralia, but they so love being moms, so I will instead just watch them physically and make sure they are okay to be bred.  Since we switched where our hay came from, they are doing much better.  I'm afraid either the sage content was too high in the other, or we were getting no nutrition from it at all.  

A couple of the kids we disbudded this year are showing some signs of scurring, so I'm going to have to pick a day and re-disbud them.  Oh, I hate the smell of burning and their cries, but it has to be done.  We are reworming this week as a preventative measure and finishing up our third round of coccidia preventative treatments.  A couple of them have gotten leary of me at night.  I learned something new.  Do not treat for coccidia when you are giving them a bottle...not at the same time.  The milk counter acts the medicine.  Never knew that before, but it explains alot about why it didn't seem to work in the past.  So now I give the medicine at supper time, and then go out and give their pm bottle around 10pm at bedtime.  Working wonderfully that way.

The two new, although old faces to Critterhaven, pups in the front field, are doing well.  They were two of our anatolian/pyrenese pups born here on the farm months ago.  Now we are finding them new homes, and I'm in the process of putting them on my petfinder page along with the shih tzu/lhapso mix pups this week.  I have got to get that done in case someone is looking for a couple for Christmas.

So today I'm filled with thankfullness still, and loving every bit of my life, even tho the November mortgage hasn't been paid, and the vet bills are still outrageous, and bill collectors are constantly calling.  Things always work out, somehow, someway.   It's amazing I feel this peaceful today with that over my head.  But the kids are healthy and well fed, my husband still has his job even tho they are cutting hours and others around us are losing theirs (another plant just announced their closing in town), and I have about 5 bins full of items to price and go to my booth at the antique mall just in time for Christmas.  I truly believe we will be okay, and whether it is ignorance on my part, or just plain stubborness, everything will work out in the end.  It always has and always does.

God Bless You and Keep You

Susan