When the mind won’t slow down and the ideas keep coming, sometimes you just have to go with it! I’ve been in Paraguay for just over a month today, and I’m now seriously considering staying until February. I’m heading up the road to another Workaway for a few weeks, extending my visa and seeing what…
Well, this last week on the farm has been a busy but fairly quiet one for me. I’ve been sewing tablecloths and things for Marilyn’s daughter’s, painting around the pool area and finally getting half of the sail I made up. The other half is ready to go. I’ve also been busy with the lambs…
Saturday afternoon I joined Marylin and a German couple for a visit to Lluvia de Oro, a very impressive farm and wildlife rehabilitation centre. They had an amazing selection of chicken breeds, a huge herd of cattle, but naturally it was the wildlife that I was most interested in. There were two pumas, two ocelots,…
Friday night I was invited to “break bread” and learn about the first three festivals of God — Passover, Matzot and Reshit Katzir. I already knew that some religious traditions had moved away from the ancient calendar, but this faith group follows a calendar that can include 13 months. Add Hebrew, ancient festivals and different…
Just down the road was the annual Mennonite folk festival, held on their beautiful community property. The festival started 37 years ago when Marilyn was 25. She took a horse and cart along, despite having absolutely no idea how to put the harness together or give the horses directions! Luckily, Gerhard came to her rescue…
Just when I think the lambs are keeping me busy enough, another little drama unfolds! A lamb was born last night, but unfortunately wasn’t reported and was separated from its mother. By the time we discovered it, the little one had developed scours, so we’re now trying to get it sorted out with a natural…
Marilyn and the girls were very busy this morning while I was outside feeding the lambs. There was plucking, cleaning and general chicken activity going on, and I thought, Perfect … we’re restocking the freezer. Maybe, just maybe, we’re having a beautiful chicken lunch today! Well… lunchtime arrived, and my chicken dreams came crashing down…
Growing up in the little farming community of Karaka in South Auckland, I went to a country school where Calf Day was a very big deal! Each year we’d take our carefully trained pet lambs or calves to school, along with our pikelets, cakes, flower arrangements and whatever else we were entering into. There were…
Up early this morning with a very wholesome plan — study a little, practise the ukulele and generally be productive. Then the ranch provided its own entertainment. First came Mumma Goose, proudly parading her two fluffy chicks around. Then there was Kitty. Despite having a bowl of fresh, warm cow’s milk, apparently she felt she…
Ranch life this week has been a bit like a Mexican soap opera — only with more sausages, sewing and livestock! Sunday night brought German guests, waffles and German sausages. Monday brought Jan from Sweden — and, thankfully, English! When everyone else switches to German or Spanish, I now have someone to talk with. There’s…