The back story. I grew up a suburbanite. The closest thing to a farm experience was a field trip in 1st or 2nd grade to Carnation Farms. I remember the cows, lots of cows, some horses, chickens and other animals. I stepped in cow manure more than once. The smell and squishiness was a bit much. It was a fun adventure as a kid, different from my daily life in the city.
My grandparents had a cow or two when I was around 2 or 3 years old. My uncles would take me with them to milk the cows. I loved it when they would squirt milk into my mouth. It was a distance game for them. I stood away from the cow while they took turns squirting milk at my open mouth. The cat and I loved this game.
I had cousins that had horses. I tried to ride one bare back, landed on my butt more than once in that experience. I was stepped on, nipped, thrown and generally just decided that horses were not for me. The last horse ride I took as a young adult was more like Mr. Toad's wild ride, with the owner of the horse chasing us on foot screaming at the top of her lungs for the horse to stop, which he had not intention of doing, but finally we got the horse to stop. That was my last horse back ride.
So my experiences with farming and animals has been minor at best. I enjoyed city life. Always things to do, places to go, people to see a beehive of activity. But about 6 years ago, the city life was taking on a more manic intensity and crowding. The nice city life with some breathing room became over crowded with noise, hostility and a sense of suffocation. It was time to move out to the country for a bit of space and calm.
Since my husband's work was in Texas, we decided to move closer to his work, less commuting for a bit more quality of life. We found this nice little 20 acre farm out in the rural area of North Texas. How quiet and traquil. SOLD!
We were novices/ rookies to farm and farm life. We were as green as you come to rural living. I drove back and forth to the larger city (20 plus miles away) for supplies two or three times a day for some time until we got the hang of things. The quiet at night kept me a wake at first....I was more accustom to noise, but that was short lived.
The abandoned dogs and cats in the area found their way to our front door. We have rescued to date 8 dogs, 12 cats, 6 ducks, 2 chickens and 1 skunk. Never planned on any animals. The animals have taught me a great deal in how to care for them. My husband calls me the duck psychologist. I find I try to use my training to figure out what is what with them. Yes, I do have conversations with all of them.
Winter before last, I gave Winkin (now deceased) sister to Blinkin, a rectal exam. I thought she might be egg bound. I had on Latex gloves, put some KY gel on one finger and held Winkin with one hand and probed her for a bound egg. No egg. Since that exam she clucked running in the opposite direction when I approached. She died last summer. She would follow me while I mowed eating bugs, snakes and anything that moved.
That is our back story to how we got here. Here is a picture of Winkin and Blinkin.
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