Her Royal Highness

Despite their relatively humble status, goats can boast royalty. Every goat has a herd queen who enjoys special privileges--first choice of feed and bedding spots, among others--and serves as leader and protector. 

Most herd queens are the oldest and strongest. Jubilee, our herd queen, is neither, but she's assumed the throne by virtue of her intrepid temperament, regal demeanor, and expert hornsmanship. 

Queen Jubilee. 

Jubilee and her mama, Blueberry. 

The royal expedition leader. 

"He sat down and called them around him and said, 'Anyone wanting to be the greatest must be the least--the servant of all.'"  ~Mark 9:35 TLB

Clean Houses Are Overrated

Iced tea days are quickly giving way to hot tea ones. So when the sun broke through the clouds this afternoon, I cancelled my housework, pulled on a sweatshirt, and hurried to the barn to grab a halter. 

Sugar seemed quite happy to take me for a leaves-are-still-crunchy-but-winter-is-just-around-the-corner ride. 

"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy." ~Robert Brault 

A Cow Came Calling

When a stray milk cow invited herself to lunch at our place yesterday, I hurried to check the status of the fence. Nothing seemed knocked down, as I'd feared. She's so tall that maybe she just stepped over our beef cow-sized fence. 

A neighbor retrieved the sweet old gal today. If he doesn't start feeding her better at his place, we'll likely find ourselves re-hosting a Holstein. 

"Nice place you have here."

"Is that a cow on stilts?!"

"Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless--cheerfully." ~1 Peter 4:9 MSG 

Falling Further

Indian summer has given way to deep fall. Even late spring calves are past due for weaning. 

More leaves are on the ground than on the trees. 

The last of the tomatoes and peppers have been rescued from the garden and rendered into chili and soup. 

Most songbirds have shipped out. The cats are hunting less mice and more blankets. 

"The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools." ~Henry Beston

"While the earth remains,

Seedtime and harvest,

Cold and heat,

Winter and summer,

And day and night 

Shall not cease." 

~Genesis 8:22 NKJV 

Fluff

Despite the mild temperatures, all the livestock are growing their winter coats. Easter's face--well, see for yourself! I don't think the cold wind and snow will bother him in the least. 

Easter's pre-winter face. His sisters, Millicent (left) and Sky (right), are fluffless. 

Easter's younger, summer face. 

"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." ~Victor Hugo

Dayspring

The horses' breakfast was late because I was too busy taking foggy sunrise pictures. 

I guess you can tell by looking that they were in no danger of starvation. 

"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope." ~Bern Williams 

Brightenings

This time of year, early evenings find me keeping one eye on supper proceedings and the other out the kitchen window. For a few brief but resplendent moments, the setting sun sets the cottonwoods alight. 

"My God turns my darkness into light." ~Psalm 18:28 NIV