The Brunette

Remember little Brownie, born last spring?

Well, Brownie is still beautiful, but she's neither little nor brown. 

This morning's frost actually made her black-and-white.

"Fear not...I have called you by your name; you are Mine." ~Isaiah 43:1 (NKJV)

The Grumble Graph

Is there a complaint department in heaven? Does someone keep track of all uttered grievances? Are the gripes duly noted and catalogued according to date, source, and trends before being rendered into pie charts?

If so, I bet there's a Grumble Graph entitled something like January, Northern Hemisphere, in which the overwhelmingly largest slice belongs to WINTER. A click on "Sub-gripes" might list freezing temperatures, long nights, dead batteries, icy roads, flu season and wet boots, mittens, hats and coats spread about the house to dry. 

Hopefully there's a corresponding Gratitude Graph. After all, the hardest aspects of winter should generate thanksgiving. If we have warm homes and hot meals and steaming cups and light to read by, what grace! If we're strong enough to shovel snow and our families and pets are safe and, if we have them, our livestock are snug in beds of straw and hay, what grace! So many don't. 

"Only a stomach that rarely feels hungry scorns common things." ~Horace

The CEO

Pre-spring cleaning...

...under (literally) the supervision of the the CEO, the Cat Executive Officer. 

Kith and Kin

In nearly every respect, horses are more impressive than goats. Yet we humans have to study and practice, often for years, before we can communicate effectively with horses. We feel greatly honored if horses "join up" and follow us for a few strides without halter or lead.

It seems to me that horses merely condescend to include us in their social circles, at least until they tire of us--or the pasture gate is opened. 

Goats, on the other hand, must be fenced away from humans. Given their druthers, kindly-treated goats would take up residence on our front porches--or sofas, if the doors weren't latched properly. Although we've never attended goat-handling workshops or studied caprine psychology, they bond to us quickly and follow us sincerely, sometimes even enthusiastically. 

Horses might allow us certain herd privileges, but goats count us part of the family. 

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life." ~Psalm 23:1,6 (NASB)

Somewhere

Our favorite place to run may seem, at first, to be smack dab in the middle of Nowhere, Wyoming, Population 0. 

Upon closer inspection, however, it's obvious that the place is teeming with residents. 

Pronghorn, mule deer, mustangs, horned larks, jackrabbits, cottontails, golden eagles, and a variety of rodents call this place home.

Apparently, Nowhere is something of an exclusive neighborhood!

"The greatest science in the world, in heaven and in earth, is love." ~Mother Teresa

Pasture Politics

Sugar is devoted to Rule 323-5b of the Book of Cowhorse Ethics, which states: "A cowhorse may apprehend a cow's hay, in the politest manner possible, but is not required to share said hay with said cow."

You can probably guess that 323-5a says that: "A cow, as a matter of principle, is not allowed to eat a cowhorse's better-quality hay allotment, unless said horse abandons said hay for reason of satiation."

I can only assume that said Book was compiled by cowhorses--with no bovine input whatsoever. 

"Love your neighbor as yourself." ~Mark 12:31 (AMP)

 

Ahoy, Marigold!

RIDDLE: Why did the rancher use his wife's hair dryer on the heifer?

ANSWER: So the pirate-patch would stick on the heifer, of course! (Marigold scratched her eye. The patch protects her eye from sunlight while it heals.)

"The light in the eyes [of him whose heart is joyful] rejoices the hearts of others." ~Proverbs 15:30 (AMP)