Triplets!

Meels finally kidded today! Blueberry had snuck her kids in to the world in privacy, but not Meels: she had five of us at the ready! Kid #3 was a tiny breech that we worried about, but she turned out to be a scrappy one.

Now that the adrenaline has worn off, I’m too sleepy to write anything coherent, so I’ll just post some photos of the blessed event. 

First on the scene.

Big guy! Second to arrive.

Littlest and last (middle), a breech birth.

Helping with clean-up.

The Kidding Dream Team!

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” –PSALM 103:1 (NASB)

She's Back!

My stomach churned nervously this morning as I prepared to take Blueberry’s temperature. She seemed pretty chipper, but the previous evening’s reading had been somewhat high, so I was battling fearful what-if thoughts.

Beep, beep. The thermometer stopped at 102.7! (A goat’s normal temperature generally ranges from 102-103. Blueberry had been at or over 106.5 for three consecutive days earlier in the week.) My eyes spilled over with tears of relief and gratitude.

After this evening’s chores, I sat down in her stall to cuddle with little Jubilee. For the first time since she’s been sick—which seems like forever—Blueberry came up to give kisses and chew on my shoelace. “Blueberry’s back!” I said.

In case you’re tired of goats and goat photos, I’m including these pictures of Sugar’s neighbors—two gorgeous Quarter Horse mares and their colts.

“It is through the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.” –LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23 (KJ21)

Dare You Not to Smile

Blueberry’s temperature came down another degree today to nearly normal! It had risen a bit by evening, perhaps because today was so hot that even the cement-walled barn lost its coolness. Her appetite is better than ever, and she appears to be gaining weight.

Despite Blueberry’s illness, she’s still giving plenty of milk. The kids are growing like weeds, especially Jack, who appears to eat twice as much as Jubilee does. Jack’s all-dairy, high-butterfat (6-9%) diet gives him lots of energy. Sorry, but all my pictures of Jack are a blur.  My camera’s “Action” setting is no match for his rapid-fire bounds and bounces!

Jubilee is quick and agile too, and she loves to tap-dance on the cardboard “stage”. She’s become quite the lap pet, climbing into our lap or arms anytime that we kneel or sit. I can’t imagine any creature more endearing than Jubilee.

“Faith’s only function is to receive what grace offers.” –John Stott

Turn Around

My heartfelt thanks go out to all who are praying for Blueberry’s healing (see yesterday’s post). Her fever has begun to drop, her appetite and digestion are much improved, and her cheerful, friendly manner has returned. She’s still not out of the woods and one eye looks awful, but better is better! 

The vet expressed puzzlement this morning. He admitted that he’d thought she’d be dying or dead by now.

On my way to the ranch this morning to do chores and doctor Blueberry, I was feeling gloomy, nervous, and nearly faithless because her temperature had been so high the night before. I had to stop at a truck stop. When I went inside, I realized that they were playing Blueberry Hill, which I haven’t heard in decades. That silly old tune was a heaven-sent smile that soon found its way to my face.

May God’s grace begin to turn around your hopeless situation today!

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful….” –2 TIMOTHY 2:13

Prayer Request

My sweet Blueberry, new mama of little Jack and Jubilee (see nearly all of this past week’s posts), is fighting a virus. The vet has not yet diagnosed her illness but thinks that it might be quite critical. Please pray for her healing as well as the welfare of her kids and all the goats on the ranch!

I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

                                        --PSALM 27:13-14 (NIV)

At the End of a Cow Path

Sugar’s students haven’t been able to take lessons for a few days, and my knee hurts when I ride, so the dog and I took Sugar for a walk this morning. We followed a cow path to a far corner of her pasture which, apparently, is too far from the neighbor horses for her to go by herself. She and I were delightfully surprised: she to discover lush alfalfa and grasses; I to come upon some beautiful wildflowers!

Prairie coneflowers (yellow)

Scarlet globemallow

“All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth….” –PSALM 25:10 (NASB)

Kid Cam II

While little Jubilee is busy practicing for a future Miss Congeniality title…

 

…her brother Jack is either eating or looking for some kind of trouble. Today, Colton observed him attempt to climb the cement barn wall! Apparently, he gathered enough momentum to actually get high enough to flip over into a backwards somersault. Too bad we didn’t have that Kid Cam up and running!

“With your help I can advance against a troop;
    with my God I can scale a wall.” –2 SAMUEL 22:30 (NIV)