The Arrival of John Wayne

We did it!!!! We finally successfully added something to our growing menegarie without managing to kill it off! I still stand in some state of amazement and sheer excitement over what this means. I am growing more and more excited about the ever evolving plans that are soon to become reality of our large organic garden, our own milk goats, our chickens for both eggs and meat as our farming endeavors take on a whole new side of life. As we have played and learned it has provided us the teaching aid we needed to really get up and going and turn this into a reality. The birth of John Wayne was huge in that aspect.

We figured out about 5 or 6 wks ago that our female Boar goat was probably pregnant. Since we are down to only the 2 left and they are male and female we were all hoping this would happen at some point. Since goats gestate for around 90 days I figured we had some time before we ever saw a baby, if indeed she was pregnant. But as Grayson mowed the middle pasture this past Tues he came running in excitedly. Usually that means something bad....as in, Fletch got out, one of the goats is dying, if not already dead, or a dog killed something off. But as he crashed through the door he reported to Brad that he thought she had the baby. We all flocked out the door to go see the new arrival. And there he was as newborn as ever....probably not more than 30 minutes old. He wiggled and wobbled and fell all over the place as he struggled to nurse. It was so much fun. Though we missed the birth the children were out there to see the afterbirth.....in which they all got entirely grossed out about. But it was a great lesson in how God created it all and how the baby survived from within. It was amazing. After waiting awhile and finally picking him up we figured out he is indeed a boy. It took all of 30 seconds for everyone to agree on his name. Their attention is now raptly held by the very 1st movies John Wayne ever made and the long ago episodes of The Lone Ranger. I found a DVD at Wal Mart for 5.00 of 30 of John Wayne's 1st films. I bought it thinking it might hold Grayson's attention and be some good old fashioned "shoot 'em out" movies for the long, hot days or inside rainy days. It took all of a few days for them all to fall in love with the old black and white films. It surprised even me. I suppose since we so entirely limit what is viewed in our home it was fun to them to see something other than Little House, Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny. After thay fell so in love with those movies I found 32 episodes of The Lone Ranger on Ebay for 3.00. They loved those just as much. And it didn't take long to name the new kitten, that followed a few days later, Scout....that would be Tonto's horse's name. Grayson is holding on dearly to the name Tonto for his horse. So, Scout for the kitten was the next runner up.

But John Wayne, I am proud to say, is doing incredibly well. Instead of intervening we have figured out that the best way to do things is just to let nature takes its course. Instead of bringing him in at night for fear of predators we have left him with his mama, who happens to never leave his side. I awoke Wed morning hoping to discover him still alive and nursing but kind of haf way expecting him to be dead. Pessimisstic, I know. But each morning we go out and he grows stronger by the day. By the 3rd day he was out of the goat shed and following his mama around the front of the pasture. As the week has progressed he has gotten rowdier and is now jumping, hopping and playing good naturedly with all of the children. Typical of any baby goat, he is quite the source of entertainment. It is fun watching him and afternoons are spent out playing with him and watching him jump sideways, kick and figure out his body parts are indeed connected to him and he does indeed have control over them. If this is anything even close to what it will be to have new farm animals every spring and summer I can hardly wait to broaden the spectrum and watch the baby chicks hatch, baby kittens come and whatever else we manage to add to the ever growing farm. I kind of have the Charlotte's Web dream ingrained in the head but I know that's a little far fetched.....as that had to have taken place somewhere farther north and not in dry, arid, hot, desert-like west TX with colleche dust blowing and ragweed standing taller than the babies themselves. Maybe once we get moved it'll be a little greener. As we all know, the grass is always greener on the other side.

So, it is that we have added John Wayne and Scout to our family farm. It is exciting indeed!

Pictures are to follow since we have yet to hook up the memory card reader to the new computer.