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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Award, Advice, Patience, and Pigeons

Can you even begin to figure out that title? Well, I don't blame you if you can't. I have a bunch of things to blog about and they're all sort of disconnected, so don't try to connect the dots in the title. They're just not connectable.

Award:
Thanks and "cheers" to Laughing Orca Ranch for giving me the second version of the Lemonade Award! Lisa is a great blogger and keeping up with her current condition makes me grateful, every day, that I can walk! Lisa is getting over surgery for a torn ACL and meniscus in her knee, and she is suffering from farm critter withdrawal in the worst possible way. I wish her a speedy recovery and a faster return to horse riding than she currently expects. May the healing winds be blowing her way.

Of course, this comes with the usual rules about awarding 10 other blogs for gratitude and/or great attitude, which I did do earlier this month. So, I did a new thing. I decided to be creative for once, and make my own award. You know, it's my blog, and I can be my own creative soul, so this is my award - the Wonderfully Woolly Award, and I'm awarding it to five sheep-related blogs that I enjoy. Those blogs can either choose to award it, or ignore it, as they wish. It would be fun if they award it to others, but no obligation!
So without further ado, I hereby award the Wonderfully Wooly award to:
1. A Shepherd's Voice
2. Sheep Thrills Farm
3. Kalwa Taure Shetlands
4. Zephyr Sheep Farm
5. Laughing Orca Ranch (cuz she got this whole thing started!!)

Last minute edit: Edited to add Harvest Thyme Homestead to the Wonderfully Woolly award winners, because she just got on the waiting list for a black Leicester Longwool, and I am insanely envious!

Advice
My advice for today (take it or leave it) is: Don't bite off more than you can chew! Sometimes, I need to learn to say no. There are so many wonderful things I enjoy doing. There are many things I want to learn. There are many things in which I want to participate. Sometimes, I overestimate my capacity to do things. Today was such a day.

As some of you know, I work full time in a legal role, as a patent agent, which is stressful and intense. As some of you also know, I attend law school part time. This is also stressful and intense. (and no, not all lawyers are evil and repugnant). On top of that, we have a farm with a whole lot of critters. I also have the usual chores, like laundry and other household stuff. Oh, and I'm also taking spinning classes, as mentioned in some of my other posts. It was my intention to also take knitting classes. That was supposed to be tonight. And then I realized...too much...overload alert! Can't do all my necessary studying and housework and barn chores and my regular job....and keep up with knitting.

One. Thing. At. A. Time.

It is not necessary to be and do all things at once. In fact, it is counter-productive. My advice is, don't even try it.

Patience
Stuffin is still pregnant. She still has a puffy udder. She still hasn't had a baby. She still feels like she has loose ligaments. Patience is a virtue. She knows this....why can't I follow suit?

Pigeons
We have 4 roller pigeons. Two pairs, in fact. I haven't blogged about them before - they are not all that exciting. But about 18 days ago, one of my pairs laid 2 eggs, and today, one of the eggs hatched. Baby pigeons are cute, in an ugly-cute sort of way. Here is my first, ever, baby pigeon. I took a quick pic when the parents were switching duties. Hopefully the baby will make it despite our cold temperatures.

Here is the mom:

Here is the dad:
Here is the little pink baby pigeon. Much less capable than a newborn chick. But apparently they mature much faster. We shall see how it goes.

That's all for now. In the meantime, stay warm, do what makes you happy, and laugh a little every day.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey You!! Too very cool on the wooly award:) I love it!! You know about 3 years back I was teaching full-time, getting my MA in history, running the farm, running the house, and all by myself. I so understand wanting to do everything and the time was not there for some things. I guess I want to say, don't overload, its very easy to do (been there). Remember to breath, remember to stay healthy, and when you finish the degree, you'll be so much more relaxed. And the hardest thing is staying off this darn computer!!

Mare said...

Oh i love those little chicks when they first hatch out! I didn't raise pigeons but raised ringneck doves for years and loved having them.I miss all the babies...

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Awwwww, that little pink muffin is so cute! I hope it does well and grows strong. What does the Mom feed it? Did you plan for baby pigeons? Oh! How exciting! Why are they called Roller Pigeons??

Sorry for all the questions, but I just gotta know! You know me...Blog School and all that. lol!

You were so sweet to write all that nice stuff about me. You just gave me the warm fuzzies, I tell ya!

And I totally LOVE the Wonderfully Wooly award. It's adorable! Good job on creating it.
Svetlana the Karakul sheep and Blanca the Navajo Churro sheep both thank you! And me, too!

Oh! And thanks for the great advice. So true! I'm glad that you're being gentle and kind to yourself now. You've got such a full plate. Whew!
And here I am laying in bed all day long and whining about it. Maybe I should be a little more grateful, eh? lol!

But I do so want to get out to my critters and especially ride again. (Maybe when I get better I can sneak out to the critters when noone's looking, and then sneak back to bed, so everyone around here still thinks I can't do any housework. lol! Great plan, eh?)

Take good care of yourself, my friend :)
~Lisa

Lola Nova said...

That's some good advice. I might just try to take that to heart myself.

Anonymous said...

Wow, your life is busy! I think you should take more naps! :)

Jennifer said...

Good advice! I hope the baby pidgeon makes it and grows up strong and pretty like it's parents.

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

I was in my 40's before I learned to quit being so intense and relax. In fact, I take some med's for it now which helps a lot. My boss is veeery laid back and I'm a wired up Type A+, I jokingly and it's true, tell him I have to take drugs to come to work. My husband is very laid back too. My animals are by far my best "meds" for the ole brain.

Crosswinds Farm said...

Ohhhh, cute baby! I used to raise Rollers as a kid, we had so much fun with them. My son raised Homers for a while....until a couple of his birds didn't make it home from a 400 mile race, he was heartbroken, so then we just had a coop full of pet pigeons :-).

diane said...

now i really feel like the biggest loser!
ps-cute pink baby.

Claire MW said...

Kristi - You sound like me! Taking on too much! I'm breathing...deeply...glad you like the wonderfully woolly award!

Mare - I never had a dove (yet)! And this is my first baby pigeon!

Lisa - Woah, lots o' questions. First, the mom feeds the baby pigeon something called pigeon milk. REALLY! Both parents make it I think, and it's from seeds mixed with water I think, and it's like a milky stuff they regurgitate for the baby. I didn't really plan for baby pigeons at this time of year. I thought maybe in the spring. Roller pigeons fly for a bit, and then they stop and tumble through the air in a rolling fashion, which is why they are called rollers. If you Google them, you can see video of it! AND, I just got some karakul roving today! How cool is that!

Lola Nova - no, you may not relax. You must keep crafting and make cool pants for women. (just kidding on the first part, you can relax!)

C&T - I wish.

Shiloh - thanks - I will post pictures of it as it grows!

Joanna - I am turning 40 this year. Maybe it was my time to relax!

Corinne - cool! I never had a homer, but I had Marvin for a short time in my yard, and he was a homer from Chicago area who got lost on a race. He stayed for a couple of weeks and I read his band and sent info to his owner but I guess they didn't want him back since he couldn't find his way home. At least, I figure that is why they never called me.

Diane - What? Why?? Because I didn't give you the wonderfully woolly award? But you don't have any sheep...

Anonymous said...

Wow, you have a lot on your plate. I am slowly learning that saying 'no' is ok ;) Good luck with your little pigeon. It looks so helpless.