Labor Day - Weed Pulling Day

No rest on this holiday for the Funny Farm.  On today's schedule the least favorite task - Weed Pulling.  I use not a single chemical on this farm and even through this drought the weeds seem to take hold and grow.  What is amazing about my animals is they would rather eat weeds then the expensive hay I purchased.  Especially my silly billies...

As it took me a bit of time to gather myself this morning - Yep, another sleepless night - the boys were getting a tad noisy...  I told them last night we were to get a jump on the weeds in the driveway and I promised the work day would be early and before the heat could make us all grumpy.  So sue me - if everyone would have gone to bed last night and shut the heck up I would have been early to rise.

So out the door I went with gloves on, book on the Tao in my ears and determination in my heart.  I let the boys out and they followed me around the fence line and to the front driveway.  They are such hard working guys.  As I pulled they nibbled. All ten have their favorites and it is interesting how they follow what their Mother ate so that is what they eat.  See Mom's if you want your kids to eat veggies you have to eat them...

After three hours the guys were ready for their nap time.  Several walked under the deck and sat on the cool dirt, another handful sat in the shade of my truck while the rest sat in the shade of the trailer.  I however, the over committed German Girl kept working.  As I was listening to the lessons of the Tao closely and focused on those tiny weeds that require me to put my glasses on there came a slight push on my back.  I stopped what I was doing and slowly turned my head - it was Rafael.. You remember the guy who is not too friendly and that I finally got his haircut done the other day.  Well, there he was with his head and large horns resting on my back.  He was calm, steady and without mischief.  Then he licked my arm.  That was a first for him.  He bent his head down next to my leg and went to work nibbling weeds.  I went back to work and there the two of us stayed for the longest time.  That is the first time in his life that he has stood that close to me and he has never ever placed his head on me.  For those who might not know that is the way goats show a connection to another goat.  When one of the Goat Mothers losses a baby the other's will in time come up to the Mother and place their head on the grief stricken mother and lean slightly into her.  They stay that way for only a short time but you can just feel their compassion.  So when a boy does this it means the world to me....

After four hours I called it a day of pulling weeds - mostly because the lightening was getting to be just a bit scary..  I walked the boys back to their pen and thanked them for the help.  We still have more to pull but I think we all put in a good days work. 

 

What did you do with your Labor Day??  Oh I forgot to mention one unsung worker - Little Miss Hen