Musings From The Farm Comfortable living in your own skin

We have often referred to Miss Number One’s therapy pony as Saint Caddy, because he is so kind and patient with the little kids who love him and the goat who looks to him for protection.Caddy ( his full name is Cadillac Man) came to us through a program called “Personal Ponies“. This group started by lending these calm, quiet ponies to families with a child who has disabilities, for as long as they want them and take good care of them.

Caddy is a U.K. Shetland pony, which are descendants of ponies used in the U.K. to haul wagons of coal out of mines. These ponies were used for their small size and good temperament. We got Caddy when he was 17, the girl who had him was going to college and said it was time for him to go work his magic for another family. We have had Caddy for 9 years,  since Miss Number One was two years old. All the grand kids love him but Miss Number One has always had a special bond with him.

We have always thought Caddy was a sort of guardian for all the other critters in our care. But the other day when a neighbor’s German Shepard snuck into the barnyard we got to witness him fending off the intruder first hand. I had forgotten to plug in our electric fence the night before after Dean had herded the guineas into the coop. So the dog just barged right through the 5 strand fence that keeps Caddy and Midnight in and other animals out. My son happened to see the dog go through the fence and called me to come out. When the dog started to chase Midnight, Caddy jumped into action, literally! Caddy looked so mean, charging, kicking and bitting at the dog. I feared our sweet pony was going to hurt the dog. I quickly got Caddy into the barn, with Midnight close behind. My son grabbed the dog and got him out. I put a lead on him and checked him for injuries, fortunately Caddy didn’t make much contact with the dog and he seemed ok. The neighbor came soon after to apologize and take the dog home. I had always thought the pony and the goat were bonded especially since, Midnight’s mom died a few years ago. Midnight is never too far from Caddy. That day Caddy was courageous, and proved his care for his goat buddy.

Guinea hens are very private birds when it comes to their reproduction. You don’t see them procreating and they don’t want you to see their nest either. I would love to let them go ahead and sit on their eggs for 28 days to hatch their babies, except that predators also love the idea too. We have lost 2 of our guinea hens. They didn’t come home and I couldn’t find where they were sitting on their nest and make them come back to the safety of the coop.

Fortunately, the last time a hen didn’t come home for the night, SDK was here to help. That is our grand kids business, “Spy Detective Kids”, yes really they made a business card and everything. It was really fun to follow the SDKs because they were so excited.

First Miss Number Four exclaimed she found a feather, Mr. Number Three responded with “Is it a guinea hens?”. With each feather they found their were cheers and building excitement. They searched for the next feather and the next and found a small path through the underbrush. Then Miss Number Two who was the last in line yelled, “There’s the Guinea hen!”. They had finally found the hen on her nest. You would have thought it was Christmas morning!

Not thinking we would actually find the hen and her eggs, I had forgotten to bring a bucket to pick up the eggs. If you don’t pick up the eggs, it is impossible to get them to go back to the coop. So I recruited the SDK team to carefully carry the eggs back in their shirts, while I herded the guinea hen back to the safety of the coop for the night. I am happy to report that we all made it back, the guinea to the coop and all 32 eggs to the house. I gave some to our new neighbors to see if they can hatch out another batch of keets and to another gal who wanted to hatch some too. I always try to find someone to hatch them to help fight ticks every where they roam. Thanks to the Secret Detective Kids, for helping me to find  them.

Why do we celebrate Independence Day, the 4th of July?  Is it just the first holiday of Summer or another day off from work for a party? In the past it was always called Independence Day and there is a reason for that. Independence Day celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by delegates from the 13 colonies in 1776. The Declaration of Independence changed the course of history. It celebrates the experiment of a new kind of government. For the first time in history, the people, not kings or conquerors, would rule a nation. Delegates elected by the people would vote, representing the will of the people, because they declared it is a natural right for people to be free. This was a radical new idea that would allow people to pursue their own dreams and see their own hard work benefit themselves and their family. No where in the world before, had people been inspired to be independent and self sufficient.

After the vote, John Adams writes to his wife, Abigail: “Yesterday the greatest Question was decided, which never was debated in America, and a greater, perhaps, never was or will be decided among Men. A Resolution was passed without one dissenting Colony ‘that these united Colonies, are, and of right ought to be free and independent States, …This . . . Day . . . will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. . . . It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

Was it perfect? No, but it was a daring experiment to throw off the yoke of class and let people govern themselves and strive to be better. America has been striving to be better since its inception.

So on this day, July 4th, Independence Day, celebrate… just remember what you are celebrating. I am celebrating the vision of our founding fathers and the brave men and women who have sacrificed to make us free, the right to worship God, love my family and friends, live my dreams, be independent and own my own business making our healthy skincare products! What about you? What are you remembering and honoring about the 4th of July?

Dry hands are often the result of frequent handwashing. Our skin is our first line of defense to protect from invading germs and retaining moisture. The softening oils and wax in our skin are washed away when we wash our hands with soap. Something many people are not aware of is that most commercial soaps are actually detergents and are even better at washing away the natural barrier wax and oils in your skin.

Gentle hand made soaps are effective in washing away and even destroying germs, but are kinder to your skin. When increased hand washing is required, an unscented non-irritating lotion can soothe and decrease the amount of drying, redness and cracking in your skin. If you have to use hand sanitizer try to get one with a moisturizer, just remember hand a sanitizer is not as effective as soap in killing viruses.

To wash your skin effectively use enough soap to lather and rub for at least 20 seconds. Avoid using hot water and pat dry with a clean dry towel. Then apply a moisturizer right away.  Products with fragrance can be irritating. I like to use Alabu Body lotion on my hands during the day and a Shea Body Butter lotion at night and first thing in the morning. If your hands are very dry and irritated you can apply Alabu Replenish first and then the Shea Body Butter and wear white cotton gloves to bed. You will be amazed how much better your hands will feel in the morning. 

One of the joys of childhood is making new discoveries and exciting memories. Over 26 years ago we moved out of the suburbs to the country. We had moved off our 5 acre farm to the suburbs to care for Dean’s father. After that, we moved back to the country.

This time we bought a dilapidated farmhouse on 70 acres. We actually lived in a tent for 4 months while we gutted and renovated the farmhouse. Our kids were 9 and 6 years old. We felt bad for them and they each got a kitten from the pound. So at night we had the 4 of us, our dog and 2 kittens in a tent.

It was a lot of hard work but a fun adventure for the kids. When we first moved to the farm we watched as the kids gleefully ran through the fields. It somehow confirmed that we had made the right decision in buying this money pit of a house even though everyone else thought we were crazy.  Now fast forward. Our grandkids are now enjoying the farm to no end.

Now that the grand kids are a little older they are starting to explore further from our house. The last warm day when they were here Miss Number Two discovered the little stream at the bottom of the hill. Soon all the kids were down there with excited laughter and running up to tell us what they had found there. First it was frogs and a little later a snake. They spent hours walking along that little flow of water seeing what new thing they could discover and running back to the house excitedly to tell us.