On one of my earlier posts I talked about spring being close and new life would abound. I said the grass will start to grow and turn green and the cows would start to have calves and the mares would have their foals.
I have been seeing that happen all around me these last several weeks. We have already had calves born on the farm this spring and now the very first foal from one of our mares.
Now for you old timers in this business it is an every spring occurrence. After relating our experience with our first foal, a person who had been in the horse business for years told me that he went to bed and got a good night's sleep and got up at the usual time and was sitting at the table drinking coffee when day break came. He looked out in the field and there were two new foals that had been born overnight.
In a way I felt sad for him. Our new foal was a great experience and maybe someday it will be the going to bed and waking up to new foals in the field thing. But for us it was an exciting night.
It started yesterday morning when I noticed signs the mare would be foaling soon. I called every one I knew that would be excited by the news and soon my oldest daughter was returning my call. It turned out today would be her day off and she vowed she was coming out to keep watch with me.
We checked on the mare around 11 PM and she was pacing the floor like she was the expectant father. Satisfied nothing was about to happen in the next few minutes we went to bed. I did not sleep so I got up around 12:15 and she got up too. We both put our boots on and grabbed cameras and went into the barn. She saw him first and he was so new. The mare was standing there over him and cleaning his little chocolate coat like mares have been doing since God put horses on this earth.
We were so in awe of this experience. The new life laying there before us and the proud mother doing what comes very naturally to her. We watched in fascination and awe as she urged him to try those long legs of his. He tried and fell. Then he tried and fell many more times before he made it up on those spindly long legs of his. All the time we were snapping pictures.
We went into the stall with her and the foal. She allowed us to pet him and make over him for quite a while but then she let us know in no uncertain terms, it was time for us to leave them alone. All the while we were with him we were imprinting him. We rubbed his ears and legs and feet. We rubbed him all over so that he would already be accustomed to us touching him. As the days go by and we continue to touch and rub him and desensitize him to our touch, he will learn that we are not about hurting him and he will start to trust us.
Soon he will also learn to be sensitized to what we start to asking of him. The training starts at a very early age and in fact every time we are with him or any other horse we are training them for better or worse.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
What's New
It has certainly been a busy couple of weeks. As I mentioned before I have been working with the Southeast Christian Easter Passion. I really have a very small part but all the small parts make up the big production. It has been a wonderful experience. I have gotten to know a lot of new people.
Some are the kids in the church who usually are the ones that carry the lambs into the church. They all have such distinct personalities. One who I have come to know is Zane. He is a talker. But he is cute and funny. He sometimes carries one of the chickens into the play that his family owns. There is several children in the family and many are adopted, I am told and they raise a lot of their own food. Zane offered me eggs from their laying hens and I eagerly accepted. His father Tim who also helps with the animals brought 6 dozens eggs to give to whomever wanted them. There is no egg like a fresh farm egg.
The most significant thing with working with the Easter Passion is the play itself. Many months of work goes into the preparation for the two weeks of the play. The people who make the costumes start back in October making the authentic period costumes for the cast members.
Then there is the sign up period for cast and crew. Next comes auditions for the cast. All the cast and crew are volunteers. The people who play the parts are extremely talented. The voices of those who sing are extremely good and pure. They really get into their parts and I think like I have heard of other actors, live their parts. Only their characters lived over 2000 years ago. Then their are many characters who walk on stage and have no speaking parts but they too work very hard to learn their cues and where to stand and how they are suppose to act. There is a couple of months of rehearsal time that follows the selection of the cast. Those are every day for the couple of months and then the two weeks that the play is presented. It takes a lot of dedication on the part of a huge number of people. Over two thousand to present this story. But each person is very dedicated. Most have jobs and families to take care of. Most arrive around 6 pm to rehearse and stay until after nine.
And during the presentation of the play, they arrive earlier than that to get into costumes and for makeup. The play runs about two hours so it is very late for most of the cast members when they get home. Yet they faithfully go to work during the day and come to serve Jesus in the evening to tell the amazing story of his life, death and resurrection. And to bring people in the seats to the knowledge of what Christ did for all of us.
The animals are amazing. Besides the little lambs who grow very quickly in just two weeks, there are two donkeys, a camel, a goat, chickens and a horse. Almost everyone loves the lambs best. They can be heard throughout the church calling to each other when they are separated.
The behind the scenes people keep the play running smoothly. There is the people who are the pooper scoopers. They follow each of the animals until they actually walk into the church. Then characters follow with baskets that look like props but also serve the purpose of picking up any gifts left behind by the animals. Their parts are not glamorous but they do it for the sake of the play and because of the love they have for Jesus Christ and to help tell his story in a dramatic way.
If you have never had the opportunity to see the Easter Passion at Southeast Christian Church you have missed a great blessing. The music will bring tears to your eyes and the actors are so convincing that it will cause goose bumps to raise on your arms. The Crucifixion is so real that it brings an ache into my heart for the agony Christ suffered for me. And for you.
Easter is just around the corner. Wishing all of you and your a blessed Easter and remember to remind your family that Easter is more than candy eggs and jelly beans. It is the greatest gift that God has given the world through his son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Some are the kids in the church who usually are the ones that carry the lambs into the church. They all have such distinct personalities. One who I have come to know is Zane. He is a talker. But he is cute and funny. He sometimes carries one of the chickens into the play that his family owns. There is several children in the family and many are adopted, I am told and they raise a lot of their own food. Zane offered me eggs from their laying hens and I eagerly accepted. His father Tim who also helps with the animals brought 6 dozens eggs to give to whomever wanted them. There is no egg like a fresh farm egg.
The most significant thing with working with the Easter Passion is the play itself. Many months of work goes into the preparation for the two weeks of the play. The people who make the costumes start back in October making the authentic period costumes for the cast members.
Then there is the sign up period for cast and crew. Next comes auditions for the cast. All the cast and crew are volunteers. The people who play the parts are extremely talented. The voices of those who sing are extremely good and pure. They really get into their parts and I think like I have heard of other actors, live their parts. Only their characters lived over 2000 years ago. Then their are many characters who walk on stage and have no speaking parts but they too work very hard to learn their cues and where to stand and how they are suppose to act. There is a couple of months of rehearsal time that follows the selection of the cast. Those are every day for the couple of months and then the two weeks that the play is presented. It takes a lot of dedication on the part of a huge number of people. Over two thousand to present this story. But each person is very dedicated. Most have jobs and families to take care of. Most arrive around 6 pm to rehearse and stay until after nine.
And during the presentation of the play, they arrive earlier than that to get into costumes and for makeup. The play runs about two hours so it is very late for most of the cast members when they get home. Yet they faithfully go to work during the day and come to serve Jesus in the evening to tell the amazing story of his life, death and resurrection. And to bring people in the seats to the knowledge of what Christ did for all of us.
The animals are amazing. Besides the little lambs who grow very quickly in just two weeks, there are two donkeys, a camel, a goat, chickens and a horse. Almost everyone loves the lambs best. They can be heard throughout the church calling to each other when they are separated.
The behind the scenes people keep the play running smoothly. There is the people who are the pooper scoopers. They follow each of the animals until they actually walk into the church. Then characters follow with baskets that look like props but also serve the purpose of picking up any gifts left behind by the animals. Their parts are not glamorous but they do it for the sake of the play and because of the love they have for Jesus Christ and to help tell his story in a dramatic way.
If you have never had the opportunity to see the Easter Passion at Southeast Christian Church you have missed a great blessing. The music will bring tears to your eyes and the actors are so convincing that it will cause goose bumps to raise on your arms. The Crucifixion is so real that it brings an ache into my heart for the agony Christ suffered for me. And for you.
Easter is just around the corner. Wishing all of you and your a blessed Easter and remember to remind your family that Easter is more than candy eggs and jelly beans. It is the greatest gift that God has given the world through his son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
New Animals
No, I don't have new animals. What I do have is a temporary job. I am helping with the Southeast Christian Church Easter Passion this year. I sort of volunteered under pressure. But I am enjoying my job with them.
I am helping to care for the lambs used in the production. Yesterday, I got to help feed the little hungry lambs. I think they are all less than three weeks old. One is a poor little lamb whose mother rejected him but took his twin. His name is Louie because he was born in Louisville. Then there is angel with the little deformed ear. He is a cutie.
I have been helping give them sponge baths. It is too chilly to give them a full bath. They lay on my lap and let me wash them with a wet wash cloth. They often put their little noses up to my nose and smell my breath. I have named some of them. There is Easter, Marley and Lambchop. They are sweet little things.
When the actors take them into the production, they can often be heard calling for their little herd mates. They are all about staying with the flock. Like horses, sheep know there is safety in numbers. When their roles are finished, they are put in a large dog crate and wheeled back to their roomy pens where they will soon be fed again.
Also in the production is a horse, a camel, two donkey and a goat. They are all well taken care of and very gentle. Our mountain horses could do that too but they use a quarter horse. All the animals are very calm and well trained. Did I mention the chickens and doves? The doves are beautiful white doves. One is released each evening and during the scene where John baptizes Jesus, a spotlight is shown on the actor playing Jesus and the dove flies down (almost without fail) and lands on his shoulder.
The production is very dramatic and very deeply touching. I have seen parts of it this year while working with the lambs and actors and in past years, I have been in the audience to see it all the way through to the end and it is very emotional. The scenes of the passion and death of Jesus is very realistic.
It never fails to bring me to tears in almost any part of it that I watch. And a further note. All the actors are volunteers. The people who sing are very talented and could sing almost anywhere they choose. But these dedicated Christians have chosen to use their talents to praise the Lord and to bring the good news of Christ's birth, ministry, death and resurrection to those many thousands of people who attend every year.
I hope you get to attend, if not this year, then next.
I am helping to care for the lambs used in the production. Yesterday, I got to help feed the little hungry lambs. I think they are all less than three weeks old. One is a poor little lamb whose mother rejected him but took his twin. His name is Louie because he was born in Louisville. Then there is angel with the little deformed ear. He is a cutie.
I have been helping give them sponge baths. It is too chilly to give them a full bath. They lay on my lap and let me wash them with a wet wash cloth. They often put their little noses up to my nose and smell my breath. I have named some of them. There is Easter, Marley and Lambchop. They are sweet little things.
When the actors take them into the production, they can often be heard calling for their little herd mates. They are all about staying with the flock. Like horses, sheep know there is safety in numbers. When their roles are finished, they are put in a large dog crate and wheeled back to their roomy pens where they will soon be fed again.
Also in the production is a horse, a camel, two donkey and a goat. They are all well taken care of and very gentle. Our mountain horses could do that too but they use a quarter horse. All the animals are very calm and well trained. Did I mention the chickens and doves? The doves are beautiful white doves. One is released each evening and during the scene where John baptizes Jesus, a spotlight is shown on the actor playing Jesus and the dove flies down (almost without fail) and lands on his shoulder.
The production is very dramatic and very deeply touching. I have seen parts of it this year while working with the lambs and actors and in past years, I have been in the audience to see it all the way through to the end and it is very emotional. The scenes of the passion and death of Jesus is very realistic.
It never fails to bring me to tears in almost any part of it that I watch. And a further note. All the actors are volunteers. The people who sing are very talented and could sing almost anywhere they choose. But these dedicated Christians have chosen to use their talents to praise the Lord and to bring the good news of Christ's birth, ministry, death and resurrection to those many thousands of people who attend every year.
I hope you get to attend, if not this year, then next.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Life on the Farm
Life is getting easier these days since the temperatures don't stay below freezing all day and all night. It is easier to just turn on water hoses instead of having to thaw them first.
We have another calf and two more cows looking like they will calve any day now.
The horses are happy with the weather getting a little better. They actually think they see grass and are eating like it is real.
Yesterday my sister and friends came to visit and for lunch. She had made a hummingbird cake and it was delicious. I really enjoyed the guests. Especially since they thought my horses are really beautiful and loved their temperments. Of course the Mountain Horses mostly stood by the fence waiting for adorning fans to find the itchy spots and give them a good scratching.
My guests all were very cooperative and loved on them and scratched their itchy spots. Then we went to see the yearlings. They were all about the attention. Then they put on a little show of running back and forth in the lot to the joy and delight of my guests.
It was a very beautiful and satisfying day with good food and good company and a delightful weather day.
We have another calf and two more cows looking like they will calve any day now.
The horses are happy with the weather getting a little better. They actually think they see grass and are eating like it is real.
Yesterday my sister and friends came to visit and for lunch. She had made a hummingbird cake and it was delicious. I really enjoyed the guests. Especially since they thought my horses are really beautiful and loved their temperments. Of course the Mountain Horses mostly stood by the fence waiting for adorning fans to find the itchy spots and give them a good scratching.
My guests all were very cooperative and loved on them and scratched their itchy spots. Then we went to see the yearlings. They were all about the attention. Then they put on a little show of running back and forth in the lot to the joy and delight of my guests.
It was a very beautiful and satisfying day with good food and good company and a delightful weather day.
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