I Got Licked By A Cow

With a load of work looming for January, I decided to sneak away after my final exam (which I think I passed!) for the wilds of the snowy north. Travel from our present spot on the globe to New England just couldn't be easier--no more 5 hour plane rides and strandings in various mid-country airports! I left home exactly 1 hr. and 15 mins. before my flight and still had time to park the car, get checked in, and enjoy (?) a cup of shwag airport java before my flight. A bit over an hour later, I was over Boston Harbor.
First stop was a few days on the farm. I consider myself pretty agrarian when it comes to gardening and landscaping, but animals (other than a nutty dog, a few squirrels, and some ornery raccoons, the latter two of which I'm not really responsible for) are not in my picture, despite my best wishes to acquire some hens. So, when on the ride north, I discovered I'd be palling around with a bevy of animals (more in the summer, but they're dinner now), I was pretty excited.
With the snow falling and the light fading, I got to assist as farmhand--which, really is not all that different from fish biology: you carry lots of buckets filled with water. Thankfully, I got to duck the stall mucking in favor of child care (which sometimes may not seem that much of a trade, but at this time was a favorable exchange). The next morning it was bright and sunny with several inches of fluffy snow everywhere, so I took another stroll outside and introduced myself to "Bob" and Buddha, two steers (not cows!). Before I knew it Buddha gave be a big old wet one right across the belly--he lifted up my 6 layers of down, fleece, and wool, and got me! The girly scream was perhaps unnecessary but hilarious all the same. Steers have raspy tongues! Funny dudes, these two are.

Also on tap was to check in on the ladies--17 hens of various colors, sizes and plumage--and pick up some breakfast. Apparently, according to the farmer, I must have lost the Easter egg hunt when I was a kid, as I left a few tucked-away, hidden eggs un-gathered. Ooops. Good thing for quality control. These are some fluffy chickens living in a pretty deluxe coop--and they must be happy because they lay lots of very yummy eggs! Apparently, I'm not the only visitor to the farm that got excited about collecting eggs, I guess I just need to hone my technique.

With a storm looming, everyone's plans were thrown into high gear and I had to say goodbye to Crooked Rainbow Farm--I will for sure be back!




Of course, I couldn't leave before getting a few good runs in on the hill with the old flying saucer. The snow was perfect sledding snow and with the dogs chasing me down the hill, I let out another girly scream before filling my farm boots full of snow and lodging myself in a snow drift downslope.