Roll Call
The Farmer has flown the coop. As I type this, she’s somewhere over the western half of the US, heading for San Francisco to help friends with a house project. She foolishly has left me in charge for six days.
So with trusty camera in hand, I took roll call this afternoon to make sure I was starting my shift as Head Farmer with all the animals I’m supposed to have.
Four beef steer?
Check.
Too many chickens scattered around the farm?
Check.
Nest of eggs?
Check.
Peacock named Ben?
Check. Up in the opening in the house.
Golden pheasant named Pharoah?
Check, and his mate Trixie is hiding in the grass.
Sheep?
Check.
Two lambs left from the February breeding debacle, which definitely is going in my next book?
Check. (They are the round butts in front.)
Elderly #66, who’s 13 and could leave us any day now?
Check.
Three llamas?
Check,
Check,
And check.
Two rams?
Check and check.
Two barn cats?
Too lazy to show up for photo, but check.
Three dogs?
Check.
Writer?
Check
Okay. Everyone is present and accounted for. Let’s hope the same is true six days from now!
9 Responses
Great pictures–a delightful little tour of the menagerie!
But my mind wobbled on that final photo… can’t imagine farmers in hammocks yet, as our very first daffodils only just opened their petals today. And bare arms in April? With the newly-hatched black flies filling the air, it would be unthinkable!
Ha–good call. No one here to take my photo, so I had to raid my previous photo stash. The hammock is wishful thinking!
Looks to me like an awful lot of work for the writer who won’t have a chance to do much writing in the next six days!
And as for good, ol’ #66? She looks to be in pretty good shape to me!
Oliver’s summer do is lovely. Hope to see you later this morning with more livestock for the farm, the flying fuzzy kind.
Mama Pea—writing? Good point. I hereby resolve to put in six hours of writing while she’s gone, despite all the other stuff on my plate. Sleep is highly overrated, right?
beegirl—Ah, yes, the buzzing bees. But luckily, those are your babies. All I have to worry about is stretching out my honey supply until these new bees make more!
Very fun post! And, I know how long it TAKES to make a post like that! So, thanks!
It takes awhile to go round up the “family photos” but it was great to get to see the faces around your farm! Love the lamb butts can’t wait to hear the sheep sex disaster in the next book!
What a treat to “meet” all your critters. That’s pretty much how the day goes though, checking to make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be, and then making sure they have food and water. Thankfully the lovely Spring weather makes the chores seem just a bit easier….okay, alot easier!
Does old #66 get any special treats? How many lambs has she given you over the years? Is there another children’s book waiting to be written about a wise old ewe??? Just a thought….
Good luck playing head farmer!
Carol B,
Yup, #66 gets a big scoopful of cracked corn instead of the whole corn…easier for those old teeth to chew!
She is pretty healthy, just boney, but Melissa gave me instructions on what to do should 66 die while she was gone. Acck. Hope the old girl holds on for a few days longer!