On Sunday evening, we had the pleasure of being invited over to our friends for a tour of their farm and relaxing around a bonfire afterward. What a great time we had! Karl and Scott have built a wonderful place for their animals at Paw Paw Farms, and it was exciting to meet all of their animals. Well, one we already knew – Blossom (formerly Winter) is now a part of their herd, and she appears to have fit in beautifully there. It did seem like she remembered me, too – which surprised me a bit, but I was delighted! Here she is with some of her herdmates, including May, a Toggenburg, who thought she would make an excellent platform, ha!
Her coat seems brighter, and she seems happier, too!
They have several goats, and the first ones to “introduce” themselves were the triplets. I remember the black wether’s name, Peter, because he has quite the personality, and I’m sadly drawing a blank on his sisters names – perhaps you can jog my memory, guys, and I’ll update accordingly! 🙂 They are all sweeties. I said that I liked Peter’s friendly voice, a statement which was met with laughter – “Just wait until later!” they warned.
Later, when we had settled in by the bonfire, and a couple of hours had passed, I started hearing a horrific noise, about which I wondered aloud, “Is that some kind of wild animal in the woods?” Gregarious laughter ensued, and it was quickly explained that it was, in fact, Peter. He was apparently discontent with the lack of attention he was receiving. But I still think he’s a pretty cool goat. 🙂
We went into the barn so that we could see the four-day-old baby lamb, and I suddenly felt a persistent tap-tap-tap on my shoe. Looking down, I saw this fella:
(My apologies for the blurred photo, I realized my camera needed a setting change afterward)
He is a handicapped rooster- you can probably make out his misshapen beak. But he is a gorgeous boy, and a sweetheart. He taps on shoes to get your attention, as he wants to be held and petted. A few minutes after taking this photo, I was doing just that, and I swear that this bird actually cuddles – he was very affectionate. He stays in the barn for the most part, and he’s quite the mascot, if you ask me.
The little lamb came out from hiding to feed from her mother, Gretyl:
She is a darling little thing – just listen to that tiny voice! She is still very much wanting to be by her mama, but once she could see where her mother was at, that helped her to calm down.
She posed for us – even at such a young age, she knows how to cheese it for the camera!
There is another sheep whose voice reminds me of Scooby-Doo when he’s expressing surprise or disbelief. I tried to capture this on video, and kind of got it. Every time this sheep spoke, it got me to giggling. So cute! 🙂
When we came back outside, Peter and his sister made sure they were at eye level with us so that we wouldn’t forget to give them some attention – which we gladly did.
We also met Sally, who I believe is in the photo above. She was a rescue from a not-so-great situation at another farm, and is a lovely little lady.
We were surprised to find that they have a Buff Orpington rooster who is quite aggressive! So many times you read about how Buff Orps are a docile bunch, and it just goes to show, it’s not always cut and dry! This guy is going to freezer camp soon. However, Colonel Sanders, the large white rooster, was very nice. Well, except for when the Bad Buff Orp started antagonizing him!
I wish I would have taken a photo of their great chicken coop – the nest boxes are exactly what I want to do in ours, with natural branches for the roosts.
Finally, we settled in for some beverages and good company around the bonfire. One of their five Pugs, Spanky, joined us and sat in my lap for a good while. I adore Pugs, and Spanky in particular. 🙂
In addition to the animals pictured, they also have rabbits, baby ducks and goslings, a Shepherd-Husky mix named Princess, a tortoise, and they were picking up some more chicks yesterday. Scott and Karl have a wonderful place, and we had such an excellent visit with them. It is so nice to have like-minded friends in the area! We look forward to sharing homesteading ideas and our mutual enjoyment of rural living with them in years to come.
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