I’m not sure easy is the word I’d choose this summer. It’s been a bit hectic. We’ve moved in to the sheep-and-goats-bust-down-fences time of year again. Also known as the stupid time of year. John has a ram locked in the barn and has to hop the wall to do chores without contending with being charged along the way. Does are in with the other rams, as well as bucks — the bucks are supposed to move over there, but they simply leap the fence in both directions. The other young ram probably could change fence sides if he wanted to, but hasn’t yet. It makes opening the gate interesting because you have to be ever vigelent.

Yesterday I had to rescue a stuck goat and a stuck gosling before we could leave for the day. I’d intended to leave the goat, because she was stuck in the ram pen, where it’s not safe to go, but she turned out to be accessible from the goose area, where I had to go to rescue the gosling, who had gotten stuck on her back and couldn’t get up. The geese opted to attack but I was able to flip the gosling and let her get back to them without getting hit or bitten and without having to hurt them. The goat I cut a fence wire for and told that John would eat her if she kept doing stupid stuff like that.

The geese and goslings are actually due to move to live with a new person very soon. We couldn’t move them when they’d managed to start sitting, but now that the goslings are big enough to get in to trouble, it seems like a fine time. They’re going to Rocky who works for our wonderful Dr Herrerra at Sutherlin Vet, and doesn’t find the idea of an aggressive gander intimidating. I’ll miss having them around a little, but I miss the geese we had in Florida that we friendly and had engaging personalities more. These didn’t get as much socialization from us and Zues is just plain unpleasant.

Goats and sheep are are another story. John has to do fence repairs. Probably mostly without me because my health has been too screwy to let me be out in the heat helping him. And then after the fence repairs we wait a day and find out where the sheep or goats walk through the newly repaired fence. I’ve already asked for Keith to come and help us keep up on watering plants that are in great need and we just can’t get to. John’s managing the stock and Logan’s garden. On a good day I get the soaker hose on the roses, but the trials of the summer are showing on everything.

Logan’s summer has been very full. Jazzmin came to visit for two weeks and Logan got to go back to having an instant sister in the house. At the same time a three year old boy moved from Florida to Roseburg and will probably be attending the EWS preschool in the fall. He’s concluded that Logan is one of his best friends ever, and so she has an instant little brother in Luca, which is going over a little less smoothly than some. She’s working on it though. Luca is an adorable curly-haired guy who likes trucks and locomotives and wants Logan to see his joy in them. Every time he sees them. I keep laughing because he gets Logan on so many things she’s done to me and so many other people. She’s enjoying playing with him, but runs out of energy sooner than he does. (I laugh to my self usually, really.)

Some of the stuff we’d planned to do while Jazzmin was here got usurped because my health went screwy and I couldn’t drive for a couple of weeks. This week I re-ran into the web page from But You Don’t Look Sick

I ordered a button that says “Chronic Invisible Illnesses Suck”. I laughed at a lot of the shirts on the page I’ve linked, but didn’t think I could bring myself to wear them in public. A couple were really tempting. Being sick and not looking sick, being constantly fatigued, forgetful, and having to say “no I can’t do that because it’s late in the day and…” is a constant for me. And even with people who believe they know me I get funny looks and suggestions that maybe if I just ate a different fruit or made a different choice that would fix it. Thanks for playing, here’s your Kewpie doll, and I won’t hit you with my cane as you leave if you’re quick enough to think I’m still smiling. Putting on a good face makes it easy for people to believe things are ok. Never mistake, the good face is for Logan, and Logan knows that it’s only a good face.

We did go to FaerieWorlds for two days of Jazzmin’s first weekend here. It’s similar to a Fairy themed reconnaissance Renaissance Fair. I volunteered at admissions in the shade, while first one day Logan and Jazzmin, then the next Logan, Jazzmin and John wandered the fair. There were costumes all over, which made admissions a fun place to be. Logan and Jazzmin wore some of the wool felted wings that our friend Kari makes, which are beautiful art work all on their own. It was a little too hot, but that’s the nature of these things. Logan made a friend from the hula hoop booth and learned to hula hoop. Jazzmin hula hooped with seven or eight hoops at once. They both had their faces painted at some point — Steve Laskey took some amazing pictures of Logan with her face paint, I’ll put them up when I’m a little more organized. He got a good one of John walking with me too. I look pretty miserable, but I did a double take when I looked at John.

Logan’s still in swimming lessons, although running a little behind due to weird schedules.  She’s gotten to have extra play dates with some folks while I go to appointments, and a whole lot of time with Jazzmin here.  She sported several new hair styles courtesy of Jazzmin, including eight braids, which held for two days beautifully.  We all had a lot of fun during Jazzmin’s visit and are looking forward to the next one whenever we can plan it.  Pictures will come once I get a chance to resize them.

This is long enough for today, Logan and I again have a full day in Eugene.  Being able to drive again keeps me busy, and Logan has her social calendar fairly full.  School starts September 4, and between now and then we spend a week in St Louis visiting a dozen people we haven’t seen in many years.  What a whirl of gaiety!

Filed under: life, farm, garden and plants, chronic illness