Don't Tread on We

You may be small. You may feel like you’re up against a giant. You may be 44 percent feathers and fluff. But dangit, that other 56 percent is pure toughness.

And when you’re backed up by your flock of mothercluckers, you’re unstoppable. Keep loving. Keep fighting. Tyrannosaurus pecks against tyranny, always and forever.

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Here’s What’s Happening At Good Spirits Farm

One thing I like about running a farm my way (versus, you know, the profitable way), is that I can keep all of my old gals around past their “productive” years. The downside, of course, is that old animals require lots of care and fretting.

Two years ago, I was nursing sweet old Bennie through the snowstorms, including inspiring her to march her arthritic bones across 40 acres of pasture to spend the coldest nights in the barn. This year, it’s worrying about sweet Nurse, who has the most boop-able nose and just refuses to gain weight.

She has teeth! The vet said her worm burden was low! She’s just always been a slim gal. Now, age is exacerbating the issue.

I have spent every night this week trying to get a Veli-sized blanket slipped over her. Nurse, who is normally quite friendly, has spent the entire week convinced I’m trying to murder her. There’s been a lot of chasing and some cursing.

Veli says who wouldn’t want to be this kinda cozy??

Since I haven’t been successful, I’ve just been hauling extra hay out to everyone on nights when it dips into the teens, or the rain and wind make it feel colder than it is. Everyone thanks Nurse for her service.

Unfortunately, I have some sad news to share. We lost sweet Ruth Bader Ginsbird to a bobcat attack a few weeks ago. Ruthie was one of the sweetest chickens on the farm. She’d happily jump on the knee (or back) of anyone crouched down close enough to the ground for her to hop up, and loved to pretend to be the world’s chonkiest parrot.

She had the absolute best resting bird face.

And was up for anything, like that time we tried falconry.

She’d had a difficult last year, with a hard molt during the dead of winter and her left leg developing a bad limp. I was so impressed that she was still laying as of last summer. With that bad leg, she was an easy target, and a bobcat found an easy meal. I’ve put up additional fencing and been standing vigil at dusk—the bobcat’s favorite hunting hour. Hopefully, she’ll be the last casualty, but oh, what a loss her death is for the farm.

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Here’s What I Loved This Week

If you’re ever looking for a work boot recommendation, I’ve got you. I am a boot killer. Seriously, I am hard on these suckers. Right now, my go-to boot is made by XTRATUF. I’m too impatient for anything with laces, and I need something watertight, so I can plow through mud without a second thought. These suckers last about 18 months with heavy use, which is the longest I’ve ever had boots last. (None of this is a paid endorsement, but, if you’re listening XTRATUF, my current pair is getting a little long in the tooth.)

The brand wormed its way even deeper into my heart when Todd found it had a new Sesame Street collab. And they come in adult sizes! Just look at these Cookie Monster-themed boots he got as a birthday present!

May we all always bring a little play and whimsy to our work.