Little Bandie-legs

I'd like to say I didn't play favorites and loved all the lambs equally... but there was one who stole my heart. 

He/she (I didn't care so never checked) came to the struggling lamb area as an infant unable to stand. His joints wouldn't lock and with legs like wet noodles, couldn't feed from its mom and would have died fairly quickly. 

I bottle fed him and lifted his legs straight.  A few days later, wobbly and a tipping hazard still, he was up and walking on his back knuckles.

Another couple of days and he was looking more normal.  Now would I say he could run in the fields with friends? No. But happy, thriving and getting better each day. 

My special needs baby was a survivor... with some mommy- confusion.  He would rather I held him and fed him than took a bottle from the wooden holder. And he definitely showed up for cuddles on my lap even when not hungry. 

It was hard to say goodbye.  I'm no farmer and don't feel the need to explain away my attachment or apologize for it either.

* Baby Bandie sadly passed away a couple of days after I left the farm.  He was just over a week old. Cause of death was attributed to issues he was likely born with. I feel some consolation knowing he had a happy week with cuddles, tail wagging and sweet words in his ears.  And I have lots of gratitude that I shared almost his whole life with him! Since my belief of the Rainbow Bridge is that all our animal friends wait there for us, I'm comforted imagining him with solid legs, tons of friends and a squiggly tail that goes wild the next time we meet. 

Until we meet again, Bandie!

NZ farm stay: The complete experience

In my humble opinion,  a complete and most wonderful farm stay gets you the following:

• A kick-ass tour from the trailer cage thing being pulled behind the ATV.

• Home cooked meals by the farmers wife, featuring farm raised lamb chops.

• Getting to deliver a lamb that was kinda resisting being born. 

• Feeding animals with hay that was grown right here.

• Frosty dewy mornings filled with birdsong. 

• Cozy nights in front of the fire, card games and conversation about life and work. 

• And last but not least, if you haven't got 1000 pictures to show for it, it doesn't rank right up there!

Last but not least; tamarillos on toast!

More from the Poppe Farm in NZ

 You know I love a good menagerie. We have 1 dog, 2 cats and 3 chickens at our little oasis smack bang in the middle of the city of Boulder. It's all you can do in a small yard, with full-time "other gigs" and City regulations. We are happy... but I'd never say no to more animals in my life!

This is where my sister and her husband raise their kids: Rural Marton area, New Zealand. The Manawatu. With their 4 boys (now mostly adults), 4 cats, hundreds of cows and sheep. Wild birds in every tree, the occasional hare hopping up the farm track, eels in the creek and so much more. The air is filled with the smell of 'fresh' things... grass, poop, wet wool, flowers and a breeze that brings cold rain and uncovers a view of Mt Ruapehu. 

I feel so much gratitude at being invited to stay. (Or did I invite myself?!) And for being included in ALL the things that are happening here daily. It's not an easy life - the work is energy and time consuming and requires the humans to have quite a lot of knowledge, experience and intelligence to be successful. Things are constantly changing, decisions are made quickly and often make the difference between life and death, profit and loss. 

And yet there is a peaceful, healthy and fun aspect to it too. Life on the farm is fulfulling - rewarding because there is always something to smile about, be grateful for and work with.

This is a NZ Tui bird!

My heart is full of joy. I'm elevated by the colors, sounds, smells and connections I find here.