Sigh of Relief

It has been one of those "Unfortunately/Fortunately" mornings around here.

UNFORTUNATELY:  I am surrounded by whiny, sick people. 

FORTUNATELY:  They are on the mend.

UNFORTUNATELY:  Jed hit a deer last nite, and it cleaved off the driver's side mirror, dented the door, and peeled off some molding on the Farm Buick. 

FORTUNATELY:  The deer didn't wind up in the seat next to him.

UNFORTUNATELY:  Isabell turned up, but not alive.  No idea what happened to her.  No evidence of foul play.  No pun intended.   Naahhhh, pun intended.

FORTUNATELY:  I still have seven DRAKES.  (How does that happen...one female in the bunch and that is the one that bites the dust.  Go figure.)

UNFORTUNATELY:  Self-Browsing Sparkin' Sparta overindulged yesterday.  Not sure what he ate, but yesterday evening Jethro came running in to tell me that he thought Sparta was bloated, and that he was laying down and not getting up.  Upon inspection, it was determined that it was not "bloat"--which can be very serious, and even deadly--and Sparta was mobile, albeit slow.  I went out to check on him in the night, and found Moon and Lance crying at the fence.  With much trepidation, i called for Sparta and got no answer.  I continued calling as i made my way to the buck barn, and developed a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as i stood in the doorway and shined the flashlight on Sparta laying flat out in the corner of the barn, immobile, with his top legs lifted off the ground.

Stiff looking.

Dead looking.

I called from the doorway twice, and he didn't move.

As i took a step in, Sparta roused from his stupor, stood up, and gave a big stretch and a bigger toot.

Everything checked out okay, so i told him he better get over it because if he was still like this in the morning, i was gonna give him a good dose of Milk of Magnesia.

And NONE of us wanted THAT. 

FORTUNATELY:  This morning he was just fine, and out self-browsing again.  I am going to assume that the buck barn was highly flammable over the course of the night, and this would be why Moon and Lance slept outside.

UNFORTUNATELY:  Life on the farm is wearing me out. 

FORTUNATELY:  Have i told you that i am going on a trip?

And to finish things on a positive note, Mama Hen has had the chicks out in the doe yard, teaching them the ways of the world.  I tossed some tiny breadcrumbs for the tiny chickens to practice with, and then stood nearby with a big stick to help Mama Hen run off the interlopers.  

Check out the little feathered winglets.