Good Monday to You!

We have reached the "grey days" time of year, here on the farm. 

 Winter is just around the corner and it feels tangible now.  There are no leaves left on the trees, and the migrating birds have all passed by on their travels to warmer climes.


With the exception of green grass, the local color palette has drifted off into the monochromatic grey and brown scales.  And though I love the brilliance of summer's color, I enjoy the peaceful solitude of winter's muted shades. 

 The dramatic sunrises of this time of year offer an almost daily reminder that grey is just a temporary state of affairs.

We had a lovely weekend that started with the treat of spending a couple days with our Littles.  Mackenzie and Easton came to the farm for an overnight visit and spent Friday here with us. 


 Our day was filled from sun-up to sun-down with tiny voices delighting us with their descriptions of how they see the world.  There is nothing more genuine or precious than the thoughts and opinions of these little people.  

The remainder of our weekend was spent here on the farm (of course, because... in the middle of this pandemic... there is no place we need or want to go!)

I had noticed over the past week or so that Moonbeam had a runny eye.  I decided to watch it for a few days, but it did not clear up.  So, this weekend I mentioned it to Dr. Becky and she came to examine it.


Sadly, it seems that our wonderful Moonie has cancer.  He has a squamous cell carcinoma of his eye.  Dr. Becky is going to sedate him this afternoon and see if it is something that she might be able to remove (she is a board-certified equine surgeon).  If it is on his cornea, though, he will have to go to an equine hospital to be treated by an equine ophthalmologist. (who even knew there was such a thing?)

(The white area next to his iris is the tumor.)

So, once again, one of my critters is on the worry list.  Moonie is the best horse, ever... so sweet and gentle.  I am praying that this situation is just a quick speed bump for him.

 I fear, with all of our critters aging now, that this is just the beginning.  With this thought, I am preparing myself for the inevitabilities that lie ahead.  After all, life is a terminal disease.  And I don't say that to sound morose.  It is just the fact of life.  When we hide from that truth, we forget to live!  It's so important to approach each day as if it could be the last and enjoy every single moment.

In case you were wondering how Griz is doing... he is doing fine. He  He still has a hole his his left cheek, but it is clean and he is quite comfortable.   With time, it will heal just fine.  I know that he is feeling well again, because, he is back to being our shadow again - hitching rides along as we do the chores.

Now, on a very happy note.  Our Carolina Wren finally hatched!!

Wren Marie was born Saturday evening... weighing 8 pounds 10 ounces.

Much love and congratulations to Ryan and Bekah... now the adventure begins!

I made a little video yesterday (a talkie) ... a visit to my sewing room, if you are interested.

If the video does not show up above, you can view it here on YouTube.


Just a thought for today:

This pandemic has not taught me anything that I didn't already know, but it has cemented some of my personal philosophies.  Perhaps the most prominent of these is:

"Take nothing for granted."  

How quickly life can turn on a dime.  Our health, our relationships, our livelihoods, our personal economic stability - our life - always teeters on the precipice of disaster.  When one approaches life with that in mind, the importance of gratitude is easily understood.  Gratitude grounds us.  It makes us notice all of the abundance in our lives.  Even when we find ourselves in despair... we can pull ourselves out with the lifeline of gratitude.

With Thanksgiving just days away, most of us will be mindful of that for which we are thankful.  Though, granted, this Thanksgiving will not look like any other for most of us, it is imperative that we face the day with a heart full of gratitude.

Hubbs and I will not be able to spend the holiday with any of our beloved family members or friends as we are following CDC guidelines in the hopes that it helps to safeguard ourselves and those that we love.  In spite of that, our hearts are full.

As humans, we are born into the natural world and subject to the laws of nature.  By nature, we, humans, are not entitled to anything.  We are not entitled to happiness, or health, or wealth.  But rather, we are responsible for it.  We are responsible for making our lives and the lives of those around us... our fellow mankind... full and blessed.  Perhaps if we started looking at life from the perspective of "what do I have to give?" instead of "what do I want?".... we would find ourselves filled with gratitude.

Just a thought....

Now, have a great day.  Sending you hugs from the farm!

Comments

colleen said…
The news of Moonie put a big ole lump in my throat ): I am however happy to hear Griz is back to himself. I guess I'm emotional about your animals as our aging dog died last week.
Wren is absolutely beautiful! If we all would pull our weight maybe this pandemic would come to and end soon so you could get to meet her in person.
Thanks for the tour of your sewing room and what you have planned to work up. xoxoxo
You are wise to follow the CDC Guidelines. More people should do likewise. Your Thanksgiving message is spot on.
Anonymous said…
You have had way too many sick babies lately!
jaz@octoberfarm said…
another grandchild! you are so lucky!!! poor moonie, i hope becky can remove it safely. i am cooking food to do porch drop-offs on thanksgiving. i will be feeding 6 families. we are staying home by ourselves with the w's!
One of my best friends has a granddaughter named Wrenley. This is the second time I have heard the name Wren. My heart hurt when I heard about Moonie. Make sure you give him extra pats and rubs from all of us.
littlemancat said…
Oh so much to think about in this post - and yes to gratitude.
Poor Moonie! So hope that Dr.Becky can help him.
Your video is inspiring - your creativity amazes me.
And how wonderful that you have a little Wren in your life. She is lovely.
Mary
Margy said…
You always write exactly what I need to hear . This year has been such a struggle for me but also for all of us. Thank you for the insight to look at things differently. Praying all your animals will overcome the difficulties facing them. Hugs from KY
Anonymous said…
Great post. Hope Moonie will be ok and glad Griz is better. Your sewing room and projects are awesome! Best part of my day seeing your adventures, just wish I had your energy and talent!

Queen Marcy, Atlanta
Marcia LaRue said…
Congratulations on the arrival of your little Wren ... she is a healthy looking little girl with her pink little cheeks!
Oh my ... Moonie is my most favorite simply because he is a stunning Haflinger! And a horse, of course! LOL Hopefully, the tumor can be removed and treatment can be done without having to have the eye removed ... hopefully, that won't have to be done! Whatever happens ... he will continue to live a special life with you all on BHA!!
Loved the video ... OMG ... just how many hours do YOU have in a day? You are so creative and crafty! The woodland critters are so doggone adorable!
Wishing you a wonderful Monday ... marching on to Turkey Day!! 🦃
This N That said…
So much to comment on. Congratulations on the arrival of Wren.
So sorry about Moonies eye.. Hopefully it's only on his sclera if not, I have to wonder if it would just be easier to do an enucleation... Especially if Becky can do that. I guess it all depends on how invasive it is but it looks fairly large. Give him a big hug for me.
So glad everyone else is healing nicely.
I enjoyed the sewing room tour. Love the prairie shirt. Are used to wear them a lot. So comfy!
Thank you for sharing your always "thought-provoking "thoughts.

Hugs xxoo
Kathy S said…
One of my favorite of your blog posts, except of course for the sad news about Moonie. I sincerely hope tomorrow the news about him will be positive. So much good news though! Precious baby Wren, the quick recovery of Griz and the lovely tour of your sewing room. Thank you for taking the time to share all of that! You expressed exactly how I feel about gratitude. If you really stop to think of the enormous amount of things to be thankful for, it would fill volumes.
Thanks Bev, for that great peek into your lovely sewing room. Your house is wonderful! I love the library and the guest room too. What a splendid house! I am heartsick at the news about your Moonie. I am praying that he can be made well and healthy for many years to come. Looks like Griz is on the mend and I'm praying for health and healing for your two donkey gals too. Take good care, all of you!
Dandbaba said…
Prayers for Moonie!!you are so right; take nothing for granted! Congrats on the new addition! Have a wonderful & safe Thanksgiving! 🤗
daisy g said…
Oh no! Not Moonie! Praying healing for him.

The family expands. What a blessing.

Just keep thinking of next year's holiday, when all of your grandbabies and loved ones will be near. How is your mom doing? Will she have company for the holiday?
Lynne said…
Congratulations on that new grand babe.
Fun with the littles I find is always the “best fun”for me.
I used to plan things “to do” and now . . .
I just let them take the lead.
The secret, I have to have a “backup” for all their ideas.
Sitting at the island painting, constructing, doing a game
usually scores a huge YES!
Thinking about Moonie still . . . hoping for healing big time!