It is interesting how a lesson demonstrated or learned through our little farm will often apply to my life in general.
Let’s take “Patience” for example.
Very sadly, very unfortunately, I lost a young doe goat to internal parasites. Although I had wormed her and treated her with medicine from the veterinarian, her system was unable to overcome the problem. Apparently, goats are becoming resistant to certain strains of wormers. Even though this was the first time she had been wormed, the resistance must have been passed on through genetics, her mother’s milk, …. something.
My veterinarian provided me with a different wormer to treat the two remaining does that I have. I was also given the instruction to bring in a “fresh fecal sample” 10 days later to monitor for parasites.
Normally, goats are proliferate poopers. They spew their little poop pellets like a gumball machine stuck in the open position.
Not so on the cold, windy morning I needed to collect the “fresh fecal sample.”
Enter “Patience” training.
After walking and following behind my goats with my gardening trowel and a baggie in hand with no luck, I decided to feed them. They would stay in one spot for awhile and surely, what goes in will come out.
I grabbed a 5-gallon bucket to sit on out of the wind and waited. And waited. The cat peeked around the feeder to check for progress.
Nope. No poop, yet, I said.
The goats finished eating and seemed to delight in disappointing me.
Luckily, they can’t help themselves and must entertain. It is part of who they are.
Also, luckily, they finally produced. I then took my baggie of so-labeled, “Caprine fecal sample, i.e. goat poop!” to my veterinarian’s office. Yes, that is exactly how I labeled it.
Regarding life lessons: I read the following Joyce Meyer quote,
“Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”
Sometimes I just need to keep a good attitude while waiting for the poop to pass.
Just Make the Coffee 
Poop on demand! That’s so funny. Thanks for a good laugh.
Goats definitely do things their own way.
Love the Joyce Meyer’s quote and the “gumball machine stuck in the open position” word picture. 😉 Random combination, I know; but what can I say? 🙂
I love your random combination! Thank you for sharing what you like.
Amen to that!! c
Farming is a great life-teacher.
Thanks for the laugh!
What would we do without laughter? I was feeling quite gloomy, but then the antics of the goats and me, just sitting there waiting on them to doo-d00, became funny.
Love the pic of kitty waiting word on the progress! Sure hope everything will be okay with your remaining goats. That has to be heartbreaking to lose one.
I love the way the barn cats are not tame, but follow us around as we work outside. It has been a heart-breaking fall. I have to remind myself frequently that livestock are not pets. Sigh….
Great message.I plan to practice patience with a good attitude.
I don’t know about you, but it will be a challenge for me some days … but it is good to challenge ourselves!
Love it!
As long as I’m living, I’ll be learning. Thank you for checking in.
Oh my. Waiting for poop to happen takes time apparently. Sorry about your doe— hope everyone else stays healthy! Great pics!
It’s just life, right? My vet will have us on a rotation of wormers now. My learning curve is still a spiral.
Learning livestock are not pets has to be a hard lesson. How does one not become attached to them? Sorry you lost a doe, hope the others will be OK.
I think my two mamas are in good shape. Maybe it would be easier to not get as attached if we had larger herds of animals … but, I remember well from my growing up years on the farm that some always become favorites. It is what it is. Thank you for your comments.
That quote is magic! How true … great pics. I hope you managed to sort that worm problem. 🙂
Isn’t it? We all have to wait at times, of course … but oh, the attitude!
Thank you for comments and I hope our new rotation of wormers will do the trick. Hard lesson learned. 😡
The good attitude is the secret…the whole secret!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
A Boomer-like attitude. 😉