Vaccine and Baby Goats

 Johnny and I each got our first Covid-19 vaccine last week, the same week I had two goats due to kid. Happily, they missed our vaccine day. However, one of the triplets born to a young (first freshener) mother (Lou Ann) died 4 days later. Another first freshener (Belladonna) not due to kid for several weeks, came early with the tiniest buck kid I've ever seen. He lived less than an hour. His sister was twice as big but still tiny and is doing fine. 

The next day the second first freshener who was due that week (Lou Ella) kidded with two bucks, easily three times as big as the tiny doeling born the day before, weeks early. That was a stressful week. But all the mamas and their surviving kids are doing well now... though difficult to get photos of. Especially since I can't seem to hold the camera still, so have blurry photos even when the kids hold still. (I'm saying this is because I'm always tired during kidding season, not because I'm old.)

Belladonna's tiny doeling

Lou Ann's doelings

Lou Ella's bucklings

While I tend goats and clean kidding pens daily, Johnny is still cleaning up after the ice storm. Here he comes with one of his last loads of brush and firewood he has chainsawed off the driveway...

While I was waiting for Johnny to get into position for a photo, I heard the "Cheery, cheery ME" of Ruby-crowned kinglets. Or course, I did not at first remember what bird makes that sound so I had to get binocs and find out. Once I did, I took a photo.

 

We had mostly dry and sunny weather, although cold nights, for our busy vaccine, goat kid, storm clean-up week. The flowers in our yard added cheer and I tried taking a few photos before the rains returned.

It will be a relief when all the young mothers and their offspring are back with the herd so my kid pen cleaning slows down. It will be an even greater relief when our second vaccine shots are over and we can again, two weeks later, get together with vaccinated friends... without six feet and masks separating us. For this we are very grateful to the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde who opened their extremely well organized vaccine clinics to the surrounding communities. Without them, we would still be waiting for our first vaccinations.