Hitting the Pause button...

Finally Female Handler (FH) is back! She was away for a month+ taking on the role as primary caregiver to Abuelita who was struggling with lung cancer.  Most already know the outcome, but for those who don’t…all is GREAT now, and life for Abuelita is improving on a daily basis.

During her absence, Male Handler (MH) had to tend to Chochi’s last in-heat session which began the same day the leafcutter ants made their first assault of the season on the almond trees.  Without FH’s help, the “goat fast dating” process needed to be modified slightly. Instead of Mr. Billy Goat coming to our farm, Chochi and MH took a road trip to visit Mr. Billy Goat who was tethered on the outside of Diego’s front fence between his farm and the highway (a north/south major route between Colonia and Carmelo).

Across the highway and a tad south is a milk shed run by Asuncion and Mari. Their primary operation is in the making of cheese which was started by Asuncion’s Grandparents who immigrated from Greece years ago.

Their operation is aptly called Queseria Los Griegos as noted by the hand painted sign at the front of their driveway.

On that particular foggy day, about ten cows from Los Griegos were on the loose and making haste to get as far away from the milk shed as possible.  From where MH stood--just outside one of Diego’s gates, with Chochi by his side as she primped for an interested billy goat five paces away--MH watched as four of the cows stampeded diagonally across the road toward the driveway in front of Diego's other gate.  MH could discern Mari's slowly approaching figure near the driveway of Los Griegos, but at such a distance as she was, MH might easily have mistaken her for a fence picket.  Then, as if out of thin air, Asuncion appears, close on the heels of the four cows that had reached Diego's driveway.  When MH had caught sight of him, he was not running, as you might have expected; rather, he was walking with the gait of a duck--and, like a duck, his belly was leading the way.  Diego's wife appeared from the house to investigate what was going on and then went forth to offer her assistance.  Diego himself then emerged from near where the four cows had been in his driveway, although they weren’t there at the time. Instead the four cows were now standing in the road in a queue, blocking traffic in both directions.  In the foreground of MH’s view of this scene stood a yellow diamond sign of a black, belly-up bovine ….as the top screw had been dislodged for at least 3 months flipping the sign upside down.

By the way, Chochi and the billy goat hit it off instantly. the calendar puts the birth(s) about the third week in January  just days before the almonds are to be harvested. No problem...we have nothing better to do.

FH returned this past Thursday. What joy! I had spend the last 5 weeks howling for her, and the moment I saw her, I was speechless. Not even a single squeak. I was immediately content as finally things were returning back to normal. That evening I accompanied her halfway down the orchard to retrieve the goats. But honestly, I tire of that route easily. Coming back is uphill, and some of the grass between the rows of trees is quite high. The physical effort is better spend grooming myself as I wait for her and that's what I did. About an hour later I saw MH bringing the goats back at a quick clip. There was no chance to nibble along the way.

MH put the goats up for the night without the usual milking and then raced back down to the lower orchard. He returned sometime later with quite the haul in his wheelbarrow. He was without his ax, hoe, clippers, "homemade" fertilizer, and whatever else he loads in there. Instead, it was carrying FH coiled in a fetal position and streaks of dried tears on her face.

In Chochi's excitement to see FH, she managed to tangle her lead around FH's left foot while FH was bent over trying to untie her completely. Something spooked Chochi and away she ran taking FH's foot with her and the outcome was a twisted fall that produced three distinct pops to FH's knee. 

If only we could hit the Pause button, or better yet, the rewind button of life. But technology isn't there yet...so we continue on....

Two hours later, the Handlers returned home having spent the Uruguayan equivalent of US$138 on an emergency room visit and two X-rays. No broken bones but yes to major ligament tears. FH isn't moving as much as she would normally be moving around, so this gives me the opportunity to find her lap more often. The caregiver will now have to be the "caretaker" for a bit. It is not a role she adapts to or accepts easily.

MH has indicated that she can postpone cleaning the leaves off the roof until next week.

Can you feel the love?