It was a difficult day at Pine Ridge Farm yesterday. Pretty, our faithful farm dog, was hit trying to cross the road. I won't go into great detail.
We waited until everyone was home from school to tell the children. In this new age of technology, I couldn't even share my grief on Facebook for fear someone would tell the children before they got home!
In planning the week, I saw an opening for last night and planned a time-intensive meal--meatloaf, homemade mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and fudge pudding cake--not taking into account a funeral.
So, as the potatoes boiled and the meatloaf baked, we made our way to the barn for one last goodbye.
Her leg was hurt, so the Big Guy covered it with a barn towel, but otherwise she was just our Pretty--quiet and serene. Grief is an interesting thing. There is a longing, a fascination, but there is also an avoidance and desire to get away.
As we left, the Big Guy loaded the pallet with the tractor and took her to the back pasture for a proper burial alongside her brother. Unfortunately, he left the gate open. I had just drained the potatoes when Laura came in to tell me Bubby (Grace's calf) had escaped the pasture. I jumped into my flip flops and ran out to corral the big stinker only to find him contentedly munching on nearby grass. The Big Guy shooed him back in the gate....
and life goes on...
We waited until everyone was home from school to tell the children. In this new age of technology, I couldn't even share my grief on Facebook for fear someone would tell the children before they got home!
In planning the week, I saw an opening for last night and planned a time-intensive meal--meatloaf, homemade mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and fudge pudding cake--not taking into account a funeral.
So, as the potatoes boiled and the meatloaf baked, we made our way to the barn for one last goodbye.
As we left, the Big Guy loaded the pallet with the tractor and took her to the back pasture for a proper burial alongside her brother. Unfortunately, he left the gate open. I had just drained the potatoes when Laura came in to tell me Bubby (Grace's calf) had escaped the pasture. I jumped into my flip flops and ran out to corral the big stinker only to find him contentedly munching on nearby grass. The Big Guy shooed him back in the gate....
and life goes on...
