Waiting

It is hard to wait for baby goats to arrive. Days of conversing with mama, trying to coax her to go into labor, just does not work. She will deliver her babies when the Lord says it is time. So we wait. We walk out to the barn, checking for the progression of labor, every few hours and sometimes every hour if some unusual behavior has been observed. Telltale signs become obvious in retrospect but when you are anxious for the arrival babies even a stretch can become speculative. We set up camp in the barn, bringing chairs, books, card games, snacks, and sleeping bags and then we wait. If mama seems uncomfortable with our presence then we respect her privacy but we sneak a peek on her occasionally. We tip-toe, on feather like feet, just to make sure we are not missing the big event. She may need our help and we need to know when to be there. Life outside our farm goes on without us. We stay ensconced in the farm never straying far from the barn. We plan for these days, buying all the groceries and pet feed we will need so that we can stay nestled in at home. School days linger uncomfortably as the girls just want to be done so they can be in the barn. Of course after the babies arrive, school time will become unbearable for us, as our hearts and minds will be on the babies and being near them. But, today we will have to keep waiting. Kidding season hasn't begun yet. I know we will get to meet the new babies soon but for now they are staying put.

Penstemon ~ not quite ready to introduce her babies, but soon ...