Apifera Farm - where art, story, animals & woman merge. Home to artist Katherine Dunn

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©Katherine Dunn.





Sunday, April 20, 2008

Kids, don't try this at home



I've told her a million times, "Frankie, eat the weeds on the inside of the fence..." But nobody around here ever listens to me, except maybe Huck, or Pino. I guess Rosemary the head ewe does.

Anyway, it was one of those days last week when you wonder what's going to happen next. I went out in the early morning to find the front door window on the hen house smashed, with Vivienne outside, happily seeking worms and such. No one was hurt, and I can't really figure out what happened. I think someone got antsy, since the the old fart farmer girl [that would be me] slept in - heaven forbid. Within an hour or so, after I was contently working in the studio, I notice everyone hovering in one spot in the vegetable bed area. Hmmmm, this doesn't feel right. I suspect the masses are up to no good. Out I go only to find Miss Franklinia, aka Frankie, stuck in the pasture fence.

Many owners ago, Frankie's horns were cut off, terrible as it is. They should have been removed properly, but it is too late now. She can do magical things with those cut off horns - she uses them like cherry pickers, swiftly opening any gate that is not tethered properly. Fortunately Frankie is a homebody, and knows the best way to conserve calories is to lay in the sun as much as possible, and then make one mad dash to the hay bales when I open the gates in the morning.

So I arrived to rescue the little queen, and heavens, she was really stuck. "You got in here, we have to be able to get you out...". She patiently waited for my commands, "Frankie, pull..." but she did not budge free. After about 15 minutes, Martyn happened out to the goat-in-a-fence mishap. He pushed from the front, I pulled from the tail...no go. There was no other way, it was time for the wire cutters. Free at last, that little goat ran straight back to the barn, full speed, it was so funny.

Later that day, I returned to do night feedings. But Frankie had a head start on me. Someone with the initials M.D. forgot to secure the hay area. Ah well, have you ever seen a pygmy in action...here's your chance.