Ryegate Magi Moro meets Brook Hill Syndication in February 2007.
Mist came to Holy Moly soon after Stevie, in March 2007.
Eric Hamblin joined us in April (this photo was taken in July)
Our chickens came in May as little yellow fluffballs and
have matured into an egg-laying battalion. This one is Eunice, the uber-chicken of the flock.
In July, Thomas returned to make friends with Cameo, who soon went down to
Lyn's for training.
Christmas 2007
It has been a busy year at Holy Moly Farm, filled with new arrivals, some departures,
some returns, and some promising developments for the future. Here’s the run-down, with photos:
Arrivals:
In the early days of the year, we were averaging one newcomer per month. In February, it was Stevie; in March, Mist; in April,
Eric. In May, we had twelve new arrivals: our Rhode Island Reds, whom I promptly named Eunice, Ethel, Jacqueline, Maria, Kathleen,
Caroline, Rosemary, Patricia, Joan, Jean, Victoria, and Ginger. Then, a little hiatus—no new arrivals in the summer
until September, when Bessie and Ray joined the crowd. For the time being, we’re keeping the status quo, but another
new arrival—Mist’s foal—is due in May. Looking forward to that!
Departures:
In August, Kayla’s mare Cameo went on extended sabbatical at Mark’s sister’s farm in Pennsylvania, where
she is doing extremely well in training. She, too, will be having a foal in May, and we expect her to return here next September
to get reacquainted with the herd and with her owners. A more permanent departure that greatly saddened us was the loss of
Fenway in October. When it became clear her cancer was progressing, we sent her to her final resting place (in spiritual terms,
to the paws of her Creator; physically, to the hillside next to the chicken coop). She is greatly missed, even by Zoe.
Returns: In July, after a fair bit of sturm-und-drang, Thomas returned to our household. His presence
was strictly temporary—a stopover to give him the time and opportunity to transition from a tumultuous epoch in his
life (about which the less said the better) to his new vocation: soldier. Actually, considering that he’s been in camo
gear more-or-less continually since he was 8, I don’t know that it’s such a new vocation, but at long last it’s
a real one. He completed his GED in record time and is now officially enlisted and will ship out January 8 for basic training
at Ft Bening, then artillery training in Oklahoma. We’re proud of his changes and pleased that we could give him what
he needed to get where he wanted to go. Good luck, Thomas!
For the future: looking forward, we
anticipate an exciting year on the farm. As mentioned, Mist’s foal will be coming in May—her first, from a cross
we have high hopes for. Maggie will be bred in spring, as will Bessie. Ray’s training continues in anticipation of a
trip to Morgan shows in summer, where we’ll have a chance to show the world what Ryegate Major’s last colt looks
like as a yearling. I have a number of projects in the hopper, including a new book—100 Questions & Answers
About Your High-Risk Pregnancy—that should, if all goes well, be published mid-year. And, of course, we have Nate’s
third birthday in February, and Eric’s first birthday in April, and (my GOD!) Kayla will be fifteen in September—where
does the time go?
For now, we are enjoying
life in the Frozen North. Kayla is working her way through 8th grade, learning about boyfriends and gossip and how to REALLY
annoy her parents (but also, how to make them forget their annoyance by doing sweet & helpful things too). Our dogs are
learning to love the horses, although we would prefer it if they spent a little less time in the manure pile. The chickens
are keeping us awash in fresh eggs. I spend a lot more time doing Domestic Goddess things like baking bread—I even got
a sourdough starter! We have regular visits from Grandma, who always manages to find some sort of annoying present that the
boys love (was the drum really necessary? I think not!). Zoe, though elderly, is still lively but a lot less grouchy. So life
is good.
