Our poor guineas have been trying for months to do the hatching thing to no avail. They lay a clutch of eggs, then the doggies come along and snatch them. Laying them out in the middle of the yard will do that. They finally got smart and went over to the wood’s edge on the outside of a fenced pasture. The dogs can get there but they dont know it.
About 6 weeks ago, they began laying their eggs. They lay everyday until they think they have an ample supply, then they pick odd lady out to sacrifice the next thirty days of her life to sitting on those eggs.
Fifteen was the magic number. I kept thinking…I don’t know if I want 15 more guineas runnin’ around here making all that noise. And shooing them out of the barn at night so they don’t poop all over my barn floor. Only goats are allowed to do that. By george, that guinea sat on those eggs every minute except 10 or so minutes in the late of day. She’d get off and the other 4 would chase her around saying..get back on that nest. We told you….. She is Cinderella and they, the wicked step sisters. I imagine she did not even lay any of those eggs herself.
Last week, we had 5 hatch. I went out one morning and saw little things wiggling underneath her. I snatched them up so they would have a chance at survival. With all of our dogs, cats, etc. They would last about a minute.
Four guineas. The fifth came later in the day. They are growing like weeds. Healthy as can be and will be out running around when they get older.
Cinderella sat on the eggs for about 3 more days and said..I’m outta here. You guys want more keets, you sit on them yerself. 10 have been left unattended. Since she stopped sitting, they have either died from hypothermia or they were not fertilized. What I have decided is that the internal clock or gestation of the mommy guinea is 30 days and she can detect that when that has come and gone she must be done, whether the eggs are done or not. I, quite frankly, am glad. I only got 5 new guineas and that is plenty.
Another sort of tribal dance…
I received all of Eric, my son, and his wife, Emily’s wedding photos last week and need to go through them. I will post some special moments of that torrential affair next time. One photo makes me laugh or cry, I don’t know which….
I think Eric’s and my feet tell the story here. It was “our” dance. It was a song that was interwoven in my past where our parent-kid relationship was concerned and I thought of my kids with a hearty passion every time I heard it for years. I would sing it with verve and gyration where ever I was. The day was stressful with the rain and when I began to hear the song, I sang and danced circles around my son. I celebrated the hearty passion that I feel about him and my two other sons. Eric was taken aback. Didn’t know quite what to do or how to answer back. I don’t blame him. There may have been some feelings of embarrassment on his part. There were days in my past I was capable of embarrassing my children for all the wrong reasons. When I begin to feel bad about how I may have made him feel, I stop myself and think….this time my “out of my head” response was a full-blown celebration from my heart that could not be contained. Not even in front of 200 people. I was out of my head. In love.
He says….Holy Father, let this be over. God love ‘im.
I can’t wait to get through the 1000 photos and pick the very favorites to share. When I shared with someone about the weather conditions at our wedding and how that changed the expectations I had for the wedding, they said…Wait til you see the photos. They will tell the real story. They do tell the real story. The wedding was gloriously us.
God bless,
Karen
The Shieling 