And Then............

Happy Monday.  Quarantine continues, but so does the comforting rhythm of the ranch.  As I worked through my chores this morning it dawned on me that there is no end to the AND THENS. I love Alpaca farming, caring for my flock and doing farm chores. Being outside working is my happy place, but the AND THENS can get out of control sometimes. 

My day usually goes something like this;
First, at dawn I start by letting the moms and crias out of the barn, where they have been safely tucked away for the night.  

AND THEN, I clean and tidy up the baby barns, as I call it. This is where the nursing moms and their crias live who are on special diets.......
AND THEN, I fill the water buckets.......
AND THEN, I check the hay and put out pellets for the mommas and babies........
AND THEN, I check on and feed the grandmas. These are the really old girls that need special care. These are the old girls that struggle living in the larger female herds..........
AND THEN, I check on and feed my old men. Wolfden Wolfheart who is 18 and gets to wander the farm and his buddy CoCo a 25 year old llama that we adopted when his mom had to go to additives living. These 2 old friends are darling, but struggle to deal with the younger males.........
AND THEN, I let Stella out of her night time kennel. Stella is my LSGD that won’t stay home at night, so she gets to sleep in the straw stall. But it’s okay because Greta and Diesel have the night shift handled..............
AND THEN, I clean the 6 stall barn where our open girls live..........
AND THEN, I fill the feeders in this barn, fill the water and put out the pellets. All the while looking at each animal to make sure they are okay and happy.  

AND THEN, I have the boy barn, the dogs, the horses, the laying hens AND THEN, AND THEN, AND THEN!

You get the idea, a farm can fill your day, because no matter how much you get done there are always the AND THENS.............. I guess life is the same way isn’t it....

That is why we need to look at our lives from the outside........in, or from an earthly perspective to a heavenly one.  

We can fill up our lives up with so many busy, good things, that we forget the really important, essential ones...........

Keep your eye on the prize, enjoy your life, but don’t forget the important essential things for all the AND THENS. 

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