Tonight at chore time, the sky was clouded over and shrouded in fog. It started closing in. Then the thunder started and kept getting closer, and louder... and the sky closed in on me and it was eerie and ominous. The lightning getting ever closer. And I have to tell you a little truth here. I'm afraid of lightning. So the closer it got, the louder the thunder, the more I was shaking in my boots. One of the goats, Marlie, decided tonight would be a good night not to cooperate. As she is rebelliously determined not to be kept in the gate, she pushes past me, and determinedly escaped to do as she pleased outside the gate. And the anxiety is welling up inside me as the thunder rolls in closer and the lightning strikes brighter, closer.... I determine not to panic. Sometimes determination isn't enough. But tonight I was able to choke it down. and smooth it out and not yell at animals. I knew if I did lose it, the animals would feel my fear and my chances to beat the rain would dwindle down to nothing. Everyone got fed, everyone got water. Eggs... collected. Hay... pitched. Dog.... put up. As I pull the wagon back to the house, grateful as ever for my headlamp, I am caught up by the glowing eyes in the weeds and all around me giving away the locations of my cats. Almost there. But I have to put away the feed buckets, the water bottles (we're hauling water because my dog thinks he's still a puppy, and he ate the hoses... oh boy), and grab the cat food and change the cats' water. The ducks love the cat water bowl and every night its full of mud because of the dirty ducks. But ducks are up for night, chicken are up, dog and goats are put away... even Marlie is back in the pen. Hurry, hurry Carrie. Get it done!
I rush in as the rain start to pound and pour. Just before heading to grab cat food, I open the door to the kitten crate. I rush in to hurry and grab the last of what I need. I go in the house, I hear loud pounding. Is it hail? I fill the scoop for the outdoor cats' food. I open the door to head back out, and there's a curtain raining down, rolling off the roof, in a sheet in front of me. The pounding was just rain, no hail. It was literally raining that hard. I feed momma cat and kittens in the crate, and the door is still open. I go in search of a cardboard box or some sort of shelter to keep the cats food in a dry space for them. They have scattered in the midst of torrential rain. I grab a cardboard box and fashion a shelter to the sound of a kitten crying desperately. I don't see any kittens, I keep saying "its okay baby, you're gonna be okay." And I turn to head inside and the baby is still just crying! I look down and there is a baby, not in the safety of the crate, but in the rain. The rain is coming down so fast that it's rising like flood water. And this bitty baby is here in the thick of it all. Water coming up around her body, drenched and scared. I scoop her up and bring her in with me. She's cold and wet. She's scared. and shaking. I found a towel to wrap her up, and soon she's tucked in and we're passing her around, taking turns holding her. I heated up my rice warmer and put it underneath her on my lap. She falls into an exhausted sleep. Being cold, wet, and scared is exhausting such a little peanut. I adore watching her, knowing she's safe and warm now, and loving to dote on a kitten. Kittens just bring a little peace to my soul. And it is so fulfilling when a little bitty kitty purrs at your touch.
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| A cold wet kitten |
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| We're both pretty cold and wet here |
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| It's exhausting to be so cold and wet and scared |
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| After a little nap, it's playtime! |
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