SUSAN SAYS: Life's been interesting back on the farm

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

— I just came from the barn not long before penning these lines.

Years ago I spent many hours on the farm helping care for livestock, but that hasn’t been a part of my daily routine for quite some time. However, with my sister and brother-in-law on vacation in California, I’ve again been thrust into the role of feeding and watering a number of critters.

It’s been an interesting week and I’ve enjoyed it, but I can’t say I’m really unhappy it’s over. I’d forgotten how tiring the farm life can be.

Although I gave all my charges equal care and attention, I had my favorites. Little Sparky, the kid I fed on a bottle, guzzled his milk replacer like he was in a race, wagging his little tail all the while. It was fun to watch him and his sister Nibbles running and playing. Then there was Frostie, the little black and gray nanny in the next stall, who always waited so patiently for her feed while the others were bleating their heads off begging for their groceries. I watched Little Bit very carefully as she was due to kid the week before, but she continued to delay the birth. Probably thought I couldn’t handlebeing a midwife!

There were hazards to the job. Blossom, the twins’ mother, was a little rowdy and escaped from her stall a couple of times but, fortunately, she was wearing a collar I could grab to drag her back in.Elmo, the big buck, kept trying to grab my shirt sleeve and chew on it. When that failed, he settled for licking my arm, so I usually had to wash up when I got home. I have a few bruises from climbing over the hog pen fence, and I think I’m going to have to throw away the pair of moccasins I wore this week. They’re shot.

The first evening I went to the farm, I found a black rooster running around outside. He kept ducking into a roll of wire lying beside the chicken pen, so I placed a big egg basket at one end to block his exit. When he tried to escape at the other end, I grabbed him and put him back into the chicken house.When I talked with Nancy on the phone the next morning, I learned her husband had tried to wring the bird’s neck, and the rooster had gotten up and run off. My rescue may not be too popular, but I guess Marlin can try again to do the fellow in.

I enjoyed petting the cat Nancy brought from our brother Richard’s home at Highfill and hearing the little blue banty rooster crowing loudly each time I visited. He seemed to be trying to convince me he was bigger than he appeared.

There were some extra perks to the job. I picked a few stalks of poke greens to add to some I’d already gathered, and I got to keep all the fresh eggs I collected. They’ll provide several tastymeals in coming days.

Early Christians used the egg to symbolize the resurrection and the promise of eternal life. Even before the time of Christ people believed that eggs had great powers. They were a symbol of the end of winter and beginning of spring; the earth was released from winter. Spring meant new hope, new life and prosperity. In Eastern Europe people decorate their eggs with very detailed designs.

Each country or area has its own style of designs. The Ukraine has an area, called Pysanki, that became famous for its eggs. Legend has it that as long as Pysanki are decorated, goodness will prevail over evil throughout the world. Pysanki are not for eating. They are given as gifts, exchanged with friends and used as decorations all year round. The symbols in the designs stand for Christ, prosperity, health, fertility and eternal life.

Decorating the eggs is a long process. First the design is sketched on the egg. Wax is applied with a special tool called a kistky to parts that will remain white. Then the egg is dipped into the first color, usually the lightest shade. When the egg is colored and dried, more wax is applied to parts that should remain that color. The process is repeated several times until the design is all colored. Often black is the last color. Then all the wax is carefullyremoved and the full design emerges, a true work of art. Finally, the egg is varnished to preserve it for years.

Susan Holland, who works for the Westside Eagle Observer, is a lifelong Benton County resident.

Opinion, Pages 6 on 04/04/2012