Green Acres…

I read an article a couple weeks ago… well, more like I “skimmed” an article… I’m not a big reader. (I don’t even read email forwards that are are more than a couple paragraphs long.)

So anyway, the article was about the benefits that growing up around farm animals has on children’s allergies. Researchers call it the “farm effect” and their studies show that children who grow up on or around a farm have fewer allergies than children who do not, simply because of their exposure to “dirty environments, and a variety of dust and germs.” The “dirty environments” makes me laugh. Although, I bet my sister-in-law, Lauren, who washes my BIL, “Adam-the-Farmer”’s clothes, would probably say it’s an accurate description.

A couple months ago, twin calves were born on the farm. Their Momma didn’t make it and went on to Heaven, where according to my MIL, all WCC cows go when they leave here. It’s Nie-Nie’s job to step in as “Momma” when their own can’t take care of them. Thankfully, it doesn’t happen often. But when it does, it’s REALLY sweet to get an up close experience with the babies.

We have a pen behind our home and ever since we bought this house, five years ago, I’ve asked my FIL for a baby calf (who needs a “Momma”) to keep back there. He knows my heart well enough to know, though, that it wouldn’t be good. I get way too attached and it’d end up being awful if the calf didn’t make it, and awful if it did, because there’d come a day when it would grow up and have to re-join the herd. Over the years, though, they have let me “babysit” some of the calves that Nie-Nie’s had to take care of, when they’ve been away. And let me say it takes a lot to beat the cuteness of  that giant bottle they drink from.

When I heard about the new twins, I immediately put in to go to the cowpens to see them. DW said his Daddy told him not to take us to see them for a few days, until we knew if they were going to make it. See, he knows I’m a softie. But, we went the next day, anyway. :)The girls LOVED them. So did I. What’s not to love? They’re BABIES and so CUTE!

DW and I both have allergies. I grew up around a farm and farm animals and he grew up here on the farm/ranch, so I’m not really sure if I buy into the whole “farm effect.” :) AB, bless her heart, has allergies, too, so I don’t think it’s going to be true for her either.

She’s been back to check on the babies several times since our first visit. The last time she went with Nie-Nie, she even got to feed them their bottle (on what was clearly an “I dressed myself day.”)

Check out the towel she had to have to stand on so she didn’t get her ruby-red slippers dirty. I guess the “farm effect” and “dirty environments” don’t necessarily go hand in hand after all…

~amw~