I got to hold several piglets (a first for me) and I loved their texture, they're wrinkly and soft in a bristly fashion, like an itchy sweater against your neck. They reminded me of petting elephants.
Oh, hahaha and their god-awful squealing, did I mention their amazing 'singer for a death metal band' capacity, think Napalm Death not Dethklok. They are burrowers, and I'd pick them up out of the hay, one by one and hold them close to me, swaddled in my hands and pressed tight to my chest, and they'd wiggle like demons and scream like hookers caught in a raid... it was so great!!
Ruby tried petting them a couple of times, and when they'd scream, she'd jerk her hand away and smile like she'd pet them too hard and was sorry.
but sometimes she'd get all toothy and smile like making them squeal was the best game in the world!! (and I tell you what, those were my sentiments exactly!!)
I pet Alice the cow, Larry her calf, the assorted goats, and tried to pet the sheep but they are gosh darn fast and flighty... I mean really fast for being so fat! The farm does good things for the soul. We packed up to leave as the sun was fading and I felt refreshed, and relaxed, and better than I have for the past couple of weeks.
We hit the barns in beautiful late afternoon light and I set the speed for damn fast, and shot everything with a shallow depth of field and natural light... the world was in perfect color and sound, auburn light shining through the slats of the barn, everybody with warm ruddy faces from the wind's chill, piglets squealing, Momma Miriam happily grunting with her snout in the full trough, the sounds of hooves against wood as the nosy goats tried to peek over the next stall's wall to jealously watch all the human commotion, and Ruby armed with a whole new vocabulary testing out words and smiling proudly at her parents approval.
I could not have been happier. Thanks Attila, for making this picture, it's lovely!
Rubes might grow up wishing she'd been raised in the city, concrete is always greener, but for right now, she' loves helping, and pointing and saying baby, pig, dog, water, and a million other words that I've missed watching her learn, and that she uses liberally.
Cow, Cow, goat! cool...
Chris has brought June down to the farm a couple of times while I've been in the city, but this was my first time bringing her. She was, of course, very well behaved. She played well with the other hounds, stayed behind all the gates, and didn't need constant watching. I love my, not too terribly bright, little dog. 
Goat eyes and ears are so lovely... it makes up for their knobby spines, distended bellies, rough and wirey coats and their terrible and unsightly anuses... ugh, goat butts are the worst!!
yup, goat butts, they'll bring even a farm girl to tears...
Ruby was entranced as her father wrote her name on the car. The next image I made of her was her looking at me in awe, but I liked this one more because you can see Attila in action (well, a very wee, but important part of Attila in action). 
...and in the end, while Rubes macked some late afternoon cereal, and her parents stood around the kitchen eating bowls of chili for dinner, I drove away with a container of homemade chili, a very satisfied inner harmony, and the demand to not be a stranger... It was a very good day.Cheers!
