Each year Charlie would sell me hay, and occasionally we'd buy cattle from each other. In 2021 he purchased a weanling black, Hereford bull from me, whom he named Buddy. When I delivered Buddy to Charlie's farm, I saw his tractor – a huge, 1950s International Super C, that he used to cut and bale hay. "Yep, that tractor won't quit. It's just like me, a relic that keeps on trucking. Besides, I know how to fix it," Charlie said with a twinkle in his eye.
One mission I had on this trip was to adopt two puppies to bring to the farm. The St. Croix Animal Shelter's vigorous spay/neuter program has cut the stray population that thrives in this tropical climate, but puppies still happen. I adopted two abandoned puppies, Joy and Jingle, as companions for Flora, a St. Croix stray I adopted last year.
Weeks before our departure to visit family in the USVI, I got a call from Michelle Miller, an energetic and successful California businesswoman in search of a Scottish Highlander cow or two.
The Learning Barn rose from my dream to share the lessons I've learned from animals like a little gray donkey named Eleanor, a pig named Tazzy, and an ox named Curious Bleu. They taught me how to be a better person, and I want to share that experience with youth of all ages. It took two years, but the Learning Barn will be ready for classes to start in the spring.
Have backup cameras made us worse drivers?
Life is good on the farm, but there is always room for improvement, so I asked Bruce to help me write a wish list to send to Santa.
