I don’t know about you, but I was about 10 when I really learned about caring for a pet. I am a sucker for an animal. So it was important I understood it. I love them all. Some not as much as others (like snakes), but they still need to be cared for IF you are going to bring them home. I was raised on a farm with the usual dogs and cats; however, farm livestock were also present. So, I learned how to care for them too.
Moving to A Farm
I was young when we moved to the farm, and my dad had retired from Exxon Oil Company. We left the city of Baytown, Texas, and this was a big adventure for me. My parents had been raised in the country on a farm, so they knew what it was all about. They felt farm life was a simpler and slower pace than their life working for the oil company. They taught me a lot of new things and life lessons. How to care for animals was one of the first things I was taught on the farm.
Believe me, I didn’t know the first thing about any animal except a dog and cat. The ones we had in the city that went with us, of course. They were my best friends. I knew how to take care of them too. But when I learned we were moving, I immediately asked if I could get a horse. My dad said, “We’ll see,” but it will take a while before we can get one. I was satisfied with that answer. That was his favorite thing to say when I would ask for something. So, I continued to take care of my furry friends.
First Steps In Learning About Farm Life
I had gone to my aunt’s house in Louisiana many times, and they had farm animals too. They had cows and chickens and sometimes a pig or two. I had helped with them some, but someone was always there to watch me and show me what to do. At that time it was more fun than work because I didn’t have to do it every day. So it wasn’t totally foreign to me. But I really had no idea what it was all about.
My dad decided that we needed a cow so we would have fresh milk and be able to churn our own butter. He took me with him to a county livestock auction to see what we could find. My dad was amazing. He could make friends with anyone. And he seemed to know about everything. And he usually did make new friends wherever we went. He never met a stranger.
We arrived there early enough to walk through the barns and look at all the animals. They had chickens, ducks, turkeys, cows, bulls, calves, horses, pigs, and just everything you could imagine ever having on a farm. At age 10, I was definitely in heaven. Little did I know all the work ahead. My dad would talk to everyone and introduce me, and together we would make new friends.
Learning About An Auction
My dad explained how the auction worked, and we had picked out which animals we would try to buy that day as we walked through the barns. Needless to say, I did not get my horse that day, but we did buy a Jersey cow with a calf. I was so excited.
My dad had to get a neighbor to come with a trailer so he could take them to our house for us. We had already built a pen at the barn area that we called a lot. We stopped at the feed store and bought food for the cow and as well as some powdered milk for the calf. We also got a bucket and bottle with a nipple on it to feed the calf. I had so much fun learning how to feed that calf.
My dad was very patient with me, though (I asked a lot of questions). In the mornings, about daylight, my Mama and Papa would go to the barn to milk the cow and feed her and the calf. Mama would bring the warm milk back, stopping to pour some out to the cats on the way in. My cats really loved it! I must say, my life changed for the better then; however, I was just too young to know it. Yep, farm life suited me.
My parents would tell me all about how to care for the calf and cow, and they let me do it. Showing me each step in the duties of a farm lifestyle. Including cleaning out the stalls; that wasn’t so fun. It was a stinky job and dirty, but it had to be done.
They explained you had to give them shots, how to feed them, how to brush them, how to install a water trough, and all that you would need to care for them. We had to have a halter and rope too. As time went by and we were all settled into this farm life, we increased the herd of cattle by a few more head as time went on. School also started, and that is what I got to do first; then I could come home and help feed the animals.
Another Trip To The Auction
One day in the summer, my dad said let’s go to the auction again. So off we went. I was his shadow. He let me go with him a bunch of times. I always wanted to go because I always had fun. We walked around as usual, and he stopped at the horse pens. I figured he was going to talk to the men there, so I just looked around.
One of the men asked me what I thought about a particular horse. I went over and looked at it and petted her. She was really pretty and calm. She even had a saddle on her, and the man let me ride her around with him leading her. I had never ridden a horse before, so I was a little afraid. We went on and watched the auction. And, yes, Papa bought another calf.
After a while we got up and went to get something to drink and then went out to see the calf. A friend brought a trailer so we could take the calf back home. Suddenly the man showed up leading that horse again. Of course I petted her again.
He told me to hold out my hand, and he put the rope in my hand. I asked him, “What am I supposed to do with it?” He said to put her in the trailer; she is yours now! I told him I didn’t think so, and he said, “Oh yeah, your papa told me to bring her over, and he paid me for her. ” So she is yours now. Take good care of her. I looked over at Papa, and he smiled and said, “Sure enough, I did. She’s yours!”
I was so excited. I really got my horse! I couldn’t wait to show Mama. That is when I really learned what caring for a pet was all about. I learned all about her. How to care for her and all that it entails. All about feed and what she was to eat, how much, treats you could give her, and everything I needed (and then some). I asked so many questions.
Life Lessons
Of course, Papa knew all about how to do it. He took me to the feed store, and the owner, who we knew really well by then, showed me supplies I would need and what each was for and talked to me about how to care for her. It wasn’t just about caring for the horse; it was about the bond you develop. “You depend on her, and she depends on you for everything,” he told me.
I learned a lot of life lessons with my horse, the cows, and my dogs and cats, and that helped me prepare for my adult life. It taught me that you are never too young or too old to learn new things. You see, it is one thing when you have a pet and you play with it, but you do not think about the care it needs. Your parents buy what you need, and you put down food and water and think nothing else about it.
But I learned then just what is involved with caring for your pet as well as those important life lessons. Lessons from the animals I cared for and from my loving parents. I learned not only about feeding and watering but also about veterinary care and that they are living things, so they need love and emotional care just like people. I truly began to understand what my parents sacrificed to care for me. It taught me how to grow, care for, and appreciate what God has blessed me with.
At this point I was young still and had much to learn. About life and animals. This is only the beginning. It was a good life for sure. Farm life was great for me.
Conclusion
In bringing an end to this chapter of life on a farm, I will say it was more than I could imagine. See, I lost my real mother when I was born. My real dad raised me for part of my first year of life. He did the best he could but had three other children too. I got pneumonia, and my sister and her husband took me to care for.
I was able to see my daddy and sisters and brothers quite often. So that is why I refer to my aunt and uncle as Mama and Papa. When I was 13, they adopted me, so I consider myself lucky. I had two families. I realize that it was hard for my aunt and uncle; their youngest daughter graduated from high school the year they took me to raise. This meant they had 18 more years of raising a child.
They sacraficed a lot. They taught me so much and gave me as much love as they did their own children. For this I am forever grateful and truly blessed. That is why I say I truly learned life lessons on that farm. Be sure to come back to Life Unboxed with ArmieG to follow my life on a farm and then some.
I wish for all of you reading this a beautiful life! Continue following me for more adventures of my farm life, or actually, my life in general. Hidden Treasures of My “Life Unboxed with ArmieG” or https://5d09.com.
