the season of death

Happy Day of the Dead

tomorrow we will be making our pan de muerto and the candles are lit. we will have chicken from our own farm along with mole. our farm's eggs will go into the bread.

at this time when we remember our loved ones that are gone, we have new deaths to reflect on as well. Last Sunday, after a valiant effort that included pumping 3/4 gallon of goat electrolytes into Valentine and giving her 6 injections a day, we made the decision to put our 2 remaining goats down. Thankfully, Paco stepped up to do the dirty work. We still don't know exactly what we were fighting or how we got it, but the best guess is listeriosis. I have been truly saddened by our outcome and am not ready to make any decisions about future hoof stock.

tomorrow we will also get down the special pink box that holds the few mementos we have our our first daughter, Adele, who was stillborn 12 years ago tomorrow. Lillian has already asked about her. she knows that Day of the Dead is a celebration but also a sad reflection.

we had a great Halloween week. Lillian, paco, and I went down to the newly renovated Lafayette Theater for the "Boo Bash" showing of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." On Wednesday I got to make a special appearance in her preschool class t help the kids decorate sugar skulls. ON Thursday Paco and I were both in attendance for the class Halloween parade and songs. Friday night we both took her Trick or treating downtown and then I took her out to one of the subdivisions. She was a beautiful Pocahantas and I was very proud of her--she was a brave and very polite trick or treater. This year she went up and rang doorbells all by herself as I waited on the sidewalk.

Today we cleaned up the garden and rigged the poultry net so the hens could get in the garden and have their way with the mushy tomatoes.