Mistral is getting antsy in the milk room where she, Georgia and Garamond have shared a pen since Sunday. That's a good sign. Although her leg is still tender (see how she's holding it off the ground?), she's found her appetite for hay and her temp is down. When she was really sick, all she wanted was the bottle. But at five weeks old, she really should be making the shift to hay and grain. I'm glad to see she's finally heading in the right direction. It's now a question of how well her leg can mend. In the meantime, she's incredibly agile on three legs. I have really appreciated your encouraging words during this rocky week. Thanks for rooting for her!

Just as we seem to be pulling out of the woods, another set back: one of my two golden retrievers landed in the veterinary hospital yesterday.Several days ago, "Mishka" my eleven year old baby went off food, followed by vomiting and lethargy. Mike and I could see that she really wasn't herself, so I took her for an examination. Because her symptoms are so vague, They're running a barrage of tests, ultrasounds, e.k.g.'s, you name it. I hope to learn more later today. Early signs point to issues with kidney function – and I'm afraid to know the extent of what that means.

After the week I've just had with Mistral, can't believe I'm dealing with another animal crisis. Mishka just doesn't look or act like an old dog, so this is a huge wake up call. Spent an hour visiting her at the hospital yesterday. She hates it there. When I took her for a walk outside, she made a bee-line to the parking lot, going from car to car until she found hers. She looked at me and the message was clear: "Home. NOW!" . Poor girl.  

Tomorrow is a big day. We're shearing border leicesters, goats and llamas and doing general flock maintenance on everyone else. I'm really fortunate that Holly and Andy can carry on with or without me, since I may need to be with someone else who needs me. Please hold a good thought.

 Mishka