June 21 is the first official day of summer. It is also known as Litha. I remember two years ago what big event happened here. Madilyn finally had her twin girls. She had her first babies three years before. Rocky and Alvin were her first babies. Rocky earned his name be being born dead (vet pulled him like a licorice stick and in and out because he was backwards and both babies were trying to come at the same time). After a few minutes he took his first breath and after a couple of days you'd have never known he had such a Rocky start. Maddie would not take him back, however, because she was sure he was dead when the human took him to the house. She just couldn't take him back. Her heart broke the first time she lost him, and she would not lose him again. Rocky went to a new forever farm, and she was a great mom to Alvin.
Madilyn May Saanen
The next year, she got all nervous about giving birth again. Heck, who wouldn't after her first experience. Well, it was better the second year. A little bit. She only had one baby. The human had to pull it. I happened to be nearby and heard her talking to the vet about how all she could feel were huge feet, face and no space. After several efforts, she finally got him out. He was christened Goliath, and Maddie was retired from having babies. She had some unknown udder issues, and the human helped feed Goliath sometimes. Retirement was a welcome relief for her. She played and cavorted like she was a kid again.
Goliath James Osboer
The next year, when everyone else had babies, Maddie was jealous. She was very upset that she wasn't going to have another baby. She even tried to steal my daughter, Pebbles. I was distracted, giving birth to Bam Bam, and Maddie had Pebbles, washing her and encouraging her to nurse. Thankfully, the human came in and rescued my baby. She threatened that Maddie could get locked up for kidnapping. Instead, my kids and I went into protective custody until they were old enough to know who their mama was. After her emotional tirade and attempted kidnapping, the human relented and told her she could have babies again. That fall, when she came into heat, I thought she was going to climb the fence to get to Grover. The human finally convinced her to at least wait until June to have her kids. That way, if she needed help taking care of them, the human would be here for her.
That brings us to two years ago. June 21, Litha. Maddie went into labor. She tried having the kids on her own, but it did not happen. The human went in and found what appeared to be a headless kid, at least that's what she told her mom. There was a fold in Maddie's uterus that the baby was stuck behind. Once she got the head pulled around, the baby came easily. The second one was also no problem.
She finally had her daughters, two of them. One was named Litha in honor of the day.
Litha May Street
The other was going to be named Rain because of the gentle rain that was falling, but right after she was born, all hail broke loose. She was instead named Stormy.
Stormy Sue Street
Madilyn May Saanen had always been sickly, nearly dying as a baby, and having these girls seemed to be the beginning of her demise. She raised her daughters all on her own, and she was very proud of that. She was proud of giving the human two beautiful daughters. It's what she wanted, and she got to watch her girls grow up. They were such doting daughters, staying with her rather than running and playing in pasture with the other kids. She left this world in December, right around the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.
Maddie with daughters Stormy (top) and Litha.
Today, we celebrate the fullness and richness of life. The longest day of the year. The height of the growing season. The sunlight blessing us and allowing all things to grow. We look to the shortening days and know that the cycle of life continues. Soon the nights will be longer and the days shorter. We know also, that certainly this pattern will continue endlessly. On the farm, Litha and Stormy now have their own kids. This year, Litha has a daughter and she has been named Madilyn May.
Madilyn May Blackboer
And we wish Stormy and Litha a very happy birthday.
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