Meditation Milk

I bought a yoga video off Ebay and it arrived this weekend. I wasn't feeling well, so I decided to try it out. I'm trying to do more stretching. I had a massage last week and I got scolded for not stretching enough. Yoga just isn't for me, I have a hard time being that still. Clearing my mind "meditating" while doing yoga just doesn't happen. I'm too busy watching the T.V. to make sure I'm doing it right. I started to think about my mind. Is it ever just blank and not having internal chatter?

Milking the goats is a type of meditation for me. It's a simple chore I do daily that is imprinted in my mind. I only milk two goats everyday, Happy and Maple. I choose to only milk the goats that lose their kids. Most dairies will take the kids away so they can collect all the milk. I did this my first year, it was awful. The Mamas cried for their kids for about a week- long, sad moaning. If they ever saw the kids it was worse. Plus, it's a ton of extra work for me to bottle feed.

Happy and Maple lost their kids earlier this year. They both froze when they were born on a cold night. You develop a special bond when you milk an animal by hand on a daily basis. The goats are very specific about milking. I am the only one that they will allow to milk. It is horrible if I have to go away while I am milking a goat. They will play games with the animal sitter. They'll refuse to get into their milking stand. They have to be chased down and forced to put their head in the stand. They will refuse to eat and kick their feet trying to knock the bucket over.

We have our routine, Happy is always milked first. I don't know how they came to that conclusion but that's the way it is. Happy likes sweet feed w/sunflower seeds more than pellets. She's a chow hound that always finishes her food and will start kicking in protest when she's finished. Happy doesn't have the best udders. They are shaped like torpedoes(not everyone can be Pamela Anderson) and can be difficult to milk, especially for new animal sitters. Happy likes for me to give her a hug and let her kiss my face after I am done milking her. Getting my nose nibbled on is a fair trade off for having your boobs milked everyday.

Maple likes pellets more than sweet feed and doesn't like sunflower seeds. Maple is very ladylike, stands perfectly still and never kicks. She eats very slowly and will pick out the sunflower seeds if given to her. Maple has very nice udders, she would probably place well if I took her to a show. She is easy to milk because her udders are well proportioned. She doesn't produce as much milk as Happy.

When I milk them, I get into a zone. I can be still and appreciate nature. I slow down enough notice the little things. I can hear birds singing, smell spring coming, see magnolia blossoms blooming, feel the warm sun on my face. It's the time of day I feel just content to be alive and breathing.