How to solve all the problems in the whole world according to Farmer Brian

Well I just do not have a lot to talk about today. I cleaned out the coop yesterday and put in a nice bunch of fresh wood chips. One of my sheep has a bad infection in its face. It got a small cut under its eye that I did not see and first thing I knew it was all swelled up like a balloon. It is amazing how fast infection can set in, one day it was perfectly healthy and happy and then 24 hrs later it is in really bad shape.

I went down the road to the vet and got some penicillin to give it. I do not like giving the poor thing a needle each day as it does not understand that I am trying to help it. All it knows is that each morning I come in and jab it in the butt. Sheep are very susceptible to maggot infestations for some reason so it is important to keep the wound clean. This is a little easer for me than some people as I only have a few sheep so there are not a lot of flies around.

It is amazing how much you learn from looking after large animals. Like a lot of people, I did not have a lot of know how when it came to what I would call practical medical info. I had never given a needle in my life but when you have a sick animal that is depending on you to take care of it, you have to learn how to deal with the problem. It is to the point know that I do not generally have to get the vet to come out and deal with a problem. I just go get what I need and take care of it myself.

It makes a person feel kind of good to be able to take care of problems themselves. I think that if kids in schools in the city could have the opportunity to look after large animals like kids on the farm do it would go a long way to building a sense of responsibility and self-worth that a lot of kids need. I feel that a lot of kids are to egocentric and wrapped up in things that they think are so important but in reality are just a bunch of unimportant silliness that in 20 years they won't even remember.

I know that kids will be kids and they will always be into the latest trends and the newest music and that is OK. But one has to balance that with the real world. What my grandfather would have called a dose of reality. And looking after animals is a good way of getting it. But that is just my opinion and what the heck do I know. Well I had better get going as it is time to go give the poor bugger its shot.

Guess I did have a lot to say after all.