Goodbye Bucker

Farm life isn’t always easy, especially when you are three. 

You might remember a previous post about my grandson bottle feeding a newborn lamb who had been rejected by his mother. 

My oldest grandson affectionately named him Bucker, and responsibly cared for him day after day. 

Bucker was kind of like a little dog who came running when he was called, and wagged his tail quite enthusiastically while being bottle fed. 

Yesterday was a sad day on the farm because it was time to sell the lambs. My oldest grandson is quite practical about this, and understands that this is just a part of farm life. 

The three year old, on the other hand, was heartbroken that Bucker would have to leave. He had fallen in love with the little lamb, and I can’t say he was alone in that sentiment.

Bucker sure was a sweet little guy, who really seemed to enjoy the human companionship of the boys. 

Because Bucker was a boy, and would eventually grow up to compete with their buck he couldn’t stay. In an effort to console the youngest , who didn’t quite understand, they decided to keep two of the smaller females, and that did seem to help. 

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me that Bucker was leaving. It was easy to get attached to the little guy. 

I’ve learned that the reality is that unlike pets, animals on the farm aren’t going to be around forever. Predators, accidents, and the natural order of things are regular occurrences in farm life. 

For a city slicker like me, though it still was a sad day to learn that Bucker was gone.