For those of you who don't already know, Rainbow Springs Farm is the name we gave our spread in the Southern Tier of upstate New York between Binghamton and Syracuse.
In 1978 when we moved there we named it after the New York National Guard's
42nd Infantry "Rainbow" Division....
Rich spent 33 years in the Guard and Reserves retiring with the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel.
While visiting Bonnie "Springs", Nevada, we were very impressed with the beautiful verdant ranch in the middle of the desert (It had once belonged to Howard Hughes) Thus, the origin of "Rainbow" and "Springs" The "Farm" part is described below. We were unaware that the farm was previously "The Maples" named for the majestic trees that surrounded the house. Unfortunately most of our stately Sugar Maples have exceeded their life expectancy and one by one they have succumbed. How sadly ironic it would have been if we had kept the old name.
HISTORY
LIVESTOCK:
The Horse---One Strawberry Roan mare, "Brandy", she was 12 when we got her, she already had her name, and she lived to be about 30 years old.
Cattle-----One Hereford (white face) beef bull, "Vindicator". Two Hereford beef cows, "Rosie" and "Pepper" (named for their dispositions) one Black Angus beef cow; "Maggie" one Jersey dairy cow "Drucilla" and her calf; one Hereford-Holstein, "Wimpy" a dairy/beef cross. This is a common mix and many result in black bodies with white faces. The smaller Hereford bulls are often used as sires for young Holstein heifer's first calves.
Pigs----Merkle, Trunz and Oscar Mayer were among the various names of the pigs we raised each winter..
Sheep----We raised several Dorset lambs into a small flock of sheep with one ram who became the horse's best pal, they were inseparable, he would stand under her and never got hurt.
Poultry----We had a flock of Rhode Island Red chickens (we didn't name them) and we actually sold eggs from the kitchen door just like Ma & Pa Kettle or Claudette Colbert in the Egg & I.
Over the years we had a menagerie of ducks, turkeys, a gray goose, "Phoebe" and a white goose with deformed wing tips that stuck out so we named her, "Delta"
Finally, Scarlet the Irish Setter and the barn cats, but that's a whole other topic. This endeavor lasted from about 1979 to 1990. We were supposed to be retired, and this was WORK!!!!
The animals are now gone, many "went to market" but Scarlet, Brandy, the ram, and the cats had long and we hope happy lives.