As a tall person with a taller husband next to our very tall son, our daughters seem to have an advantage within the region of height. Our barn cats are small though not miniature, our dachshunds are mini dogs. Our son’s dog is a giant among German shepherds. His wife’s dog is a tiny chihuahua and tells the big guy where he may be in their house. The tiny dog could be described as a miniature dog with a big presence.
Some small children refuse to say hello to me as they see a giant and probably think about how scary they are in their stories. If I am sitting or behind a cashier’s counter many children are calmer about my size. When a child has that look of “how could one person have that much tall inside and out” I often squat down to a more regular size and their eyes seem to draw back into their sockets.
We do not get to pick our own size, so getting fussy about how people react to something we cannot control leads me to giggle. The rare crack about how the weather is up here leaves me to wonder. Professional weather guys are not considered accurate. Maybe folks are asking for a more accurate weather prediction so they can be prepared? If giving someone the scoop on what is coming up for the weather is helpful, than it could be worth a try. Getting a weather rock might be just as helpful. We have several rocks at our garden plot behind the local food pantry and in our garden at the house also. Our yard at the house is large, and our house is not.
Most of the rooms in our house are small although our house is not miniature. When the grand-dog walks through the doorways with me the house seems too small. When my feet hurt, walking to the back door seems too far away. Our bathroom is tiny, but since the interior walls and cabinets are missing as construction has halted, it feels larger than usual.
I would love to have draft horses such as Halflingers and Clydesdales and when it comes to considering cattle I would enjoy managing a herd of miniature Dexters and miniature Jerseys. Maybe the idea of big cow pies is less appealing than little cow pies. The smaller cattle are more in line with my vision for homesteading as the smaller sizes are a more accurate image of the heritage of farming.
Miniature can be a confusing word as I see doll house furniture and hundreds of pounds on a farm animal and they share the same descriptive word. Speaking of jersey cows, it is time to drive to the local FreshStart Farm for fresh milk. The store is small and the glass jugs are filled with milk from the cows I say hello to as I drive up the driveway. There is nothing small about the taste of their dairy products. If only I could give you a Miniature glimpse of how wonderful their cookies and cream milk tastes.