Heritage Farm

09/01/2026

Preach! 🙌🏼😆
Definitely part of ‘The Rest of Us’ club! 🤣🤣

There are TWO kinds of people at a dog show, and apparently there is NO middle class. 😂

First, you got THEM.

Their big ol’ fancy rigs are already sitting on the show grounds, leveled up, slides out, awnings stretched, generators humming, and kennel names professionally lettered down the sides big enough to be seen from the interstate.

They are SET. UP.

Grooming tables lined up. Matching crates. Fans blowing. Extension cords organized. Coolers full. Coffee brewing.

Probably got satellite TV, Wi-Fi, a washer and dryer and a small mortgage payment sitting on six tires.

Their setup looks like NASCAR met Westminster and opened a gated community.

Then you got…

THE REST OF US.

We’re 14 miles down the road at the $60-a-night Motel Sweet Baby Jesus Please Don’t Let Anyone Steal My Car.

I’m sitting cross-legged on a comforter I’m trying VERY hard not to inspect, eating Vienna sausages STRAIGHT OUT THE CAN and washing them down with a Coke Zero because after paying entries and buying gas, using a plate feels financially irresponsible.

The mini fridge contains dog bait, half a Coke Zero and absolutely NOTHING intended to sustain an adult human being.

Meanwhile, outside…

We got street hookers on the corner.

Somebody arguing three rooms down.

A vehicle that has started and shut off approximately 14 times.

And I’m about 97% sure I just watched a questionable little business transaction take place right beside us.

Now, I don’t know what was sold.

I don’t know what was purchased.

And for $60 a night, I HAVE DECIDED THAT IS BETWEEN THEM, JESUS AND POSSIBLY THE DEA.

But bless this man’s heart…

After completing whatever entrepreneurial endeavor he had going on, he saw me carrying stuff upstairs and politely offered to help with the dogs.

Sir.

That is mighty neighborly.

Should I be concerned?? 😂😂😂

“Thank you kindly, but I got ’em.”

Because whatever you just bought, sold, swapped, traded or bartered…

WE ARE NOT THROWING A CHINESE CRESTED IN TO SWEETEN THE DEAL.

Then I meet one of the ladies outside.

Her: “Hey girl, you want a smoke?”

Me: “Nah, honey, I’m good.”

Her: “Y’all win anything today with them dogs?”

Me: “Yeah, we won some ribbons.”

Her: “How much money you win?”

Me: “Money?! Girl… NOTHING. We actually PAY to do this.”

She just looks at me.

I look at her.

Then she says:

“Well damn… I just made $50 about ten minutes ago.”

…………

Ma’am.

YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU WIN. 😂😂😂😂

Because at that exact moment, BOTH of us realized something.

She made $50 in the parking lot.

I spent several hundred dollars, drove hundreds of miles, slept at Motel Felony, ate Vienna sausages out of a can…

AND WON A THREE-DOLLAR RIBBON.

One of us has a successful business model.

AND APPARENTLY IT AIN’T ME.

Then she offers me another cigarette like she has officially determined I’m the one going through some things. 😂

Eventually I make it upstairs.

Deadbolt locked.

Chain latched.

Chair shoved under the doorknob.

I stood back and admired my security system.

Yep. That oughta inconvenience somebody for at least four seconds.

Meanwhile, back at the show grounds, the fancy folks are probably sitting under their awnings eating food that requires SILVERWARE.

And I’m at Motel Felony wearing socks because the carpet feels like it knows things.

But tomorrow morning?

I’m gonna spray this hair into submission, put on a $300 show outfit, grab a dog worth several thousand dollars, crack open another Coke Zero and walk into that show like I DIDN’T spend the night making friends with the local economy.

Because some dog-show people have the big rigs, fancy lettering and luxury setups.

The rest of us have Vienna sausages, Coke Zero, a $60 motel, a chair under the doorknob, a suspiciously polite parking-lot businessman and a new friend who apparently made more money in ten minutes than I did ALL DAY.

And every last one of us is doing this for the same reason:

To run around in a circle with a dog and hope a stranger points at us…

FOR A THREE-DOLLAR RIBBON.

Then we’ll drive home broke, exhausted and smelling like hairspray and dog bait while asking the most financially irresponsible question known to dog-show people:

“So… where are we showing next weekend?” 😂😂😂

09/01/2026

❤️‍🩹 tough situation all around

Possible exposure dates/locations include:
-Statesville
-Lexington
-Mecklenburg
-Watauga
-Burke
-Davie
-Durham
-Iredell counties.

If you touched or handled the goats at any of these events, contact your local health department before visiting urgent care/ER to see if preventive treatment is needed.
Rabies is deadly but preventable.

More info here epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/diseases/rabies.html

08/30/2026

🚨 Rabies Warning for Anyone Who Touched These Goats in Burke County

Friday, August 28, 2026 — 10:00 PM

HICKORY, N.C. — People across the region may have been exposed to rabies after handling goats from a traveling petting zoo, and health officials spent Friday night urging anyone who touched, held or fed the animals to call a nurse immediately.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Friday that goats associated with the mobile petting zoo tested positive for rabies. Health departments in Burke County, Catawba County and several other counties were notified.

WHERE THE GOATS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN

Aug. 9 — A private event at a venue on Miller Mills Road in Burke County. The address carries a Hickory mailing address but the property sits inside Burke County. Burke County Public Health says this is the only location in the county the petting zoo is known to have visited.

Aug. 1 — The Community Connections event at Breeden Amphitheater in Lexington, in Davidson County.

Catawba County Public Health said no exposure sites inside Catawba County had been identified as of late Friday afternoon, but that Catawba residents may well have attended the Burke County party given how close it is to the county line.

The investigation is ongoing and both counties say additional locations may still be identified. Anyone who had contact with goats at any petting zoo event in August should call their county health department to be safe.

WHO TO CALL

Burke County residents: Beverley Ward, RN, at (828) 764-1165.

Catawba County residents: the county's communicable disease nurses at (828) 695-5769.

A statewide call center has also been set up at (336) 242-2371. It was open Friday until 8 p.m. and is scheduled to reopen Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHY THIS CANNOT WAIT

Rabies spreads through the saliva of an infected animal. Anyone who touched, held or fed the goats may have been exposed and is generally advised to begin rabies prophylaxis right away, because the treatment prevents symptoms from ever developing.

Symptoms can take weeks or months to appear, and health officials said no one should wait for fever, headache or weakness before calling, even though the Burke County party was nearly three weeks ago.

"Rabies is not a disease we can take risks with because it is almost always fatal once symptoms develop," said Catawba County Public Health Director Jennifer McCracken, RN, BSN, MPA.

WHAT THE PETTING ZOO SAYS

The business is Farm Adventures, based in Iredell County. In a statement posted to its page, the zoo said four baby goats were kept in a pen separate from the other animals and were too young to have received their vaccinations.

"We unfortunately encountered a skunk in their pen, which we promptly removed and disposed of," the zoo wrote, adding that the skunk bit the goats during the removal.

All four goats — named Molly, Maggie, Cow and Uno — have been euthanized to stop the virus from spreading. The zoo said its remaining animals are being monitored under guidelines from health officials, and that it is working with public health officials, the state Department of Agriculture and animal control.

Because the Aug. 9 Burke County event was private, Catawba County Public Health said there is no risk to the general public.

This is a developing story. Catawba Valley News & Weather will update it as more is confirmed.

Please share this post so anyone who had contact with these goats sees it, and follow Catawba Valley News & Weather for updates.

Image: Zoo Adventures (Molly, Maggie, Cow and Uno)

08/24/2026

♥️♥️♥️

📣 Breaking news! 📣waffle time ((with an R)) 📣. ⏰🚨‼️no slots left. (Friends and family can get spots since this is a random online live drawing). Due to a large storm we lost a shelter,fence and round pen and since I’m not one to beg for help or just donations I’m offering this lovely girl up to try to raise it to fix the damage. IvyWild D’Vergent. This girl is flashy as they come just covered in moonspots and white markings. Disbudded. Left her as a Dry yearling to grow more but she is gorgeous all the way around. I have her half sister here. She isn’t just another moonspotted goat! She has beautiful goats and stunning udders behind her on both sides of the pedigree! Her dam is a finished GCH with her 7*M so this girl has the potential to earn her 8*M ! She needs some more work catching and leading but has the standing down for showing (stays very still and hasn’t been fidgeting when I set her feet) and is really good about staying still once her feet are placed. She was a total lady being shaved and feet trimmed on the stand. I haven’t messed with her hardly at all this year other than doing feet, shaving and getting pics and she was perfect doing pictures. She has a lot of room between her hocks as well as really good feet. She is an easy keeper that holds her weight really easily and already developing that beautiful depth we love here. She is a hard hard one to let go but I do have a sister and I have to have adequate shelter for the horses and lost the shelter to a storm yesterday so something has to happen so I can get a new shelter up. She has never been exposed to a buck and is open currently. Her line takes time to grow but they are so worth the wait! I had her sister kid at two and I love her. I haven’t gotten to any shows this year but would love to see her get the opportunity one day as well as hopefully get to be on milk test. The way this works is each 10 dollar donation gets you one spot in the waffle. No min or max spots per person but all spots must fill before the drawing. winner has 2 weeks to pick up or have transport pick up or a friend pick up(if it is outside this talk to me if it’s within reason for the transport I’ll work with you but I cannot hold them months for transport- at 30 days the goat is forfeited unless I have then agreed to waiting ). . if we cannot fill all spots I hold the right to go ahead with the drawing or refund all “donations”. ( i will add numbers as they fill and they will fill in order since the system random draws numbers-85 spots total). Please message for the PayPal/venmo. I’m not posting that becuase last time people kept sending it and not telling me and it was really hard to keep up with who everyone was so message me how many and an alternate way to reach you such as phone or email if you win I can reach you if you aren’t seeing my messages on Facebook . 1. Jennifer miller Raymond 2. Willandmanda zeman 3. Willandmanda zeman 4. Rachel firneno 5. Rachel firneno 6. Rachel firneno 7. Rachel firneno 8. Rachel firneno 9. Rachel firneno 10. Rachel firneno 11. Rachel firneno 12. Rachel firneno 13. Rachel firneno 14. Brianna saich. 15. Brianna saich. 16. (Kelseigh doughty)Kelsey Willis. 17. Kelsey Willis. 18. Kelsey Willis. 19. Kelsey Willis. 20. Kelsey Willis. 21. Kelsey Willis. 22. Kelsey Willis. 23. Kat morris 24. Kat morris 25. Samantha holland. 26.circle s farm 27.circle s farm 28. Becky ward 29. Becky ward 30. Samantha holland 31. Kristy Williams stringer 32. Kristy Williams stringer 33. Niki Barry 34. Niki Barry 35. Samantha holland 36. Niki Barry 37. Niki Barry 38. Niki Barry 39. Jennifer miller - Raymond 40. Jennifer miller - Raymond 41. Jennifer miller - Raymond 42. Jennifer miller - Raymond 43. Ryleigh leavitt 44. Ryleigh leavitt 45. Ryleigh leavitt 46. Ryleigh leavitt 47. Kimberly pack Amos 48. Kimberly pack Amos 49. Kimberly pack Amos 50. Kimberly pack Amos 51. Kimberly pack Amos 52. Kimberly pack Amos 53. Kimberly pack Amos 54. Kimberly pack Amos 55. Kimberly pack Amos 56. Kimberly pack Amos 57. Kimberly pack Amos 58. Ryleigh leavitt 59. Gabriella Ferreira 60. Gabriella Ferreira 61. Circle s farm 62. Circle s farm 63. Katie Parker Gribben 64. Katie Parker Gribben 65. Circle s farm 66. Circle s farm 67. Kristi Williams stringer 68. Kristi Williams stringer 69. Rachel firneno 70. Marci Townsend 71. Marci Townsend 72. Marci Townsend 73. Marci Townsend 74. Marci Townsend 75. Rachel firneno 76. Rachel firneno 77. Rachel firneno 78. Rachel firneno 79. Jennifer miller Raymond 80. Tina Fetterhoff 81. Katie Parker Gribben 82. Willandmanda zeman 83. Willandmanda zeman 84. Gabriella Ferreira 85. Kat morris .

08/21/2026

❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

Farm life isn't always cute animals doing stupid things for Facebook videos.

Sometimes you lose one.

I'm not going to get into what happened. Some things just aren't meant for the internet.

But if you've ever kept animals, you know.

You feed them. You check on them. You worry about them. You learn all their weird little habits and personalities. And eventually, somehow, they become part of your everyday life.

Then one day they're just... not there.

It's a strange kind of heartbreak because you can be absolutely devastated and still have six thirty thousand four other animals staring at you like, "Okay, sad lady, but we're going to need breakfast."

Animals have absolutely no respect for grief.

They've got no idea you're having a moment, or need a day to handle your mindfuq.

The chickens still need fed.

The goats still want treats.

Somebody is probably trying to escape.

And somehow, you keep going.

That's farm life.

A lot of love, a lot of work, a lot of ridiculousness...

And sometimes a really hard goodbye. ❤️

08/19/2026

🤣🤣

🚨 IF I EVER GET PULLED OVER, I’M PROBABLY GOING TO JAIL 🚨

Not because I’ve done anything illegal…

But because the inside of a horse person’s truck looks like a rolling crime scene. 😂

Officer, I can explain.

That wasn’t ma*****na.

It was alfalfa.

That syringe had Banamine in it.

Those needles were not for me.

The baggie of white powder is electrolytes.

The unlabeled pills are SMZs.

The blood on those towels is also from a horse.

The giant bottle of lubricant is veterinary.

The shoulder-length gloves are completely normal.

The ropes, chains, zip ties, headlamp, tarp, shovel, and knife are all ranch-related.

And before you ask…

Yes, there may be a f***l sample in that Tupperware.

No, you do not want to open it.

At this point, forensics is getting called, my truck is being impounded, and I’m sitting in the back of a patrol car trying to convince everyone that the suspicious bottle with “PAIN MEDS” written on it is just Banamine whose original label wore off.

Eventually, they’ll release me.

Horse people don’t carry paraphernalia.

We carry an entire mobile veterinary clinic held together with baling twine, hay wire, and poor decisions. 😂

What’s the most suspicious-looking thing currently riding around in your truck that has a perfectly reasonable horse-person explanation? 😂

08/19/2026

Solid gold!! She nailed it!!! 🤣🤣🙌🏼

Almost every day a gentleman appears in my comments whose résumé is so impressive that I can only assume LinkedIn took one look at it, briefly attempted to load his employment history, started smoking somewhere near the server room, and finally sent back a message saying, "Sir, we don't have enough server space for this." You know the guy. According to his profile, he has served in every branch of the United States military. Army. Navy. Air Force. Marines. Coast Guard. Space Force. Possibly the Salvation Army. At this point, if the Boy Scouts have an opening, he's probably qualified, and I wouldn't be entirely surprised to learn that he also spent a summer commanding the Girl Scouts because apparently organizational boundaries mean absolutely nothing to this man. And he didn't merely serve. No. This gentleman somehow became a General. Several times. In several branches. Apparently the Pentagon just keeps handing him stars every time he walks through the door. I picture him strolling down a hallway while people yell, "GENERAL!" and he has to stop, turn around, and ask, "Which one?" because there are simply too many commands under his authority to keep track of anymore. He has spent approximately 47 years serving his country despite appearing to be 53, which means he apparently enlisted somewhere around first grade, but the math is none of our business.

But wait. He's also a doctor. And a lawyer. Sometimes he's a surgeon. Occasionally an engineer. I encountered one who appeared to be both an orthopedic surgeon and a General, which seems like an unreasonable amount of responsibility for one human being because at some point, sir, you need to pick a lane. Are we invading something, replacing a hip, or filing a motion? I need to know what shoes to wear. I fully expect to eventually encounter one whose profile says, "Four-star General, cardiothoracic surgeon, constitutional attorney, aerospace engineer, veterinarian, astronaut, Nobel Prize recipient, part-time plumber, and currently accepting new patients." Somewhere between commanding an entire military operation and performing a twelve-hour surgery, I assume he also finds time to answer emergency plumbing calls because when you've already conquered several branches of the military and three professional schools, apparently a clogged sink is where you go next for a challenge.

And somehow, despite this crushing professional workload, he has hobbies. Puppies. So. Many. Puppies. You scroll through his profile expecting to find photographs documenting this extraordinary career and instead it's General. General. Flag. General. Golden retriever puppy. Rose. German shepherd puppy. Sunset. General. Inspirational quote about loyalty. Puppy in a basket. General shaking hands with someone who may or may not actually know him. Three puppies sitting in a field. Rose with sparkles. Puppy wearing a tiny hat. Another sunset. Another flag. Another puppy that appears to have been photographed by a professional photographer on an entirely different continent. This man has commanded troops, performed open-heart surgery, argued constitutional law, designed something aerospace related, and apparently spends his evenings sitting peacefully at home searching Google for "puppy very cute." I don't know where the puppies came from or why every highly decorated General on Facebook appears to share the exact same passion for golden retrievers sitting in wicker baskets, but apparently this is something they teach at officer training.

Then he finds my page. Of all the billions of people on Facebook, destiny has guided General Doctor Lawyer Puppy Man directly to a calf raiser in Washington, and he has something extremely important to say. "Hello beautiful." Sir. Please. You have troops somewhere. Surely someone needs you. There has to be a patient waiting for surgery. A client awaiting legal representation. An engineering project that requires your attention. A puppy somewhere wondering why you haven't uploaded its photograph yet. But no. Apparently national defense can wait because General Fluffy McHeartSurgeon has seen a photograph of me standing next to a Jersey calf and has immediately realized that after decades of military service, medical school, law school, several wars, approximately fourteen promotions, and what appears to be a lifelong commitment to puppy photography, he has finally found his purpose. Complimenting my looks underneath a calf post.

And he is dedicated. "Hello beautiful lady." "Very beautiful." "You have a beautiful smile." "Can we be friends?" My good sir, the post you are commenting on is about calf diarrhea. Read the room. There is literally a paragraph discussing manure consistency directly above your declaration of romantic interest. I have just spent 900 words explaining why the color, consistency, smell, frequency, and assorted contents of calf manure can provide useful information about gastrointestinal health, and apparently somewhere in the middle of that you thought, "This is it. This is the woman I've been searching for." There is something almost impressive about that level of commitment. Other men might have been discouraged by the words "projectile diarrhea." Not General Doctor Lawyer Puppy Man. He has survived combat. He has survived residency. He has survived law school. He will not be deterred by a discussion of f***l scoring.

But eventually I started feeling bad for these men because imagine how tired they must be. This poor gentleman has served his country for decades. Apparently all of his country, because he couldn't settle on one branch. He has risen to General so many times that I'm surprised Starbucks doesn't give him a military rank punch card. Become General five times and your sixth promotion is free. Then there was medical school. Residency. Law school. The bar exam. Potentially engineering school. Probably astronaut training somewhere in there. Maybe veterinary school on weekends. All while caring deeply about puppies and maintaining what appears to be an extensive collection of roses, sunsets, American flags, inspirational quotes, and photographs of himself in uniforms that occasionally appear to belong to completely different human beings. Maintaining this Facebook profile alone has to be a full-time job, and yet he still finds the strength to travel around the internet locating random women and typing "Hello dear beautiful" under posts about livestock.

And now, after what must have been the most exhausting professional life in recorded human history, he's spending his retirement wandering around Facebook telling women with manure on their boots that they're beautiful. This man needs rest. Serious rest. Possibly medically supervised rest, although fortunately he is apparently qualified to supervise himself. And I am nothing if not compassionate, so when General Doctor Lawyer Puppy Enthusiast arrives in my comments, I perform a small act of kindness. I hide my page from him. It's basically a wellness program. Some people donate to veterans organizations. Some people volunteer. I personally remove the tremendous burden of having to comment on my calf posts from one extremely overworked four-star General at a time.

Sir, you've given enough. No more comments. No more compliments. No more desperately typing "Hello dear" underneath photographs of Jersey calves. I am officially releasing you from duty. Stand down, General. Put away the stethoscope. Close the law books. Adjourn court. Cancel the surgery. Tell the engineers somebody else can finish the bridge. Turn off Facebook. Go home. Find one of the 327 puppies from your profile, preferably the golden retriever in the wicker basket because he seems nice. Sit down. Pet the puppy. Have a snack. Drink some water. Maybe take a nap. You've apparently been working continuously since age six. Rest. Your watch has ended.

And the beautiful thing is that Facebook apparently has an endless supply of replacements because approximately three days later another gentleman appears. Different name. Different face. Same uniform. Same General rank. Same medical degree. Same law degree. Same inexplicable career timeline. Same inspirational sunset. Same rose covered in sparkles. Same puppies. Sometimes, if I'm particularly fortunate, I'm pretty sure it's even the exact same golden retriever puppy. Then I open my notifications and there it is.

"Hello beautiful."

Oh good.

The relief shift has arrived.

General Doctor Lawyer Puppy Man Number 487, welcome aboard. Your predecessor has been relieved of duty and is currently enjoying the peaceful retirement I personally arranged for him by hiding my page.

Please enjoy your approximately six minutes of active service before I extend the same retirement benefits to you.