What's new, you ask?

Maybe you didn't ask but I'm going to tell you anyway since I have your attention.  Well, we got our new camera so I'll post a few pictures just for fun.  I'm not sure if I like it as well as our other one yet.  I don't think the pictures look any better.  Maybe it's the person behind the camera.

Shiloh is really growing.  I was comparing photos from our old camera to our new ones and came upon some of him as a newborn and I realized how much he's changed.  I really don't see it on a day-to-day basis.  Here he is today next to his mom.  He's still just as fuzzy and adorable as ever.  The goats are used to the donkeys now and don't run from them like they used to.  It's fun watching them interact.

I probably shouldn't write this but, we haven't had any predator problems lately so the chickens and ducks are all fine.  I had to get rid of the 2 guineas because they had terrorized my chickens so much the rooster wouldn't even sleep with them anymore.  He slept with the goats.  Now that the guineas are gone he's back with the hens.  Two of the roosters had to go too because it was also too much for the hens.  One little girl would hardly come out during the day.  Now she's back out hopping around with the rest.  Everyone seems happy.  Now that the days are shorter we're not getting many eggs even though one of my young hens has finally started laying.  We thought they were laying them somewhere else but my chicken expert friend told me one day she only got 2 eggs from 40 hens.  I didn't remember getting this few last year but this friend also told me that I can expect a 20'% reduction in egg production each year of a hen's life. 

I'm pretty sure all my girl goats are bred now except Polly, who I won't breed till January.  This means things have settled down in the boy's pen, thank goodness.  Even tiny little Daisy is probably bred and will be the first to kid in late January.  I'll be praying for a very tiny, healthy baby and an easy delivery since Daisy is so young.  This was not a planned pregnancy.  She's so small she can still walk through the cattle panels so there was no way to keep her from the boys.  Every day it's getting to be a tighter and tighter squeeze for her but she can still do it.  She spends much of her day outside the fence and browsing in our yard. 

Yesterday a man stopped by while I was outside watching the goats and asked me if I would consider loaning some of them out for a Christmastime event nearby.  To make a long story short, they'd be in a pen while thousands of people walked past.  I told him that A Night Of Miracles sounded like something I'd like to visit but I didn't feel comfortable loaning my goats.  He was very understanding.  When I asked Pessa later on if she would have been interested she said no.

Adam is home for Thanksgiving break.  It's fun having  him and his friends around again.  Adam and Manley were out testing the sight on Manley's rifle in our field.  Manley had missed a buck that morning with another gun and blamed it on the sight.  To his credit, he's a good shot and usually gets a few deer every year.  He gave us a bunch of venison last night from a deer he got earlier.  Two of Adam's college buddies who live nearby were over yesterday because they had already run out of things to do.  They said they were used to being at school where they were always busy (I'm sure they didn't mean just school work).   The 4 guys went out for a drive and called us to tell us they were watching a white deer with black ears grazing along the river.  They took pictures to show us.  I wish I had one to post here.    They came back and cooked venison on our  BBQ pit and made corn on the cob, marinated asparagus and rolls.  They must eat well at school.

I'm just now getting back to this blog entry.  I started it last night, continued it this morning and now at 6:30 PM am just getting back to it.  It's been a great day.  A friend of mine invited me to join a turkey/rooster processing get-together 3 miles from our house.  I hadn't met the woman who raises the chickens and turkeys but have met her husband because he owns the sawmill I got my barn lumber from.  I was so impressed with her and her children (in their 20's) and their whole setup.  She's a builder, gardener, food preserver and a real do-it-yourselfer.  She builds and sells really nice chicken coops and raises all kinds of poultry.  It must be nice to have your own sawmill and lumber.  They were a close-knit family and seemed to have great fun together.  We probably processed 6 turkeys and 6 chickens.   Even the grandmother and grandchildren participated.  I got a tour of their root cellar and learned a few things too - a completely enjoyable afternoon.

I just got called for dinner.  Adam and the same 3 friends are cooking dinner again, venison burgers, vegetables on the grill and a cherry pie.  It made me laugh to be called for dinner.  Usually I'm the one who does that.

 I better stop now before I get caught up in something else. 







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