Holes In My Jeans

Rest in peace, Foggy

2012-03-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

This morning I found Foggy dead in his coop. I'd like to think he died in his sleep of old age. I had a feeling his days on earth were numbered because he had been sleeping later, standing in the sun for longer periods of time, his crow was weaker and 3 days ago I saw him lose his balance. Yesterday seemed like a good day for him though. I actually saw him mount a hen, which I hadn't seen him do in a very long time. He crowed in answer to our other 2 roosters and seemed sturdy on his feet. Yes, he was a little lazy but all the chickens seemed to be since it was a nice sunny day. He loved hanging out in this roosterloo to sunbathe.

I cried as I buried him this morning in a proper grave. He even has a headstone but that's mostly because Keri watched me bury him and I'm afraid she'll dig him up. I will miss him, I really will. I've never met a rooster as nice as Foggy. If a rooster could be a gentleman, then that was him.

Goodbye Foggy. It was an honor to know you.

Are you my mommy?

2012-03-06T21:17:00.000-05:00

Clearly not.

Poppy's Triplets

2012-03-05T16:59:00.001-05:00

Finally, some babies. I've been reading about many of my friends' goats having babies and I was getting a little jealous.

We woke up to snow on the ground and cold temperatures this morning. I think we got 3 or 4 inches but most of it's gone now. The snow stopped once Poppy's labor was in full force. The first baby born was a boy and he was breach. I had to pull him out. The two girls followed quickly. They're all very lively and took to nursing with no problem.

Naming goats is fun. This year I didn't really have names picked out. I thought they'd just come to me. Well, they didn't. I did searches for names on the computer and said them out loud to Adam. None of them stuck. He said, "why don't you name them after my roommates?" His roommates are all boys (Andrew, Sam and Corey) but I figured Sam and Corey could also be used for girls. To make them a little more interesting I changed them just a little. Each name could also be an herb or plant.

Meet Andrographis (Andrew). Andrew has elf ears like his mom. I think his coloring will lighten and he'll look much like her when he's grown.

This is his sister Sambuca, Sam for short. Sambuca isn't an herb or plant but it's a liquer made from elderberry. She's very colorful and has elf ears like mama and brother.

Every year Poppy has one gopher eared baby. I love gopher ears therefore I love Coriander's (Cori) cute little head. She looks much like Andrew except for the ears, pink nose and her coloring has more of an ashy tone. I don't think she'll be gold like Poppy.

Poppy seems very happy with them. This is her 3rd time to kid. The first time she had one, the second time she had 2 and then today, 3. They're already trying to bounce. I have to wait another week for more babies. That's ok. It gives me time to spoil these.

Goat Yoga

2012-02-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

I've never done yoga except for following a very basic DVD which had very little explanation of what yoga really is. I will probably offend some folks who are true yoga enthusiasts with this post but I hope they'll understand I'm going with what little I know.

All of us know that chanting the sound "OMmmmmm" has something to do with yoga. I Googled OM and this is what I found.

OM is the most basic, primal sound and the origin of all sounds. It is very liberating to start a yoga asana practice with chanting OM - it takes you beyond intellect, centers you and lifts the energy upwards.

Om is the affirmation of the Divine Presence in the universe. It has a profound effect on the body and mind of the one who chants Om, and on his or her surroundings. Most mantras start with Om.

Try mentally repeating OM when angry, stressed or agitated. The sound can bring you closer to that calm place within just by repeating it.

You probably wonder where I'm going with this, don't you? When I'm stressed, or worn out or need to find a place to find calm, I go to my goat barn. This time of the year is the best time to find a sense of serenity. There's nothing like hanging out with a bunch of pregnant goats, calmly chewing their cud to make you relax and find peace. Watch this and see if you agree. Imagine they're all saying "OMMMMM"

A taste of summer

2012-02-24T20:24:00.000-05:00

We had some crazy weather today. One moment it was sunny and 75 degrees, the next moment it was pouring down rain with heavy winds. It felt like a summer day. I went for a walk in long sleeves and wished I had worn a short sleeved tee shirt. We even had a rainbow. You may have to look very hard to see it. Why don't rainbows photograph well?

Because it was raining so hard and I couldn't be outside, I decided to do some cooking. It's been a long time since I made homemade pasta. I used all whole wheat flour from our home-grown wheat. I had no idea if it would be too dry or what. Surprisingly it turned out really nice. The dough was very orangey-brown from the combination of our dark yellow eggs and wheat.

I was afraid the noodles would be too dry and crumble when I pressed and cut them but they surprised me. It was smoother than the texture of the dough led me to believe they'd be.

I made a sauce out of one cup of frozen pumpkin from 2006 and 2 cups of winter squash from 2010. It was heavily flavored by 5 cloves of our very potent garlic, fresh sage leaves and the last of our onions from 2011.

Unfortunately we didn't have any chicken broth, sour cream, salt or nutmeg from our farm which completed the sauce. While digging through the freezer for the pumpkin I discovered some eggplant. I brushed it with some olive oil, salt and parmesan, broiled it and placed it on top the pasta then added some goat cheese from October (I don't even know what kind but it was parmesan-like), and there we had a summer dinner.

It will be nice when we have fresh ingredients but for now I'm thankful for this taste from past summers' produce.

A lesson learned in pigs

2012-02-22T21:25:00.001-05:00

I have so enjoyed raising Velma and Roxie. I knew when we picked up those 2 cute little piglets that parting with them would be difficult. I just didn't know how difficult it would be, and I mean physically.

We had planned to butcher at least one of the pigs ourselves, with the help of our friend TE. Unfortunately, before we got a chance to butcher, TE had a heart attack and is scheduled for a triple bypass early tomorrow morning. He'll be good as new for next year's butchering, of that I'm sure.

Yesterday I was visiting TE and he told me I needed to take care of my hogs and he was going to arrange that. He knew I was procrastinating. I wasn't prepared to get the ball rolling so quickly. After a few phone calls it was all taken care of - Velma was going to the butcher and Roxie to be bred TODAY! I had no time to prepare myself, therefore I got no sleep last night because I needed to cram all my worrying into one night.

TE and I picked up a small horse trailer late yesterday so we could be ready first thing this morning. At 8AM we threw some hog feed in the trailer and with very little hesitation Velma walked in. We latched the door and off we went. James drove our pickup which was towing the trailer and TE and I followed. It was just 16 miles over the mountain to the butcher. All seemed to be going so well. We drove less than 4 miles when our jaws dropped to the floorboard. I think TE said something like, "Holy ----" Velma was trying to jump out of the trailer and was very close to accomplishing just that. The back door was just a half door, open at the top. Velma was hanging over the door. I could picture her running loose in the town of Glasgow and our name in the news. I called James and told him to pull over immediately. Both men jumped out of their vehicles and had to lean on the door to keep her in.

I drove back home to get supplies to secure the door and keep her in while they stood guard. I was given a long list - C clamps, 2X4s, a saw, screws, nails, plywood, ratchet tie downs, whatever it would taketo keep a 300 lb hog in a flimsy very old trailer. I drove to a neighbors to see what he had that might help. I returned with some of the things on the list, along with a couple wooden pallets. I was glad to see Velma still in the trailer when I returned and both men still alive, maybe just a little more sweat on their brows. I have no idea how long it took to screw this here, nail that there until we were sure it would hold her in. It wasn't pretty but it did the job. We drove 12 more miles and delivered her there safe and sound - all of us. It was hard not to keep thinking about what would have happened if she got out. We laughed some when we thought it was safe to laugh about it.

We headed back home and loaded Roxie up just as easily. This time we were more prepared to secure her in there better. We only had 2 miles to drive but we weren't taking any chances. All went very smoothly this time. By now Roxie has probably met the father of her future babies. Tonight the idea of raising more pigs seems like the last thing we should be doing but the ball is already in motion.

I wish I had a video of Velma hanging over the trailer door about to escape. When I said as much to TE he said, "no, this is something we want to forget". I think it will be impossible to forget this. We learned from it though. Next time we'll build a heavy duty cage into our pick-up and also a ramp to lead the pigs into it. No matter how tame they are, they're powerful animals. I should mention, last night, as a back up plan, I loaded the pigs into the back of my station wagon one at a time. I put plastic steps up to the back and, easy peasy, they climbed in. Yes, I know I should have videoed this too. Now I wonder if they would have destroyed our car had I closed them in there.

So, it's done. Our pig pen is empty for about a month when Roxie will return, hopefully pregnant.

I will move her house and fence to greener pastures where she can prepare a new garden while this area will be growing sweet corn and other grains.

Stay tuned for Pigs, Part 2, a comedy.

Pigs' day out

2012-02-20T17:50:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we got our first, and hopefully last, snow - probably about 5 inches. Even I have to admit, being the snow-scrooge that I am, that it was a beautiful snow. The day before was in the 60's and today was in the 50's so a snow day in the middle is just fine. Most of the snow is already gone.

When I got out of bed I looked out the window to see how much snow we got. Running in the field were two happy pigs. Their one ribbon of electric fence got weighed down by the snow and they were able to walk over it and into the larger 10+ fenced in acres. From the looks of it they had a good 'ol time frolicking about. There were hoof tracks everywhere.

They found plenty of digging to do too.

Roxie and Velma are pretty tame now and come when I call. Of course this probably has lots to do with food but I prefer to think they want to be near me and when they hear my voice it has such a melodious sound they can do nothing but run toward it. See for yourselves.

I'm sure you agree that was melodious.

The donkeys weren't in their proper place either and I wonder if it had something to do with the pigs being loose. They were on opposite sides of the fence but the donkeys aren't used to them being so close. Their fence had also been tilted over but not to the ground so I don't know if they jumped it or got scared and ran through it.

It should be back near 70 degrees in a few days, just the way I like it, but I don't mind this brief little detour to spring.

More interviews

2012-02-16T18:54:00.001-05:00

It was rainy day today so most of the animals were hanging out near the barn. I thought it might be a good time to get a few more interviews. Unfortunately, both interviewees were a bit reluctant to speak into the flashlight. I think they were onto me.

First let me tell you about Foggy.

I adopted him from a friend of a friend who had to part with her chickens because her new dog wouldn't leave them alone. I have no idea how old he is but I think he's way up there. Maybe someone can tell me by looking at his spurs. They're so long but he never uses them. I don't think Foggy would hurt a fly.

As you can see from his interview he may be a man of few words but he's a friendly fellow.

These are a few of his girls.

Another reason I think Foggy is quite old is I don't think I've ever seen him, umm, how do I say this, service the girls. He does hang close to them and protect them though. I have 3 roosters and all of them are gentlemen but Foggy is the most social of all of them.

Many of you remember my tales of Darla suffering through her abscess miseries. Many tears were shed over this sweet little girl and she was well worth our investment in her. Now she's a healthy doe, pregnant and due to kid in mid March. She has developed an udder early for a first time mama and I have high hopes for her as a milker. Usually she's quite the talker. I don't know if it was the camera or what but she was a little shy for her interview.

I can't wait to meet Darla's kids.

Babies

2012-02-13T21:40:00.001-05:00

None of these are my babies but they sure are cute. I went to some friends' today to watch their goat have babies. They knew I was getting impatient waiting for mine so they were kind enough to invite me to share the excitement with them. The mama goat was taking her good old time having these kids so first we went to look at their great pyrenees puppies who are about 2 1/2 weeks old. They're getting so cute.

The puppies are making little barking and growling sounds now but you can't really hear them in this video because we're making so much noise. Included in this video are some adorable human babies too.

Three hours after I got there the mama goat, Adeliade, had triplets. The first one came out tail first so he was holding things up. Once Kirsten pulled him out the others followed pretty easily. Two boys and a girl.

I have 3 weeks to wait till any babies are born on our farm.

Facebook Critics

2012-02-12T14:40:00.000-05:00

A few nights ago I had dinner with some girlfriends. I have no idea how the topic of Facebook came up but I could see the looks of pity on their faces when I told them how much I enjoy reading my friends' status updates. I continued to try to convince them that it's a worthwhile network only to see more looks of disdain, "and to think we socialize with someone so shallow who has nothing better to do with her time".

My friends didn't really say this but it's possible they thought it. Admittedly, I have more free time than most of them and I know I spend more time on my computer than they do. Sure, I could be doing other things like working, baking and laundry but who needs money, dessert and clean clothes? Don't answer that question, James.

I'm poking fun at it but I'm serious about how I think it's worthwhile, to me anyway. I have 30-something cousins, most of whom I'd never have any relationship with at all if it weren't through Facebook, because we live miles apart and had lost contact as we all moved on with our lives. My neices have had babies and now I get to see pictures and videos of their children whom I may not see for a year or 2 or 3. I would not have gotten to hear an interview by a friend who recently had a book published. Other friends post when they're having art showings or poetry readings. A young man who stayed with us a few years back while he was hiking the Appalachian Trail posted something on Facebook that made me think he was in VA. I contacted him via FB and sure enough he was here for several months and came to visit us one day. If ever I need a laugh there's always someone on FB posting a hilarious cartoon or video. Many folks I've sold goats to are my friends on FB. I get to keep up with the goats and whatever else is happening on their farms. I love that FB tells me which of my friends have a birthday that day so I can wish that person a happy birthday. Who doesn't like to get 100 birthday wishes? It's a way for your high school or college to find you to let you know when your reunion is. I love being back in touch with friends from elementary school, places we used to live, coworkers from years ago. It's a way to reach many people at once without having to send many emails. I could go on and on but I won't.

Finally, Facebook is a place where I can post my blog entries and have many more visitors than if I didn't.

Overly optimistic but under qualified

2012-02-07T18:10:00.001-05:00

I must blog because my niece called me a slacker.

Last night James and I went to a local farmer's meeting. A few of the men there came from generations of farmers. It was in their blood. It seemed they knew most aspects of farming from the good ol' days and today. I wondered what they thought of the rest of us gardeners and folks who raised a few pigs, chickens and goats. They were kind to us though. I won't go into what the meeting was about but I will say our county extension office is really putting forth an effort to help local growers here.

I did not grow up with farming in my blood like these men. My parents gardened and we always had dogs, a cat or some other small animal but it was far from a farming experience. I tell you this so any farmer reading this will forgive me for my actions I'm going to tell you about next. Remember, I'm making it all up as I go along. I have no other experiences to draw from.

I've been putting a saddle on Earl, my 12 year old mammoth donkey for a few weeks. He's never been ridden so I was getting him used to the idea of something on his back. He seemed very comfortable with it cinched snuggly and walking around and followed my instructions. I thought it might be time to give sitting on him a shot. I thought James should be there with me in case I got hurt. He held Earl on the lead while I climbed on some steps I use to get on donkeys easier. He stood very still as I touched his back and put some pressure on the saddle, testing him. I was nervous. I kept saying, "ok, Earl, here I go. I'm getting on you now", thinking that would prepare him for what was to happen next. Just as I was swinging my leg over him he got scared and began walking away. I ended up sitting on his behind, which was rather comfy but not where I wanted to be. He ran about 5 steps then stopped. Ran 5 more steps then stopped. I don't know how many times he did this but I hugged the saddle in front of me and waited to see what was going to happen next. I didn't want to climb onto the saddle in case it scared him more with my shift of weight. Finally I slid off him and told him what a good boy he was and gave him a treat. I'm thinking I should try again soon so he gets used to it. What are you farmers thinking. Nevermind, don't tell me.

I thought today would be a good day to take the goats across the road to the big field to graze. I hate that our property is divided in two by a road but that's the way it is so I need to figure out a way to deal with it. I put lots of treats in my pockets and let the goats out of their barn. I led them to the gates that I had opened so I didn't have to fumble with them while I had the goats' momentum. We got to the road and there were no cars coming so I ran across calling them all using my excited voice and bribing them with treats. This almost always works with goats, but not when trying to get them to cross a road into unknown territory. About 5 of them came across. A few stopped in the road and some stayed in the yard looking panicky. They took turns running back and forth, changing their minds as to who might like to give it a try. One of them freaked out and ran back home and they all followed. My buck slipped and fell in the road but made it back safely. I put them back in their barn and familiar yard and they seemed very happy about that. I was covered in sweat. James was watching all of this from an upstairs window. Too bad he didn't have a video camera. I'm not sure I'll try this again until after kids are born. I may have to drive them over there in our station wagon.

I couldn't give up. It was such a beautiful day and in spite of my failure with the goats I was feeling optimistic. I put Chy and Wilson's halters on. These are my two standard donkeys who stay with my goats. I thought they might also like to be in the field and meet my mammoth donkeys through the fence. Once again I had gates all opened and ready for animals to pass through. Chy and Wilson took much longer to coax to the gate but they did pretty well. At least they didn't run back and forth, back and forth across the road. They didn't cross the road at all. They stood looking at the 4 boards that make a little bridge to the road and wouldn't put one foot on it. The cars going by didn't scare them one little bit but they were not going to cross. I think we stood there for 20 to 30 minutes. Finally I thought they had enough so I closed the gates and took their halters off and let them roam the yard. I'm thinking if I do this often they'll eventually get the courage to cross. What do you think? Nevermind, I'll figure it out. Or I won't.

Tomorrow it's supposed to rain so I won't be attempting any great feats that I have no experience with.

Tick season--already?

2012-02-01T14:35:00.000-05:00

A friend called yesterday and asked if I knew anyone who had guineas for sale. She found a tick on herself. I called a friend who I got guineas from a few years ago. This friend didn't have any but told me she found a tick on her shoulder the week before. Today another friend came over to see my animals. When we came in the house I told her I felt like I had bugs crawling on my head. Sure enough, I found a tick. It's February 1st and 70 degrees. This probably shouldn't surprise me (finding ticks) but it does.

For one weak moment I thought I should get some guineas too but then I remembered how they tormented my chickens, and how they screached and made so much noise........and how they tasted so good. Maybe we should get a few. They really do a great job keeping bugs away.

Joy

2012-01-30T21:39:00.000-05:00

I've seen this picture posted on Facebook a few times and every time I see it I think of my friend Sophie. I've only known her for a year. She's now 13 so I didn't know her when she was little but I think she would have looked like this little girl at that age. Even if she didn't this is the joy that she projects at 13. I've never met a young person who exudes such happiness. I once asked her mom if she always smiled and she said yes. That's a rare thing I would think.

Sophie, I admire you.

Eight Keri puppies

2012-01-28T17:31:00.000-05:00

My friend's great pyrenees had 8 puppies. Actually she had 10 but 2 didn't survive. There are 7 females and 1 male. She owns both parents, Beau and Stella.

It's hard to believe they'll be little fluffballs in a few weeks. Anyone need a livestock guardian dog?

Art class is more fun in your 40's

2012-01-25T21:49:00.000-05:00

Today I played the part of home school mom. My 13 year old friend, Sophie, asked if I'd accompany her to the Frontier Culture Museum (http://www.frontiermuseum.org/) for a class in painting floor cloths. Her mom couldn't make it so I filled in. I had never been to the museum and it was a real treat. Sophie and I arrived at 10 AM and were greeted by our teacher riding in a golf cart. We soon discovered all this attention he was giving us was because we were his only two students for the day. Since it was just the two of us and the class was supposed to be till 4 PM he decided we had time to take a tour of the grounds. It was divided into different areas - painting a picture of what a melting pot America is and how the Irish, English, Germans, Africans, etc. settled here and made America what it is today, a diverse culture. First we visited America. The log cabin we entered was owned by George Bauman who later changed his name to Bowman. He moved from Germany to Phila., PA but moved to VA because land was cheaper than in Phila. For those of you who aren't family, my maiden name is Bowman and my family lives outside Phila. so it was pretty cool that we began our tour in George Bowman's house. I'm sure he was a distant relative of mine. We visited the different villages and got to explore several of the houses and barns, my favorite being the log cabins and an octagonal barn and viewing some of the farm animals on the premises.

Finally we got down to work. Our classroom was an old dairy barn, now turned into classrooms, library and lecture rooms. Mr. Teacher showed us different styles of floor cloths and two small cloths he had started on his own. They were very bland pieces in black, gray and white. Sophie and I were unimpressed. I think we both had something different in mind. Maybe brighter colors or stencilling or something more than a black and white tile floor. He wanted us to choose which one we wanted to copy. We both reluctantly chose one, different from each other. Neither of us wanted to hurt the teacher's feelings since he expressed to us that he was nervous about this class. First he had us tape off the border of the small cloth. When we put the tape down he made sure to press it down again to be sure we had it secure even though we'd pressed it many times ourselves. We were told to paint it black so we did. While it was drying we toured some more. As the day wore one we discovered Mr. Teacher was a little obsessive compulsive. He had a very hard time keeping his hands off our work, which really didn't bother either of us but we had a fun time giggling about it at lunch. Every now and then he had to go "talk to someone or check on something". When he returned he smelled very stongly of cigarette. I think we were driving him crazy because we didn't do exactly as he wanted us to. He was very nice and kept telling us we were doing a great job. When I free-handed a blue diamond he almost choked and said, "oh, you're not going to do......." I said, "nope", and he seemed to accept it without having a heart attack. I think he may have had another cigarette after this. He came back and tried to straighten out our lines.

Really, it was an enjoyable day and Mr. Teacher was a very nice man. Sophie had an interview to be a volunteer at the museum for the summer and it went so well she got the job and that made it an even better day. When we announced our pieces of art were complete Mr. Teacher couldn't help but ask Sophie if she didn't want to cover up a few of what he appeared to think were imperfections by adding a little paint here and there. She smiled and did as he wanted. Here's my cloth. You can see why Mr. Teacher needed another smoke, can't you? When I commented to Sophie that my square wasn't exactly square she told me it was "Karen shaped". Exactly.

Before we were done he asked us if this class was ok and if we thought it was worth the money. Poor man. Yes, of course it was worth it. I didn't tell him it was worthy of a blog entry.

Our next class is a carpentry class in another week or two. Guess who the teacher is.

Interview with Cooper

2012-01-20T16:34:00.002-05:00

Me: Good afternoon Cooper.
Cooper: Mmmmmmeeehhhhmmm
Me: I was hoping you might share with the good people of Holes In My Jeans what it's like to be a buck living at Elk Cliff Farm.
Cooper: It's good, bluh bluh bluh bluh, it's good. (lots of tongue flapping going on)
Me: What would you say is your favorite thing to do here?
Cooper: Is this a family blog?
Me: Yes, it is.
Cooper: Well, then I guess I should skip to my second favorite thing to do, which is eat. Um, then I'd say my next favorite thing to do is play. There's this one giant tall-eared goat, named Wilson. You know him.
Me: Mm hmm, I do, but he's not a goat. He's a donkey.
Cooper: Whatever. He's a lot of fun but he has top front teeth that can really hurt me. You know we goats don't have top front teeth.
Me: I know. I wonder why that is.
Cooper: Today me 'n him were playin' and he got 'holda my leg and wouldn't let go. I wouldn't stop pushing him with my head either so I think the match was a draw. He's a cool goat.
Me: Donkey.
Cooper: Whatever.

Cooper: There's a cute little girl, Tila, that follows me around lots too. I think she likes me as a father figure though and I'm not interested in that role, if you know what I mean.
Me: I'm pretty sure I do. What about Jimmy, is he a good friend of yours?
Cooper: Yeah, we're tight. We spend lots of time together when you separate us from the girls for 6 or 7 months. He's a pretty shy and quiet guy but when me 'n him go head to head we can make a bloody mess. bluh, bluh, bluh, bluh, it's pretty fun. We have contests to see who can smell the baddest. I always win.

Me: Is there anything else you'd like to add that we might find interesting about you?

Cooper: Yeah, I like to drink from hoses.

Me: Well, I guess that's kind of interesting and unusual.

Cooper: Yup. No one else here does it except that noisy dog. Sometimes I put the hose in my mouth and can drink the water as fast as it comes out.

Me: I know you have things to do so I'll let you go. Thank you for spending this time with me, even though I could have done without you chasing me.

Cooper: You like it. All the girls do.

Me: I'm sure you think that. Take care, Cooper.

Cooper: Mmmmmehhhmmmmm

Bark, bark, bark. Quiet Keri! Bark, bark, bark

2012-01-19T22:04:00.000-05:00

As I sit at my desk our Great Pyrenees carries on with a constant woof, woof, woof....pause.... woof, woof, woof. And on and on. I've been bringing her in for an hour or so at night to let her get in a nap on the rug but inevitably she wants to go back out and BARK at intruders. I feel very safe and sometimes a little tired of noise.

Things are good at Elk Cliff Farm, thanks to Keri and thanks to other things going very smoothly. All is quiet on the goat front since everyone's pregnant. The boys get to hang with the girls and donkeys and I'm not milking. It's a very simple routine.

I'm not breeding rabbits yet because I want to wait till it's a little warmer yet to introduce naked little bunnies into this world. The rabbits are getting very friendly and I about trip over them every morning trying to feed and water them. They're cute, much too cute to be meat rabbits.

The chickens are giving us 3 eggs a day and looking pretty in our lawn. Isn't that what chickens are for, looking pretty?

And then there are pigs. I really like these pigs, Velma and Roxie. Why can't we keep them? Oh, because they'll reach 700 lbs and not be able to walk, that's why:( I'm glad I'm not a hog. In the meantime, they're entertaining me and looking like very happy animals and that makes me happy.

After taking the 3 dogs for 6 laps around our field to wear them out (it's 10PM and Keri is still barking, so I guess we only wore ourselves out) James assisted me in saddling up Willo, the mammoth donkey. I got a new saddle yesterday and was so excited to try it out, yet a little nervous because Willow is new to the idea of being a saddle donkey. We tied the other 2 donkeys to a post so they wouldn't irritate Willo while we worked with her. First James led her with me on her back. I told him to take the lead off and let me guide her with the reins. She took to it well and I'm still alive to tell about it. She let me know when she was done humoring me so I called it quits while I was still somewhat in control - well, kind of. She bucked a little to tell me she wanted no more of me being bossy. I'm used to James giving me the same signals so I know when to back off. I was very proud of her and the other two who stood so well and didn't complain.

Bedtime. Maybe when the lights are out Keri will stop barking. She usually sleeps through the night, thank goodness. I think I will too.

More turkeys? Really?

2012-01-16T08:45:00.000-05:00

I know I said we weren't going to raise turkeys again but I lied. Today I ordered 20 turkeys from McMurray Hatchery. They'll be shipped May 5th. It makes no sense that I'm excited about it. I wrote on Facebook that I ordered turkeys and that I couldn't believe I did it. My sister-in-law asked why I changed my mind. Someone else asked, why, what happened last time? This led me to go back through my old photos from when we had these strange creatures in the summer of 2010. I probably should have read this blog post from August 2010 before I ordered them.
http://holesinmyjeans-kpannabecker.blogspot.com/2010/08/17-turkeys-left.html
Oh yes, they're so cute when they're just tiny chicks. This is what 20 turkey chicks look like when they're a few days old. Awww, they're so cute.

Their first home is a rubbermaid container with a heat lamp I keep in the basement until they grow too big. That's when I have to expand they're space to include a huge cardboard box. When they're too big and too stinky to keep in the basement we move them to an outside space but they still need a heat lamp till they have enough feathers to keep them warm.

When they become gawky teenagers and they have enough feathers we put them outside.

At this point they're still "kinda" cute but getting more curious by the day and they get into your stuff, like fencepost holes and the dirt you removed from the holes.

Or they try to help you while you're cutting firewood.

After weeks of sleeping outside in their own barn they still didn't know how to get back there each night. Finding their way around fences and through gates continued to be a challenge for many months. We threw them back over the fence to their barn every night which got harder and harder as they got heavier and faster. Just as you were trying to catch the last one all the others would come running out of their barn. This is kind of a long video but it shows you how much work it can be.

As annoying as they could be they had their funny moments too. They loved being sprayed by the hose and standing in a tub of water.

I think they would have liked car rides too but they never got the chance.

It got harder and harder to like them when they pecked at my ring every time I tried to open a gate. Nineteen turkeys felt like 90 when you wanted to get something done without their help. I know they weren't being mean but it didn't make their pecks hurt any less.

And then there's this.

The real reason we ordered them is because many of our friends would like to buy locally grown turkeys during the holidays and we thought we might as well be the ones to provide them. We have 2 turkeys left in our freezer from 2010 but they'll be long gone before these are ready to butcher.

And so it goes.... more turkey blogging to come.

Have you had enough of Keri yet?

2012-01-14T18:29:00.001-05:00

Our farm animals are a constant source of entertainment for me so it's hard not to write about whatever's entertaining me the most. Right now it's a puppy and donkeys.

While I usually only tell of Keri's destructive antics I should also share that she IS a good guardian, even at her young age. Last night I was sitting in the den at my computer. Keri knew I was in here even though I didn't have a light on. She sat outside staring at the window barking until I came outside. She led me to the donkey barn where Chy and Wilson had returned after their day roaming freely in the yard. I closed them in so they'd be with the goats for the night and Keri stopped barking. I know she wanted me to put them where they belonged for the night. I feel sure she's keeping other animals from our property too. When my niece came to visit with her dog Keri could not rest. She wanted no part of having another canine on our property even though he was about as mellow as a dog can be. It's just not going to happen while she's on guard. Great pyrenees have a strong dislike of canines. Thank goodness we got her as a puppy and she adores our boxers, Rosie and Lex. It's hard to imagine this sweet, bouncy puppy being agressive with other animals but here's proof she can be agressive.

I took her over to the field today while I fed the pigs and mammoth donkeys. I was distracted by the pigs so I never saw how she got in there with them. There's one strand of electric wire around their pen. The pigs completely ignored her and she ignored them. She found all kinds of things in there to eat. I don't even want to think about what it was.

Keri looked small next to Roxie and Velma. She didn't want to leave their pen when I called so I drove over to the donkeys. I saw in my rear view mirror Keri duck under the electric fence and she didn't even cringe as her fur and tail hit it. I guess her coat is too thick to feel the current.

The mammoth donkeys aren't in love with Keri like I am and they let her know this.

I wish I was in front of them so you could hear how loud their brays really are. Listen how Chy brays in answer to their call.

Below is a sight we don't see very often.

Playing can sometimes get rough

2012-01-13T18:00:00.001-05:00

Keri and Wilson have become buddies and playmates. They really have. They take turns instigating. Sometimes even Chy gets in on it.

Sometimes they just hang out near each other.

Other times they chase each other.

Sometimes they just stare at each other.

Today Keri was just asking for trouble.

Later in the day Wilson played a little harder than she wanted.

Ouch, that had to hurt.

Besides videoing Keri and Wilson I did lots of other things today. I built a door to the once chicken coop, now rabbit coop. I took all the rabbits out of the green house and let the girls run loose in their new space. The smell in the green house was getting too potent. The 2 boys have to stay in cages, poor guys. I think they're all pretty happy.

I've made arrangements for one of my pigs to be bred in about a month so that's exciting. I can't wait to post pictures of goat kids and piglets. That will mean spring has arrived.

No words necessary

2012-01-11T12:44:00.000-05:00

Complacency

2012-01-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

I'm loving this springlike weather we've been having these past few days. It makes me want to do things and make plans to do other things. It's that time of the year - planning time. Time to look at how 2011 went and what I want to do differently (or the same) in 2012.

All my goats are bred and dried up so as of tomorrow we'll have no more goat milk to drink:( We're even running low on cheese. I hated to do it but I bought a half gallon of cow's milk this week. We're only getting 2 eggs a day now too because the days are so short and the older chickens aren't laying. I bought 2 dozen eggs from another friend who has about a hundred chickens. We're down to 9 goats and it feels very manageable. Of course I'm not milking yet so we'll see how manageable it feels come March. Out of six does we'll probably have about 12 kids. I plan to sell all those kids but all of you who raise goats know it's easier to say that than to part with them.

One of my goals for the year is to work harder with all 5 donkeys. I want to teach all of them to do something new, be it ride, pull a cart or plow or even just cross the road from one side of our farm to the other. I'm also looking forward to introducing the 3 mammoths to the 2 standard donkeys and the goats. I hope it goes well.

I'm reading a book about goats that some friends gave me. They just returned from a 3 month stay in Italy. For a good part of the time they were there they stayed on a dairy farm and assisted in cheese making. The man who ran this goat dairy is the author of the book I'm reading. A lot of the book is for first time goat owners but my favorite parts of the book are little stories he writes about his own experiences and how he learned from his mistakes. He's an American who now lives in Italy so the book is written in English. I know you all thought I was just so smart to read it in Italian but that may have to be a goal for 2022 - to learn Italian. I just finished reading the part about kidding season and that got me all excited for when our kids arrive. I know it will be here before I know it. It's my favorite time of year without a doubt. This may not get you excited but watching these videos does it for me.

One of the things the author writes about is an experience all of us goat parents will probably experience at one time or another. It was an accident but a preventable one I can empathize with. His goats got into his goat feed and ate so much that they bloated and 3 of them died. Now my goats have never died from that but I have had a few scares from goats getting into chicken feed. It's not something you'll ever forget. It makes you feel horrible.

Where was I going with this blog? Oh yeah, complacency.

It was so beautiful today and I had little to do so I let the goats out to graze in the yard. They don't require much attention since there's nothing in bloom that they can destroy so I sat and read my book with them in my periphery. What a great way to end the day, relaxing, watching goats graze and reading a good book. After 30 minutes I realized they'd dissapeared from my view. I worried about them getting into James' garden because one of the gate latches wasn't secured. As I walked toward the garden I realized it wasn't the garden I needed to be concerned about. With the author's story of his bloated goats fresh in my mind I hastened my pace toward the garage where I store all my animal's feed. There they were all piled on top of bags of feed. It was hard to tell who was in to what. There's no stopping a goat when it's head is in a bag of yummy feed. After much wrestling I got a cupful of crushed corn and called the goats to follow me. Luckily all but one followed me back to their fence where I locked them in. I quickly ran back to the garage where Cooper, my buck, had his head in the bag of hog feed. Cooper weighs about the same as I do but I swear he was 10 times stronger than me when I was trying to get his head out of the bag. It took a good while before I finally got him distracted by a bucket of ground corn and he followed me up the driveway and in with the rest of the herd. My chest hurt from all the exertion it took to get everyone back to safety. Cooper looked none the worse for wear. Just a little corn in the whiskers. I hope everyone is feeling ok in the morning.

Time to lock the chickens up. That's another thing I'd become complacent about. I hadn't been locking the birds up at night because Keri was out there with them. Two mornings ago Keri found a headless chicken in the yard. I guess she can't be everywhere at all times so I need to close their door at nights again.

Long ears stick together

2012-01-04T10:24:00.000-05:00

Chy and Wilson aren't always generous in sharing their food with the goats or chickens. They huff at them or pretend they're going to bite them sometimes. No one ever gets hurt but the donkeys make it very clear who's the boss. One thing I can't figure out is why they'll share their food with Tila and Fiona, the two little nubians.

Sometimes all the other goats will be in the barn but Tila and Fiona will be grazing alongside the donkeys in the pasture. It must be a long ear thing.

Good day - Interesting day

2012-01-02T20:13:00.002-05:00

Lots happened today but it still seemed like I had lots of down time. I don't know how that happened. It was a normal morning until I looked over toward our field and saw Roxie, our red hog, running loose outside her electric ribbon but inside the woven wire fence. She looked to be having a good time. I wondered what Velma was thinking. It's amazing how much ground can be tilled in the short time a pig is loose.

Some folks showed up this morning to buy Clarice (now Claire) and Harlie. These were my last 2 goats to cry over before kidding season begins. I didn't cry long because I know they are going to a good home and also they had each other for company. That always helps. Their new owners have very similar interests in homesteading as James and I so that made it even easier.

After they left I took food over to the hogs and it didn't take Roxie more than a blink to cross under the electric ribbon when I held it up. Funny after the way she reacted the other day when I took the fence down to extend their play area. They sure have become friendly which makes it harder to think about butchering them.

A neighbor of ours is going out of the meat rabbit business so in the past 2 days I've purchased 21 rabbits from him, half we put in the freezer and the other half we're raising till they're big enough to butcher or we'll breed them. I wonder how many rabbits we'll have next spring. Many of them are living in the green house.

Before dinner I took James out to see the new rabbits and then across the street to see what damage the hogs had done. I wanted to disconnect hoses over there too because it's going to be very cold tonight. Next we visited the mammoth donkeys. Sometimes I'm stupid and tonight was one of those times. I asked James to lift me on to Jaz's back without haltering her or anything. Ummm, she walked off and I ended up on the ground on my tailbone. Surprisingly I didn't get hurt. Ok, I won't do that again, maybe.

We had snow flurries off and on today. I'm glad that's all we got. I'm not ready for this cold weather. I tucked the goats in with extra hay tonight and closed one of the doors to keep it a bit warmer in there.

Is it too soon to start dreaming of spring?

Riding donkeys

2011-12-29T18:54:00.001-05:00

We've now saddled 2 of the donkeys and ridden them. Well, one of us led them while the other sat on her. We didn't actually put a bridle on them and steer them. Still, very exciting for us. We haven't sat on the boy yet. Maybe tomorrow. He's a sweetie too but maybe a little more nervous. I really feel like we can work with these guys and teach them (or they'll teach us) to pull, ride and plow. I'm not sure I've ever met such accomodating and sweet animals. I belong to a Yahoo mammoth group (internet) and today someone posted this sweet video I thought I'd share. It's about a working donkey and his owner. If you have 5 or 6 minutes give it a watch.
http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/203948

Someone else on this Yahoo group mentioned how a person took their donkey to the farmer's market with an ice chest on a cart and sold ice cream. They were a huge hit because everyone loved the donkey. I know I would buy something from a cart at a farmer's market pulled by a donkey.

Off topic: Awhile back I talked about strange responses I got to Craigslist ads. I also get lots of interesting spam commments on my blog and thought I'd share one with you.

"Hi, I liked your hark work in this web page, you are contributing with great things! This site is much enlightening!

I´m Sara, I Live on London, and I will be a follower of this web site, my hobbies may be boring but I say them anyway I like online poker as well as sports in general, and I also listen a lot Metallica on my bedroom, I´m single at the moment so boys watch out for me....just kidding :)! I once tried online dating It did not work out very well....

I wrote this comment because as I already mentioned I really enjoy your page I also have a forum just as you, but mine is vey different from this, it is about playing poker without having to make a deposit....:)

I will also apologize for my writting it was the only way I get to communicate with you....Bye to all of you, Bye bye, by the way Happy New Year "

Almost always entertaining, if not relevant to the topic I blogged about.

More space for the pigs

2011-12-28T18:14:00.001-05:00

The pig's pen was a total mud hole and I hated seeing them wade through it every day. Also, I couldn't get to their bowls to feed them without sinking ankle deep in mud. Their only dry place was inside their house. Today I decided to extend their electric fence into more of James' abandoned garden so they could dry their feet and have more to root for. Instead of using 5 levels of ribbon for their electric fence I put only one strand up in the new area, hoping it will contain them. If it doesn't then they still won't be able to escape the 10 acres of woven wire fencing their pen is in. There's now a 10 foot wide "doorway" they can go through to get to the new area. I thought they'd be thrilled with the notion of seeing grass again. I left them alone to discover the area on their own. At least 2 hours later they still hadn't left their sloppy home. I stepped into the new area and coaxed them. They both came very close but wouldn't step over the mud-line into the grass-line. It was so funny. They talked and talked to me and wanted to so badly but were afraid they'd get zapped by this invisible fence. Finally Velma did it. It was just too much for her. She was thrilled! She ran about and tore things up. Roxie watched on but still wouldn't do it.

Again I coaxed her. The most she did was move her 2 front feet over the line and then stepped back.

Still no go. I looked out about 2 hours after this video was taken and Roxie had finally ventured out. Yay Roxie. I wonder where they'll be in the morning. I hope this one ribbon keeps them in.

I'm the proud owner of 3 mammoth donkeys!!!!!!

2011-12-27T17:19:00.000-05:00

My Christmas gift arrived at 4:30 yesterday afternoon, just an hour and a half after we returned home from PA. We had a great time visiting with family and friends for Christmas and this was a perfect way to end the holiday.

They're beautiful!!! I wanted to hug and pet them when they unloaded from the trailer but they were too busy checking their surroundings out to be concerned with me. After awhile the mom, Jaz, let me scratch her and give her a good rub down. The others were still nervous. Earl and Willo are the offspring of Jaz.

This morning it was pouring rain and they were standing in it getting soaked. I built that run in shed so they wouldn't have to do that. When I went down to see them this morning they met me at the gate.

Still no braying. I'll know they're happy here when I hear them bray. It took Chy a good while before she brayed but I think it will be sooner with these guys. By the way, Chy is extremely affectionate today. I don't know if she just missed me or if she's seen the mammoth donkeys across the way. Also, she's in heat so that might be part of it.

I put their hay in the shed and stood in there. They eventually came in and ate. Jaz must have decided it was nicer to be out of the rain because she stayed in there most of the morning while it poured. The other 2 took turns going in and out. I think they've claimed it as theirs now.

Donkeys have beautiful eyes. There's something very serene about the expression on their faces.

The sun finally came out around 3:00 when my friend came to see them. He's owned several mules. James, Tommy and I went down to see them and each of them claimed one of us. The shyness has disappeared and they all want our attention. One of the first things Tommy said was, "they're pets". Of course that was clear by their begging for attention. Jaz velcroes herself to me and isn't always happy when the others want my attention. Because she seemed so comfortable with me we decided we'd put her halter on and let Tommy lead her with me on her back. For all you horse and donkey people, I won't ride her bareback often. I will saddle her. It was just one of those moments where we just wanted to see how she'd do. She was great! The funny thing was how the others followed us everywhere we went. I wonder if they were jealous or just wanted to be nearby.

Elk Cliff farm has changed so much in the past 5 or 6 years. I can't wait to tell you about more of our adventures. You may get tired of donkey stories.

A thing of beauty - firewood in the woodshed and my men hard at work

2011-12-21T18:30:00.001-05:00

It's a good day when I can watch James and Adam working together gathering wood to fill our woodshed. This is just some of it. Much splitting has to be done yet.

James bought himself an early Christmas gift - a new chainsaw. He must really like it because he cut up 3 large trees today. Adam was his wing man.

Thank you James and Adam. The house feels warmer just looking at the wood.

Just thought I'd add this picture because she's cute. This is my friend's 3 year old granddaughter posing just before going to sit on Santa's lap.

New sheds, clean sheds

2011-12-17T17:45:00.000-05:00

Many of the things I did today had to do with moving poop from one place to another. To those of you who don't have gardens or farm animals this may sound horrible but those who do have them understand how good it feels to have clean chicken coops, rabbit sheds, goat barns and to have added to the compost bin. James spent much of his day trying to get his greenhouse in order. This is where most of our compost goes now in hopes it will heat it. I put a few rabbits in there today too. Maybe they'll add just a little heat. I'm sure they're happy for the warmth also.

A note about my rabbits. I'm the only person in the world who can't get rabbits to make babies. Someone told me my doe is too fat and maybe too old. I bought two more rabbits from him in hopes that they'll give me some babies. I'm getting a few more from him too. Surely one of them will reproduce.

The rest of my afternoon was spent putting the finishing touches on our run-in shed. I'm really pleased with it. Right now it's storing tools and lumber.

On December 26th three mammoth donkeys will arrive and I can't wait to show them their new digs and introduce them to you. Their names are Willo, Earl and Jaz. I've met them twice and already know we're going to be the best of friends. I have big plans for the 4 of us. Stay tuned.

Lots more helping hands

2011-12-12T07:59:00.000-05:00

More company, more help. My niece and her boyfriend came to visit for a few days. They probably thought we'd show them a good time or they could just sit back, relax and drink some homemade wine. HA! Relaxing was probably not the word they used to describe their visit. As you know we're building a barn. We enlisted them to help build rafters. Not only were they were real troopers but they were great help. Things moved along very quickly with 4 of us working.

Adam, Melissa and Susan helped us yesterday and we were able to get the purlins up and roof on.

I'm thinking we need to plan a family reunion right about the time we want to build our big barn.

In need of a helping hand

2011-12-08T20:58:00.001-05:00

I'm building another barn in our field. Actually it's just a 3 sided run in shelter. It's very much like our goat and donkey barns so I'm getting pretty good at throwing one up in a hurry. We've had heavy rains for the past 2 days and I've been itching to get to building. I got up early this morning because I was lying awake planning what had to be done and not getting any sleep. We already had the 4X4 posts in the ground so the fun part was still to come. Unfortunately James had to teach today so I was on my own. The shelter is 16'X16' and it's hard to navigate 16' boards all by yourself when they're 9 feet off the ground. To make things easier I made 2 of these.

It doesn't look like much, just a block of wood with 2 angle brackets, but I couldn't have gotten done what I did today without them. I'm sure a builder would tell me there's an easier way but I was pretty pleased by how well this worked.

The new residents of this barn arrive December 26th. I better get a move on.

Internet friends up close and personal

2011-12-04T10:21:00.001-05:00

It's funny how many friends, really good friends, I've made because of the internet. Some I met through freecycle, goat groups, milk groups, facebook, blogs, craigslist, etc.

Today one of my goat kids went to a new home in WV. Her new owners came on Thursday and spent two nights with us before taking her home. We met because of an online goat group I'm a member of and later met in person for a few hours at a goat jamboree earlier this year. As you can imagine none of us knew what to expect of our few days together but I don't think any of us were the least bit worried that we wouldn't get along (at least James and I weren't). For all they knew we could have been some crazies who would lock them up and torture them.

We had a great few days together. It's funny how strangers can click like this. We were busy most of the time and we had much in common, as you can probably tell by this picture. Note the coveralls, shoes and hands in pockets.

They helped us dig post holes for a run in shelter in our field. How many guests can you ask to do this? I believe Shelley loves to build as much as I.

We drug them to hear James practice music and then play Scrabble with us. They never blinked an eye. I wonder what they said on their way back home.

An hour after they left someone else showed up to buy 2 more goats. She had answered a Craigslist ad of mine. She brought a friend with her. Again, we had much in common. I think they stayed for an hour - a very enjoyable hour. I received an email from one of the women this morning inviting us to their home for dinner sometime. They're only about an hour from here.

Today more friends we've made because of goat sales on Craigslist will be coming for lunch before borrowing one of our bucks for breeding. They live an hour and a half away but we've had dinner at each other's homes a few times since first meeting and would see each other more often if we lived closer.

My last blog post painted a picture of weirdos I encounter via the internet. That happens much less than the experiences I've mentioned above.

Advertising on Craigslist

2011-11-29T16:56:00.000-05:00

A large majority of the goats I've sold has been through ads I've placed on Craigslist. It's a great way to reach lots of people. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, you choose a city (or cities) to advertise in and list them under a specific topic. I list the goats under Farm and Garden. I'm one of the many who check Craigslist every day (farm and garden in at least 4 different cities) just to see what people are selling.

Two days ago I listed 2 ads for some goats. It's time to slim down before more babies are born. I've received responses from 2 different people, both of whom I won't reply to. One of them says, "call me about your goat". Well, that's not the kind of person I'd sell to. I want someone who asks questions and shows a real interest and also has some manners. The next one was a real doozy. I have to copy and paste it so I get it right.

Hello,

l really appreciate your response to my email. I want you to
consider it sold, please do withdraw the advert from CL to avoid
disturbance,anyways I don't have time to come over to take a look
because of my Business but you don't need to bother yourself with the
shipment, I'll take care of that by engaging the services of a mover,
hence I'll be sending a Certified check and it will be delivered to
you via United Parcel Service (UPS), so I'll need you to provide me
with the following information to facilitate the mailing of the check.
First Name.........Last Name.......
Street Address ...........................
City, State, Zip Code ......................
Cell Phone Number ...........................
Actual Amount of the Good ......................
Note that the payment will be shipped to your address via UPS NEXT DAY
AIR SERVICE and I will like you to know that you will not be
responsible for shipping i will have my mover to come over as soon as
you have cashed the check..........Best Regards.

I don't even know what to say about that. Talk about impersonal, not to mention suspicious. I like the remark, "you don't need to bother yourself with the shipment". And also, "I don't have time to take a look because of my Business".

I've also bought things through Craigslist. My responses probably give too much information instead of not enough. They might sound like this. "I'm interested in the goat you have for sale. Is it still available? Can you tell me more about it?" It usually gets into how I spoil my animals and on and on as the emails continue. I'd like the person to know I'm really interested in giving their animal a good home.

It's hard to tell what's a scam and what's not but I'll continue to advertise this way because I've met many nice people who are just using it like I do, like reading the classifieds.

Golden raisins soaked in gin for joint pain

2011-11-27T18:45:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, first I post about shrinking and then I write about joint pain. I'll admit it, I'm getting old, or at least old enough to talk about my ailments. Bear with me or don't. You can click on the X any time you like. One of the reasons I went to my doctor and found out I was turning into the amazing shrinking woman was because my joints have been hurting so badly and I was hoping she was going to give me an explanation I could live with. I was convinced I have lyme disease because I hurt so badly and felt fatigued. This all came on in the past 2 months. I tested negative for lyme which told me nothing.

Some of you may remember I treated my goat buck with teasel root awhile back because he struggled to get up off the ground. We had incredible results. He seems to be just fine now. So teasel root it was for me. I have a few friends who keep tinctures available for all kinds of ailments so I've been taking teasel root along with some other things with pretty good results. I'm not near as tired as I was and my joints are a little better but not as pain free as I'd like them to be.

I had lunch with a friend a few weeks ago and she reminded me of a home remedy that I'd heard about in the past but forgot about. Gin and golden raisins for arthritis and joint pain. Ah yes. Why not? So I'm trying it. I just Googled it and here's a website with some reviews, mostly favorable.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2005/10/18/gin-soaked-raisins-for-arthrit/
Has anyone else tried this with success?

Next I'll tell you about my colonoscopy. No I won't. I'm saving that for when I'm just a little bit older.

Thanksgiving in VA

2011-11-24T20:59:00.001-05:00

After a busy 4 days in New York City it was nice to return to the slower pace of Rockbridge County for Thanksgiving.

While eating at a cafe in the financial district James and I eavesdropped on a conversation between two young ladies who it appeared worked nearby. One of them said her parents grew up raising all their own meat and vegetables and even made their own soap. I wanted to tell her there are lots of people doing that again these days. I imagine it's hard to imagine that kind of thing when you're surrounded by concrete. We did see a few delivery vans that advertised "local fresh produce". These two women probably wondered why James and I weren't talking. Eavesdropping can be so interesting.

We still had turkeys in our freezer from raising them last year so we had our farm sitter take one out to thaw before we got home. It was a big one and I'm guessing it was one of the last ones we butchered because we must have gotten lazy and didn't do a good job plucking it. I'm going to blame it on Dan because he probably won't see this. Dan and Amy helped us butcher many of them. Many people raise white turkeys because you can't see the pin feathers you missed and it's not as unattractive as this one.

It still tasted good. It must have smelled really good too because Rosie spent most of the day lying in front of the oven right under my feet. I don't know if she wanted to be near me, the turkey or it was the only sunny spot in the house.

It was such a lovely day we ate outdoors. I don't think I've ever eaten Thanksgiving dinner outside. It's been a great week. I hope it has been for you all too. Happy Thanksgiving.

Bad news from the doctor's office

2011-11-15T18:58:00.000-05:00

I haven't been feeling great lately but I won't go into detail because I'm trying not to act like an old person talking about my aches and pains. I'll save that for my immediate family because I know they love to hear me whine, I mean, share with them how I'm feeling. I decided it was time for me to go to the doctor.

Well, the news wasn't good and I thought I'd tell all my dear friends who follow my blog what I found out from my doctor's visit. Unfortunately your prayers and concern will not change things but I know you will all sympathize with me.

Deep breath....... ok, here it is. I've gained "a few" pounds and, and, and I've shrunk 3/4 of an inch. I keep asking, why me and then I think of all the people who haven't lived the full life I had lived at 5' 5 1/2".

I won't go on because I don't want you to feel sorry for me. I'm going to do my best to hold my head up and stand tall - maybe not as tall as before - and go on.

And now for some uplifting news. I'm including a link to a blog I follow because I know many of you are dog lovers and will appreciate this story.
http://blissfulintheboonies.blogspot.com/2011/11/simply-best-dog-ever.html#comment-form

The Apple Butter Gang

2011-11-13T16:56:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid my family went to the drive-in and saw The Apple Dumpling Gang. I remember I loved the movie but I don't really remember what it was about. Here's today's Apple BUTTER Gang.

There was no Don Knotts or Tim Conway but I feel certain this cast is just as interesting as the apple dumpling gang troupe. I played such a small part in the apple butter making because I had other things I needed to do this weekend but I did get a chance to do some stirring.

Every apple butter making gathering should have a bearded man in camouflage pants stirring, bluegrass playing and kids hollerin' in the background.

Child's Play

2011-11-11T22:44:00.000-05:00

What do you give a 1 year old to play with when you have no children's toys in your house?

How 'bout packing peanuts? I wish this was a better picture of Layla because she really was so cute playing with and trying to eat them. Now I can't blame all this mess on Layla because Emily crumbled many of these pieces of styrofoam into little magnetic bits that clung to her hair and everything else too. No, Emily is not Layla's sister or playmate. It's her mom. Next time maybe I'll have a large cardboard box for Emily to sit in also.

Outside dog

2011-11-08T20:22:00.001-05:00

The other night when I posted that picture of Rosie and Lex all curled up under blankets I got a message from my neice saying, "and poor Keri is outside. How do you do it?" In the beginning it took willpower, I can tell you that. I was raised with inside dogs and couldn't imagine how anyone could let a dog stay outside at night. Well, now I understand it. Some dogs truly love the outdoors and Keri is one of them. She takes her job of protecting us very seriously I think. She's very alert and barks at any sound she thinks needs barking at. She barks a little more than I'd like. She can be quiet for many hours at a time but when she's on a roll, watch out.

Anyone who feels sorry for her should watch her out our window and they'd feel differently. She's a busy girl. She entertains herself like no other dog we've had. She's forever bouncing on a green tomato, chewing a stick, carrying a frisbee, chasing a chicken, opening the gate to the garden to see what's going on, stealing chicken food, checking to see if there's more rabbit poop she should nibble on, helping us do chores, sunbathing, watching the goats, playing in a bucket of water or just plain making the rounds. She always looks happy. One night it was raining and she and I were in the basement doing something. I decided to let her stay down there when we went to bed. At midnight she barked to go out. I think she was afraid she was missing something. Most nights she sleeps on a small rug on our patio. If it's raining she'll sleep in our garage in some hay, I think. She has a beautiful, thick white coat so I don't think she ever gets cold. Great pyrenees have been outdoor dogs for years and years. I sleep very comfortably knowing she's out there watching over us. There's only one thing that would make her happier and that is if we'd stay outside and play with her all day. She loves when Rosie and Lex stay outdoors, which they seem to be doing more and more of since she came here to live. They're all so good for each other. At 6 months old Keri is now taller than both of them.

Of course I love having inside dogs too.

Apple cider

2011-11-06T18:22:00.001-05:00

Today was my first experience making apple cider. It was very much what I thought it would be but more relaxing. Our friend, TE, does this every year and asked if we'd like to help. Of course. If you want to know how to butcher a hog, make cider, take apart a car, fix and engine, raise chickens, train a mule, or find whatever it is you need, he's your guy. If he doesn't have something or know how to do something he knows the person who does.

There were about 10 of us making the cider. Some were washing the apples.

From there they moved to cutting them in quarters. James was very good at this.

Next they were fed into the chopper-upper. I know the machine is called a cider press but they weren't being pressed at this point. The press used to be hand cranked but someone had added a motor so things moved pretty quickly.

The chopped up apples slid forward to be pressed.

The chickens, pigs and ducks will enjoy the apple remains.

What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon with great people making great cider. We brought home 5 gallons. As I type this James is canning some so it will keep.

Next Saturday and Sunday we'll be making apple butter. Another first for me.

brrr, it's cold

2011-11-05T21:46:00.000-04:00

Lost Screech Owl

2011-11-01T20:51:00.001-04:00

I was feeling lazy tonight and almost didn't go out to say goodnight to the goats and donkeys. If I don't go out at night 4 of my chickens sleep in the goat barn and make a real mess of one of the stalls. I decided it was worth getting up off my lazy butt and putting the filthy feathered, non-egg laying, spoiled birds in their coop where they belong. I carry a little flashlight with me because my path isn't lighted. I shined the light on the step of the barn and there was a clean feathered animal. I quickly rushed back to the house to get a camera, just knowing he'd be gone before I got back. I thought he was but he had just moved over from the step to a container I store animal stuff in. It seems like there must be something wrong with a screech owl if it is this close to the ground at nighttime. I was afraid Keri would get it but I'm not sure if she saw it or not. She barked and looked that direction but didn't go after it, thank goodness. I wonder how long he'll stay out there. I hope nothing gets it.

The results

2011-10-31T20:54:00.000-04:00

I really thought Wilson or Lex would win "the best hippy" award. I lost count but it was a pretty close tie between Lex, James and Foggy the rooster. I think they each got at least 10 votes. I hadn't thought taking James' picture growing green stuff in the green house would have anything to do with growing up in the 60's and 70's but some of you have minds that think that way, so, ok, that adds to the whole hippy persona. I doubt you'll ever read in his blog about that kind of weed growing in his green house but he has changed a lot since I met him so you never know.

Something very exciting happened to me in the past 2 days. Chy, my oldest donkey, let me ride her. Now we didn't go far but she did let me sit on her for 15 to 20 minutes two days in a row. I really think she likes it, though I wonder why she keeps trying to bite me. I'm sure they're love bites. When I get off her she comes back for more.

Today I was enjoying sitting on her back and reveling in how far she and I have come when Benny, an 8 month old goat kid, jumped up and put his front hooves on Chy's ass. I'll give you one guess where I ended up....yup, on my ass and shoulder on the ground. Chy came quickly to me with her ears back and it was clear she felt bad. She nosed me and wouldn't back off till I got up. I assured her it was ok. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow. Tonight I rode her again for a good while. We proably took 10 steps in 15 minutes. I guess we have to start somewhere.

I have high hopes for me and Chy. Today we took 10 steps, tomorrow............maybe 11.

Hippy Halloween

2011-10-30T18:17:00.001-04:00

I'm not one to decorate my house for holidays, not even Christmas, but especially not Halloween. I do, however, love to decorate my family. I posted their pictures on Facebook and asked for people to vote on who made the best hippy. I won't tell you who's winning but you're welcome to pipe in.

I realized this afternoon I didn't try dressing up the pigs. That probably wouldn't have gone so well and they would have eaten the hair.

Note: No animals were hurt while filming for this blog entry. Well, maybe the rooster was hurt a little when I caught him but he seems to have forgiven me.

A new blend of wine - Turnip and Beet

2011-10-28T17:47:00.000-04:00

James grows turnips even though we don't eat many of them. It's not that we hate them but there are so many other vegetables we'd rather eat so we neglect them. We give some away but it doesn't put a dent in what he grows. I decided I didn't want to see them go to waste. I Googled turnip wine and found several recipes, many very different, so I decided to use what I read and make up my own. We had enough turnips to make 2 or 3 gallons but I figured I might as well make 5 since I have no 2 or 3 gallon carboys so I added beets.

Here's the recipe I'm using.
15 lbs of turnips and beets, washed and sliced very thin.
15 lbs of sugar
1 can of orange juice concentrate
5 tsp. yeast nutrient
5 campden tablets, crushed
5 tsp acid blend
1 pkg wine yeast
enough water to make 5 gallons

Put the turnip and beet slices in a large jelly bag. Cover with water and boil till tender.
Place sugar in the fermenting bucket and pour the hot liquid over the sugar. Put the jelly bag in the bucket too. Add enough water to fill the bucket. Add all other ingredients except yeast. A day later stir everything up and add the yeast. Follow instructions like you would for any other wine. In my case it means let it sit for 4 days, remove the turnips and beets (I rarely measure the specific gravity). Syphon liquid into carboy and attach airlock. Now wait.

Most of my strawberry and blackberry wines are gone but I still have lots of wineberry, pawpaw and beet wines left so it's cool that I have something else to follow. It would be fun to find something else to make so I never buy a bottle of wine. I'm thinking pumpkin is next. I need more carboys or I at least better start bottling some of the more aged wines.

It's raining today with snow predicted for tonight. It was a perfect day to stay indoors and make wine. I'm not ready for snow.

Love my donkeys

2011-10-21T17:24:00.000-04:00

Wilson is such a good sport. When he sees me with the halter and lead he comes running. He's eager to please and now it's not just because of the treats I give him, though he likes them too. Chy loves the treats and affection but doesn't love the halter or being led anywhere. She'll follow me and Wilson around while he's being led.
Adam came home for the weekend so I asked him to video me and Wilson.

I should mention that Wilson will turn left, right and back up even when he's not on a lead and without me touching him. We turned the camera off before he did these things. I can't wait till he's old enough to pull a cart.

I'd like to dress him up for Halloween. Does anyone have any ideas for costumes? I know he'll let me.

No Regrets

2011-10-20T18:24:00.000-04:00

This is my son's back. He got this tattoo when he turned 18 because you don't need your parent's consent once you've become "of tattoo age". I remember feeling disappointed when I saw it. I thought he could have come up with something better. I have no idea whether he feels he has no regrets or not but I feel like it's a tattoo I could have gotten. I think it's more of a statement a 48 year old could make than a now-21-year-old could embrace.

It's no secret I'm an Oprah fan. I should go back through my blog and see how many times I've mentioned her. I just discovered we get the Oprah Winfrey Network in our limited satellite choices. One of the network's programs is Oprah's Life Class. A recent show of hers talks about one of her favorite quotes of Maya Angelou - "When you know better you do better". I like this statement, A LOT. It says to me that you can make mistakes in your life and you don't have to hold onto them. It doesn't make you a screw-up. It makes you who you are. You learn from these mistakes and from that you discover you can do better. No regrets, right?

It's really hard for me to come up with any regrets I have in my life. Maybe that's because I have such a good life. I feel like it took all I've learned in 48 years to get to this place so how can I regret the choices I've made?

Ok, maybe I regret eating 2 fudge graham cookies followed by 2 Oreo double stuff cookies for dessert today. Nahh, it makes me who I am, or at least what my thighs reflect, right? Yes, I know better but I don't always do better. Tomorrow is a new day. I'm going to call Oprah and tell her that's another good motto ---

Tomorrow is a new day.

Spayed

2011-10-19T18:00:00.001-04:00

That's what Keri has to say about being spayed. I dropped her off at the vet yesterday morning and hated seeing her with her tail between her legs. She's usually such a happy puppy but she looked so timid. The vet told me she'd have to spend the night and I could pick her up this morning.

All went well and as I type this Keri is standing in the pouring rain watching the silly chickens run here and there looking for cover. Earlier I saw her carrying a piece of foam she found in the garage. She seems no worse for wear and I worried about her for nothing. I love this little dog.

End of season pesto

2011-10-18T18:55:00.000-04:00

Doesn't your mouth taste like garlic just looking at this picture? It's loaded with it, I can tell you that. James usually grows quite a bit of basil and I'm pretty enthusiastic about using it earlier in the summer and then I often lose interest as the summer wears on. Today I decided it was time to go out and pick all the big leaves before we get a frost. There was quite a bit.

We're having some on our roasted vegetables tonight and hopefully I put enough in the freezer to get us through the winter. Our house smells really good. There's no better room deodorizer than basil and parsley. We still have lots of parsley in the garden. I may have to make a parsley pesto. We also have more garlic than 50 families could possibly use in one year so if anyone needs any we've got it.

Tour of Elk Cliff Farm

2011-10-16T15:05:00.000-04:00

Today a friend from WV sent me some pictures of her 62 acre farm. I told her I'd send her some pictures of mine (which is half the size of hers). She doesn't have broadband and it takes a long time to upload pictures so I thought I'd post them in my blog and she could see them here.

House, wood shed, rabbit pen and garage

Until one night ago one of our way-too-many-roosters thought he should sleep on the front porch railing. He's still alive. I think he just found another place to sleep.

Patio with pizza oven and open fired grill.

Some of James' gardens.

This is the swimming hole just below the small cliff that our farm got it's name from.

This is the view of our orchard and field from our front porch. I guess the rooster liked this view.

Wilson and his long ears.

Chy and Wilson aren't camera shy.

Girls resting in their barn.

Donkey's and goat's pasture.

View of the James River from the field campsite.

Velma and Roxie probably weigh 125 lbs now. They sure eat a lot.

They fight over the food.

James River Rd. divides our property in two. You can see campers driving past because Yogi Bear Jellystone Campground is just one mile down the road from us.

These guys were waiting for me when I came back from the river. Keri, the one with the tail, is only 5 1/2 months old but she's so big she hardly looks like a puppy anymore. She still acts like one though.

She doesn't give Lex a moment's rest but he likes her. She's walking under him in this picture and biting his legs. When he gets tired of her he comes in the house.

I guess that's about it.

Sweet potatoes

2011-10-14T16:13:00.002-04:00

I can't remember James ever having great success with sweet potatoes. Maybe he has and I've forgotten. Today I went out to the garden to take down some netting that was supposed to be keeping animals out. I wanted to cut the grass and it was in the way. This was the only time I've looked very closely at the sweet potato plants. James usually checks for what's ready so I was amazed to find beautiful sweet potatoes rising out of the dark earth before he did. All I had to do was pull gently and out they came, big, beautiful, reddish sweet potatoes. My favorite one is the one that looks flamingo-like.

I wanted to keep pulling more out but figured I'd leave them there until James decided when they should come up since he's the gardener. I can't wait till he gets home so I can show him how pretty his potatoes are. I was so distracted by the potatoes (you know, having to clean them and take pictures for my blog) I never did get around to cutting the grass.

Guess what's for dinner.

Learning about herb tinctures

2011-10-10T15:39:00.000-04:00

Susan invited me to a workshop yesterday where we learned about herbal remedies, uses for different plants and how to make our own tinctures. I just learned what a tincture was within this last year. Four of us showed up at Peggy's house and she took us on a tour of her gardens telling us what was what and what it could be used for and what parts to use. She was very patient as we all jumped in asking question after question. I wish I had my camera so I could have taken pictures of her full gardens.

Next we went up to her apothecary where she already had some herbs ready for us. We each chose the one that spoke to us. I chose the dandelion because we have them all over the place. The benefits of dandelions are too numerous for me to list so I'll share this link http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-dandelion.html. The other choices were echinacea, holy basil, hyssop, horehound and passion fruit plant. I made 2 tinctures, one with the dandelion root and one with the green leaves. I cut them into small slices with scissors and put them in jars till they were full when I tamped them down. Next I poured 100 proof vodka on top leaving almost no head space. I put the lid on and shook for a good while. I will do this every few days for 6 weeks when it's ready to use. After the 6 weeks I will strain the leaves or roots out and press them to get as much juice from them as I can. I'll have to experiment with how much to use. Dropfuls of the tincture are to be added to a glass of water and drink.

Peggy sent me home with some holy basil so today I made a tincture from it. I found this website http://www.herbslist.net/holy-basil.html which describes much better than I can what people use holy basil for. It's often used to treat depression, anxiety, ADD, give you more strength and stamina, etc, etc. I sure could use some help concentrating these days. I have a harder and harder time staying focused on one thing at a time. A little stamina couldn't hurt either. I also bought a tincture from her called eleuthera which also helps with memory and concentration.

First I cut the basil in small pieces. The only part I didn't use were the woody stems.

I saved some seeds so we can plant our own next year. Its leaves are not shiny like the Italian basil we grow and, like the basil we usually cook with it smells heavenly but has its own unique wonderful smell. I added the vodka, shook and was done. Very simple. Now I wait.

I want to pick some stinging nettles from near our cabin to make tea or a salve since I'm told it has many nutrients and healing properties. It's also an anti-inflamatory and used for arthritis and aching joints.

I've always appreciated herbs but more for cooking than homeopathic reasons. I'm learning a lot from my friends.

Susan, what did I leave out?

Rigmarole

2011-10-07T20:22:00.000-04:00

James and I have made plans to fence in our field and put a well in so we can rotate our animals to avoid parasite problems and manage pasture. Summertime is always the hardest when our grass barely grows and what does grow is overgrazed. Because our field borders the James River and Elk Creek we're eligible for the cost share program the state offers. This means the state of VA will pay for some of the fencing, well and troughs just to keep the animals from pooping in the waters.

This whole project is turning into a learning experience and is more involved than I thought. I won't go into too much detail but I will tell you it sure requires lots of phone calls, paperwork and more people than I would have thought. First the USDA federal and state guys came out to look at what we were considering doing and tell us if we qualified and who would work with us. Next a plan was drawn up and presented to a board of some sort who decided our property was worthy of assistance. I had to sign some papers saying we were going to begin work. I called a well digger. He came out to look at the job and told me he could get started as soon as I had my permit from the health department. I have no idea what this permit is for but we applied for one and it should be in the mail sometime soon, I hope, now that they received our $300.00 check. The fence guy came out next. We talked over our plan and he said he could start in the next 3 weeks. He will also be digging the trenches for plumbing and putting in troughs and hydrants. I asked our electrician to run wire in the same trench as the plumbing since it will be opened up. For him to do this I had to call our electric company and put in a service request just to get a guy out here to look at the job. He came and told me where we should put our 16 foot pole for service. The electrician told me the next day I need to call the county planning office to get an affidavit for farm structure exemption, meaning we don't need a permit (unbelievable) but we need to fill out this form to avoid the $42.00 fee. I'm not sure I understand the affadavit so I need to talk again to the planning director on Monday. The electrician asked me what kind of pump (2 wire or 3 wire) the well guy was putting in and how much horsepower it would have. Of course I didn't know this and had to call them. When I told him it was a 2 wire he asked me if I knew why they chose that over the 3 wire. Of course I don't know that but I'll call and find out.

I know there will be more paperwork ahead but I kind of feel like the hardest parts are done. Or am I just kidding myself? I sure hope I'm doing this right.

A ride in the saddle

2011-10-02T17:45:00.001-04:00

James and I hadn't ridden horses in 13 years, and before that who knows how long. Yesterday we went horseback riding with Melissa (Adam's girlfriend) and her mom, Kathleen. They're both pros at this and were very patient with us. The horses belonged to Kathleen. She had a sign in her kitchen that read "horses are like potato chips, you can't have just one". Of course I've heard this about goats all the time and I'll bet there's a sticker that says the same thing for all kinds of animals. I definitely get it.

We rode trails on a 350 acre farm where they board their horses. It's a beautiful place. First we groomed our horses, Missy (for me) and Sampson (for James). They stood there very calmly as we brushed them. I never felt threatened by these animals that are probably twice the size of my donkeys or more. I've felt intimidated by horses in the past. Once saddled up Melissa took us to the ring to give us a lesson on how to hold reins, sit, keep them from eating grass and basically make sure we were going to be safe. She's a good teacher. We rode for about 2 hours through meadows and the woods. I'm proud to say we survived and so did the horses. Here are a few pictures to prove it

Doesn't James look like he's a natural leading a horse?

My butt is a bit sore today but I feel pretty good otherwise.

There's a horse trail just a mile down the road from us that goes for miles. I would love to get 2 mammoth donkeys so James and I can ride the trails at home. Here's a girl, Honey, I looked at about a month ago. She's a real sweetheart and followed me everywhere.

A friend of mine tells me mammoth donkeys are on the endangered list. I believe it because they're so hard to find in the east. There are a lot of them in Texas it seems as I search the internet. People just don't need them for plowing or pulling anymore. I would think folks would be going back to this with the prices of fuel what they are. I think they're going to make a comeback. Maybe next year James can plow a new garden with a mammoth donkey.

Selling real estate

2011-09-28T21:10:00.000-04:00

Our tenants moved out of a rental we own so we've decided to sell it. It's just 4 miles from our house but it's back in the woods. It borders the Jefferson National Forest and shares the lane with our cabin. It was built in the 1800's and was originally a log home, possibly a one room building that was added on to a few times. We think it's cute. One log wall still remains in the kitchen.

The tenants did a good job of maintaining it but still it needs some work. It's looking a little tired. The outside needs pressure washing, as does the side deck. The front deck needed to be replaced so today I spent my afternoon demolishing it. It was rotting so I thought it would be easy to rip apart. It wasn't. It took so long to remove just 3 boards so I decided my circular saw would make faster work of it.

Now I'm trying to decide what would be easiest, building a new deck or putting in a sidewalk and landscaping. It looks pretty plain on this side of the house. Underneath the deck looks to be the remains of an old brick patio.

The back side of the house looks more like it should be the front. It has a sun porch that runs the length of the house.

I'd love to have it ready to sell in a few weeks. If anyone in Rockbridge County knows of anyone looking for a quaint 2 bedroom house, send them our way.

I enjoyed my time there this afternoon. I forgot how quiet it is.

Not breeding season yet

2011-09-27T19:34:00.000-04:00

If you saw my goats tonight you'd think they were all in the late stages of pregnancy. I must not have double locked the door where the food was and Clever Luti opened it and they all got their fill, at least 25 to 30lbs of food, I'd bet. Even the kids look fat. I put baking soda out there for them in case they need to ease their tummies. Goats know to eat this when they need relief.

I'm uncomfortable just looking at them.

Putting animals to bed

2011-09-26T21:17:00.001-04:00

I've stopped milking the goats at night because their milk has dropped off to about half what they give at their peak. So now my nighttime routine is a little more relaxed. I really like this time with them. Everyone is calm and wants to be cuddled. It's much more peaceful than mornings when I'm feeding and milking. The donkeys are especially affectionate. I like to sing to them when I'm saying goodnight. Tonight they were very cuddly as I sang, "they'll be riding 6 grey donkeys when she comes. They'll be riding 6 grey donkeys when she comes".

I can't remember what I was singing to Foggy, my rooster, as I held him, but whatever it was he let me play with his waddles and comb as I sang to him. He didn't complain so I think he liked it. I sang the same to Annette, the hen, who also stayed very still as I rattled on whatever diddy it was that came to mind.

Of course Darla was serenaded with, "oh my Darla, oh my Darla, oh my Darla (and whatever I made up after that)". My songs are rather silly but the animals don't seem to notice.

Since having electricity installed in the barn I have been loving playing CDs in the morning while I milk but I'm pretty sure the animals like my singing at night the best.

When Adam was a toddler James used to sing to him when he put him to bed. When he was done Adam would want him to keep singing. Once when I sang to him he said, "don't sing Mommy". I might try singing to James tonight when we go to bed. He's probably too kind to say, "don't sing Karen", but I'm pretty sure I won't get the same response from him I get from the animals.

This is one of my favorites to sing to whoever will listen to me sing at night. From The Music Man.

Goodnight, my someone,

Goodnight, my love,

Sleep tight, my someone,

Sleep tight, my love,

Our star is shining it's brightest light

For goodnight, my love, for goodnight.

Sweet dreams be yours, dear,

If dreams there be

Sweet dreams to carry you close to me.

I wish they may and I wish they might

Now goodnight, my someone, goodnight

Flash "mob"?

2011-09-24T20:13:00.001-04:00

I'm sure most of you have seen a flash mob video. There's even a TV show about flash mobs. In case you've never heard of it here's how Wikipedia describes one. A flash mob (or flashmob)^[1] is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, artistic expression.

Today was my first experience with a flash mob - and I use the term mob very loosely. I think there were maybe 15 to 20 of us at this location. Today was an occasion for poets all over the world to express themselves.  James and I took part in 100 Thousand Poets For Change. No, I'm not a poet but I tagged along with my poet husband. I also kind of liked the whole idea of the event. It wasn't really about poets, it was about people demonstrating simultaneously (95 countries participating) with other communities around the world expressing their wish for change - addressing war, racism, global solidarity, human rights and a lot more.

We gathered at Kroger, a grocery store, at 11:30 AM, when others around the world were also gathering.  We entered the store, pushing around grocery carts like everyone else doing their Saturday morning shopping. I was the videographer so I wasn't pushing a cart but James was.  The drums began to play and the group gathered at the front of Kroger, by the customer service counter. They chanted  a poem agreed upon at an earlier date.  A poem written by William Carlos Williams. The poem goes.

So much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chicken

In addition to the poets reciting this poem there were people wearing paper mache' chicken heads.   Outside Kroger sat my friend, Colleen, holding her chicken, Betty, beside the red wheel barrow.

Betty was a real trooper.

I was inside holding someone's phone that sent a live feed to the 100 Thousand Poets For Change site, along with my own camera. Here's a video of our small group participating.

As we left the store the manager followed us out telling us to move along, but in the end none of us went to jail. As he coaxed us to leave the parking lot I could see a small grin on his face. From there we went to the court house and did it again.

I have no idea if events like this can make any difference at all but I like the idea of solidarity, and find it comforting to know that in 95 countries others were joining us today in one expression of peace.

Cattle panel gates

2011-09-21T20:38:00.000-04:00

Today the subject of cattle panels (fencing) came up on one of my goat forums. Most everyone that uses them is a fan of them. I mentioned that I use them for gates and thought I'd pass this along to anyone who has never used them this way. I don't really like building gates or buying them. They're expensive. A cheap answer to building or buying gates is to use a cattle panel. First I cut them to the length I need by using my grinder with the cutting wheel. This goes very quickly. It takes longer to put the cutting wheel on my grinder than it does to cut the panel. Next I nail the gate to a wooden post or barn using those horseshoe shaped nails I use for nailing fencing to wooden posts. Don't nail them in all the way so the gate swings freely.

I overlap the gate with the existing fence and use carabiners or other spring latches to hold it closed. It doesn't get much simpler than this.

Give a dog a bone

2011-09-20T21:47:00.003-04:00

Every now and then I buy the dogs bones, something chewy that will keep them busy for awhile. Rosie and Lex work on them till they're gone but sometimes one of them will save it so he or she can tease the other when his or hers is gone.

Keri treats the treat differently.

I've probably given her 3 or 4 bones and they disappear very quickly so I knew she couldn't be eating them. Today I watched her out the window to see what she does with them. First she carried it under the butterfly bush, walked in a circle, then found her way to the flower bed and buried it. In the video she's covering it up, nosing the dirt back in the hole. Later I walked out to the butterfly bush to see if I could find any other bones since she seemed to be interested in it earlier. I found an egg and I'm pretty sure it's the one I gave her last night before I left her for the night because she didn't eat it right away. Rosie and Lex would never do that.

I've read that dogs who bury bones may also bury their master's things. I wonder if we're missing anything.

Another attempt at pawpaw wine

2011-09-18T16:57:00.000-04:00

I made pawpaw wine 2 years ago and it turned out pretty tasty, in my opinion. It definitely had to age longer than some of my others like the wineberry and strawberry wines. Trust me, young pawpaw wine isn't something you'd serve your guests. Maybe some of my friends wouldn't even appreciate it aged but some of my less discriminating pals shared it and didn't complain. I don't know why I didn't make it last year. Too lazy, I guess. A friend of ours recently posted pictures of pawpaws on Facebook so I decided it was time for us to get some for ourselves.

James and I gathered about 40 or 50 lbs of them, most for us and some overly ripe ones for the pigs, who thoroughly enjoyed them, seeds and all. So did the donkeys. I only made 5 gallons of wine so far because it took awhile to peel them and some could use another day to ripen. I'll make 5 more tomorrow. The recipe calls for you to remove the seeds too but there are so many seeds in each one. The fruit is in a mesh bag that gets removed from the wine anyway so I figured I'd leave the seeds in and it couldn't hurt anything. I did remove some of the seeds so we can plant them down by the river and hopefully one day have our own pawpaw trees. They're a pretty seed.

Here's a shot of the pawpaw before it gets overly ripe. It doesn't take long for them to turn black like a banana.

You may be wondering if we eat any of the fruits. Nope, not much. A few bites is about all we can handle. It's probably one of the sweetest and richest fruits you can eat. The first bite is delicious but a little goes a long way. I'm not sure why that is.

My wine recipe calls for 2 to 3 lbs of pawpaws per gallon of wine. I make 5 gallons at a time. After peeling them I squashed them up and poured boiling water over them and the 10 lbs of sugar. When it cools I'll add the other ingredients.

Here's the recipe I use. Ignore the "canned pawpaw cubes" part. Where does one get canned pawpaw cubes anyway? Of course I multiply it by 5 since I usually make 5 gallons at a time. The only ingredient you don't increase is the yeast because one packet of yeast is good for up to 5 gallons.

PAWPAW WINE (2)

2 lbs canned pawpaw cubes

2 lbs granulated sugar

7 pts water

1/2 oz citric acid

1 tsp pectic enzyme

1/2 tsp grape tannin

1 tsp yeast nutrient

wine yeast

Put water on to boil. Meanwhile, put fruit in nylon straining bag, tie closed, and place bag in primary. Mash fruit in bag, pour sugar over fruit and, when water boils, pour it over that. Cover primary and set aside to cool. When room temperature, add all ingredients except yeast. Recover and set aside 12 hours. Add yeast. When the must is fermenting vigorously, stir twice daily for 5 days. Drain bag and squeeze gently to extract most juice and flavor, then transfer juice to secondary. Fit airlock and set aside for 2 months. Rack into sterilized secondary, top up and refit airlock. Rack again after 3 months, top up and refit airlock. Check wine for clarity after additional 3 months. If wine has not cleared, fine with gelatin, wait two weeks, and rack into bottles. Age additional 6-12 months. [Adapted from Leo Zanelli's Home Winemaking from A to Z]

I wonder how many people make this wine. I've never had anyone offer me a glass of pawpaw wine.

John Deere GT235 idler arm tension spring

2011-09-16T17:26:00.003-04:00

I know I have all of you on the edge of your seats after reading this title.

It was beautiful today, highs in the upper 50s. Perfect for cutting grass in a sweatshirt. I was actually enjoying cutting the lawn when I heard a pop and the mower stopped moving. It wouldn't go forward or in reverse. I assumed a belt broke or something. I looked underneath hoping the problem was obvious and something I could fix. Nope, no broken belts. I read the owner's manual troubleshooting page and under Mower Won't Move it said the parking break was on. Duh. No it wasn't but I needed a break. It was kind of hot to touch so I thought I'd let it cool off while I had lunch. With a full stomach I was ready to spend a little more time looking. It didn't take long to discover a small but heavy duty looking spring dangling near the back. It looked like this.

And this is where it was hanging from.

Here's a shot of it from the back.

James came out to look at it with me and neither of us could figure out where the other end attached so I called my "go to" guy, my dad. I usually call him when I have lawnmower problems. Even if he can't help me he can appreciate what I'm going through. He's had a few different John Deeres and knows lots more about their mechanics than I ever will. Unfortunately he has a different model and it's hard to fix something when you can't see it. He's in PA and I'm in VA. I drove to my neighbor's house and looked at his John Deere which is also a different model but has the hydrostatic drive (I just learned about that) like ours. His didn't have this spring.

This is where I hit myself in the forehead and say, "wow, I could've had a V8". Maybe you know what I mean. Of course, the answer was obvious. Google it. I did. I typed in John Deere GT235 won't go forward and came to a few forums. On one of them someone mentioned the idler arm tension spring. Next I Googled John Deere idler arm tension spring and came upon the answer I was looking for in this link http://outdoorpowerinfo.com/repairs/deere_lx266_hydro_belts.asp On this page you could click on the pictures and it showed you the bottom of the mower, which you can't see because of the mower deck on your own. I went back out to the mower and, sure enough, saw exactly where I needed to hook the other end. Too bad the spring is so short and thick and it has to stretch 18 inches (Edit: it doesn't have to stretch 18 inches, only about an inch. I had it in the wrong spot). All I need now is my sidekick to help me stretch it so I can latch it onto the idler arm.

I hope this helps someone else who has the same problem and Googles it.

The things you do for love (the things you do for lu-uh-uhv)

2011-09-16T10:37:00.001-04:00

Our son, Adam, has been dating Melissa for 5 months now. It brings back many memories of James' and my early dating days and it's amusing. Melissa has a kitten. I've never known Adam to be a cat person though he's not NOT a cat person either. This week he kept her kitty at his apartment while her dorm was being worked on. He came home tonight carrying this little cat carrier and it made me smile. Melissa loves and rides horses. Adam says he hates horses. We made the mistake of taking him riding in New Zealand when he was 10 and had no training. We think he got scared and ever since has been afraid of them. We told Melissa tonight that he'll probably come around and like horses one day. She said she hoped so. What do older couples do when they talk to younger people? They tell them stories about the good ol' days. Poor Melissa. Adam wasn't home yet and we had her held captive in our kitchen.

The picture blurs and we're taken back to 1987. I was an immature 24 and James was an oh so handsome, debonaire 34. He said he loved the opera. I decided I would try and maybe even love it. We went to see my first opera, Norma, in Baltimore. I think I liked it, subtitles and all. Maybe I loved the whole idea of it more than the opera itself. It was new and exciting and I wanted to please him. When we moved to St. Louis we bought tickets to a series of operas, maybe 5 or 6 for the season. I think it lost it's appeal after 4 of them. Maybe there was too much too soon. I did try though. Maybe I'll try again.

James listened to mostly classical music, I listened to pop and rock. We both tried each other's music and liked some of it and hated probably more but we really tried, I think. One thing we learned that we both love is musicals. It's nice when there's a middle ground.

I grew up with animals. You may not have guessed this but my family is crazy about animals, maybe even a little stupid about them. James didn't grow up with inside dogs and certainly couldn't understand how we could accept a big slobbery kiss from one. He has come to love dogs. I doubt he likes to be kissed by them but I've seen him hold them in his lap and tell them sweet nothings as he scratches their ears and tummies. I'm pretty sure he likes the goats too. He also holds them in his lap. I don't think he's faking it after 24 years.

It's funny and wonderful how we can mold ourselves, or at least attempt to, into something a bit different than what comes naturally and sometimes it fits like a glove. Other times it doesn't but it's worth the try and sometimes might even make for a good story to tell your grandchildren. Probably not your son's girlfriend. I'm sure we bored Melissa to tears with our stories but it's still fun for me and James to reminisce about what it was like when we were dating.

Better than a Barbie doll

2011-09-11T17:31:00.000-04:00

My sisters and I had a Barbie, and then there were her friends Midge and Skipper too. I do remember having fun playing with them though I don't think we were crazy about dolls like some kids are. We didn't have a bunch of fancy clothes but it was still fun to put those tiny plastic shoes on their feet which were always pointed like they were ready to be fitted for high heels.

Today I played dress up with a much larger friend, Wilson. It was so much more fun than a Barbie. Yesterday I got up at 4:30 AM so I could milk the goats before going to a parasite workshop at VA Tech Vet school. On the way home Susan and I stopped at Mike's farm which is worth a blog entry in itself. Mike bought Shamus and Elton from me this year. They looked so happy there. So anyway, remember the yellow horse cart I posted a picture of in my blog? I bought it, along with a harness to fasten a donkey to. Mike was nice enough to put a harness on his miniature horse, all the time explaining how to do it. It looked very confusing. He hooked a cart to the horse and the two of us took a ride. I wish I had a camera so Susan could have videoed us. On the way back to the house he handed me the reins. What fun. It was hard for me to find the right tension on the reins to keep him from either going too fast or too slow. I'm going to love this, I know.

Even though Wilson is too young to pull a cart I still want to train him so he's ready when the time comes. I was wondering if I was rushing things by trying to put the harness on him today but I couldn't resist. When he saw me with the harness he came running. He loves our training sessions with the halter and lead. I placed the harness on his back and I don't think he even flinched. I spent a lot of time fastening and unfastening buckles to adjust the fit and he just stood there. I didn't have him haltered or tied to anything. He just stood there enjoying the attention. I couldn't believe it.

The bridle is a bit too small but I'm going to find a way to adapt it to fit him. He's never worn a bridle so I was so surprised he took the bit in his mouth like he'd been doing it forever. Can you tell I'm excited about this? Chy is old enough to pull a cart but I'm not sure she's ready for all of this. She's still hesitant on a lead and not nearly as eager to accept change. Maybe once she sees Wilson cooperating she'll relax and let me hook her up. I would love to have two dolls to dress. Maybe they could pull a two donkey cart.

Draft horses

2011-09-09T22:13:00.001-04:00

Now don't go shaking your head. I didn't buy a draft horse. I bought a whole team of them. Just kidding. I went to a draft horse demonstration today at the VA Horse Center. Those horses are amazing and very intimidating to this non-horse person. I was in the barn looking at horses and a man let two of his out to get them some water. Their rumps were about 8 feet from me and, I'm not exaggerating, my heart began to race. I knew all it would take was one small kick from them and I was a goner. Their feet are the size of our dinner plates but much more massive. I watched 2 men harnessing their horses to get ready for dragging logs. He said they do this every day of the week.

I rode a horse drawn wagon to the grass cutting and plowing demonstrations. We were followed by the horses pulling the work equipment. It was an awesome view.

I'm not sure how experienced these guys were at using the equipment they used to cut the grass and plow the field because they sure were slow going and made it look harder than I expected. I talked to and old woman who said her husband could have plowed the whole field in the time it took these guys to do 2 rows. They were very disappointed in the display.

All in all, I thought it was very interesting and I loved seeing those giant animals but I still don't want one. I want a mammoth donkey.

Rabbit wrangling

2011-09-08T23:40:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I yelled to James, "NO, don't let the dogs out!" Keri was already barking and Lex sprinted toward the shed. I called him back and put him and Rosie back in the house. All four rabbits were on the loose. Keri wouldn't touch them but barked for a good while as she followed them into the woods behind their abode. It's good I don't have a job outside the home because I would have been late, that's for sure. How do you catch 3 rabbits (one of them ran back into the shed when Lex chased it and was cowering inside) when they have many places to run and hide? Luckily they're unfamiliar with this territory since they don't leave their shed, so they didn't venture more than 50 yards from the house. Surprisingly Keri was a big help in herding them back, well kind of. Sometimes she'd chase them down to the creek which is in the wrong direction. They didn't really seem all that scared. One of them stopped to clean its ear so Keri stopped chasing to watch. I don't know how we'll ever count on her to keep rabbits and groundhogs from our garden and orchard.

To make a long story short, Keri would chase them back toward the shed and they ran in eventually. Each time one would enter the shed I'd catch it and lock it in a cage so I could leave the shed open for the next one. I don't know how long this took, maybe an hour. And so I decided it was time to do this.

Even though James' office is just upstairs we still sometimes email each other. I sent him this picture with the subject line reading, I did it. Later he told me it looked like Keri. WHAT?! Does he really think I'm that heartless? Some of you may think that anyway now that you know I killed a lapin (that's rabbit in French). It sounds better to say lapin than bunny. The reason I got rabbits was to fill our freezer but I've been procrastinating because it just seemed too, I don't know, heartless. But to be quite honest, I found it harder to butcher two roosters today than I did the rabbit, I mean lapin. I find chickens to be more amusing, I guess. They seem to have jobs to do, eat bugs off our plants, protect the hens, march around in a comical manner, announce when the sun is rising (and every other hour). Tonight I'm cooking my first rabbit dinner. I hope it's really delicious.

It was a busy day today, but a productive one. As I told you earlier I'm working more with my donkeys in hopes of training them to pull a cart or plow or at least let me ride them a little. Wilson is still way too young but I want to get him used to the idea of something around his stomach and on his back, which led me to buy them their first blanket and surcingle. Yup, surcingle. I never heard of one until recently. I didn't even know how to pronounce it and let the woman at the saddlery tell me what I needed. For those of you who know as little about equines as I, basically it's a strap that goes around the horse's belly and holds on the blanket or whatever and is used in training or to put reins through when pulling a cart (or something like that). Chy and Wilson were very good about letting me put it on them. Unfortunately it's too big and I need to get a smaller one.

Doesn't Chy look pretty in this color? I'm not sure she really cared. Saturday I may be going to look at a horse drawn cart a friend wants to sell.

Wouldn't that be cool to be pulled around in a cart by your donkey? I know!!! I'm also training Benny to walk on a leash and eventually to pull a goat cart. He looks so cute in his too-big-halter. He's getting used to it already. Today was his second day to wear one.

Burrata: take two, Envy and Updates

2011-09-04T18:45:00.000-04:00

I guess it's been more than a week since I've blogged and I don't quite know where to begin so I'll begin with today. This morning 3 women and one young man came over to milk the goats and attempt making a better burrata cheese than the last time we tried. I didn't mention the last time because, let's face it, no one wants to blog about failures. The last burrata wasn't what we hoped and all I can chalk it up to was using city water instead of well water that has no chlorine. Failure or success, both attempts were a lot of fun. Maybe failures are a good thing. It gave us an excuse to get together and try again. This time was much more successful and I learned a few things also. Instead of stuffing the mozzarella with tiny pieces of mozzarella and cream we stuffed it with whole milk riccotta with added cream. Oh yes, this was much better and I will do it again. We all fixed our plates with our masterpieces of burrata, proscuitto, basil, tomatoes, pears, olive oil and balsamic vinegar washed down with some homemade wineberry wine.

The young couple, Holly and Sam, are in their early 20's and are embarking on an adventure which I wish I would have done when I was their age. They showed up before cheesemaking today to help milk goats because in less than a month they're driving across the country to work on a dairy goat farm in Washington state. They're taking a month to get there and plan to camp and explore along the way. They've commited to working on the farm for 3 months but may stay a year or move on to another farm. They found this opportunity through WWOOF, world wide opportunities on organic farms. I've heard of WWOOF a few times in the past month. It must be coming very popular. I wonder, if we had the internet when I was their age, if I would have taken advantage of something like this.

Some other friends I'm a bit envious of right now are heading to Italy for 4 months the day after tomorrow. Ok, I'm more than just a bit envious. Yes, I love being here and have become a real homebody but I still have that desire to travel. If only I could take the farm with me. While they're gone we're kid-sitting for Fiona, a cute little nubian doeling. They don't want her to be bred along with their adult goats since she's too young so we'll keep her here separated from boys. In Italy they're spending a month at a goat farm and creamery. They'll help with the milking chores and learn to make cheese (the right way). I'm sure their teacher is more experienced than the writer of this blog. They found the farm they're working at on the website helpx.net. You get free accomodations in exchange for your work.

Here's Fiona, their little doeling we're sitting for.

I spoke to my sister today and she told me I left you hanging about the skunk. The skunk hasn't returned, thank goodness.

What else? Keri, our puppy is growing like a weed, as are the pigs. Cooper, our buck who was limping like crazy and looking very pitiful is doing real well since I started treating him with teasel root (an herb often used in treating lyme disease) and solomon's seal (used for treating arthritis and achy joints).

It's been a busy summer but a really good one. I can't believe it's September.

Holes In My Jeans: Skunks and donkey milk

2011-08-28T19:45:00.000-04:00

Holes In My Jeans: Skunks and donkey milk

Skunks and donkey milk

2011-08-28T18:45:00.000-04:00

They don't go together but they both played a part in my week - one good, one bad.

James returned from a run and told me there was a skunk headed in the direction of one of our chicken coops. In less than a minute we heard squawking and we knew he was in their pen. James ran to the coop and I think he said something to the effect that he wished he had a gun. I may be wrong about that. He watched as the chickens frightened the puny, yellowish skunk away. He wasn't so yellow-bellied though because just a few hours later he returned to our goat and other chicken's fence. The donkeys and goats were all turned his way watching him stroll through the pasture. I ran to the hose, at my friend Susan's suggestion, and sprayed him in the face. He put up with it for awhile, which was strange, but then headed toward the road. I breathed a sigh of relief. A few years back my friend Colleen's goats were attacked by a rabid skunk and some had to be put down. Colleen and her husband had to go through a series of shots too.

I called animal control and spoke to the game warden. He wasn't very helpful. All I wanted to know is how to tell if an animal is rabid and how I should trap it. I learned very little I didn't already know. I hope the skunk doesn't return but I'm not holding my breath. I wonder if it's the same skunk that sprayed Rosie a week or two ago. I don't know if it's the power of suggestion but I think I smell a skunk now.

On a much happier note, today I made a huge step with my donkey, Chy. For a year now, since I got her, we've been working on trust. Today she let me know she trusts me. How do I know that? She let me milk her. Yeah, I'm just a little excited. Okay, a lot excited. I guess it was a year ago I blogged about donkey milk and the health benefits of it. I had almost given up on being able to milk her until recently. Halter training her and walking her on a lead has been a big help in earning her trust. Since I had no experience with equines it probably took me longer than a horse person to begin real training. I was a little afraid of her. If you saw my blog with her and the farrier for the first time you may understand my fear. Here's a reminder. http://holesinmyjeans-kpannabecker.blogspot.com/2010/08/rough-n-tumble-farrier.html I still laugh when I watch those videos and I appreciate my farrier even more. Wilson is still nursing but I have no idea how much milk Chy has left. Still, I want to milk her some more before she dries up. I may have to breed her again so I can continue to milk her. After seeing the videos with Wilson being so tiny, that doesn't seem like a bad idea. I could train a whole team to plow our gardens eventually.

Shocks and aftershocks

2011-08-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

Electricity scares me. I'll do a small electrical job every now and then but it's usually pretty basic stuff, like rewiring a light fixture or hanging new ones. Yesterday I went to move my washing machine because it had walked away. I guess the feet on it weren't level. When I put my hand around the back to move it a bit I got a strong shock. I thought I had touched an exposed wire or something so I got on the other side of the washer to push it back into place. This time all I was touching was the body of the washer and I got another shock. I was a bit shaken up. I called our trusty electrician. He said to shut it off using a block of wood or something. "Don't touch it". Of course I wouldn't have dreamed of touching it after 2 shocks. He came to check it out but didn't have time to fix it so left me some wire and something to fish the wire through our ceiling so he could run a new circuit today when he had more time.

Keri (our puppy) likes to go with me to check on the pigs. To get to them we have to cross a road. I've been working with her to sit and stay till I can be sure no cars are coming. This morning I thought it would be a good time to teach her to walk on a leash, that way we could cross the road and I wouldn't have to worry about her getting hit. I clipped the leash on and whoa boy, she freaked out. She jumped and pulled and then froze like I had beaten her. She wouldn't move, not even for a treat, not even a step. I gave up bribing her after about 20 minutes. I decided to fish the wire in the basement until she trusted me again. I was using a very skinny rod to fish the wire above the drop ceiling and I accidentally dropped one of the rods on Keri. This was not good. Talk about a shock. I'm sure she was scared to death of me by now. Somehow she found her way upstairs and was hiding under James' legs in his office. We coaxed her back outside but she was very timid.

James helped me fish the wire through after I attached it to the rod. When I was untaping the wire from the pole I got another shock which didn't make sense because it wasn't hooked up to anything. It must've been touching another wire up in the ceiling that was hot. Again, not good. Fred came out shortly after and hopefully made everything safe. He and I were talking and I thought I felt the room shake but he continued to talk like nothing was happening so I figured I was having some kind of spell. I didn't say a word about it. About 10 minutes later we heard there was an earthquake. It was about 130 miles from here and a 5.9 on the richter scale. This was my first earthquake experience. I was more shaken up by my washer than the tremor.

By the way, Keri seems to like me again tonight. I wonder if I should try the leash again tomorrow.

Moving the rototillers

2011-08-21T19:30:00.000-04:00

Today we moved Velma and Roxie again. They've matured enough to go to their 3rd home on our property. Here they were in their 2nd home. Note the green in the picture.

Here's what that same space looks like after just over a month.

Our plan is to plant some grain in this pen to feed the goats, chickens and donkeys next summer.

Two years ago we had two Appalachian Trail thru hikers stay here. We don't live far from the AT so it's a convenient place for a hiker to get a real shower, eat some home cooked food, check emails and sleep in a real bed. This weekend one of those hikers returned for a visit. He's from Mississippi but is doing an internship at a farm just an hour from here so we were happy to see him again. He's learned a lot this summer and shared some of what he learned about rotating livestock, growing grass and tomatoes and all kinds of things with us. He helped us corral and move the pigs. It's was kind of exciting. James got so excited that he turned the camera off while he was recording them loading into the crate.

Here they are in their new home.

They seemed pretty happy to have grass to eat again and when we checked on them later in the day it looked like they were enjoying their nap in the house too. I can't wait to see how long it takes them to rototill this grassy garden in our field into a beautiful bed of soil ,ready to be planted.

It was fun sharing ideas with a 25 year old who has some of the same interests. Dustin will be a successful farmer one day.

Donkey videos

2011-08-17T22:16:00.000-04:00

I'm really enjoying training my donkeys to lead. They're really smart, have so much personality and say so much with their eyes and ears. Wilson seems to love the attention and wants to please (I think). He's a little ornery and pushes, nips or gooses me. We need to work on that. I think he'd be great to train to pull a cart or plow.

Today I typed "donkey" into Youtube to see what came up. Well, I got hooked and spent LOTS of time watching and laughing at videos. Okay, some of them I won't post on here but they were funny and a bit obscene. I'll only post the ones I really liked. I think my donkey-owning-friends will love them.

This one is called Trumpet and Donkey

This one is called Donkey Balls

This one is just cute

And then, because I have an African Grey Parrot, I just loved this one.

Ok, I'll stop now.

Maybe I should stay out of the kitchen

2011-08-15T21:59:00.000-04:00

I used to think I was a decent cook. After today I'm rethinking that. Here's a picture of my second batch of bagels. They turned out even worse than yesterday's. I used to be able to make bagels. I don't know what happened. Out of practice, that's for sure.

To the right of the pancake bagel is a cushaw squash James grew. That was going to be dinner tonight. Was. It was the most bitter squash I've ever tasted. Hopefully the ones still on the vines will be better and this one just wasn't ripe enough. It had fallen off it's vine so I thought I'd give it a try.

Earlier a friend dropped by and we did a cheese tasting. I think we tried 6 cheeses and I really only liked 2 of them. I hate spending all that time making cheese and wasting milk just to make something to feed chickens and pigs. The pigs go nuts over it. No one can say I don't feed my animals well.

Here's someone who showed up a little late for dinner and was pretty persistent about wanting to be invited in.

This is the same chicken who hung out with us on the front steps last night while it was raining. It seems he doesn't want to sleep with his hatchlings and either wants to sleep in our house or on the front step. We moved him over with our older chickens tonight to see if he likes it better with them. He'll wake up with strangers tomorrow morning.

Bagels, skunks and rain

2011-08-14T22:29:00.001-04:00

Today I had a craving for bagels so I thought I'd make some. I haven't made bagels in years. As you can see from the picture they were pretty sorry looking bagels but it didn't stop my family from eating them. They rose too much and turned out flat. Oh well, I'm trying a different recipe. This one takes 2 days to make and the dough is in the refrigerator now.

Before our dinner of bagels we took the dogs down to the river. We were there no more than 5 minutes when I heard a squeak and Rosie came running out of the tall grass with foam coming from her mouth. A strong smell met me before Rosie even got close. Lex also had a foaming mouth but I didn't smell skunk on him. Maybe the smell of Rosie made him drool. Keri, the puppy, was untouched but kept jumping to bite on their mouths. They'll all be spending the night outdoors which is making them very unhappy.

We got some rain this evening which was really nice. We've been so dry here and we're thankful for every drop. James said we got 2 1/2 inches. We were sitting on the front porch when the rain came. A stray chicken joined us. Chickens don't normally get too upset by rain but I think the lightning and thunder scared her. It was getting dark too. I picked her up and she squawked but then relaxed as I stroked her feathers. I put her down and she kept returning for more attention. "She" might possibly be a "he".

The donkeys hadn't made it back to their barn before the rain hit either so they huddled nearby under a cedar tree. They didn't look very comfortable.

Car washing supervisors

2011-08-13T14:29:00.000-04:00

The animals thought Adam needed some assistance, I guess. There's a puppy nearby the car also but I can't see her in this shot. Adam sprayed Cooper (the goat) with the hose for quite a while but he didn't seem to mind. Goats usually hate water. Maybe even he thought he stunk. He does - Bad! He probably should have shampooed him too. Keri could also use a bath though I doubt even soapy water would remove the pine sap she laid in.

Poor Cooper

2011-08-11T11:14:00.000-04:00

Cooper has been struggling with a physical ailment but I don't know exactly what it is or what to do with him. For months he has grazed while down on his knees. I thought this was just his quirky way. As time went on it looked liked he was limping and walking very stiff legged. In the past week or 2 he's gotten very lame and lies around a lot. It looks like he's in pain when he tries to get up or down. He's been dewormed, had his hooves trimmed, eats well, poops normally and has been looked at by the vet and still we can't figure out what's causing this. She said he has some atrophy in his rearend and legs from not getting exercise. She's running some blood work to be sure it's not Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis, CAE, but we're pretty certain it's not that because he still has very good range of motion in his joints. Also, his mom and sister tested negative for this so that makes it harder to believe it could be that. CAE is passed onto kids through their mother's milk. He hasn't wanted to go out into the pasture to graze on what little grass we have so I've let him out of his fence to wander around the yard, hoping he'd be tempted by the crabapples in the driveway and get some exercise. Goats are herd animals so of course Jimmy is right by Cooper's side and won't go anywhere unless Cooper does. I'm sitting on the front porch and this is what they're doing.

I did see him run today because I opened the front door and scared the daylights out of him so that was a good sign. I've decided to give him some grapefruit seed extract mixed with water and apple cider vinegar to see if it makes any difference. Hey, it's worth a try and it worked for Darla. Yesterday I mixed up a batch of salve with grapefruit seed extract and oregano oil for the vet to try on some of her alpacas who are having some issues. I told her to email me if she got good results. I thought it was funny she wanted to try this.

You may recall a few years ago I tried drawing blood from my goats to do some testing and I didn't have very good results. I ended up with blood on my clothes and never got enough to send off to the lab. Yesterday when the vet was drawing blood I asked her if I could do one while she held her. I'm very please to say I was successful and think I can now do this to all my goats myself so I won't have to pay a vet to do it. I guess after all the needles I had to stick in Darla it gave me the confidence to stick a needle in the neck of a goat and know I could do it.

If anyone has any ideas about what's ailing Cooper please chime in.

Training animals - training myself

2011-08-09T22:22:00.001-04:00

I've never been very good at training animals. I usually do the basic stuff like "sit" and "come" and other stuff that makes my life easier, then I let them get away with the stuff that takes too much work. My donkeys have been a challenge for me because I was kind of afraid of their size and being kicked. I've come a long way with them though. Wilson (aka Shiloh) will now let me put a halter on him and can be bribed by treats to walk on a lead for me. Chy is getting better about the halter but still seems very nervous about being led. I'm hoping to have them both walking beside me on a lead by next week. I feel so much more confident training them now that I know regular work with them pays off. I'm pretty excited about my accomplishments with them. I need to keep it up.

Our boxers, Rosie and Lex, come when called and are pretty well behaved dogs now but it hasn't always been that way. There are too many stories to tell so I'll just say they've improved with age. They're 10 now and I have no plans to try and change them. Keri, on the other hand, is a clean slate. At less than 4 months old I feel like I can shape and mold her into the dog I think she should be. Of course, I know there are some things I'll have to live with because of her breed and instincts. She's a Great Pyrenees and their job is to protect their home so they bark when they think there's a reason to warn us. I won't be able to change that even though I'm not fond of barky dogs.

She's quite nippy and that's annoying but in so many other ways I'm very pleased with how fast she learns things. She knows she's not allowed inside (except for the basement) so she doesn't try to follow us into the house. She's learned not to catch chickens. She likes the goats, donkeys and pigs and doesn't pester them and they seem to have accepted her too. She doesn't try to follow our car when we leave the driveway. We can leave her outside while we go to town for hours at a time and she just hangs out by the house - at least we think she does. She's always there when we get home anyway. Also, she's house broken.

I don't usually teach dogs tricks but Keri learns so fast it's been kind of fun trying new things. James videoed us today but I left out a few tricks like begging (which is a silly trick to teach, in my opinion). She can do it though. She's also figuring out "roll over", another useless trick, but fun to teach. Here's today's session.

I realize that success in training has more to do with a disciplined trainer than how smart the animal is. I need to train myself to be more disciplined in my training, that's for sure.

I traded James in for this guy

2011-08-04T17:35:00.000-04:00

I asked James if I could shave his hair off and he said yes. Wow, that was easy. What else should I ask for? My sister-in-law, Helen, told him he looks cute no matter how his hair was cut and that she thought he looked like Bruce Willis. He's heard this before when his head was shaved and I know he likes it. In this heat I wish I could shave my head and still look cute. Maybe if I looked like Demi Moore in GI Jane, but then, Bruce and Demi are no longer married. Still..................

This rooster is a keeper

2011-08-02T18:39:00.000-04:00

A few months ago a friend called to ask if I was interested in adopting 5 hens and a rooster. Her friend's family had just acquired a bird dog and couldn't keep chickens anymore. She told me the rooster was really special. How special can a rooster be? I picked the chickens up and they seemed nice enough. It took awhile to integrate the few chickens I had left with the new ones and none of them laid eggs for a few weeks. Slowly they all adjusted to each other and we began getting eggs. The rooster came with a name, Foggy, as in, Foghorn Leghorn, since he's a Leghorn chicken.

Every night a few of the chickens, including Foggy, perch in the goat barn and I have to carry them to their coop. I don't know why they don't put themselves to bed but I don't really mind carrying them to their resting place, especially Foggy. When I lift him into my arms he often puts his head against my shoulder as if to cuddle. He doesn't flap and flail like some of the hens do. I think he even likes being held. It doesn't matter how long I hold him, he rests gently in my arms like he trusts me. He must have been held a lot as a young chick.

See how his legs just dangle? He doesn't scratch or fight me or the hens. He will never end up in a stew pot. Yeah, he's a pretty special rooster.

A born milker

2011-08-02T08:09:00.000-04:00

My niece is visiting this week. She's 10. I asked if she wanted to milk the goats. She was hesitant. I could tell she wanted to but was afraid she couldn't do it. With a little coaxing her mother and I talked her into it.

As you can see, she was a pro.

I forget

2011-07-27T18:37:00.000-04:00

I forget - I forget a lot. I don't know if it's my age, ADD, busy-ness or preoccupation with other things. I can tell at times it troubles James. At least that's my perception. I had a dream this morning and when I woke I felt like crying. The dream felt very real or at least like something that could happen.

Maybe it's because I mentioned going on vacation in the last blog that I dreamed of staying in a hotel. In my dream James and I had already checked into a hotel and found our room, and then, for some reason, gone our separate ways for a few hours. When it was time for me to return to our room I couldn't remember our room number or what floor we were on. Instead of going to the reception desk I called James on his cell phone. I don't really remember the whole conversation but I know I kept trying to explain to him that I didn't pay attention when we went to our room and that I just couldn't remember the number. He got frustrated and told me (because I kept repeating myself) that I sounded like the same person again and again, which was his way of telling me to stop repeating myself, I guess. He was angry and that made me very upset and desperate because I couldn't help that I couldn't remember. Actually, typing this still makes me recall the feeling and could make me cry if I let it. It was such a horrible feeling. I feel like I can imagine what an Alzheimer's patient might feel like when they first discover they're ill.

I told James my dream when we got up. He said, "that doesn't sound like me". He's right, he would never treat me like that but it didn't make the dream feel any less real. I love the book, The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks, even though it's very sad. I've seen the movie a few times and it makes me cry every time. I have told my friends, "James would do that for me". I really think he would. He once wrote a poem (I'll have to see if he can find a copy of it and post it here) about a forgetful woman. After I read it I asked him if he was worried about me. I can't remember what he answered but he probably said no and smiled.

One thing I can tell you, If we stay in a hotel anytime soon I'm going to write the room number down. But how will I remember where I wrote it?

Grand Central Station

2011-07-25T10:10:00.000-04:00

In the past month we've seen many people drive up and down our driveway. The Quaker group, Teen Adventure, arrived about a month ago and set up camp in our field. I'll try to keep this short and say we saw a lot of these folks in and out recently. Last weekend my hometown church from PA sent a mission team (22 people) to do work in TN. On their way they spent a night in our cabin and shared dinner with us. We went through 20 pizzas and 3 big pans of roasted vegetables. It was fun. They've done this more than a few years and I enjoy it every time. Teen Adventure returned from their bike trip Friday and we did the whole pizza thing again. There were 30 of us this time. They were a hungrier group from all the biking they'd done and I probably should've made more than 24 pizzas and vegetables. The biker/campers left today and all that remained were the counselors. They're spending their last 2 nights in our cabin, which is easily a step up from camping, so they were very appreciative to have beds to sleep in.

A friend from Alabama spent the night Friday on his way north. His visit was too short.

Our son, Adam, is home from school so we have him here which also brings his friend who spends just about every night here too. We're learning what it would be like to have had 2 sons.

Saturday James' brother, Tom, and his family arrive and we get to enjoy spending time with them too. We don't see them very often so this will be fun. We may take them to the drive-in because we're thinking our niece may never have been to one. I grew up going to the drive-in but I know there aren't many around anymore. We're lucky to have one here. It's still a popular thing to do in Rockbridge County.

August is looking pretty quiet at this point. Maybe James and I should take a vacation. The topic has been coming up again and again. We may have to give our farm sitter friend a call and see if she has some time this fall.

Tired of animal videos yet?

2011-07-20T18:29:00.000-04:00

It's been really hot here lately and we've had very little rain so, while some people are watering their gardens, I water my pigs. They're pretty happy about it. Maybe it will make them grow. I never get tired of watching them play under the spray of the hose.

Since Darla is so friendly and has already been around dogs quite a bit I thought she'd be a perfect candidate for introducing Keri to goats. It went really well and they hung out for about an hour. Darla wasn't the least bit afraid of Keri. Keri was fascinated with Darla. Watch how she copies Darla eating the jasmine.

She also put Keri in her place a few times.

I'm always afraid to write things like this, for fear I'm jinxing myself and Darla but, it appears she's going to be fine. I've been putting a salve with grapefruit seed extract and oil of oregano on her neck twice a day and the abscess hasn't returned. I'm so glad we haven't given up on her.

On the river

2011-07-18T08:25:00.000-04:00

James and I took all 3 dogs down to the river this afternoon. We were just going to paddle around a little bit and let Keri get used to the river. I took the sit on top kayak, hoping she'd ride with me. James put his kayak in first and Keri hopped on the back without him even knowing it. All I had to do was ask and she hopped aboard. I stayed close to shore because I hadn't seen her swim yet. She would stay on for about 5 minutes and then want to get off and explore land. Rosie was jealous so she got on the kayak too but was nervous and jumped off. By the time I got the camera and we videoed Keri on the kayak she was tired of it so she doesn't look as enthusiastic in this clip.

She took a nap on the kayak when it was out of the water.

Water Puppy

2011-07-17T07:38:00.000-04:00

This is one reason Keri can't be an inside dog.

Goat milk burrato cheese

2011-07-16T07:37:00.001-04:00

I've discovered something pretty delicious and can't believe I've never heard of it before. About a week ago I was visiting a friend of a friend and she had a taste of my homemade mozzarella. She said it was good but I could tell she wanted something different. While in NY she had had a mozzarella cheese that was harder on the outside and then very creamy and soft on the inside. I told her I had never seen a recipe for mozzarella like that.

Today I received a cheese newsletter with a recipe for burrato. I'm pretty sure this is the cheese this woman was talking about. What it is is cheese stuffed with cheese. Can you think of anything better? For those of you who make mozzarella I'm going to include the recipe so you can try it. It's so simple. I basically used Ricki Carroll's 30 mozzarella recipe for the first part of it.

Ingredients

1 gallon raw goat's milk
2 Tbl. of heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
1/8 tsp. rennet dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water
1 tsp. of non iodized salt

First I removed 2 tablespoons of cream from the top of my milk and put it aside. I was able to get that much because the milk had been sitting for 3 days. With cow's milk you would have lots more cream separate. Pour the milk into a stainless steel pan and bring the temperature to 55 degrees. Add citric acid and stir until the temperature reaches 90 degrees. Remove from heat and add the rennet. Stir up and down and around for 30 seconds then cover and wait 5 to 7 minutes till the curd separates from the whey. Return to the heat and bring temperature to 105. With your hands remove the curd from the pan and squeeze to get as much whey out as you can.

Now here's where the recipe is different than the basic mozzarella. Remove 1/3 of the curds and place in another bowl or colander.

Break into tiny pieces Add the cream and 1/2 tsp. of the salt and stir to a creamy consistency. Set aside. Place the rest of the cheese in a glass bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds. Massage the curds, removing more whey. Microwave for 45 more seconds and massage some more. Add the other 1/2 tsp. salt then microwave for 45 more seconds. Wearing rubber gloves, stretch the cheese until uniform and shiny. Separate the cheese into 3 pieces. Flatten and stretch into a flat round. Place 1/3 of the cheese/cream filling inside and pinch edges together.

I microwaved the 3 pouches for 30 seconds to kind of meld them and warm the filling a little. You can either eat them warm or refrigerate them for a later date. I recommend eating them fresh.

It was also good with tomatoes, basil and a little balsamic vinegar. I'd like to try wrapping it in pizza dough, baking it and drizzling pesto over it. Mmmmmm.

Our new guardian

2011-07-14T07:04:00.000-04:00

She's so soft, cute and cuddly and I wish she could sleep with me but she can't because she has to sleep outside (very sad). Doesn't she look tough? Her name is Keri (pronounced Keery).

She's not very brave yet but she's only 11 weeks old so I'll give her a little longer to show me she doesn't think the chickens are all that scary. I just put her in her crate on the front porch and I'm sitting on a chair right next to her with my computer in my lap. So far she's not screaming and she's lying down. I wish she'd go to sleep before I go inside so I don't have to hear her cry. Poor little girl. Once we know we can trust her (however long that is) we will let her roam the yard at night or sleep on the porch without the crate so she can keep predators away.

I'm sure Rosie and Lex are wondering how long she's going to be visiting.

Velma and Roxie's intermediate home

2011-07-10T21:22:00.000-04:00

I decided it was time to move Velma and Roxie out of the goat barn so they could have more space and so the barn wouldn't stink so bad. There's an old, small fenced in garden attached to the girl goat's pen so I put them in there and put boards around the edges where I thought they might squeeze out. They seemed thrilled with their new digs. They also seemed thrilled to dig.

and roll in the mud

To clean off they thought they might fit in their water bucket.

So we gave them their own paddle boat swimming pool. They also have a tiny house, which they love, and a tarp for shade.

Unfortunately they found out they could go through the 5" by 6" squares in the cattle panels into the goat's pen so I had to close them back up in a stall in the barn again last night. Today I put up some electric fencing within that garden space. Their 3rd and final home will have electric fencing too so it was good to introduce them to it where we had another fence behind. They both met the fence and were fine the rest of the day.

The donkeys and pigs checked each other out through the fence.

Baby pigs nap a lot, sometimes on top of each other.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm enjoying these funny little girls.

Roxie gets kissed

2011-07-03T22:16:00.000-04:00

The pigs have calmed down considerably, probably because they know I bring them food. They're eating a lot now. The campers gave us a bucket of their compost and the pigs are thrilled with it.

Roxie was a very popular pig this evening. We took her to Yogi Bear's Jellystone Campground for the pig kissing contest. While we waited for her turn to take the stage we kept her in a cage in the back of the station wagon with the hatch open. Kids gathered around to see her and she seemed to like them. She came to the front of the cage so they could touch her nose.

Margie, the owner of the campground was the winner (or loser, depending on how you look at it) and got to/had to kiss Roxie.

All went well and Roxie behaved. I had this picture of her getting out of my arms and running loose while people screamed or chased her, which would have made for a better video. We made our exit and Roxie was glad to be returned to her stall with Velma. I gave them some treats of cabbage and banana peels. Yummm.

Teen Adventure at Elk Cliff

2011-07-03T17:09:00.001-04:00

About 6 months ago a friend of ours called and asked if we'd allow a cycling group she was leading to camp in our field. We said they were welcome. They arrived yesterday afternoon. The counselors have been here off and on since the 23rd to plan and prepare for the 14 and 15 year old camper/bikers. At the gate to our field there's a sign that reads TA BIKE. Teen Adventure is sponsored by a Quaker camp. They have quite a setup down there and our field has never looked so camp-like. There are bicycles with kitty litter panniers leaning all over.

Tarps and tents with no sides.

A makeshift kitchen.

And a fire ring down by the creek.

It almost makes me wish I was camping down there - almost.

This morning, as a service project, they helped us clean our winter wheat. It sure goes a lot faster with 24 people doing it instead of just 2. I think they might even have enjoyed it. I know they didn't hate it.

They head out on Tuesday morning and will return again for 3 more nights at the end of July. We'll feed them pizza with crust made from some of the wheat they cleaned.

I wonder if they'll return next year. If they do we should plant much more wheat this fall.

Awwwww, Piggles

2011-06-30T17:54:00.000-04:00

Velma and Roxie are a month and a half old. One of them is going to be in a kiss-the-pig contest on Sunday night at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Campground. I don't know what that entails but I'm holding them so they might calm down by then. Right now they're a little nervous. They're living in a stall in the goat barn for at least a week until we bond. Eventually they'll go out in the field garden and hopefully be good rototillers.

I hope this was a good idea.

Sprouted Whole Wheat Flour

2011-06-27T15:10:00.000-04:00

I'm experimenting with our wheat berries since James and I are in the middle of harvesting this year's wheat. We still have quite a bit left from last year. James probably tripled the amount grown this year so I need to find a better way to use it.

I recently read a pizza dough recipe made with sprouted whole wheat flour. I've never used it so I Googled it. First of all, a 5 lb bag of sprouted whole wheat flour costs $15.44 so it has to be good for you right? At least it has to be a lot of work to get it. It happens to be both of these - good for you and a lot of work (that is, if you grow it yourself). If you're interested in using it yourself you might find this interesting.

Why Sprouted Flour?

The Benefits of Sprouted Flour:

Easier to Digest - Sprouting breaks down the starches in grains into simple sugars so your body can digest them like a vegetable (like a tomato, not a potato).
Increased Vitamin C - Sprouting produces vitamin C.
Increased Vitamin B - Sprouting increases the vitamin B content (B2, B5, and B6).
Increased Carotene - Sprouting increases the carotene up to eight times.
Increased Enzymes are actually produced during sprouting.
Reduction of Anti-nutrients - Sprouting neutralizes enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid, which is a substance present in the bran of all grains that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.

Until the 20^th century, grain naturally sprouted in the field before it was milled into flour. The invention of the combine harvester during the Industrial Revolution changed everything. Grain could be harvested in the field and then moved to storage bins. The time-honored practice of sprouting was cast aside for modern processing.
Unfortunately, nutrition was also cast aside. When whole grains are not allowed to ferment or sprout, they don’t contain the nutrients that sprouted whole grains do. And they retain the naturally occurring antinutrients, even when milled into flour.

Makes sense to me. So I decided to make some. First I soaked the wheat berries (seeds) in water overnight. The next day I drained them. I let them sit another 2 days, rinsing them off each day, until they sprouted small white sprouts like this.

I dried them in my food dehydrator but you could dry them in the sun, I suppose. It took maybe 6 hours in the dehydrator at 105 degrees.

When they were dry I ground them in my coffee grinder but it never makes it as fine as I want my flour to be

so today I broke down and ordered a Nutimill wheat/grain mill.

I've been wanting one of these for 3 years but couldn't bring myself to spend the money on one. Since this is our 3rd year growing wheat I decided it's worth the money and we'll get lots of use out of it in the future. I can't wait till it comes. Sprouted whole wheat flour is supposed to be very sweet. I hope we love it. I doubt it's as sweet as Rice Krispy Treats. It's definitely more work but I'm sure it's a healthier addition to our diets.

The perfect dessert

2011-06-26T20:23:00.001-04:00

Rice Krispy Treats have only 3 ingredients. They take 15 minutes to make and clean up and I don't know anyone who doesn't like them. If you go to a potluck there will be cakes, pies and cheesecakes that take much longer to make and many more ingredients, but what dessert disappears first? You got it, Rice Krispy Treats.

Ok, ice cream is right up there in the delicious and simple department but it doesn't travel as well to a potluck.

Goodbye Shamus

2011-06-24T22:19:00.000-04:00

Today Shamus was adopted by Mike. Mike bought one of my little boys, Elton, this spring, who happens to be one of Shamus' offspring. I cried just a little as they drove off but not like I thought I would. I think the reason I didn't cry so hard is because Shamus was lying on the floorboard of the truck between Mike's mom's legs and she was petting and talking to him. He looked like he was enjoying every minute of it.

Shamus was born here last spring - Poppy's only kid. He was the cutest little guy.

He won everyone over who met him. That's why I kept him - because he was so sweet. Owning and breeding dairy goats can be exciting yet tough at times. The girls need to be bred every year which means making decisions on who to keep and who to sell. Sometimes your heart rules your head, which was the case with Shamus. There was only one Mini LaMancha doe I could breed him with so I had to use my head this year. All I need is one Mini LaMancha buck for 3 girls. Unfortunately for Shamus (or maybe not) it made more sense to keep Jimmy. I'm sure Shamus will make many new friends at Mike's place.

Thanks Mike, for giving Shamus a good home. I look forward to hearing all about him and his new friends.

A Gardener's Prayer

2011-06-23T17:46:00.001-04:00

I've been inspired by my friend, Sophie, to start playing guitar again. She plays the fiddle. She and I played together a few days ago and I was pretty pitiful so I need to practice more so I can keep up with her. I have a notebook with lots of songs I've played in the past so today I was going through it and picking out the ones I could remember.

Last year I had the guts (or too much wine) and sang a song on here that I wrote for James for Christmas in 2004. Today I came across a song I wrote for him for our anniversary in 2005. It seemed appropriate to re-visit the song since it's gardening season. I remember sending a copy of this to my sister to edit and she didn't approve that the gardener dies at the end of the song. I kept it that way though.

It's called A Gardener's Prayer and this time I'm not going to sing it. Did I just hear a sigh of relief?

He wakes in the morning
And raises the blinds to see
That a new day's begun and no clouds hide the sun
What a beautiful day this will be

He walks to his garden
And he talks to the birds on his way
He strolls down the aisles as he sings and he smiles
Then he falls on his knees to pray

Lord, thanks for my garden
For my family and friends it feeds
For the bluebird's sweet song and a back that is strong
And providing for all my needs
For the vegetables, rain and rich soil
For hard work and a soft bed to rest
For sweat on my brow, my hoe and my plow
Oh Lord, I know I've been blessed

He sows seeds in the springtime
And his son labors by his side
It soon starts to rain but neither complains
The sun'll set before they go inside

The years pass, the son's grown
The gardener's nails are still full of clay
His plot may be small but his corn still stands tall
And he still makes the time to pray

Lord, thanks for my garden
For my family and friends it feeds
For the bluebird's sweet song and a back that is strong
And providing for all my needs
For the vegetables, rain and rich soil
For hard work and a soft bed to rest
For sweat on my brow, my hoe and my plow
Oh Lord, I know I've been blessed

The son walks him to his garden
Though it's cool the sun warms their hands
They talk of things past but the day's closing fast
Their eyes lock 'cause they both understand

The son holds him and whispers
"I'll always cherish these past few days"
It breaks my heart so but I know you must go
The he falls to his knees and prays

Lord, thanks for this gardener
Who nourished me like his most precious seed
He showed me how to be strong, how to know right from wrong
He provided for all my needs
Once again he'll be one with the soil
And I pray as we lay him to rest
To my son I hope to be all my dad was to me
Oh Lord, I know I've been blessed

Growing our own sweet potatoes

2011-06-23T15:52:00.000-04:00

James planted sweet potatoes this year. He hasn't tried growing them in a few years and the last time he did they didn't turn out so great. I forget why. He tries to grow everything as organically as he can. He doesn't spray or use chemicals anyway. I don't feed my goats organic food so their manure we use isn't considered organic, I guess. I don't buy a lot of vegetables from the grocery store this time of year and when I do I don't always buy organic.

Today I watched a video made by a young girl about the importance of "organic" and thought I'd share it with you.

James doesn't use Bud nip, that I'm sure of. Thank you Elise.

Hooray for lights in the barn

2011-06-21T22:47:00.000-04:00

Anyone who milks at night will understand why I'm so excited about this.

Is that a thing of beauty or what? I took just a little longer in the barn than usual tonight because I was enjoying my new electricity. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can get my dusty little cd player to work so I can play music in there. Our wonderful friend and electrician, Fred, wired it all just the way I wanted. He had a little help from the goats. Cooper knocked over his ladder then got tangled in the wires and pulled them out of the conduit.

Tila has calmed down considerably but still follows Cooper around like he's her papa (or boyfriend). He even waits for her when she gets behind. Here she is sleeping with him and Shamus in the donkey barn.

I'm going to include a few more pictures that have nothing to do with the barn or goats just because they're cute. These little girls love my little white bunny.

A friend to the rescue

2011-06-16T19:01:00.000-04:00

It's good I didn't blog earlier today because it wouldn't have been pretty. For those of you who might possibly think I'm a happy-go-lucky sweet person, well, I hate to let you down. I can be pretty pissy sometimes. Today was one of those days.

If you read yesterday's blog you saw that Tila was very unhappy here. Today was no different. She's still crying but in a different, just-as-unpleasant voice. I feel so sorry for her but no matter what I do I can't help her get over missing her mom. To get an idea of how it sounded here today turn up the volume on your speakers. Here is a very sad Tila. It's got to get better.

To make matters worse, much worse, I picked a scab off Darla's neck and was able to squeeze some pus from the site of where her abscess was. I was sick about it. James and some friends arrived just in time to see me crying somewhat uncontrollably. Crying is never pretty, is it? I could barely concentrate on their conversation during lunch. At one point one of the well-intentioned friends told me it was time to dispatch of this goat. I know she meant well, and she's probably right, but it came at a time when I wasn't ready to talk about that.

So went my afternoon. I finished up making some Manchego cheese not feeling very enthused, which is too bad. Yesterday I bought a wine refrigerator to keep my cheeses in since I've had very little luck keeping the mold under control in my little cheese room. A wine cooler holds the same temperature that cheese is meant to age at so I'm hoping this might be the answer.

I should also have been happy today because our friend and electrician, Fred, dug the trench to put electric in the barn so I don't have to milk by lantern at night. That's his truck you see in the videos I posted above.

Fortunately this afternoon I got a call from my friend and neighbor, Lauren, telling me she was coming by and did I need anything while she was in town. I asked her if she could stop at the healthy food store and pick up some grapefruit seed oil extract to try on Darla. Another friend, Lindy, suggested it might help. It has many of the same qualities as antibiotics. What do I have to lose at this point? If it works, Lindy, I owe you big time.

Lauren showed up with my oil, along with a bottle of wine to share, some essential oils and many of her homemade salves. We sat, chatted, laughed and drank wine and when she left I sniffed many of the essential oils she gave me and now I feel so much better.

What would I do without my friends?

New chickens, new goat, feeling frazzled

2011-06-15T22:36:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I adopted 6 chickens from someone who could no longer keep them due to acquiring a bird dog. We've been getting so few eggs since we're down to 3 hens and 13 young chickens too young to lay. At first things went pretty well with introductions. The 6 new ones didn't want to join the others in the coop the first night so I put them in there myself. The next morning everyone was still alive so that was good. I saw some posturing and feather pulling a little later in the day but I figured that was to be expected. Bedtime came around again and I found the 6 newcomers in the goat barn perched on shelves and stall walls. James and I put them up in the hay loft which is 7 feet off the floor, figuring they'd be happy and safe there.

This morning I went out to the barn around 8:30 and they were still up there. I don't know if they were too scared to fly down 3 1/2 feet to the stall walls or if they were just happy up there. I put a ramp up so they could walk down if they wanted. Right away Betty White walked down. A moment later one of the red hens flew very gracefully to the floor. The other 4 stayed put, including the rooster, Foggy (as in Foghorn Leghorn). I ran errands and when I returned they were still there so I put water and food up for them. I added steps on the ramp so it wouldn't be so slippery. Still, they remained in the loft. It's time to roost again and Betty and the other red hen put themselves to bed up with the others. I hope tomorrow the other 4 follow them down the ramp.

I brought home my new little girl today, Tila. She's a Nubian.

It's always hard taking babies from their moms. It's even harder when they cry. Tila cried just about non-stop for 3 hours - very loud. She's still crying but not as often and she sounds a little horse, which is even sadder.

I had to separate her from the donkeys because they chased her. For some reason she's still fascinated by them and I've seen her nose-to-nose through the fence with Shiloh.

I can still hear her crying now. It's like hearing a crying human baby and not being able to make him or her stop. Or maybe like a crying puppy the first night you bring it home. It makes me feel a bit tense.

Ok, just got in from putting kids to bed. James held Tila for awhile before putting her in with Winnie and Rudy. She seemed to like that. She did not like being clobbered by them both when James put her in their stall. He picked her back up and tried Darla and Benny. Darla seemed to like her earlier today. Ummm, but not in her stall at night. I couldn't believe my sweet little Darla could hurt a fly. I suggested he try putting her with Harlie and Celia. Well, anyway, she ended up being with just Celia. James put Harlie in with Winnie and Rudy. I sat on the floor of Celia and Tila's stall and cuddled them awhile. I can't say they were best buddies but at least no one was beating anyone up. When I left the barn all was quiet. I hope they're sleeping.

Oh how I hope tomorrow is a better day for everyone.

The ring dog

2011-06-13T22:12:00.000-04:00

We attended the wedding of the daughter of some friends of ours last weekend. It was a beautiful, simple, traditional outdoor wedding. The one thing that wasn't traditional was the ring bearer.

Check out his tuxedo collar and pillow on his back. Way to go, Cody.

Congratulations Jessica and Matt.