I forget

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

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?

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

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

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

Goat milk burrata cheese

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 burrata.  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

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

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

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

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

 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Another field trip at Elk Cliff Farm

Adam's tourism class from Radford U. took a field trip to our farm today.   It was fun watching Adam lead the group and talk about what James and I do and what was what.  He told us to jump in and answer questions when he didn't know the answers.  He even had to wear a microphone.  I wish I'd videoed him.  I'm sure he wouldn't have appreciated that though.  He showed them the goats and donkeys and they gave them treats.  He took them on a tour of the garden and some of them picked vegetables then took a quick peek at the young chickens and rabbits.  Much to my embarrassment  he took them down in our basement to show them where I make cheese and wine.  Had I known that I would have cleaned up down there and perhaps seen the dead mouse in the trap and emptied it so his professor didn't have to tell me we caught one.  They went down to see the river and take a quick dip before dinner.  He talked to them a little about how we built the pizza oven and then they made pizzas with dough made from our wheat, sauce from our tomatoes, vegetables from our garden and cheese from our goat's milk.  I always like when others want to make the pizza themselves and I get to watch.  I think they enjoyed it even though it was 96 degrees and they were standing in front of a fire.

All in all, I think it was a successful field trip and Adam was pleased with how it went.  Don't tell him I said this but, I think he's proud of his parents and home.

The value of a pet

Darla and I had an interesting visit at the VA Tech School of Veterinary Medicine.  I'm not sure Darla thought it was as interesting as I did but she did enjoy a lot of the attention.  Most of the time we were there she was surrounded by 10 to 12 people - students, doctors and technicians.  They took turns asking me questions about her history and about my other animals.  Several of them took turns running their hands all over Darla, squeezing the abscess and checking her vitals.  All the while she stood there very still, or sniffing their faces or chewing on them.  When they wanted her to lie down for her ultrasound she stayed just how they put her, not one bit of a struggle.  I felt like she was putting on a show for them. 

They gave her a sedative so they could cut and probe her neck but even with that she cried just about the whole time they dug around in there.  This was the only time she put up a fight.  I had to leave and use the restroom to get away.  They did this for over 15 minutes but it seemed even longer.  They didn't see much pus but are doing a culture on what they drew out.  They put a drain in and taught me how to inject a new (to Darla and me) antibiotic into the abscess twice a day, along with giving her 2 shots of the same antibiotic.  This is to be done for 10 days.  We were there 2 1/2 hours.  There was some down time where we had to stand around waiting while they gathered our medicines and wrote up their procedures and a bill.  During that time I had a conversation with one of the vets and a technician about how much people go through for their pets.

The vet told a story of a young couple who brought in their hamster to have a tumor removed.  The surgery was going to cost $100.00.  There was no young child involved, just these 2 adults.  We laughed about how many hamsters you could buy with $100.00 but all of us understood where they were coming from (kind of).  The technician told me how he brought home his 3 rats that he had worked with in his lab for so long.  He couldn't part with them when he left school.  He did assure me that when they died he didn't replace them.  The vet said he learned a good lesson when he was watching a surgery being performed on a horse.  He said it didn't look very special but the owners were dumping all kinds of money into this horse.  He asked the attending surgeon, "is this a valuable horse or something?"  The older gentleman answered, "young man, an animal is worth as much as a person is willing to pay for it".  I asked them if they were going to make fun of me for going to all this effort for a crossbreed goat, or a food animal as they called her (making apologies to me when they'd use that term).  I don't remember them answering.

They explained to me that this bacteria is very hard to treat and may not be successful but I feel like Darla is worth every dime it cost me. 

My niece sent me this picture of me and her playing veterinarian.  She held Darla while I aspirated her abscess.  She will be a vet in only 2 more years.  I'll stick with raising goats.

To be continued...........

Update on Darla

It appears the surgery was not a success.  Darla's abscess returned.  I had said that the surgery was our last hope and if it didn't work we'd have her euthanized.  I called our wonderful vet, Dr. Dillon, and we discussed it.  She asked if I could bring her in today so she could take a look at her.  Before it was time to go I held Darla on my lap and we cuddled awhile.  She followed me to the car when it was time and I brought along a box of tissues just in case. 

Dr. Dillon came right out to the waiting room and stooped on the floor to check her out.  We talked, I cried.  She suggested I take her to VA Tech in hopes that they might have other ideas.  Like me, she wasn't ready to give up on her.  She arranged for me to see a vet that she really likes, is very good and will understand that Darla is a pet, not livestock.  So tomorrow morning at 10:00 Darla will once again take a car ride and be poked and prodded.  If by some miracle Darla survives all of this I'm going to take her hiking and on car rides.  She's such a good traveler and companion.  She follows me anywhere. 

As I waited for the vet to write up my bill for the surgery she never charged me for Darla left a huge puddle and pile on the waiting room floor and my lap which I then had to clean up while everyone else watched and giggled.  One man with a 12 year old boxer was just amazed at how his dog watched Darla walk all around the waiting room and completely left her alone.  He had just gotten done bragging to me about how his dog still acted very lively and was great at catching a frisbee.  As we left the vet's office I told him Darla could catch a frisbee too.  He smiled but I don't think he believed me.

Blogs I follow

Some of you may have noticed that I've added some other blogs I follow on the right side of my page.  There are so many people out there that keep blogs similar to mine (sometimes I think we're related) and I can't help but read them several times a week.  I'm afraid I'll miss out on their latest happenings.  Some are hilarious, some informative, some artistic and most are better written than mine. 

When you have some free time check them out.  I'm warning you though, several hours may pass and you'll find you're still sitting at your computer. 

Spilled mozzarella

Hmmm, I thought my mozzarella cheese was good.  I may have to rethink this.  Today a woman and her 4 children came over to see my goats and then I showed the mother how I make mozzarella cheese.  She gave her children a taste and one cute little blonde ate hers and promptly threw up.  Seriously, I didn't think it was all that bad.  The mother assured me she just gagged on it.  This made my dogs very happy, if you know what I mean.  Sorry, did that make you gag?

I'm finding other ways to use my milk besides the obvious ice cream, cheese and yogurt.  This week I made cajeta (pronounced caheeta).  It's a Mexican confection that can be served over ice cream, cheese cakes, apple slices, or whatever you like.  It's kind of like a caramel syrup, traditionally made from goat's milk. It took me 3 hours to cook 3 quarts of milk, along with sugar, cornstarch and baking soda, down to this much syrup.  I was afraid I'd burn it so I kept the heat lower than it probably needed to be.  I had read it should take at least an hour and a half.

Some friends of ours invited us to pick sweet cherries from their trees a few days ago before the birds got them.  Free fruit?  Yeah, James would never say no to that.  Surprisingly (and very generously, I might add), he offered the majority of them to me to make wine from so I made a gallon. 

Adding rabbits to our menagerie

Yesterday I drove more than an hour to get these guys.  Here's a blurry picture of Clark.  I'm sure you'll see more pictures of him in the future.

And this is Vivian and her 2 kits.  I don't know their genders yet.

Cute aren't they?

Copper Killing Cone and a Rivet Tool

Last year when we harvested our turkeys I made a killing cone out of some lightweight flashing.  It barely held up through 6 turkeys but it got the job done.  Yesterday I finally made a chicken-sized one since my friend has been giving me roosters every now and then. 

This time I used leftover copper from when we had our roof done.  I've used this copper for all kinds of things and will be disappointed when it's gone.  A friend loaned me his riveting tool to hold the cone together.  I'd never used one and was going to buy one because I thought it would be cheaper than ordering a killing cone online and paying shipping.  What a neat tool.  It was so simple to use and really handy.  I'm trying to think of what else I'd use it for if I bought one. 

I cut out a piece of paper in the shape and size I wanted my cone to be to use as a template.  I got the dimensions from someone else's blog.  It took me no more than 30 minutes to make the cone.  It still has rough edges but if a chicken fits in I think I'm going to be really happy with it.  No more hanging roosters by their feet with a bungie cord.  Thanks, John, for being so generous with your tools.

Wine Making

After yesterday's strawberry wine post I had 2 people ask me how I make my wine so I thought I'd tell everyone.  First I talked to some old-timers around here who made wine (and other spirits) for years.  They were around 80 years old. 

"Let's see - get your fruit, sugar and water and put it in a bucket."

"How much fruit?"  I asked.

"Oh, enough to fill a pot, ah reckon".

"How much sugar?"

"I expect right much".

"How long do I let it sit?"

"Mmmmm, well, can't really say.  What do you think mama?" he looks to his wife.  She smiles and shrugs.

You get the picture.  I didn't learn how to make wine from them but they had some really great stories to tell.

What I did do is order a beginner's wine making kit from Midwest Supplies  http://www.midwestsupplies.com/starter-winemaking-equipment-kit-with-double-lever-corker-upgrade.html   along with the add-on kit.  I don't think it cost more than $140.00.  That includes the glass carboy, 5 gallon bucket, corker, corks, additives, cleaners, bottle brush, air lock, mesh bag for fruit, hydrometer, syphon, bottle filler and a nifty recipe handbook, which is where I get all my recipes from.  There are recipes in there you'd never dream of.  All but the additives and corks will last you a lifetime.  I don't use any of their wine concentrate kits, just our own fruit.  They also sell beer making supplies which might be kind of fun to try too. 

Since then I've bought more carboys and buckets so I can make more at one time.  If I gave you the recipe it wouldn't mean much until you tried it yourself.  Making your own wine is dirt cheap too.  Save your bottles or ask friends to save them for you.  If you order your kit now you can have it all ready to go before the blackberries are ripe.  It might be a little late for your strawberries though unless you buy them from somewhere that has an extended season.  Ours are just finishing up. 

Here are a few recipes from the handbook that you may never have had:
Green tomato wine
Melon
Rose Hip
Rhubarb
Raisin "sherry"
Persimmon
Banana Spice
Barley
Firethorn (Pyracantha)
Pumpkin
Parsnip
Turnip
Potato
Prickly Pear

They also have recipes for meads
Glogg
Apple cider
Rum Pot

 Let me know if you try making wine and what unusual ones you try.  Also, if you know an old-timer that can tell you measurements and directions please share them with me. 

Strawberry Wine

I've been making wine for 4 years now and every year I try to make a new kind.  Each year I make wine berry wine from berries James picks back in the Jefferson National Forest behind our cabin.  I think the second year I added a blackberry wine, then paw paw.  Last year I tried my hand at beet wine and yes, it was very good - and gone, I might add.  Yesterday and today James picked 17 lbs of strawberries so I can make 5 gallons of strawberry wine.  I'm kind of surprised I haven't tried it before because he grows strawberries every year.  Maybe he was just too tired of freezing them or making them into jam.  He isn't much of a wine drinker so you might appreciate how generous it is that he grows and picks the fruit so I can make wine.  He even removed most of the stems for me.  I think it's going to be good.  I'm definitely going to make beet wine again this year.   If our orchard produces well maybe I'll make some peach or apple wine.  I did attempt pear one year and it was probably my least favorite.  At least I only made one gallon of it.

On a more sobering note.  Today I had to put down our rooster.  Remember he was attacked along with 5 hens a week ago.  I've been keeping him in his coop till he recovered.  He had begun crowing again a few days ago and seemed interested in going outdoors so this morning I opened the door for him.  He stood proud in the doorway, flapped his wings and then did a somersault onto the ground.  He quickly recovered.  I had decided today that I was going to name him Stevie after Stevie Wonder because he swayed back and forth like him.  He pretty much stayed in one spot but I saw him nibbling on some oats I threw on the ground for him.

I had errands to run today and was gone for several hours.  When I got home I saw Stevie standing close to the same spot I left him.  I got a camera so I could video him for my blog tonight and announce his name.  I was sickened to find him missing all the feathers on the top of his head, his eyes damaged and flies flying around his face.  He still stood and swayed.  I'm pretty sure The Imposter (our newer rooster) attacked him.  I was sad and wished I had kept him in the coop but I kind of had a feeling he wasn't ever going to fully recover. 

I cried just a little bit as I buried him and pondered why I tried nursing this rooster back to health and felt sad about losing him when just Saturday I butchered 4 others to put in our freezer. 

I said goodbye to Stevie, told him he had been a good rooster, washed my hands and poured myself a glass of store bought wine. 

Happenings at Elk Cliff Farm

It seems like so much has been going on here lately.  I have an hour to kill while I wait on my curds to set for gouda cheese so this might be a good time.  We're getting lots of milk now so I'm making cheese just about every other day. 

May 8th was Holes In My Jeans' second anniversary.  I can't believe I've been able to stick with it for so long.  I've never been much of a journaler so I'm feeling pretty proud of myself.  I usually write in my journal when we take vacations so I can go back later and remember what we did, where we stayed and who we met.  When we get home I stop writing. I'll see if I can do this another year.

I've sent 5 of my goats to new homes and 4 more leave this weekend.  I cry when each one leaves even though I'm glad for them to find new families.  I've learned that 5 or 6 milkers is my ideal number to keep.  Anymore and it takes longer than I really want to spend each morning and night.  I'm also finding it easier to say goodbye to the babies.  My barn just isn't big enough for the 15 babies and 7 moms I had this kidding season.  James is so kind to clean out the poop every morning while I feed and milk.  It's a real mess in there since the moms want to sleep nearby their babies who are locked up for the night.  Hopefully when the kids are gone the barn will have a chance to dry out.

Two nights ago we had a chicken massacre.  Something carried off one hen and left 3 more dead in their coop.  The rooster is still alive but looks like he's had a stroke.  He carries his head to the side and is staying in a different (hopefully safe) coop.  I don't know if he's eating or drinking but he seems to be hanging in there.  So now we only have 3 layers and 13 one month old chicks.  We also lost 6 five week old chickens 3 weeks ago that I had hatched.  They were locked up in a shed and something squeezed through an inch and a half crack and ate all 6.  I'm pretty sure it's a weasel doing all this damage because my neighbor saw a weasel kill her chickens.  I will be building another coop this next week.  If the rooster survives this I may just have to give him a name.  I've held and petted him and he doesn't seem to mind.

This morning James took Darla in for surgery.  Darla is the little girl I blogged about awhile back who had the abscess on her neck and we had in the house for 2 weeks.  She has been having fun with the other kids and acting normal in every way except for the abscess that kept returning, so the vet removed the lymph node with the abscess.  She told me this was very risky and asked that I not hold it against her if Darla didn't survive.  Of course I said I wouldn't.  She's already done so much for us.   I felt like we needed to give Darla one more chance since she's such a sweet girl.  I just returned from picking her up.  She did very well and is recovering in a crate in the barn.  I thought of bringing her in the house but decided she'd be happier being able to watch her playmates and mom.  I hope so badly she recovers and this is the last we'll see of the abscess. 

Along with spring comes visitors.  It's beautiful in the Shenandoah Valley this time of year.  We've had lots of rain so everything is really lush and green.  My friend, Judy, was here last week, followed by some of my family.  I love that we live somewhere my family and friends want to spend their vacations.  James is down by the river now showing a friend of ours the space she is planning to have a youth bike tour stay.  They will be here to begin their trip and end it with about 4 days on either end.  It sounds like a pretty big set up with port-a-johns, picnic tables and a kitchen area.  In between those 2 weekends we'll be having another group of 25 to 30 staying here - a mission team from my parent's church.

Yesterday a women's health class from Washington and Lee University came here for a field trip.  They milked the goats, I gave them a tour of the garden and talked a little about what we do here on our little homestead.

They picked strawberries, lettuce, peas and asparagus.  It was fun listening and watching them as some of them did these things for the first time in their lives.  I remember the first time I saw asparagus growing and thought it was pretty cool too.

Afterwards we went back to their teacher's house and made mozzarella cheese.  Again, they were pretty fascinated with how milk turned into cheese so quickly. They ate a pound of cheese in about 10 minutes. 

It's busy and sometimes frustrating or sad but we're having fun.