Saturday, July 16, 2011

Around the Farm



We have been busy around the farm after our road trip to visit our kids in CA. Cora Belle is on milk test and was milking numbers in the Top Ten in the nation for Nigerians. Her numbers have dropped a bit because I didn't want anyone to have to come milk her twice a day while we were gone so just left her huge kid on her. Worked well but her production went down about a pound and a half. I am trying to get it back up but we shall see.....there is always next year.

Two doelings have gone to their new home and I must say, you meet the nicest people selling goats. A darling family came and took Opal and Blossom home to live at a Montessori school with a wether and a Baby Doll sheep. The children were so gentle and kind I knew Opal and Blossom would be cherished pets.

We have one more doeling, Pepper Ann, to sell that is very correct and has a great pedigree but is not very flashy so is getting overlooked. That's ok, she will go to fair this year if I don't sell her and I have learned that the right person will come along for her too...the right person can always be ME.



I am keeping Bliss. She is a funny little girl that gets into a lot of mischief. She is the only goat I own, and the smallest, that jumps between pastures and goes where she wants, much to her mother's distress. Her pedigree is awesome on both sides and she is just beautiful.



Lucky is also staying here. There isn't anything I don't like about him....except that he is huge. I am worried about that but since his mom is a champion and milking top ten numbers I am going to hang on to him and see if he doesn't slow down...ha ha ha.



I have been making lots of cheese and sharing with my friends and family. Chevre, haloumi, and cajeta (goat milk caramel) are frequently on the menu. Talk about sweet candy milk, that cajeta on ice cream and then sprinkled with some walnuts is perfection.
I am also in mourning for my sweet little produce stand at the end of the road. Apparently it was just too expensive to get insurance and permits to run the humble farm stand. This really irks me since most of the proceeds went to feed the homeless in Tacoma. It also make my quest for eating locally a little bit more of a challenge. For years I bought all my produce there in the summer. It seemed like no matter how much I took up to the counter it was always $8.00. I would go away with bags of produce for $8.00. I miss you Bea's Flowers.

We have been splitting and stacking wood. Oh how I hate to work on firewood. It use to be so homesteady to chop our own wood and heat with a woodstove but now it's a chore I dread. I looked up today from stacking wood and said, "I'm not doing this when I'm 75 you know"
Stay tuned for 23 more years and see if I'm still stackin' wood.

3 comments:

Marigold said...

Are you sure that one baby isn't related to Hannah Belle? Are you absolutely SURE this isn't Cora Belle's baby, which would make her Hannah Belle's granddaughter. I mean, she seems to be starting early on an ill-led life.

And by the way. What has happened to Alice? Did Alice have no babies this year? Did Alice fall down the rabbit hole? Hmmmm?

goatgirl said...

Marigold, She in not related to Hannah Belle but you would never know it. She looks and acts it. She reminds me of a young Cora Belle.
Alice is just fine. She didn't have babies this year. The triplets had taken a lot out of her as a young mother so she got this year off.

Teresa said...

All those kids are just adorable. I wish it were easier for me to find good pet homes for my kids. I'm sure part of the problem is the size/breed. What a shame your produce stand is shutting down.