I Won....

a 3 hole nest box from Pam and Billy at Life on a Southern Farm. I started reading Pam's blog several years ago when I first discovered blogs and have been a fan ever since. Her husband Billy is quite the builder and he started building nest boxes that have apparently taken over their life. Oh how I wanted one of these but just stuck with my recycle bins nailed to the wall. They have had several giveaways and I have entered every one, along with a lot of other chicken owners. Boy was I surprised when Pam contacted me and told me I'd won. I asked Billy to autograph it. One person's nest box is another person's art and no matter what he builds whether it's an incubator or a boat it is always a work of art.
Now those recycle bins can go into the recycle bin because my hens are moving uptown to their new Hen Pals Nest Box.

My DIL

On a recent visit I taught my daughter-in-law to milk...after all this will all be her's some day. Anyone that has tried to milk a goat for the first time knows it isn't easy. There is a lot of squeezing with nothing coming out.

That's how it started. Lots of squeezing with nothing coming out.



Then she started to get the hang of it. The milk started to flow one squirt at a time.



My DIL is a gal that can take on a challenge and doesn't give up until she makes it happen. Most mornings she joined me for the milking and before too long she got her rhythm down.



As I went about doing other chores she perfected her milking techniques. Soon I heard the rhythmic ping of the milk hitting the bucket.



As I came around the corner I saw her big smile.


"I have foam!"

Cora Belle misses you Steph.

We Did The Puyallup

Much to the goats' relief, we are home from the fair. Everyone was in the top half of their class with our best being Boots who took a second in the yearling milker class in spite of her coin purse udder. Pepper Ann did better than Bliss with an almost second that turned to a third and Bliss getting a 4th. Wedding Belles did not like the fair at all but managed to pull out a third behind some beautiful Poppy Patch does. Cora Belle did her signature princess walk around the ring but it wasn't enough to take the judge's eye away from the lovely Mae West who lives at Poppy Patch.

The day belonged to a tiny doeling from Herron Hill named Pebbles. The smallest goat there caught the judge's eye from the start and went all the way to Jr. Champion.
It was a day to remember.

The Fair...so far

After a day of shock and awe the goats of Minter Bay are settling in to life at the fair. They are acting like it's every day you hear a band warm-up and Tina Marie the hypnotist outside your barn.

Here is Cora Belle and Wedding Belles relaxing with their relatives from Poppy Patch. The brown and white doe behind them is Wedding Belles' grandmother, Angel.



It's exhausting.



But the foods great.

The Fair Line Up

I can smell the fair already. Sawdust, animals, fried onions....and scones. We are busy getting ready to head to Puyallup next week for the Western Washington Fair. I will be taking 5 goats this year. I have only ever taken one goat and that is work enough. Getting 5 goats ready is a bit more challenging. For one thing, there is a lot of shaving involved. I'm glad they are miniatures.

Bliss.


Pepper Ann



Wedding Belles



Boots



And Cora Belle



Come by and see us at the fair. We are there the 13, 14, and 15th. Nigerians are showing on the morning of the 15th. I will put on my white pants, after Labor Day, and hunch my tall frame over some very short goats and attempt to walk around the ring with them.

I might even buy you a scone.