Testing

Cora Belle is on milk test. This is where you milk the goat under supervision of a certified herd tester. Then the tester weighs the milk and takes a sample to send to WDHIA for analyzing things like butterfat, somatic cell count, etc.
Luckily I have a really smart herd tester, Cathy, who I like to call the goat judge. I'm a herd tester too and even after taking the class several times my paperwork comes back all scratched out and corrected. Not my tester. Her paperwork comes back with everything in the proper place.

And there is a lot of paperwork to keep it all official.



Then under the watchful eye of the milk tester, Cathy, I milk every last drop out of Cora Belle in the morning and exactly 12 hours later in the evening.



That means Cathy must come all the way back and watch me milk and collect the second sample.

The milk is weighed. Blurry picture, good weight!



A sample is drawn, filling the container half way to leave room for the evening milk sample. Then it will be sent to the lab. In a few days I will receive a breakdown of her milk and the amount will be recorded. When she dries off, WDHIA will send the information to ADGA and hopefully she will earn herself a star by her name.



At the end of the day, Cora Belle milked 6.4 lbs of sweet candy milk so tomorrow I'm making cheese.

And I Got Paid To Do It

Imagine going to work every day and not knowing what you may be doing at any given moment. That's my job. Sometimes I'm dancing and singing or diving under a parachute-ouch that one hurt. Most times I am teaching math but could then ten minutes later be chasing a goose around the playground. Lots of days I tell Hubby about the wonderful adventure I had at school and always follow it up with "And I got paid to do it"
So imagine my delight when I pulled up in front of the school and saw this......



And this........


( The sign was just a tease. I don't know about you but the fresh morning air, the smell of sawdust and alfalfa makes me want a scone and a big cup of coffee.)

The Puyallup Fair Traveling Farm traveled to our little school yard and set up farming. They pulled a huge trailer in and unloaded goats and a sheep into nice sturdy pens. There were chickens and ducks and even a few baby goslings.



The children were taught how to pet animals. Chickens are a two finger pet.



So are goslings.



Luckily goats are a whole hand pet.



Or two or three hand pet.



After seeing the animals and a good hand-washing it was into the trailer for some interactive farm fun. Displays lit up to help kids learn about where their food comes from and what tools and equipment it takes to run a farm and take care of the different species of animal.



This was my personal favorite....



It even has a proper barn.



I got a little cranky when the kids put my silo in the river.

The trailer was also filled with photos and vintage farm tools.



After managing to spend as much time at the traveling farm as possible, I came home tired and happy. When Hubby asked about my day I told him it was wonderful and told him about the farm in the school yard and of course followed up with...

"And I got paid to do it."

A Mother's Love

Boots and Bliss

Meet Bliss

Boots had her baby today. I knew she would probably have only one and I thought it would probably be a buck even though I ordered a blue eyed doe with wattles I just didn't expect it today. So like her mother, Boots showed no signs of labor but when I went down to check on the goats this afternoon this little cutie, a doeling with blue eyes and wattles, was there......



Born on our 30th anniversary I give you Minter Bay Wedded Bliss. Although anyone that has been married for 30 years knows it can be anything but bliss.



Are you seeing a pattern?

Cora Belle Wins Pet of the Week

If you are local, catch Cora Belle on Q13Fox at 8:40 a.m. tomorrow May 20th. M.J. McDermott emailed me. I love her. She looks like she could be part of my family so I feel like I know her. And now I do because she emailed me right?
Anyway, Cora Belle has won pet of the week with the help of all her internet fans. If she knew anything about this I'm sure she'd thank you.

Vote for Cora Belle!

Our local TV station, Q13 Fox, is having a contest. I don't remember what the prize is but a vote for Cora Belle is a vote for all working mothers everywhere. You have to register to vote which takes a minute but to see a goat win a pet contest will be well worth it. She may even make the news.
Vote over on the sidebar----------------------------->

My Mom

My mom and I are so very much the same and so very different. She is short and petite and I'm tall and gawky. She is Nordstrom and lunch and I am goat shows and chores. We both enjoy reading, poking around antique or thrift stores, and flowers. I was always a bit of an oddity in my family but they embraced my animal craziness. My mom let me bring home critters and have them in my room (ok maybe not the snake). She drove me to goat and dog shows all summer long......with either a goat or a very big dog in the back seat. My mom supported me in anything I wanted to do but didn't hesitate to tell me when I was off track. I am so lucky to have her for my mom.
So on this Mother's Day we will meet for church then go to lunch and maybe a movie.....then next weekend I think I'll make her drive me to the goat show.
Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Milk Test

Cora Belle has done her first milk test ever. Cathy, a certified milk tester, came out one evening and then early the next morning to watch me milk. The milk was weighed and then a sample was drawn. It and all the necessary paperwork was sent off to the lab for testing butterfat etc. Cora Belle milked 5.5 pounds with 5.39% butterfat. That's pretty darn good for her breed. She gives more milk than we need so I'm making cheese right and left to the delight of all my friends and co-workers. She has converted many a non-goat cheese eater with her sweet candy milk and creamy, white cheese spreads.
Milking Cora Belle adds one more thing to do in my busy morning but it is a chore I look forward to. Sitting on a stool in the early morning with your favorite goat munching on her grain while she fills your bucket with sweet white milk that feeds your family and friends.....It's a good thing.

now if I could just get my mom to try it