Wonderful Wednesday

The girls are still a bit suspicious of the puppy but are at least eating even if he’s in the pen, as long as he’s not noisy and doesn’t get too close. 

Early morning watering because I didn’t get here last night. I think I saved most of them. 

Today’s project, make this nematode infested garden space into a goat pen. 

I hauled a lot of the bigger rocks to add to this retaining wall. 

This boy is quite a water dog. 

And likes to play in the mud. 

I think I wore him out. 

Gazelle, the hay hog. 

The mmmm. Bambi, that bulge on your right side is mighty suspicious. (Goats rumens bulge on their left   Babies bulge on their right). 

Puppy is not sure he wants to come out. Tink the cat was just of the picture and he wasn’t too sure what to make of her. 

I did make progress on the new pen and got some more pallets to hopefully finish up the pen tomorrow. And of course did all the usual things… dishes, laundry, feed, water, milk, feed the puppy and the bottle baby and now it’s waaay past my bedtime. Good night 

Monday June 27,2022

So this morning was a bit crazy. Little dog followed me doing chores. When I went to take Bashful his hay I *thought* the gate was shut tight enough to stay closed but it swung open behind me. Bashful freaked out over the puppy and ran out. He’s pretty much impossible for me to catch up by myself but I tried to herd him back in. We just went around in circles so finally I just went on and got everybody fed and watered. I was already running late for work. I even tried getting him to follow a little grain and that was working until we were almost at the gate and little dog started barking and howling because I had penned him up again so Bashful bolted. Then since he was hanging around Posie’s pen eating my apricot tree I got the idea to use Posie to lure Bashful back into his pen. Whew. He followed her right on in. Posie didn’t fuss much about switching pens but Mocha hollered all day because her mom got to go over there. I was only 20 minutes late for work. 0.0

Got home and wrangled the bottle baby on one side and the puppy on the other. Puppy is catching on that he has to sit or lay down and be quiet when we do this. Then I got puppy some lunch. 

It’s been pretty warm and puppy was born and raised in cooler country so we fixed him a pan of water to play in. 

I went and got some lunch and managed a couple things in the house then it was time for chores. Feed the bottle baby again. Feed and water everybody and get ready to milk. 

Little guy seems to love water. 

Again I put him a little ways away from the milk stand and again he spent most of an hour barking, whining, growling and getting tangled up. The goats still don’t like him but things went a little better this evening. 

Bottle baby was crying when I got done so he got fed. While doing that my phone dinged I had a message and I realized I hadn’t taken Bentley any hay. Sure enough it was my friend who is keeping him for me reminding me. I called her (hard to hold the phone and text while also holding a bottle) and we had a nice chat. Since I have to work early tomorrow I took hay as soon as I was done feeding the baby. And on the way home realized it was bedtime. 

But I still need to put milk away and wash dishes. And just as I got that done I remembered I had udder washing rags in the washer that need hung up. Got that done and now it’s waaay past my bedtime! Goodnight!

What A Weekend: adding to my crazy train

Saturday of course I went to the Globe-Miami Farmers Market. 

Sold lots of lotion, word is getting out!  And I really appreciate all my customers, old and new, for buying products so I can keep running this crazy train. 

Got home from market and made two batches of lotion. Probably need to make about four more!

Sunday was a road trip up between Snowflake and Concho. 

Mmm. Am I lost?   Sure glad it hasn’t rained here recently, I’d never get the van down this “road”. 

An almost 3 hour drive to pick up this fluffball. Half Sarplannic and half Anatolian. Livestock Guardian Dog. 

Looks like he will look like his dad when he grows up. 

He barked and growled most of the way home. We stopped in at TSC to pick up a collar and new leash and he did pretty good in the store. 

I put him in the small pen next to Bambi’s crew that 

Bashful started out in.  He whined, cried, barked, growled and tried chewing on the fence, he wanted to get in with the goats so bad. But the girls were not happy. Lots of snorting and foot stomping. 

Since I have to take Bambi and Storm through that pen to milk I decided to just have him out near the milk stand but where he wouldn’t be in the way. 

After about an hour he finally just passed out for awhile.  After milking I fed little goat and little dog and listened to little dog howl and bark off and on all night. Hopefully tonight is quieter!

Farmer Friday

Mmmmm.  That is Bambi. Her head is facing to the bottom of the picture. Her left side is where her rumen is. But that bulge on her right *could* be babies. I didn’t plan things that way. The plan was to milk her through summer and breed her this fall. But there was more than one breakout so it’s possible she had a late heat and got pregnant. Sooo. That means we need to dry her up and she is currently half the milk supply because Midnight and Storm are feeding twins and Mocha’s girl is taking most of her milk too. Time for more pen building!

I did harvest some pretty Swiss chard. 

The wind blew, the sky got dark with lots of thunder grumbles. But not a drop of rain. 

Midnight’s twins are getting big. 

Did the usual feeding and watering. Feeding the bottle baby every 3-4 hours puts a kink in things. Went to Superior to deliver orders. I’m beat. See you at the Globe-Miami Farmers Market in the morning. 

Thursday

Little goat takes a lot of time so haven’t gotten half my to do list done   Lots of dishwashing and some kitchen cleaning. Got feed, hay delivery,  took out some trash, kept everyone fed and watered. Little goat spent most of the day outside. 

Went to do chores and found Bashful all wound up in the shade cloth. Got him untangled pretty easy but his leg is pretty swollen. 

What is it goats and feed sacks?   Midnight’s boys are real chunks. 

We got a little sprinkle of rain with a lot of wind so I milked a bit late, expecting a huge downpour any minute but no such luck. 

Well tomorrow is another day. Good night 

Tuesday and Wednesday

I managed to get some strings tacked up for the Armenian cucumbers. 

I love day lilies. 

Picked a few peppers and garlic chives. Cooked the peppers in some butter and added some cooked chicken. 

And then I added some cream. Yes that is cream that I skimmed off the goat milk and put in the freezer a few months ago. Cold it is so thick you have to scoop it out of the jar. 

Creamy pepper chicken over brown rice. It was yummy 

Wednesday little goat stayed outside with mom and brother all day. 

The worm boxes are ready to harvest some castings. 

These chicks need to be split up and have more space. 

Trying to finish the canopy over the milk stand so we don’t get too wet when it rains. 

Really Latte?

Got some dishes and laundry done and worked both days at my part time job. With all the things going on it’s hard to keep up. 

Sunday & Monday

Sunday was cooler than it has been so little goat spent some time outside with mom

And brother. But mom doesn’t love him like she does his brother. Although she calls for him when I take him back in the house, when he’s out with her she isn’t really interested and she refuses to let him nurse. She is being a good mom but to brother. 

Found a funny looking egg in the nest box. 

And a surprise in the yard. I probably wouldn’t have seen this Western Diamondback except the cat had been messing with it and made it mad. 

Mr. Sweetheart   This little Nankin is the sweetest boy. Jumping up for me to hold him and talk to him every morning. 

I ended up watering by headlight on Sunday. 

Forgot to take pictures but Monday was some potting up of overgrown pepper seedlings, making soap, dishes and laundry, feeding the baby and all the usual feeding, watering and milking. 

Little goat put his self to bed. Good night.