Stinky Goat!!

It is that time of year . . . when a "young" goat's fancy (or lust) . . . turns STINKY!!! AND oh boy does he ever reek!! I am so glad that human males aren't like male goats!! The human population would be long gone by now!! I applaud you female goats! What you have to endure!! OH MY!!

To attractive the female goat, the male (or buck) pees on his beard several times a day, 7 days a week starting in August and this goes on until probably the end of October/early November. So by November, he is smelling pretty "ripe" (if you know what I mean!!). Trust me, I prefer Old Spice any day!!

Obviously, it must work because come Spring time, I usually have a bunch of baby goats.

Sometimes Life Happens . . .

I hadn't realized that I had been gone so long. I hope you didn't miss me too much!

Summer is always extremely busy on the farm. Besides taking care of the critters, I have my farmer's markets and all the activities associated with that PLUS being a wife and a mom. So that sometimes leaves very little time for much else.

Life on a goat farm remains pretty much the same. The drought hasn't hurt us too much. The goats still function - heat or no heat. Their milk production does drop down some and there are days when the temperatures go into 3 digits that I only do one milking a day. It is just TOO hot to do that evening milking!

The chickens do not like this heat at all and my egg production has dropped significantly. Not much I can do about that except to put fans in the chicken house and make sure they have plenty of water.

Where the drought will hurt us most is in our feed and hay prices. So far, I haven't notice much increase, but later on this Fall and Winter I will notice the change.

I have been doing some experimenting with my goat's milk and have been trying several goat's milk yogurt recipes. Results have been mixed. One recipe is pretty good - not great but will work. The others, well . . . the chickens seemed to enjoy!!

Only doing one farmer's market this year which keeps me busy. Maybe will do two next - maybe not - I will have to see how "energetic" I am next year!

As always, life goes on at the Goat Farm!

Hello - Remember me?

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or died or anything as tragic as that! One of the main reasons I haven't been blogging is that I haven't been able to get on Blogger.com for the last several months. The Internet Gods have not been kind and refused to allow me admission:-( So whatever I did wrong, I obviously have been "forgiven" as here I am once again!!

So what has happened in my life since I last posted. If you will remember, I began a new phase of my life . . . one that I dreaded - emptynester. Much to my amazement - I survived. There is a life after the son flies the coop!! Life hasn't been all that different except I don't visit the Cereal Aisle in the grocery store as much as I used to. And my choice of friends have changed. I have a new bunch of best friends, all of whom I have never met, but we have a common bond - we are all Navy Moms and we understand each other like no one else does!

Kidding season FINALLY came and went. Good year this year!! All the goats waited until I came back from Chicago (where I went to see my son graduate from Boot Camp). I did sell off some of my adult goats and babies to make the herd more manageable. Since I lost my "farm hand" to the Navy, I have to do all the work myself and I am no longer a Spring chicken (or a Summer chicken for that matter!!). So it seemed best, to reduce the herd. I did keep 3 of the baby goats.

So here we are again, Farmer's Market season has begun and life continues as it always has. Though, I do still cry every once in a while when I pass that empty bedroom, I guess that will never change.

Not How I Planned to Spend the Day

Today was supposed to be quiet. A day at home where I got caught up on things that I didn't get done this week plus finish an order that came in. I was really looking forward to today. It had been a hectic week plus an emotional week for me because I am really missing my son.

BUT instead I am going over to the barn every half hour to check for "hot spots" and my hair and clothes smell like smoke. Why you ask??? You see the baby goats set my goat barn on fire this morning!!

Fortunately, one of my neighbor happened to be driving by and saw the black smoke pouring out of my barn (oh yeah!!). He quickly turned around and came back to get me. What a sick feeling to look out and see your barn with smoke coming out it!! I knew for certain the baby goats were dead. I called 911 and I don't think I ever ran so fast to the barn as I did then. My neighbor was already there gingerly opening up the barn doors.

To give you some perspective on my barn - it is broken up into two sections - the babies are in the first section and the adults are in the second section, separate by a huge wall. The fire was at the back of the first section. The first section was filled with smoke. So I went in. By some major miracle, the babies were still alive. I got them out. The adult goats had already "abandoned ship" and were watching all this from the field - they are no dummies!!

Apparently, the baby goats knocked over the heat lamp which set the hay on fire. My neighbor took a feed bowl and filled it up with water from the water trough to try to put out some of the fire until the Fire Department showed up. The Fire Department hosed everything down, tore half the wall down, took out the smothering hay, checked underneath the barn, checked on the adult side, and hosed that down as a precaution. The only funny thing about this whole incident was one of the fireman while dragging out the smothering hay stopped and said "Aren't you the lady that makes that goat's milk soap?" Who would thought a fire might bring a sale??

The baby goats are now safely housed in a dog cage in our garage (no heat lamp!!). I still smell like smoke. I am supposed to check on the barn every half hour or so because of all the hay over there - just in case a spark might have dropped into the hay bin (right next to where the fire was). I can't believe how incredibly lucky we were. This could have been a whole lot worst than what it was. We had just got 12 bales of hay this past Wednesday and that was sitting RIGHT next to where the fire was.

I checked the baby goats. Somehow, they weren't burned or injured. God certainly was watching over us today. Thank you Lord just doesn't seem enough!!

I don't drink but a glass of wine sounds awfully good right now.

My New Clothes

My son will be graduating from Boot Camp next month - YEAH!! The recruits, excuse me, sailors will be dressed in their "dressed blues" for the occasion. So the Navy is requesting that "attendees" wear "similar attire." UH OH. Dressing up for me means a clean pair of jeans and sweatshirt. I knew I was in trouble! It has been a long time since my Procter & Gamble days.

This is a major dilemma for me. You see I hate to go clothes shopping. I know - I am a female and I am supposed to love to go clothes shopping. I used to but that was before mortgage, children, utility bills, car/truck payments, etc, etc., etc. Our budget does not allow for clothes shopping except for the occasional new pack of socks or underwear - you know necessities. So what is a person to do??

Fortunately, my husband gave me a $30 gift certificate to Hancock Fabrics for Christmas (Santa must have known that I would need this!!). And if you will remember shortly after my son left, I cleaned out my sewing room for some reason. Hmmmmm - God at work?? Anyway, I went over to Hancock Fabrics with my gift certificate in hand. Found the perfect pattern for a nice jumper AND, luck was on my side, corduroy fabric was on sale. I couldn't decide between two fabrics - a solid red (which is ALWAYS my favorite) and a black with red apples - so I decided to buy them both. I figured I would just pay the difference between with gift card and the balance. So I went to the cash register, the girl rang up my purchases, I handed her my gift card and told her I would pay the difference. The total came to $59.00, so she ran the gift card through the "machine" and said "that's strange!". I thought "Uh Oh, there is nothing on the gift card." She said "the gift card paid for your entire purchase!" I told her that there was only $30 on the gift card. So she went back to talk to the Manager. Shortly, she came back and said "belated Merry Christmas!! It would be too much hassle to void all this out plus the gift card, so Merry Christmas!" I offered to pay for the difference, but she just said enjoy your sewing! So here is one of the jumpers I made!

This is the one I will probably be wearing to my son's graduation. But, it is interesting how this all worked out, isn't it! And, who said that miracles don't happen these days!

New Babies!

Wasn't it the other day I was hoping the goats would wait until after I got back from Chicago to have their babies??? I guess they weren't listening. Oh well, I don't mind. Baby goats are so cute and I love being around them. Though now I will have to find a goat babysitter for 2 days in February - anyone interested???

Allegra, our lamancha, decided to given birth to twins last night, January 19 - a little girl and a little boy. The girl (or doe) is the one with the white top knot. She looks bigger in the picture, but she isn't. I got some colostrum in them this morning which is great!! You have 24 hours to do that - if you don't, you are looking at trouble. I always have extra colostrum just in case. I am going to milk "Mom" in an hour or two when it warms up.

Looks like Kidding Season 2012 has begun!

Fat Goats!!

I have 8 very fat goats!! This is a good sign! No, don't need Weight Watchers or Goat Watchers or Goat Weight Watchers - whatever!! This means I will be extremely busy in the coming months taking care of baby goats and doing a lot of milking!

I am going to Illinois in early February to see my son graduate from Boot Camp and become a Sailor in the United States Navy. A very proud moment for our family and a day that I have been anxiously waiting for since December 13. I haven't seen or talk to my son since then. And Mom really needs to see and hold her son. So I am hoping and praying that my goats wait until after I come back to have their babies.

Gas Prices - HA!

I thought the price of gas was bad - HA! Sure it fluctuates $.20 and sometimes $.40 a gallon. I know we are all feeling the "pinch." I am, too.

Yesterday I bought 10 bales of hay - no big deal - I do that every month. You shrug your shoulders and laugh. BUT, last month I paid $4.50 a bale - this month I paid $6.50 a bale. That is a $2.00 a bale increase. So how does your $.20 a gallon increase in gas price feel now?? And it (the price of hay) will probably go higher because the feed store I am getting the hay from is buying from West Virginia (I live in Ohio). I guess there is no local hay available. Two years ago, when we had the bad drought, hay prices got up to $10 to $12 a bale. I am hoping it won't get that bad this year.

The unfortunate thing is that the goats need the roughage that the hay provides. And during the winter months, there is not a lot of grazing fields available. There is always the option of buying alfalfa cubes but that is also expensive but a little bit cheaper than the bales of hay (not much). That is when you see a lot of livestock for sale on Craigslist - really, really cheap!! I guess a lot of people start re-thinking their career choices. I am hoping it won't get that bad this year.

A Sign of the Times?

I saw a news article recently on one of the Evening News programs - can't remember which one but it was about an area (maybe a neighborhood) I believe in Oregon (maybe somewhere in Portland) that had adapted a Barter System. Most of the people in the article were unemployed - a very common problem these days and having trouble making ends meet (again a common problem). So they created a group or a co-op type organization that offered each other services. For example, one lady did sewing, another baked cookies, a man was a carpenter, another did lawn care, etc. Everyone has some sort of skill that some else can use. So instead of paying with money, they would barter services. What a great idea!! They would meet monthly - have a meeting and a potluck.

We sort of do this at the farmer's market but instead of exchanging services, we exchange produce. But with the prediction of gas price going to $5 a gallon this summer AND you know what THAT means - everything else going up. The Barter System might be the way for a lot of communities to go. Something to think about!

New Year's Intentions?

I read somewhere that instead of making "New Year Resolutions" that you will probably break by the end of January (if not by the end of the first week!) trying making "New Year Intentions" instead. What a great idea!! How can you break an intention?? An "intention" is something that you can work on. A lot more manageable that a resolution!!

So, let me see - what are my intentions for this new year . . . Family!! I intend to focus more on my family this year. With my son being away at Boot Camp and my husband being sick really puts life in perspective! I hate not being able to talk to my son and not knowing how he is. And I have been scared several times this past year with the prospect of being alone. We are not yet out of the woods with my husband's health, but I do think there is a light at the end of this long tunnel. So I am going to cherish and spend as much time with my family as I can this year.

So what does that mean business-wise?? No, that does not mean the end of B & D Goats - WHEW!! BUT, that does mean only one market this year. I am going to concentrate all my efforts on Hyde Park Farmer's Market.

Other intentions?? I could use to lose a few pounds, get rid of a few gray hairs and the Lord knows this house needs cleaning!!

Things I would love to accomplish in 2012 - I would love to build a commercial kitchen so I could make cheese and sell my wonderful salsa. For those who do not know it, I make wonderful bread but I can't compete with Blue Oven Bakery. Trust me, great bread can be made in a regular oven!!

But, for the time being, I will wait to see what the Good Lord has planned for me this year. Wishing you all a Wonderful and Healthy 2012!