Goats

Blackberry kidded with two doelings on March 2. Carmel had two bucklings on March 18th. I allowed both does to raise their own kids. The kids have all been weaned and sold to good homes. That means I am milking three goats now - Blackberry, Carmel and Lollipop. I milked Lollipop all through the winter, and she is still giving me over a gallon of milk each day. That is about the amount that I get from the older goats also. Most of the milk goes to the lambs. I keep about a gallon a day and I use it in cooking or eating and to make cheese with. I got a cheese press for Christmas that allows me to make cheddar cheese now.

2009 lambs

I have eight lambs that are being raised on goat milk. Ivanna is the oldest one. She is huge and old enough to be weaned, but I have too much goat milk not to feed her. Ivanna lives in the pen with the milk goat, Lollipop. Ivanna gets to roam the back yard and eat weeds. She does a good job of it too. The other seven lambs are now in a big pen where the horse used to live. The drink their milk from a bucket (yellow that had laundry detergent in it) that has eight nipples and tubes that go down to the milk. They are a motley bunch. They were given to me by a neighbor and all had problems. Ivanna's mom didn't have enough milk for her. Nogie had white muscle disease and a dislocated shoulder (that is fine now). Bielie and Yamyen were premature. I am not sure on the others now - but all are growing and eager to eat. They sure can make a big racket when they see or hear me.

the New Chickens

Just over a month ago someone from RedCliff Ascent gave me six Rhode Island Red pullets. Their coloring is so much alike that it is hard to tell them apart. Three of the pullets will allow me to touch them, and three will not. They remind me of my brother Warren's chicken, Chipper. I haven't named them yet, but one will soon have a name - she always attack my shoe strings of the tie at the bottom of my pants. These chickens are penned behind the big cargo box. It will be at least another month before they will start laying eggs. Anyone want to come over for an omlet?

VARMINTS

There was a varmint attack at our house on Sunday morning. It came without warning and we never saw the varmint. The road yard men were out and working by 6 a.m., plowing the snow, and I think they must have awaken the smelly skunk. I have been teasing the guys about keeping the skunk for a mascot. None of our animals were sprayed, but I am guessing our back door must have gotten it, and the stench accumulated inside the house. We made it to church with some of the smell still clinging to our garments. When we got home we opened all the doors and windows and changed the air inside the house. Now the smell is gone except for a faint smell around the back door. I am thinking about phoning a neighbor boy to take care of the "situation".

In our lives, sometimes we get attacked with stinking things - fear, distractions, lies, disasters, dirt, and more that try to pollute us and turn us from the right way of living for God. God's Word is both protection and cleansing from such attacks.
Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Winter morning

It sure was hard to talk myself into going outside at 5:40 this morning. When Ari and I got home last evening it was already a negative 2*. It really didn't fall much more during the night, but coming out of a nice warm bed makes it hard.

Blackberry and Carmel quickly got up on their feet when I brought them grain. They must be very hungry at this stage of pregnancy. Blackberry is due to kid on March 1st and Carmel on March 12th. Last year both these goats had triplets, and that is what I am expecting from the size of them again this year.

The big pen has an open shed and four animals - two milking does (Lollipop and Miracle) a pregnant doeling (Lucy Lou, who is due on May 2nd) and a five month old Holstein steer named Ole. I was so glad this morning to see that Ole was sleeping outside. He makes such a mess. The goats don't like messes. They like their living quarters clean and dry.

Blessings of the morning included that all five of the snap clips that I use on gates and tie ropes were not frozen shut and that the fog on my glasses from sitting next to the goats while I milk did not obstruct my vision seriously. The sunrise is going to be spectacular on this big white valley. I am curious to know if the local skunk is going to be up and stinking this morning. I smell him most mornings but have never once seen him, nor have the dogs gotten close to him.

Looking at...

I live in the middle of a high desert valley. The view from here is beautiful and interesting. I never get tired of looking - at the sky, clouds, weather, mountains, vegetation and closer to my pets and livestock, and the activities of the road yard, traffic on the highway. It is winter now and I have been doing a lot of horizontal and down looking. I bundle up for the weather with a stocking cap, and it has a tendency to slide down into my line of vision. I even have a bruise on my forehead right now to prove it. I also put my head down during snow and rain to protect my face. In other words - sometimes it is hard to look in the distance and to look up.

Today I was feeding the goats, sheep and calf hay around 1 p.m. All was calm in the barnyard. This is purely routine stuff. There were no dogs loose to put the critters on alert. All of a sudden, all the goats ran for shelter, while the calf just ate hay. I searched the ground to find a reason for such behavior. I saw nothing to warrant the fright. Then I looked up - there was a good sized hawk flying over the goat pen. So my goats were paying attention even though the hay was their main focus. A similar incident happened last spring; same time of day, same activity scenario. That time I looked up and saw a big black plastic bag floating by on the wind.


So, what are you looking at: Luke 21:25-28 NIV There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

I want to be looking up, for Jesus.

Dogs and Cats

Dogs and cats: we have two young male cats. That is about the right number to keep the mice at bay, though I have to feed them too. There are four dogs here - that is two or three too many, but for various reasons, they are here. Shadow, German Shepherd, is half scared of the cats. Larado, half Border Collie, sits on the back porch and the cats climb onto him and sit there - warm and secure. The younger dogs, Drover and Tovi want the cats to play with them, but the cats aren't scared. This afternoon, the cat called Ranger sat under a small trailer that Tovi can reach while chained. Ranger knows the exact spot he can sit without the dog being able to reach him. So Tovi enlisted the help of Drover to move the cat. Sorry dogs, it didn't work. I watched you for half an hour from the big dinning room window. Later, when I was outside doing the evening feeding and milking, I saw the same two young dogs playing tug-o-war. It was getting dark, sun already down, and light snow falling, but I didn't recognize the piece they were tugging on. So, I hollered at the dogs. They dropped Ranger and he casually sauntered off. Silly critters.