Showing Promise

The whole garden is showing promise right now. So many squash blossoms which hopefully will translate to a bountiful crop. Cucumber vines keep getting longer and longer with promises of more and more cucumbers. The evenings are cool and the days warm, perfect for my little veggies. We have gated the tomatoes so hopefully this year Lukiss won't eat them all. Having my weekend and getting a chance to spend some time connecting to this land and these animals rejuvenates me. Hopefully now with fresh peas in my belly I am ready for this work week to come!

What's that thing in the coop

After work last night Brian and I had a great dinner at Catelli's with some friends. After a night of delicious pasta and wine after a long work day you can bet I was ready to put the "kids" to bed and call it a night. Dahlia, Daisy, Marigold, and Ginger came up and did their usual night time routine with me. I secured the gate to the neighbors yard where they have been grazing and gave them all a few pats. Boy, are goats like dogs….with weird pupils. Step two, time to get the ducks in. For those of you who don't know our ducks are the late night party animals. They stay up way past everyone else standing by the water cooler talking away gossiping about this and that. I came in, did my usual clap and "come on ducks" call to get them inside the coop. The ducks ran in……the ducks ran out…….okay "come on ducks!!! Time for bed!" the ducks run in……. the ducks run out. We did this dance about three times and then I went in the coop. What is up ducks!?!? I am thinking. Low and behold in the corner is this black and white thing…..hmmmm. I do have Silver Laced Wyandottes so I thought maybe it was stray chicken not roosting……hmmm, that chicken looks awfully fuzzy. I go out and come inside to grab a flashlight, aka a cell phone in this day and age, while Brian is snuggling the foster kitties. He asks what is going on, I tell him, I think theres a skunk in the coop! He tells me to yell if it is once I shine a light on it. Sure enough, I shine that flashlight on that stinker, literally, nose right on an egg, and yell out "it's a skunk!" Brian runs out broom in hand. I got the last predator out, a bobcat, so I guess it's his turn. Backwards baseball cap, dress shirt still on from work and a broom Brian chases the thing out, but not before it makes a stinky mess in my coop. Ah the adventures of life in the country. I begin this morning walking the fence line figuring out how the little bugger got in. Meanwhile, time to air out the coop.

Writing a Business Plan

Our incomplete business plan stares at me on the kitchen table begging to be completed. So many things to know about starting a creamery. What is our ideal scenario? I want our creamery to be full of life so much so you can taste it in the cheese. We want lavender blooming, goats kidding and there to be babies throughout. Ducklings, chicks, goat kids, seedlings…..life! Our life is beginning at this farm, this land, these animals speak to us in a visceral way. Oh to express that in practical terms as well. Permits, grey water systems, milk rooms, cold storage, the list is endless and exciting. Come with us on this adventure of permitting, goat raising, housing harvest interns, taming winery kittens, and so much more. Today I sit in my kitchen with the foster kittens from Field Stone Winery hissing at me, Jasper dog and Max dog excited at the new arrival. Lukiss is dancing around the floor excited he just had breakfast and Huey our grey cat is staring at the foster kittens as if we have betrayed him. Life is good, life is wonderful, now time to go to work!!!

Crazy Foster kitten, needs a lot of love 

Cute foster kitty is already ready for its forever home

The goaty girls greeted me this morning as they do every morning with a big loud MAAAAA! Especially Ginger our queen. She is a full size Nubian who likes everyone to know she is the boss of all goats. She and Princess Daisy, our 1 year old "baby" of Dahlia, our mini Nubian, both have horns. The largest and the smallest enjoy matching horns as they travel up and down the hill. For the past week the girls have been tending the neighbors property. They are so fat and happy they can barely move. Dahlia was even rolling around like a tortoise on the back of its shell trying to right herself….by the time I ran over there she had. Goofy, goofy girls. 

Babies Growing

It seems as though it was just yesterday since Daisy, our little surprise Easter baby, came to join our family. Once smaller than Lukiss she is now a challenge to lift and has the energy of a kid for sure! Now we have kittens. New babies to fill that baby need, but already they are turning from docile babies to rambunctious, playful kitties. My heart is full taking care of all these beautiful babes but I know they will be adults soon, must mean it will be time to hatch out some quail soon!

Moisture in the Air

I love waking up to an outside world with moisture in the air. Tiny water droplets surround me and create a warm blanket to walk through as I engage in my morning ritual. All I can think is, my lettuce is going to love this! The ground has a small layer of moisture preparing itself for the hopes of rain. I breath this sense of calmness before I release the Kracken, I mean fowl. The ducks are already making it quite known that they are ready to come out and face the day. The male mallard runs straight for the pond diving underneath and dabbling for whatever he may find.

The chickens all line up at the watering trough pushing for who gets to be in line first somewhat reminiscent of my 2nd graders. I exit lashing the gate so Ginger can not push her way through and eat all the chicken feed. As I approach "the ladies" Ginger and Butters are side by side standing on their hind legs waiting "patiently" for breakfast. As I feed the ladies Milo, the marmalade cat, jumps up the fence and starts to saunter toward the goat shack. Then he and Marigold deadlock eyes each curious about who the other who shares their color of fur. I can see their heads racing trying to figure out the familial connection. As I exit the goat paddock I think of all I need to get done out here before work, but then I take in a deep breath of heavy warm air and am thankful for the work. Peace.

Long Afternoon Sun

The Red Heads

This has been the week of the long afternoon sun. After cool mornings breaking ice from the animals ponds the sunlight creeps in in the late afternoon. Long, sweeping rays of warmth that we all bask in. Chicken, goat, or human we all enjoy the gift of the sun. I lay down and take a break with my goaty girls for they have given me a gift. A reason to sit down and take a break. I breath in the farmy smell of their fur and imagine this is what goathearders have done for hundreds of years. I trade off and spend time with each of my ladies. Butters goes first. She doesn't really want to let us know how much she enjoys affection and a good rumen rub, but she's getting better. Each day I scratch her a little more. After Buttercup I move onto Ginger and the chickens settle in next to Butters to soak in the rays. Ging is my girl. I can just cuddle up with her and relax. She sits there in the sunshine chewing on big wads of cud. As I give her a nice rumen rub she begins to nod off her head starts to slowly keel over. Now is time to win over the new girls. I join Marigold and Dahlia. Dahlia currently likes short sessions of rumen rubs and scratches, but most of all she just likes to smell and taste you. Getting right up to my nose Dahlia gives me a good whiff. I guess I smell okay because she then proceeds to try and nibble on my finger, 

Milo basking in the sun

nose, or ear. After I insist that she not eat me Dahlia moves on and Marigold moves in. Marigold will sit on my lap and if I was obliging she would let me pet her all day long. The warm rays of the sun hit us as I untangle her long golden locks. I look at her and look forward to the time when I can milk her. She too, like Dahlia, likes to get in your face and give you a good sniff. Sometimes she too likes to give a little nibble. I look out at my herd and my flock. Everyone is taking a nap and enjoying the warmth of the rays. As I move to the other side of the house the dogs and cats are all outside too. Milo is soaking up those warm beams which match the color of his fur. Jasper lays out on the porch step letting his black fur work for him. As I lay in the hammock with Milo and Lukiss jumping on me I realize, be it fowl or ruminate or humanoid we can all appreciate these days and lazy afternoons.