Rainy, Cold Day Advantage ~ Goat on the Loose

One rainy day, two rainy days, three rainy days, done!  The seat cushions are all done. For one table anyway.  A few need the ties attached, but we can now enjoy them.

I've also been retouching the paint on my kitchen cupboards.  They are getting a good cleaning, and guess what else?  

Creative Venues ~ Another Birth

If you are wondering about the cut back on usage of electronic and social networks, I have a quick update.

Day one:  one child just about had a meltdown, but later used her time to read a library book she has had for a few weeks.  Another got out the water color paints and painted these:

Romper Room ~ Surprise Mail and Tidbits

I have been trying to get clips of the kids (baby goats) romping around the kitchen, but I end up laughing so hard, the videos end up with headless goats or just feet.  Or, as you'll see in the video, the dogs get excited when they hear the pitter patter on the floor.

Goats in the Kitchen ~ Thinking Ahead and Other Tidbits

Everything is normal here today.  

The sunrise is a beautiful pink.

It's Twin Boys!

Mama Peanut gave birth to twin boys.  One black and one brown, with markings like their dad.

Using it Up ~ Goat Coats

With all the kiddos home yesterday, and the outside temperatures chilly, I used up four apples that where getting too soft to enjoy.  

An apple in my pocket ~ The iPod eating box ~ Floor Rug

School closed today, so watch out.  This post will be a doozy.  I've got a pot of coffee all to myself, and all the kids are still in bed.

I guess, although we are to warm up to the 38°F, they are predicting ice covered roads until noon today.
 
Aside from animal feed, which I may run out before the end of the week, I'm declaring this week a no-spend week.  Toilet paper is stocked up so we are good in that department.

Winter Woes

We got another arctic blast Saturday.   This morning it's a whopping -5°F outside with a -26° wind chill (and the sun is shining). 

There was one thing we were struggling with yesterday.  How to protect Orion (our male lamancha goat) from the -25 to -35°F wind chill we were expecting.  We were told it would the coldest yet.  They might be right, as the wind chill is to stay at low at -35°F today.  Looks like our high will be 0°F.

If this winter was worse than last year, then what's next winter going to be?  Our cold blast will last a week here. I sure hope it kills off some ticks and other nasty bugs.

Anyway,

60 minutes and three miles later....

When walking three miles didn't de-stress the stress yesterday, I gravitated to the kitchen where the singing began.

Instead of writing poems in my head, I was singing Johnny Cash's "Burn, burn burn...." as the shallots burned my eyeballs.    Oldest Daughter thought I was cracked in the head until the shallot fumes wafted into the living room, where it burned her eyeballs. 

Goats ~ Recipes ~ Talking Walls

There is a beautiful sunrise this morning, but I am too lazy to go put on the right slippers to trudge out onto the porch and snap a photo to share.  There is a fresh layer of snow to walk through, but it is beautiful.
 
Although it was almost noon, when I started my deep cleaning yesterday, I was successful again for a day.  My day first started with emptying the ash pan in the wood stove, restocking the wood inside, fetching eggs and watering the animals.  

When I arrived to the barn, and pushed the door open, I was greated by Misty (our white female Lamancha goat).  She was happily walking about, and not in her pen.  The others stayed put, even though the gate was wide open.  The wheel barrow was tipped over, shovels scattered, hay a mess, and goat poo all over the barn floor.  Daughter forgot to put the latch in when she did the evening barn duties. Ha ha!  What a mess that girl made in there too.  As soon as I approached her, she ran into her goat pen.  I'm sure she knew she wasn't supposed to be trapeze-ing all over the barn.

Garden and Porch Time

I spent about three hours pulling monstrous size weeds from the garden, just so I could get to the potatoes.  Mission somewhat accomplished.  I have about six feet left to dig up yet.  There is nothing worse than leaning down to pull a weed, only to be poked in the eye by five foot foxtail.  Ouch!  And the kids thought they'd get to eat at the table this week, ha ha!  Not.  That photo only shows a portion of them.  My goal is to get all of them dug up before I even start canning the rest.

Tomatos and More Tomatoes

Yesterday's to-list was all completed.  Every day now is different.  Warning:  this is a get-your-cup-of-coffee (or tea) and sit a while post.  It may be my longest yet.  I brought more tomatoes in yesterday too.

Waking up before the sunrise, the barn cat's food and water is checked on my to the kitchen, and then the house cats.  If I don't they will be under my feet when I try to make my morning coffee.  I let a few dogs to let out too.

Coffee made.  A must for my early rise......

Raising Meat Chickens ~ "Send Off" Party

As of today, we've lost 5 meat chickens.  We've raised white rocks before, and had a lower mortality rate than these Jumbo Cornish Rocks.

I can't tell if they are breaking their legs or having heart attacks, but from my research, it's common.  Next year, I will have to order more, and expect to lose a few.  Just sharing that tip for those considering raising chickens for meat.

Pets, Goats and Vets

A trip to the "island" is so overdue for Hubby and I.   In fact, I think we are planning one soon.  

Last night he worked until 11:30pm, and didn't get home until 12:30am.   The only time I got to see him, was when Alias (pitbull mix) got super scared of the surprise thunderstorm we got, and practically smothered us during the night.

Neither of us got much sleep.  I plan on buying that poor guy a thunder jacket.  I'm guessing his previous owner left him outside during storms.

Spring Snow? ~ Tidbits

My daffodils and hyacinths are now buried in snow.  It was just in the 70's yesterday and raining.  Not today.  The high will be barely in the 40's.  

Windy Weekend ~ Layered Dip ~ Goat Gone Wild

Saturday the weather was so nice, but a bit windy.  In reality, the wind was a good thing - drying up the wet ground.  Sunday was windy and in the upper 70's.  Tuesday we will dip down to a high of 40°F.  Today is is raining and everything is wet again.  The weather is playing games with my allergies, but I am dealing with it.

It's a Girl ~ The Desk ~ Books ~ Allergies

Misty had a doeling.  Once we have daylight, I'll go out and get a photo to share (updated now).  This is the end of our kidding season.  It rained heavily all day yesterday and it continues to rain this morning.  It's been pretty gloomy and dark out.  School is delayed 2 hours - fog.

Just a reminder:  Be sure to click on "read more" in my posts, to read the full blog post.

Signs of Spring

Yesterday I had a very nice laundry day.  Every line was completely full.  I did not get all the rugs washed as planned, but got all the barn cat bedding washed and put back.  It was nice to see Timmy in one of the boxes this morning, sleeping peacefully.

The baby goats had outside playtime.  They love to run and play.  By the time I got out there to film them, they were pretty tired.

To Keep or Not to Keep ~ And Other Rambles

"So Mom, why is that hanging there?"

"So I can look at it, and decide if I really want to keep it."

Goat Round Up

I didn't have to worry about where I'd get my 10,000 steps yesterday (I have a fitbit).

I gained just shy of 8,000 steps by noon.