On The Pond Farm

Kids and Kids (Again)

2012-01-31T22:22:00.000-05:00

Julia with one of the new does

Twins Adam and Grant with Angus and Anakin.

As the fence training continues, high tensile fence was added to their education.

At the end of the day, everyone was inside the fence and not too many squawks.

It was a fantastic day, hitting 60 F in the afternoon.With the wind, that turned to more of a breeze, it will go a long way to drying some of the mud we've been sliding in.

The little ones are enjoying the outdoors, but soon will join their older playmates in the electric fences.

For now Squeak and pals can relax with a snooze in the sun.

Everybody Out!

2012-01-30T23:28:00.000-05:00

Barn Time

2012-01-29T23:46:00.000-05:00

This week's two sets of twins are still spending their day in the barn, especially since the weather has been all over the place. One moment the sun is out. The next, its raining sideways. Tonight we went out to bring the goats in, and by the time we closed the doors and settled everyone down, the ground was coated with snow.

Layla with her twin does. A day and a half old.

Trinity with her bucklings, Pip and Squeak

After everyone goes out in the morning, the indoor kids get to roam around with their moms while I muck.

Here is a VIDEO from this morning.

This is how the five older kids came in last night.

Mud balls!

Below is what it looks like with four nannies and their nine kids at their feeding bowls, nursing and playing at dinner time.

Jocks flash light eyes just fascinate me!

After we are all done playing, the kids do what they do best...

- snuggle.

Pip and Squeak -Trinity's Boys

2012-01-28T16:35:00.001-05:00

Pip and Squeak

I hate to give these little kids names they get bullied with in school, but they are so small and yet so boisterous. But they still sound like newborns. They have such little voices, and Pip barely makes any noise at all, he just dances sideways. They are the funniest little things we have, and we have nine kids under a month old right now. Yesterday's newborns are louder and bigger already.

These two are such perfect little things.

They play hard.

And they sleep hard - right where they collapsed in the hay bale.

Layla Did It!

2012-01-27T23:56:00.002-05:00

And we're up two more girls this afternoon.

Is that a smile on Layla's face?

I don't blame her. We've both been hanging around the barn the past two days, waiting to see what that wide belly was going to produce. I gave up and ran some errands this afternoon. When I came home, I wasn't sure what I was hearing on the monitor. The two day old little bucklings still have squeaky voices, so I though they were just up and about. I went to the barn to get ready to bring everyone in and as I got in the barn, I heard the LOUD voices of our latest set of twins. They were on their feet, and oh! - so dirty.

I scampered back to the house and made my "neighborly" phone calls. Then I ran a jug of hot water and found a tub to give these little ones a rinse off. With the extra hands of Karen and Allison, we quickly got them rinsed, dried, and their cords trimmed and dabbed with antiseptic.

These two should be easy to distinguish as their head colorings are quite different.

We got Layla's family in their private quarters and everyone came over to see and share. In another day or two, things will get a bit more rough when food is getting stolen, but for now, all is well.

More Boys!

2012-01-25T23:57:00.000-05:00

This was Trinity this morning, four days late, but with a full udder. I spied on her all day, sure that she would go, but all for naught.

This is her mother Layla, who if you remember, went to SCS Farm to be bred to Remington. I didn't have a due date for her, but it sure looks like she's been ready for a while.

So who had two more boys today?

Here's Trinity at about 8:30PM cleaning her first buckling.

Here he is two hours later and a bit fluffed up.

And his younger brother by about fifteen minutes.

Here is the VIDEO of the second buckling being born.
WARNING! Its a bit bloody if that gets to you.

Initially, Trinity was very worried about every noise the boys made, and seemed too nervous to nurse, so I milked a syringe full off and got her to relax. I gave the milk to the little guys and that was it. They wanted more of that good stuff!

After getting both to nurse and letting me do a little clean up of the placenta, Trinity just dropped on her knees to rest.

She almost squashed one of the little guys, but he was able to get himself out of the way, and I assisted too.

Lots of fresh bedding and its time for bed.

Sleep tight!

Busy Week

2012-01-25T22:10:00.001-05:00

The first half of the week was white and cold.

We were using up a lot of power keeping water from freezing in the barn and out.

The twins are big and hardy, so they have been out every day now.

My favorite part of the farm.

Jock enjoyed a walk with Dave in his favorite type of condition. Cold.

Kids Brooke and Lillian on a school day off with kids Angus and Anakin

Finally a warmer day to get the triplets out with the twins, and they loved it.

The snow is completely gone and the mud is back big time. Will it ever dry up?

This is job training. Now eat the tree.

And as always, all the animals do their best to get along, share toys, and even food.

The biggest and the smallest manage to live peacefully together.

Wish they rest of the world could learn from them, don't you?

Past Due

2012-01-22T23:02:00.000-05:00

Trinity's due date was yesterday. Layla looks as wide as a - barn? The saddle bags on that girl. Woo!

I've had the baby monitor on for three nights now. I really love it when they surprise us early, but its not happening. I know its just a day late, but its the waiting, the freaky weather (freeze, mild, snow, ice), and I don't like my sleep interrupted by coughing goats and wailing cats.

We had company today for the football games and I predicted that someone would kid at an inconvenient time like when the game was tied with 2 minutes to go. That could have been both games, but it didn't happen.

Tomorrow my guests include two very young ladies, so maybe we can come up with some excitement for them to write home about!

Good night!

Freeze and Mud

2012-01-20T01:16:00.002-05:00

Since the last post, the weather has gone as low as 12 with a -4 wind chill, and as high as 50.

This is what happens to muddy footprints overnight.

The twins are pretty tough at two weeks old, and have been out in the snow and rain - with shelter - most of the week.

They are pitching in with the Christmas tree recycling already.

The triplets have been in the barn, and know how to find a sunny spot...

and mom.

What else do they need?

Once again, as soon as we brought the trips out for their first outdoor day, a hawk showed up. Here are all five together and almost standing still for a split second.

Angus is getting so huge and runs through the barn like a wrecking ball. He is nuts!

Anakin is just having fun, and plays with the triplets a lot since his brother is just flying around.
Check out the VIDEO HERE.

Kid Update

2012-01-14T00:08:00.002-05:00

When the nannies have young kids, they each get their own cube in the maternity ward. It helps make sure the kids stay fed and warm.

Twee's trips are right next door. They get to have the rest of the stall when I'm in mucking and the twins go outside.

The twins have been going outside for a week now.

The trips got to go outside for a short while yesterday afternoon.

Its getting difficult to tell who is who. Angus sticks out with his size and speckled ears. The rest??!!

And this is amazing. All three triplets nursing at the same time. In the Boer goat world, people look for single teated does, but with triplets, that would be a significant disadvantage. Many of my does have two teats on each side. Some more dominant than the other. Twee has three large teats and a smaller one, but they all have milk and they all get used. Sometimes imperfection works!

Happy Anniversary!

2012-01-13T10:33:00.001-05:00

I had such a good time looking at all the photographs today.

Best wishes!

Love you both!

Trips On The Go

2012-01-12T02:04:00.000-05:00

The triplets have kept things a bit busier, but things are well.

Twee has plenty of milk and seems to be able to take care of all three. I was always warned that trip meant bottle feeding because one would be pushed aside. That doesn't seem to be the case here.

Check out the VIDEO from a couple days ago now. At a day and a half, they were amazing.

We feel very lucky and are just loving seeing these three grow.

Back for a nap.

Cat Nap

2012-01-11T13:34:00.000-05:00

Triplets!!!

2012-01-08T16:32:00.000-05:00

Today at 1pm I had a commitment to be at the Ligonier Valley Trail for a walk for some publicity we are doing after a successful fundraiser. I really had the feeling that I would come back to kids, as this morning Twee's ligament at her tail was completely loose. A sign that birth will come soon.

As we drove up the lane I could see a small white thing and we could see Twee looking along the side of the shed, so we planned on finding the other kid there. Twins are the norm and she had been huge. Even the other does were interested in the goings on by the shed, and gathered round when we came to check things out.

There were three and just born - a doe and two bucklings.

The whole neighborhood answered to the call of "Babies in the field!". After drying them a little, and letting them attempt to nurse, we brought them into the barn.

Dave had the heat lamp going and bedding down, so after a lot of yelling and nursing starts, they all fell asleep exhausted.

Just a VIDEO of the triplets snoozing!

Way to go Twee!

We'll Take It

2012-01-07T00:16:00.002-05:00

Last night's sky was a true predictor.

Today was a gorgeous sunny day with temps in the 50's.

It seemed like the perfect day to show the twins the great outdoors.

Bring a snack and mom and we're good to go...

Or not! They just about froze to the spot and didn't know what to do while Mom munched away.

Then I guess the great outdoors, and the birds swooping in overhead made mom nervous - and me too. Well the birds anyway.

We gave it up after a while, but tomorrow should be another nice day.

Anakin and Angus

2012-01-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

Today was pretty cold so no gloves meant no fingers! 8 degrees when I first took hay around the stalls at 7AM. I have the monitor on by my bed and at 4AM had to whack it a couple times because of the static. I had this fear of loosing a kid to the weather like last year, and it was Twee who lost a doe in the snowstorm last January. She is due now, and I was watching the field with her out there all day, worried that she might kid in this extreme cold.

Here's a little goat video that is already a day old, but I though you might enjoy four day old goats. Its hard to believe how much more mobile they are today.

Oh! And Angus is the larger kid with lighter ears. He was the slow starter, but is catching up fast

Anakin (Skywalker) is this little, noisy guy.

Our five year old neighbor Aidan chose his name.

I like it.

Bring Me Your Poor, Tired Trees

2012-01-03T14:33:00.001-05:00

OK! Not all of you are going to hop in a truck, train or plane to bring me your tree. However, there most likely is a good place nearby to give your tree another purpose.

Over at Brooklyn Feed , Martha blogs about Mulch Your Christmas Tree! (On the Pond Farm is mentioned. Yay!!) and has the link for the NY Mulchfest this week-end. We have the same thing locally through our Loyalhanna Watershed Association (drop them off in the designated area at the Country Market field), so don't let those old trees blow around and rot when they can have one more purpose.

Here, of course, we use them for goat entertainment. Speckles is very happy!

First they are eaten and then they become hay racks.

We are already well into our second or third tree per field.

I just had to haul this nice big one over this morning, and the girls were most pleased. Do you see Twee's nice udder(on the right)? We are watching for her to kid in the next few days. Her belly is down to her knees!

As you can see, we have a bit of snow on the ground. Even more of an issue is the wind chill although the sun has taken turns coming in and out. See the ripples on the pond?

I will admit to being blown around in the alley this morning, and I am no feather!! But Jock loves this weather and he needs his walks. Yes. Even when its 19 degrees out side and feels like -2.

"A tired dog is a good dog."

Bouncing Boys

2012-01-01T12:52:00.000-05:00

Aziza's bucklings are so adventurous at one day old.

This little guy on the left is the smaller at 7 pounds, but he is the bigger personality. This morning he also hopped down out of the stall and then had no idea about getting back up the step.

Bit off a lot more than he could chew! But too cute - and demanding.

He practically asks to be given attention and so when he gets picked up too much, mom has something to say about it.

Very cold weather is predicted this week, so I hope these little guys beef up and get ready for a rude awakening from the damp, but mild weather we are having for New Years Day.

Hope you are all starting 2012 with as much fun as we are at the farm.

Happy New Year!

Kidding Season 2012 Is Here!

2011-12-31T14:06:00.000-05:00

Aziza produced two nice, healthy bucklings this morning. Its a rainy day, but relatively warm for New Year's Eve. Its about 45F right now. She picked a good day to kid.

They were up, dry and carrying on. Things were so well done that I only trimmed one umbilical cord.

We moved everyone to a waiting pen where the warming barrel was set up and ample food was given to "Z". She was a bit nervous, but she got over it fast as more and more people stopped to admire her boys. Its been a long while since we had babies in the barn. After a while, enough was enough though. If both kids were being held, she started to complain, as she wanted to know where they were.

Right now the three are in the barn bonding and nursing. Looks like we have two more "A" names to come up with in 2011.

Fear Not

2011-12-19T20:11:00.003-05:00

Deer hunting season - rifle version - was over December 17, and so the goats got moved around this week.

During rifle hunting, we keep the goats low on the hill and closer to the barn, just to be careful.

I am confident in the precautions taken by the hunters that we give permission to use our woods. Its the trespassers that we can't be sure of.

As you can see, everyone looks good. They do not want me to show you the other goat pictures I have. Yep! Its udder watching time again. Kidding will start in the next two or three weeks.

We're watching carefully.

Another Year

2011-12-11T23:14:00.001-05:00

Birthdays can be a lot of fun, especially when your friends remember the real you with meaningful gifts.

The cards were fun too - lots of cats and farm animals.

Interesting!

Chicken socks. Yes!

Hand stitched and quilted love, with a personal note, and some flavored coffee beans too!

A few new treats from a trip from our past that made me smile.

And my magnet from Norma who also shared her fabric stash.

Best is seeing friends.

I got to do that last week when I stayed in my old neighborhood and enjoyed some home cooking and good conversation with Ann, Norma and Enid (my old running partner).

I also got to share eggplant fries and dinner with Carlene.

Host Mike poured the wine.

Food and friends - a great combination!

Then I got a visit from Ann's hubby Rick as he was walking a friend's dog.

It was so good catching up and looking back.

Time with friends is the best gift of all.

Batik Fever

2011-12-06T09:30:00.001-05:00

My friend Norma created this beautiful quilt a few years ago and I've always admired it. Well don't you know that my daughter saw the same quilt at a Sun Valley, AZ shop and wanted me to make it.

Luckily Norma was my next planned visit and she shared some her stash with my newly acquired batiks in order to collect the 30 squares we needed to start. She decided to make another quilt too.

This is the fabric for Norma's new Jungle Fever.

Here is mine. Today we start cutting. Can't wait to see this come together.

Batiks are just so beautifully textured. I don't think you can go wrong.

Monument Valley and the Movies

2011-12-01T23:55:00.001-05:00

This was the amazing view from our house at Gouldings Lodge in Monument Valley, Utah. Some of what we are looking at is in Arizona. The natural features are on both sides of the state line.

The history of the Goulding Lodge is very tied in to the early Hollywood westerns.

The Museum is a fun spot for photographs with "The Duke".

‘Captain Nathan Brittles’ Cabin’, also called ‘John Wayne’s Cabin’, is located just behind the museum. In actuality, it was Mike (Mrs.) Goulding’s potato cellar, where she stored her fruits, vegetables, and other perishables. When ‘She Wore a Yellow Ribbon’ was filmed here in 1949 by director John Ford, this structure was used for exterior shots only as the personal quarters for the Cavalry Post’s commanding officer, played by Wayne.

We spent most of Sunday at the Navaho Tribal Park driving on the 17 Mile Trail within the park.

We saw several stray dogs during our visit, and some had their pups tagging along.

We were stopped at a Navaho jewelry stand at this overview and the rider slowly walked his horse out to the point. It just was a perfect scene and this is an area where John Ford did a lot of his filming. No wonder!

A family favorite is Forrest Gump and this sign marks the spot where he ended his run. Below is the scene from the road.

There are so many views in this area that you will see in current truck commercials and many, many movies. As beautiful as it is, it is a harsh landscape and it couldn't have been easy working here.

Its quite amazing to visit the area and learn about how the Gouldings brought Hollywood and the world to see it. We were thrilled to be able to spend time in Monument Valley in such beautiful weather.

Monument Valley Salute

2011-11-28T00:25:00.000-05:00

Monument Valley Nightfall

2011-11-27T01:55:00.001-05:00

Grape Leaf

2011-11-20T23:19:00.001-05:00

Two Horses And A Cat

2011-11-19T22:45:00.001-05:00

...are in this picture.

Kids and Critters Part 2

2011-11-14T23:18:00.004-05:00

So! Hello and welcome to my kitchen.

Apparently Juliann like to watch me cook.

This is me cooking. Eggs anyone?

Jock waiting his turn for some bread crumbs.

We found a dead bat and got to see it teeth - "just like a vampires". Kathleen found it quite interesting. I offered to pack it up for Show and Tell, but two Moms said "NO"!

The tractor is still fun even without moving.

Here I am with my Canton, CT, now SWPA friend Juliann, enjoying our farm brunch.

Today's photos are taken by guest Arlene and I don't think I attributed the last post's photos to Juliann. They all arrived while I was up in the field, and I never got to get my camera before the visit started. Its nice to see the farm from others point of view.

This last shot is taken in Ligonier outside the Main Gallery - a fun place to shop.

Now its your turn to visit.

Kids and Critters (and Girls Like Tractors Too)

2011-11-11T22:52:00.001-05:00

Lillian and Kathleen arrived just as the doelings were having breakfast, and as always, Adeline was quite rude. Not one, but two feet were in the feed, and she was not about to share.

The girls had brought their own treats for the fish.

The fish were quite appreciative.

A short hike around the pond and we were back to the barn where the chickens were treated to some extra feed.

Two eggs were found in the barn.

Yep! Its still warm.

And last - a "ride" on the Deere by a couple of Dears.

Hostess Gift

2011-11-11T00:00:00.001-05:00

I had guests at the farm today and they bore my kind of hostess gifts.

I did make the bread though.

Yummies from my Julian. Thanks!

Fall Maintenance Crew

2011-11-06T11:58:00.002-05:00

The past two mornings we have woken to subfreezing temperatures and heavy frost. Any hope of those last tomatoes ripening is over.

The does were fenced in below the pond yesterday. Now we are taking advantage of any areas with good browse that the goats can "mow" before the tractors have to finish the work. They love it. We love it. Mowing goes that much faster if the field is thinned out.

Yesterday the goats were acting more like sheep though. They spent so much time grazing on the lawn-like-half, that I started calling them lazy sheep. Sorry sheep people, but I had visions of the tall weedy side being flattened in a day. That will have to come today I guess.

Along the pond bank we have two or three sizes of rose hips. This rounder large rose hip belongs to the pink rose such you see at the beach and has a great scent.

These are from the white wild roses that become more of a weed then an ornament, if left alone.

The goats trim up the brambles on the hill, but we have to get them up to the pond as we work through the acreage, to get things passable again. I can barely get through with my tractor to mow without getting caught in the thorns. Time for the goats to earn their keep.

As you can see, the colors are muting, but the browns and golds still have a little life to them. A blue sky helps too.

Autumn Clean Up

2011-11-05T00:03:00.000-04:00

After two rotations, the girls are finishing the last corner of the upper pasture before winter.

First thing in the morning, everyone gets some grain which is a mix of sweet feed and goat mix.

Adeline is like a dog with a bone....

She has her foot in the bowl and won't even share with her own mother Saba.

We hope that's the only reason she's chubby.

Does this udder look rounder. That's Twee. I'll be watching for us.

Meanwhile, we'll all enjoy these last warm, dry days while we can.

St. Pants

2011-11-01T11:34:00.001-04:00

We've come full circle with Pants. For the past two weeks we were noticing a bit of listlessness. Then when he ignored food, we were certain more was going on. All sorts of efforts resulted in temporary hope, but last night he took a turn for the worse.

Pants was a favorite to everyone.

He was a sweet boy that even the little folk could be near.

He will be so missed.

Newborn Pants with Zola and brother Grant.

Days old in the field

Pants this spring, babysitting the bucklings.

Goodbye Warm October

2011-11-01T00:47:00.002-04:00

Ugh! Double Ugh!

2011-10-30T12:06:00.003-04:00

That I am able to post this blog means that we have power, and I know many of you don't. We did get a few inches of heavy, wet snow yesterday, and it flattened anything it could. Glad I got the photos of the geraniums earlier in the week. They are quite tattered now.We spent part of yesterday morning clearing the fences of snow, leaning branches, and other tall plants that were supposed to be goat browse for a couple more weeks. So much for careful pasture rotation. Now, of course, the fields are turning to mud as the temps hover above freezing. I know many of you had branches take out power lines, so I hate to whine, but I will. The other "Ugh" is that Pants is not eating. This is not a good goat thing ever. A sure sign of a problem, and one that has been creeping up for about two weeks. I treated him for what I thought was parasites earlier this week, and there was a slight improvement. Then he stopped eating. Perfect temperature, clear lungs and he is on his feet and showing no discomfort except for grinding of teeth. Last night and today he was getting yogurt to try and get his rumen going. I don't hear much digestive noise. I fear its urinary calculi and there's not much I can do there. To me it doesn't make sense, but that he's a male goat and it happens.

Right now he is in the barn and seems comfortable. I did wash his face! Its time for me to go and massage his belly. Wish us luck.

Manure And Music

2011-10-29T23:46:00.005-04:00

Cleaning the stalls is a daily task whether steaming hot or freezing cold. Its best to just get it done first thing after the animals are out, otherwise later it becomes work. If you do this, you know what I mean. Putting it off makes it worse. What's funny, and interesting is the short list of tunes that play in my head, and sometimes I find them playing out loud. I will be slogging damp manure and catch myself humming away.

My top two? A couple of classics: Ode to Joy and Yellow Submarine. They just start playing to the rhythm of the work.

Does this happen to you? What are your "work" songs, or am I the only one that has Beethoven and the Beatles appear when I work?

Light Change, Color Change

2011-10-28T09:03:00.005-04:00

The cold is starting to make a difference in the fields and gardens. Colors are changing. Annuals are blackening. Ducks are stopping briefly on their way to warmer ponds.

Its amazing how the cycle goes around.

The last dry morning, I managed to enjoy the last bit of the flora around the house. I was surprised with the clematis taking another shot at bloom.

When the Sheffield pink geraniums bloom, I know the season is about to end. Time to look around and enjoy the garden before the killing frost.

Fall Invasion

2011-10-27T10:14:00.007-04:00

In past years I wondered what all the fuss was about. Stink bugs really were making the news, but we barely saw one here. This summer a few started to show up here and there, but mostly out on my tomatoes. Now they have started to sneak into the house. This particular one was quite the large and healthy armored body. I got him out the door on the first magazine I could find. I can't say we have a real problem yet, but I am careful to get them out the door without helping them release their stink. I probably should be doing them in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug
The other invader seems to be a bit bigger.
I'd say we have mice in the barn.
No kidding, you say. Well, this is the first time we have seen evidence around the feed. We try to keep things tight, but these tiny crumbs in the containers we use to carry grain to the stalls were enough attraction. We are being more diligent about emptying every crumb and tipping the containers up side down now. The cats have been told to ramp up their patrols.

Sunrise

2011-10-26T09:20:00.002-04:00

Good morning! But what do they say?

"Red sky at morning. Sailor take warning."

See the sparkles?
Here comes the rain.

Focus On The Yellow Tree

2011-10-25T13:39:00.006-04:00

These shots were taken today, but over the course of several moments as I was working and walking. Didn't get the "perfect" shot, but wanted to share the morning's fixation - and the blue sky!

Working A Goat Back Into The Herd

2011-10-22T18:06:00.008-04:00

There's nothing like some new pasture to make a goat smile. And to make transitioning a goat into the herd much more civilized. Layla (front with horns) has been separated for a week after being away for seven weeks, and the first thing she wants to do is work her way to the top of the pecking order. We've been only allowing a bit of contact as they come in at night, and the first couple of nights were battles. When we moved the fences two nights ago, we let Layla follow us up the alley, and at first she was challenging anyone who looked at her, but especially Zola. Then as more new pasture was becoming available and most of the goats were gobbling away, Layla finally realized she was missing a good meal. You can see where the old fence line was in the above photo. Since then we have moved the fence again to keep everyone busy.Its been two days of civilized behavior, but we have yet to put her in the stall with the others at night. In that confined area, its a bit too difficult for the girls to get out of her way.

As you may notice above, Twee is starting to look a bit round. Another reason to take our time with combining the goats. Several of them are likely pregnant, and we don't need to have them rammed by a strong goat.

Love Lorn Layla

2011-10-17T21:58:00.004-04:00

Meet Remington. Don't you love those horns?! This has been Layla's "companion" for the past seven weeks at SCS Farm. He is the father of Layla's next kids, if all goes well.

Remington is said to weigh about 300 pounds, although I don't know the last time someone wrestled him onto a scale. Just look at the difference in size between him and Layla. It took two men to get a halter on him to tie him so that we could capture Layla. She'd gotten a bit attached to Remi and did not want to leave his side. Layla is in her own stall and her own field for now until we can ease her back into the herd. She's warming up slowly today, but is still a bit skittish. Pockets of corn have been working their charm though.It was tough dragging her out of her stall, and then once she realized we were going out side, she was dragging me. The other goats called to her and she has spent the day looking at them in the distance, and then circling her area.Nothing a little corn and time shouldn't cure.

Fort Ligonier Days

2011-10-16T22:56:00.004-04:00

From the US Marine Corps Band and the parade,... to the craft booths, kids activities,... food, reenactments at the Fort,... and the local rock band Majority Rules, Fort Ligonier Days is four days of intensely packed activity that has the whole community involved - or staying away.
http://www.ligonier.com/fld.html
http://fortligonier.org/ft_ligonier_days.php

Falling Fast

2011-10-14T19:56:00.005-04:00

Morning mist

Fall Mowing Delayed

2011-10-09T18:46:00.009-04:00

This was a perfect week-end for mowing. This was a perfect week end.
Fall color is just starting to show.Both Dave and I have been out doing our part with our tractors, tidying the fields to get ready for winter. The goats were doing their part - as always.The weather was dry and crisp Saturday, and a bit more summery today. Jock kept me going in the right direction with his constant herding. Unfortunately, I will have to wait till things dry a lot more before I can finish the yard mowing. I found myself sinking and sliding on the still saturated lawn. A bit disconcerting when it occurred on the side of a hill.Dave made good headway on the right side of the hill last week-end and had plans to work on the other side of the pond above the goats. That was until his tire came down with a huge leak, and there wasn't enough time to get a replacement before the tire shop closed. It was a perfect day to mow, but it was a perfect day to not mow.

Fence Work

2011-10-08T22:46:00.007-04:00

We have about five acres of our pastures surrounded with five or six strands of high tensile fence for the goats. Additionally we have four sets of electro net. Five if you count the forty feet section Kencove donated for the Livestock Camp in July.
Every day that we take out the goats, we have to make sure the fences are on, hooked up to power and up. There is rarely a problem, but when there is it can be easy to miss. Before my knee blew out last year, Jock and I would faithfully walk the fence lines checking on fence and fields. Its another reason to keep the area mowed around the fields so that we have clear access to the fences. When we were away this summer, one of the "assigned" jobs was walking the fence. Sounds like a tough job, but somebody has to do it. John Wayne needed a horse to do this. Our good neighbor Karen was walking her dog two evenings ago and came into the barn letting us know we had some fence down. It was laying in the grass where she had almost walked on it. That could have been a "shock". It was a bit late to see the needed repairs, but we turned off the power and checked it out the next day.
Luckily this opening was not in the area the goats were browsing. What we couldn't figure our was what could have done the damage. Deer would have clipped the top lines. These were the middle and lower strands. The hit was so powerful that it popped the lines at the connectors. It also popped a large staple around the corner in the alley. The repairs weren't to bad, but we are still curious as to what could have hit the fence. Bear? Wild Pig? It had to be something big.So if you see someone looking like they are taking a nice walk along a fence line, remember, this is work - really!

Fall Mowing

2011-10-07T23:20:00.001-04:00

Garden Fairy

2011-10-03T23:02:00.003-04:00

I think I have a photo of this fairy in every season.
The autumn sedum is at its brightest color right now.

Rhode Island Reds

2011-10-02T22:46:00.003-04:00

We have a couple newcomers today, and the rest of the hen house is making a lot of noise about it. Matter of fact they came running out of the barn in the pouring rain to let me know how they felt. I think even you can read that body language. Pretty ticked off, don't you think? A friend, Lenny, had a couple too many laying hens, and emailed last week to see if I could use them. I had been considering making a drive to get a few more when Lenny wrote. Two young Rhode Island Red layers is probably all I need to keep the house in continuous eggs next year. My six have still been keeping up with three or four a day, but I expect to have a lot less as the days get shorter. Next year a few of them will be three and four years old so I don't expect to see as many eggs, but then again they surprised me this year.

Can't wait to have these girls settle in with the others, but for now they will be getting used to each other with the crate as a barrier. Chickens can be nasty fighters and I'd prefer to avoid the injuries all around.

32nd Annual Western Pennsylvania 4-H Goat Show

2011-10-02T14:25:00.005-04:00

It was an early morning ride for Adeline and Ali (and me!) yesterday to get to the Fayette County Fairgrounds for the 4-H Small Animal Show. The event included three shows - dog, goat and rabbit.

Hard to believe that three weeks ago we were enjoying blue skies and warm sun at the beach. The temperatures have dropped over 30F since the beginning of the week, and twenty in the past 48 hours. We were holding in the low 40's F. Add to that the rain that has made the word damp sound like a joke.Judge Joan Serwinski donated her fee to help keep this 4-H program in the black.
Thank You!The dog and rabbit shows happened to be in enclosed areas that the poor, frail animals and their owners got to enjoy, along with close proximity to the soup and hot beverages at the concession stand. Sound a bit bitter? Nah! We goat idiots are tough. Well, at least we had to be yesterday, because we had a roof over our heads, and that was about it.

Speaking of concessions (How many ways can I use that word in one blog?), the kids were allowed to wear their winter coats or extra layers with their proper show attire. Even the goats came with extra coats on till they showed. Our first event was Goat Showmanship, and in the Juniors (8-10), Julia was able to show Adeline to a second place. She really displayed how much she had learned since her first show in August. Nice job!

Her Grandma was there to see her work. She was quite impressed.

Part of this 4-H event includes a poster and photo communications contest. So look who cleaned up in photography!
Now Grandma is totally blown away! Speaking of impressed, here is the winner of "Best Udder".
That would be a dairy goat event. Both our does were in the 6 to 9 month Breeding Meat Goat Class, and this was the largest group. Julia's 4-H friend Sienna showed Ali (4th from left) for us, and Julia had Adeline(2nd from left). In this contest Ali took the fifth place ribbon and Adeline came in ninth. It seems their growth has flip flopped them in the rankings in the eye of this judge. So that's likely it for these two does for competition, although who knows. Next year we will have new young does to show, but we will see how the 2011 kids mature, and what the interest is until then. Its a lot of work to get goats ready for show and as they get older they will be more to handle also.

This was a first for us, and Julia and her family. I think we will all enjoy the boring winter routine of waiting for new kids and shoveling snow. OK. I'll make a concession on the last thing, but we are definitely looking forward to the 2012 kid crop.

New Roof

2011-09-26T22:33:00.005-04:00

The work crew got us scrambling out of bed and into our clothes when they arrived early last Monday. It didn't take them long to set up and get started.While we were at the beach, the materials had been left along the driveway, so we knew they were coming, we just weren't positive exactly when..The roofers got right into the removal of our old, hail beaten roof .
And so the noise began.
Scrape. Bang. Pop! Pop! Pop! The dumpster arrived a bit after the fact, and there already was a huge pile of old shingles where the dumpster should have been. So they left it at the kitchen door! Poor Jock had enough of the noise early on, and so we went for long walks to visit the goats. Before long the plywood was exposed and the new shingles began to go on. It was quite a busy scene, especially with rain in the forecast. It did arrive late and so the crew finally stopped and had lunch and dinner all at once. The next day they were back and the job was completed. However the dumpster stayed around for the whole week, so today when it was removed, it was nice to get my old barn view back.

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

2011-09-25T11:33:00.007-04:00

Waiting to see this artist's eye here.

Full Moon Frisbee

2011-09-24T17:32:00.005-04:00

Our second night in Milton Delaware was a full moon and a beautiful night to be on the beach.

We also has the last of the sunset to light the sky, and if you haven't noticed, we had the beach for ourselves.

Footprints

2011-09-22T12:11:00.007-04:00

How Lucky Is That?

2011-09-15T01:24:00.006-04:00

Its starting to rain outside after some deep, deep thunder. The kind of thunder that doesn't so much startle you, but moves you. Deep.

Last week we watched the forecast while wearing our flannel jammies and t-shirts during all the hurricane news and flooding. We were getting ready to go to the beach and only saw one - yes ONE day that showed a yellow sun as the featured weather symbol. So we packed our flannel jammies, fleece tops and long sleeved shirts for the beach. I even considered a turtle neck.

Did we need them? No! NO! NOOOOO! How lucky is that?
Its late and I haven't had a chance to download all the photos, but here is a taste of a wonderful time in Milton, Delaware.Horseshoe crab corpses were plentiful this year. Perhaps the hurricane aftermath. Our morning walk south.

September 11, 2001 Quilt

2011-09-12T23:56:00.010-04:00

This special quilt is hanging in the Ligonier Valley Library basement, and from what I hear, it has gotten a lot of visits. I thought I would share this with you after this emotional week-end. Sorry it took a while to get these pictures on. Technical issues!!

WIP - Double Four Patch

2011-09-06T23:55:00.003-04:00

Yep! I took the nudge and started another baby quilt. Very pleased so far and using up lots of scraps.
Rearranged a few pieces and starting to sew it together.
I think the top will be complete for the shower.
The quilts will be ready for the birthdays.

Farm Fresh Breakfast

2011-09-06T00:18:00.004-04:00

Homegrown tomatoes.
Today's eggs.
Local melon.
My designer coffee blend in my favorite mug.
Come on over.

Penn State vs. Indiana State

2011-09-03T21:58:00.005-04:00

My Penn State hall mate Linda is a season ticket holder for Penn State football and we have done several of the home openers together, and today the tradition continued.Here we are on Rt 322 approaching Park Avenue to get to the Brown Lot parking.
Once again, we are following Mr. Engineer. We got to the stadium early, so we went to see what was going on in Bryce Jordan Center.
The basketball court was open and lit up.

The game was televised on the Big Ten Network.
Did you see us? The Blue Band did its beautiful pregame show, and then it was game time! Penn State received the opening kick and ran it back for a touchdown. A long day for Indiana State, but a lot of work by our team needed to be ready for Alabama next week.

Thank goodness for the occasional breeze because is was so hot and humid today.Indiana State teams are the Sycamores. Wish I got this this button. And here we are, two of the millions of Penn State Fans who have been a part of a game coached by Joe Paterno in Beaver Stadium.

Go State!

Nature's Cause and Effect

2011-09-01T23:08:00.005-04:00

This morning I was sipping the first mouthful of coffee when I noticed a rumble. I looked outside and there was an ominous looking cloud front just crawling over the horizon. It seemed alive.
It got so black that my camera's flash went off.
These are not black and white images. For the next three hours, the rain, thunder, and lightening came and went, not allowing me to get the goats out, and resigning me to decide that they were just getting hay in the barn today. Then as I finally set my sights on getting drenched, the rain subsided.
Which reminded me of another day the sky turned black. Remember this? These are from March 23, 2011, the day of the hail storm in this area.

One by one, the roofs in this town are getting replaced because of the damage the hail left. For some its the siding also. Cars have been repaired also. If you just go and see the dents in the yard here, you can understand. Even our new roof on the garage addition has damage. We had the assessor and a roof company inspecting all at once and there was no disagreement on the need for a new roof. But the real shocker was this. The barn also is full of dents. We wouldn't have even thought about it, but up they went and took their photos.

And I consider us lucky. We weren't displaced by the storm at all. Makes me think of the folks without power and cut off due to Irene. We've been in those shoes, and its one thing to not be able to turn on your lights, but its a whole other thing when your home is damaged or destroyed.

Good luck to all those people out there waiting for things to return to a livable normal.

Here, There and Everywhere

2011-08-30T23:11:00.004-04:00

The goats are in all sorts of combinations right now, so its hard to keep up.Love is in the air, and Neo has been dating Zola for a day or two.

Alex has had the company of Trinity and Speckles, along with his chaperon, Pants, in the corral.

Abi (above) is still being weaned with Ariel(below)in "high security", but this week-end they should join the larger does.

Kissable Adeline and Ali are in quarantine for two weeks from the fair, so they are on their own for a while. A little poopy butt as they get back to pasture.Meanwhile, the nannies are mowing away on the other end of the fields, which are still looking pretty thick.

We don't have a photo of Layla who is vacationing with her boyfriend Remington a few towns away. He is a handsome fellow, and I did not have my camera in hand as I needed both hands to drag Layla to him. I will have to remember when we pick Layla up. You'll love his look.

Flower Quilt Layout

2011-08-29T23:31:00.004-04:00

This is the bright and sunny quilt top I've been working on. I have a border fabric, but now my brain has come up with a new idea to finish the top. I'm pondering how much time I have to do this.
Meanwhile I found out about another friend's grand baby, and it seems I have to come up with another baby quilt. Just as I was cleaning up from the blue pinwheels.

There might be a time crunch now. Perhaps shopping for a gift will work!

Slow Down Irene

2011-08-28T14:09:00.007-04:00

This has been quite a week for many on the east coast. First an earthquake, and now a severe hurricane.

About now, the center of Irene has passed many of my old friends and neighbors in New England. I'm hoping they are all well, even though many will be without power. I know most of them have been through this many times, and will be prepared for a day or two of inconvenience, cooking on the barbeque, or sharing showers with friends. As long as no one is hurt, we will all breath a sigh of relief.My daughter sent this photo from their street in New York state where they have been without power for 8 hours already. There the rain has almost stopped after about 26 hours.

So the next problem will be flooding. Stay safe all! Let me hear from you so I know all is well.

Not Just Animals

2011-08-25T09:36:00.003-04:00

You haven't even seen the chickens and rabbits in the smaller tents, or the swine, llamas and horses yet, but there is more to the fair than animals.

We have "adult beverages".

Fresh produce, and preserved foods. The important scarecrow competition, won by 11 year old Holly.Beautiful sewing projects that made great use of the gorgeous fabrics you can find these days.What I look for every year - quilts.

Flowers, cut and live.

This just gives you a tiny taste of the thousands of entries in the hundreds of categories. My blog is too small to show even one of each. You need to see your local and state shows to appreciate the work and time involved.

And back to the animals. At least at the Westmoreland Fair, the fair would be incomplete without the work the kids do all year to get their animals ready for the ten days at the fair. Some do not leave all week, camping in the barn or trailers outside. Naturally there are parents involved, and many volunteers that keep the kids going and to the right places.

When you go to the fairs or know someone involved, thank them for their work and projects that make a fair so wonderful to visit. Without them - I can't imagine.

Meat Goat Showmanship

2011-08-23T23:09:00.005-04:00

Showmanship was the last event our goats and Julia participated in. Part of the judging is about appearance.
Hence the plaid shirt, boots and pulled back hair - and a smile! You are judged on the handling of the goats, and how you move in relation to the judge and goat. Then there is knowledge of the goat anatomy.
And that's just the parts we know so far!!We have a lot to learn about showmanship, and today was one of the first real lessons. For Julia and the goats,the fair is all fun and friends now, as the competition is over.
Nice job all!

Ribbons and Hugs All Around!

2011-08-23T09:11:00.008-04:00

Monday afternoon was the Breeding Meat Goat judging, and entered are only does, or females. In this group there are Boer goats...other meat breeds such as Pygmy, and Crossbred. Our two young does were in the latter category.

Jennifer Reynolds, from Westminster, MD returned as this year's judge.
Eleven goats were in the Under Six Month Breeding Meat Goat Crossbred category.
Julia got the 4-H Blue ribbon with our Adeline.

Run off for the Junior Champion.

Adeline being shown by Julia (center)and Ali being shown by Shelly(right).
We had both our goats in the Crossbred Junior Championship round.
Amazing!Julia with Ali and their Blue Ribbon for 6-9 Month Old Breeding Meat Goat Crossbred Champion - 4-H Division.
Red for second in 6-9 Month Old Crossbred Breeding Meat Goat - Open Division.

VIDEO OF ADELINE BEING NAMED RESERVE JUNIOR CHAMPION WITH JULIA SHOWING HER.

Adeline and Julia with their Reserve Junior Champion Rosette ribbon(purple).
Blue ribbon for Under Six Month Old 4-H Crossbred Breeding Meat Goat Champion.
Red for second in Under Six Month Old Crossbred Breeding Meat Goat - Open Division.
Yes! Yes! She is not "set up" right.
She was having a moment of "poopy butt" and we were moving quickly!

All our girls had a great day at the fair!Once again it was our pleasure to sponsor the trophy for the
Champion Breeding Meat Goat.
Tyler Keating of Sunshine 4-H won this year with his doe Lulu.
With Tyler is Judge Jennifer Reynolds and myself.
Congratulations to Tyler and all of the participants and leaders!

Fun Day At The Westmoreland Fair

2011-08-22T19:22:00.014-04:00

Today was another fun, busy day!

My friend Juliann drove over for a visit with her daughter Lillian and a friend.It was good to catch up with old friends and farm lovers!

They enjoyed all animals - real and not!

Lots of competitions were underway in all the venues.

And then there was the Fair Hair! And here is a preview of even more fun!

Dirty DeTails

2011-08-22T09:03:00.007-04:00

4-H requires obtaining a lot of knowledge from books and meetings and many, many people who give their time. It also requires the participants to fill out work books and learn about their particular project in some detail. As they get older, more is expected, but that also builds on prior knowledge. Even at the fair, the parents, leaders, and kids are continuing to study, share and learn so that the kids can do their best. Dawn Dancey is a knowledgeable 4-H leader in the neighboring town of New Alexandra, and helped us shape up our goats with a tail and hoof shaving lesson. We all took a turn at getting the two goats shaved.

In order to have the goats ready to shave, we had to give them both a bath before we came to the fair. Then Adeline was having what we call "poopy butt", so she had three or four extra baths, but she made it to shaving clean.

Now we are ready for the fair!

Setting Up the Fair

2011-08-20T23:35:00.003-04:00

This morning the goats were hungry and happy to see us, but otherwise seemed quite relaxed. Their siblings that are home with reminders of mom are not quite so calm!The kids started putting up these signs as people were picking up anything to feed the goats. Goats eat grain and hay folks. Not wood chips.
After initial house keeping (and there is an award for that too), we had to stop at the 4-H office for signs. On the way we took this photo op and checked out the incoming rabbits and chickens. Today the rest of the animals arrive and things really get busy.

This is where you find us. Look for the butterflies.

Julia and Ali.

Westmoreland Fair Drop-Off Day

2011-08-19T21:31:00.005-04:00

We've been to the fair the past few years as trophy sponsors, but this year we are also 4-H animal lessees. You've seen Julia working with the goats this summer and now its Westmoreland Fair time. Julia has Adeline and Ali well under control, and now we look to see her summer work pay off. The goats have been behaving well so far. We've been eying the competition and there are LOTS of Boer goats, and some very nice ones. Its hard to tell what their age groups are, so there's no need to worry about it till the judge is in the ring on Monday and Tuesday. I think the goats are as primped and trained as we can get young goats to be. Now its time to enjoy the experience.
Already we are making new friends that are so eager to share knowledge and tips. Holly is one of the 4-H visitors from the Livestock Camp, and she and her mom have been such a help orienting us, as have several other people.
If you are at the fair, stop and say "Hello!".

Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

2011-08-18T22:26:00.009-04:00

A great sign. I looked up!Today we went to a Penn State College of Education event at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. Alumni gathered for a lunch, and an alum who volunteers at the zoo was able to gain access to some animals for us to see up close and personal. The youngsters in the crowd were especially thrilled at being able to touch a few pint sized creatures.We even looked at GOATS!

The rest of the day we were on our own, and I have several clips to share the fun.
VIDEO OF TIGERS PLAYING IN WATER - I was surprised.

VIDEO OF FUSSING FLAMINGOS. FUNNY BIRDS!

I will tell you that the zoo was very well set up so that if you keep going in one direction, you hit everything. No backtracking or going in circles like these sharks. In the videos you may notice that this is a kid friendly place!

The Noise!!!

VIDEO OF A VERY ACTIVE SNAKE

VIDEO OF JELLYFISH.
Sort of reminds me of fireworks in a way.

On my way home, I stopped to shop and saw this in the parking lot. Perfect!

I Should Have Been At The Movies

2011-08-17T13:26:00.006-04:00

I was so looking forward to going to a noon movie today. Get out of the house! Get out of the heat! Enjoy a movie on a book I read. But my pal/date called this morning while I was in the barn. She was all stuffed up, and said, "I just can't leave the house".

Nuts!

You know how they say things are meant to be? Not going to the movie was meant to be.

Around noon I got a call from my next door neighbor. "One of your little female goats is out and in my yard."

Scamper... Run into dog who senses an emergency. Ouch! Stubbed toe.

I turn off fences. Grab a lead. Climb between wires to run like the crow flies.

Zola - One of my BIGGEST does is in Edna's back yard, wandering back and forth. She's whimpering - if goats whimper. I'm sure distressed because she is alone.

She sees me and is so grateful, she follows me along the fence and back to our alley on the property line.

When I clip on a lead, she flops on her knees. I wait. She gets up. I try to lead her again. She lies down.
I take off the lead after a couple minutes of struggle, and she walks behind me all the way to the outer gate, down the inner alley, and back to her herd - like a good girl.

HOW she got out is beyond me, but according to Edna, she had been going back and forth on the other side of the post and rail fence for a while. What she didn't realize is that Zola was outside the powered six wires of high tensile fence. No wires are down. No gates are open.

The hormones are surging these days as we enter breeding season. I suspect that Zola got blind sided by another doe and got pushed into the fence and somehow went through.

I promptly went to the garden and picked a variety of tomatoes and delivered them to Edna, grateful that I don't have road kill to deal with.

I'm going back out to check on the goats now!

Smart Kids Wear Helmets

2011-08-15T12:52:00.004-04:00

My 4-H Julia was still on California time after a nice vacation there, so in order to get to her morning barn time faster, she rode her bike. This was a new one for me and Jock, but seeing her come across the fields and through the yard confidently on her bike made my day! She had her books on her back and her helmet snugly on.
I couldn't have been more pleased. She looks pretty pleased too.

Upside Down Hen

2011-08-13T23:31:00.004-04:00

This is Upside Down Hen.
Named so by my neighbor Allison's son Aidan when he was trying to get the eggs from her.

Why? She's not on her head. She's normal looking. Well not quite.

Oops! Here she goes.

If you come to get the eggs, she fluffs up and sticks up her tail, tips over, and blows up to twice her size in her attempt to protect her egg. The thing is, half the time it ISN'T her egg. She'll sit on any egg.Every day we take her off the nest and try to get her out and about. Usually she's back on her nest in short order, but lately she's been outside a bit more. Maybe the cooling weather is helping. Meanwhile there's a line at the other box.
Its not as if there isn't a spot for each hen, but they usually lay in the same box.
Who knows!

Wrap Up To July

2011-08-12T17:06:00.010-04:00

July was a busy time and although I took photos and videos, I didn't always stop to post them. Partly because of our travel, and partly because of the heat, the goats got moved a bit more quickly than usual. They seemed to browse through the fields much faster, and I'm not sure if the lack of moisture in the grasses, weeds and brambles made them less filling, or we are into a new season of grasses and plants that they don't favor as much.
VIDEO OF THE GOATS BROWSING - EARLY JULY.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXxD9VpmIT8
There is a lot of high growth, but as they pick through what they like first, much gets trampled and wasted.

Not to suggest the goats are not eating well. Hardly! At the end of July, the goats got moved to the far end of the paddocks from the barn, and we mowed down the stubble in the closest fields for a clean start, and to try and shorten the life span of any parasites. Without moisture, the parasite has a difficult time surviving.

However, other creatures survived the goats and us. Or should I say we survived them. Twice this summer I have mowed the paddocks after the goats were rotated out, and come to a spot where it appeared the goats did not enjoy the growth. Although I have a good sized tractor, the mower is a basic underbelly mower, and can only cut so high and so thick before it chokes.

The first time this happened, I started to push into the tall weeds and grasses before I checked my sanity and backed away. I looked at where I had mowed and thought at first I saw a carcass. Then I thought newspaper? Then I though BEES! RUN!
In my haste at backing up, I almost took out some of the high tensile fence. When in forward, I went as fast as I could, waving my arms at my approaching husband. He was hospitalized eight years ago after hitting a ground yellow-jacket nest, so we've got a history here.
The above paper wasp nest is on a post along the fence where the goats just left. I was suspicious this time and rightfully so. This is a busy nest.
I now approach the fields with much more caution as I work. One never knows where these nests will show up.

Another blurry photo of these beautiful pheasants that have thrived on the farm and are now escorting their young down the paths and through the paddocks. We hear them much more than see them, because the males are constantly "crowing".
My latest theory is that they follow the goats, especially in the mornings, because they like what they find in the droppings. A coexistence I favor. They too are helping reduce the parasite life cycle.

The heat has been tough on everyone, and the water troughs and buckets have been well used. The cats have had the toughest time coping outdoors, but Mia was doing her best this day.

We started this month with Julia working on her 4-H project. Her workbook is finished and checked off, and she is ready to go to the fair in two weeks. A bit more training of the does, and its Westmoreland Fair time. Ariel and Adeline, above, along with Ali and Abi, have been spending time in their own stall at night. This is in preparation for the "cold turkey" weaning that will happen to the two that will be at the fair, and also because we are coming into breeding season. We need to give the nannies a break, and time to fatten up and get ready to kid again.

And we came to the end of an era on July 30th. After many good miles, we had to trade in the old Explorer because it would not pass state inspection, and they were not sure how much it was going to take to fix it.

With rebates, the timing was right to trade in my dear friend and get the Escape. Its a bit better on fuel and could meet my basic needs. The key requirement I had was that it could hold the large dog crate - for the goats.

Quilt Making

2011-08-07T23:10:00.005-04:00

I have been trying to find the time to stop and get back to quilting. I have a couple projects underway and was making steady progress as I hide indoors from the humidity these days. I put together 64 half square triangles to create a pin wheel block in pretty quick order. Once I had the fabrics selected, some chain stitching, and I had my squares ready to press.

I went with a denim blue look that I thought would last beyond babyhood. Then I experimented with some designs and I think the end result will be perfect.
It needs to be completed by September for a friends grandson.

The other project is a simple flower design that I saw in a quilt on the Flicker slide show and I found it here. Mine is a smaller wall hanging size and I added the green borders because I wanted a more summery look. The problem I have now is that when I was sewing on the green strips, my 30 plus year old Singer started acting up. The needle started setting itself to the left side. I tried using other stitches to make it snap out of it, but no go. It seemed to be hot, and so I shut it down for a while. Its still not acting properly, but I got one more bit done so I can at least see some progress. For now I guess I can do some trimming and plan another quilt that I want to try until I find out what's going on with my machine. Tomorrow its back to mowing and the garden anyway!

Mia In the House

2011-08-06T16:11:00.003-04:00

If you have followed the blog a while, you may remember that Mia and Snickers were throw away cats that I got from my vet. They became the barn cats, taking over where our Sylvester had left off in the mouse eradication department. Snickers takes the job very seriously, but Mia was most certainly a house cat in her past life, and is forever trying to retain that title. Our kitchen door has a storm/screen door that closes slowly on a spring, and if one is not paying attention, Mia sneaks in. She goes to Pekoe's dry food, so I can usually catch her there, but on several occasions, I don't know she is in the house till she announces herself with a "Meow"! On this particular afternoon, I walked into the family room to find her lolling quite happily on the spiral staircase. Oh Mia!

Dietary Statistics and Nutritional Values For Goat Meat

2011-08-04T17:42:00.007-04:00

Comparative Chart for Goat Meat Nutrition

Per 3 oz. Cooked
	GOAT	CHICKEN	BEEF	PORK	LAMB
Calories	122	162	179	180	175
Fat (g)	2.6	6.3	7.9	8.2	8.1
Sat Fat (g)	0.79	1.7	3	2.9	2.9
Protein (g)	23	25	25	25	24
Cholesterol (mg)	63.8	76	73.1	73.1	78.2

Data from USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 14 (July 2001)

I requested stats for a 3oz. portion:

Game meat, goat, cooked, roasted

Refuse: 0%
NDB No: 17169 (Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion)

Nutrient	Units	Value per 100 grams	Number of Data Points	Std. Error	1.00 X 3 oz ------- 85g
Proximates
Water	g	68.21	0	0.000	57.98
Energy	kcal	143	0	0.000	122
Energy	kJ	599	0	0.000	509
Protein	g	27.10	0	0.000	23.04
Total lipid (fat)	g	3.03	0	0.000	2.58
Ash	g	1.46	0	0.000	1.24
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	0.00	0	0.000	0.00
Fiber, total dietary	g	0.0	0	0.000	0.0
Sugars, total	g	0.00	0	0.000	0.00
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	17	0	0.000	14
Iron, Fe	mg	3.73	0	0.000	3.17
Magnesium, Mg	mg	0	0	0.000	0
Phosphorus, P	mg	201	0	0.000	171
Potassium, K	mg	405	0	0.000	344
Sodium, Na	mg	86	0	0.000	73
Zinc, Zn	mg	5.27	0	0.000	4.48
Copper, Cu	mg	0.303	0	0.000	0.258
Manganese, Mn	mg	0.042	0	0.000	0.036
Selenium, Se	mcg	11.8	0	0.000	10.0
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0.0	0	0.000	0.0
Thiamin	mg	0.090	0	0.000	0.076
Riboflavin	mg	0.610	0	0.000	0.518
Niacin	mg	3.950	0	0.000	3.357
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
Folate, total	mcg	5	0	0.000	4
Folic acid	mcg	0	0	0.000	0
Folate, food	mcg	5	0	0.000	4
Folate, DFE	mcg_DFE	5	0	0.000	4
Choline, total	mg	106.4	0	0.000	90.4
Betaine	mg	14.0	0	0.000	11.9
Vitamin B-12	mcg	1.19	0	0.000	1.01
Vitamin B-12, added	mcg	0.00	0	0.000	0.00
Vitamin A, RAE	mcg_RAE	0	0	0.000	0
Retinol	mcg	0	0	0.000	0
Carotene, beta	mcg	0	0	0.000	0
Carotene, alpha	mcg	0	0	0.000	0
Cryptoxanthin, beta	mcg	0	0	0.000	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	0	0	0.000	0
Lycopene	mcg	0	0	0.000	0
Lutein + zeaxanthin	mcg	0	0	0.000	0
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	0.34	0	0.000	0.29
Vitamin E, added	mg	0.00	0	0.000	0.00
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	mcg	0.0	2	0.000	0.0
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)	mcg	0.0	2	0.000	0.0
Vitamin D	IU	0	2	0.000	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	mcg	1.2	0	0.000	1.0
Dihydrophylloquinone	mcg	0.0	0	0.000	0.0
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	0.930	0	0.000	0.790
4:0	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
6:0	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
8:0	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
10:0	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
12:0	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
14:0	g	0.040	0	0.000	0.034
16:0	g	0.430	0	0.000	0.365
18:0	g	0.430	0	0.000	0.365
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	1.360	0	0.000	1.156
16:1 undifferentiated	g	0.060	0	0.000	0.051
18:1 undifferentiated	g	1.240	0	0.000	1.054
20:1	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
22:1 undifferentiated	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	0.230	0	0.000	0.196
18:2 undifferentiated	g	0.130	0	0.000	0.111
18:3 undifferentiated	g	0.020	0	0.000	0.017
18:4	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
20:4 undifferentiated	g	0.080	0	0.000	0.068
20:5 n-3 (EPA)	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
22:5 n-3 (DPA)	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
22:6 n-3 (DHA)	g	0.000	0	0.000	0.000
Cholesterol	mg	75	0	0.000	64
Amino acids
Tryptophan	g	0.403	0	0.000	0.343
Threonine	g	1.290	0	0.000	1.097
Isoleucine	g	1.371	0	0.000	1.165
Leucine	g	2.258	0	0.000	1.919
Lysine	g	2.016	0	0.000	1.714
Methionine	g	0.726	0	0.000	0.617
Cystine	g	0.323	0	0.000	0.275
Phenylalanine	g	0.941	0	0.000	0.800
Tyrosine	g	0.833	0	0.000	0.708
Valine	g	1.452	0	0.000	1.234
Arginine	g	1.989	0	0.000	1.691
Histidine	g	0.565	0	0.000	0.480
Other
Alcohol, ethyl	g	0.0	0	0.000	0.0
Caffeine	mg	0	0	0.000	0
Theobromine	mg	0	0	0.000	0

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23 (2010)

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/list_nut_edit.pl

Barn and Butterfly Bush

2011-08-02T23:13:00.003-04:00

This particular butterfly bush is an original one that I brought from Connecticut. What's particularly amazing is that I grew it from seed thinking it was a flower and it became three intertwined bushes that I had to separate. Today we have a couple other varieties, but this one came from a seed packet not a nursery. So its possible to grow buddlleja from seed, but plan for the space accordingly. They get a large root system. Then enjoy them through fall when the last of the butterflies drunkenly laze around them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddleja