Trying To Be Thankful!

For three days I've been attempting to clean out my files so that I can somehow make room for more photographs of our splendid Thanksgiving feast and family gathering. Its just not working.
An email to Google and perhaps something will change shortly. 

Just here to say that I apologize for not attending to my blogging duties, but I do have events recorded and someday soon, a whole glut of visuals will appear!

Hope your Thanksgiving was not too stressful, hanging out with all those people who knew you since birth! 

My food consumption was moderate, so I feel pretty good about not sizing up in my jeans!!

The cold and white weather has returned. Its really winter I believe. Stay warm all!

Red Fox Sighting (Its Been A While)

The dog and cats and I had just come down from a nice walk, after checking on the goats by the pond.

I had my camera in hand looking for more fall loveliness, when I thought I saw a neighbor's cat on the newly mowed hill.

The gang followed me back for a better look, as I saw a bit of red, and we don't know any red cats.

Yes. Of course. It was a fox.

It watched us as we got closer, and Jock couldn't see over the remaining tall hay to think about giving chase. I said "fox", and he knows the word, and his ears went up. He scanned the hill, but the fox started to move before we got much further.

Here is the clip of him going back up the hill toward the woods.

And you are thinking I am mean to want Jock to give chase. Not true. I am protecting my hens. I don't think the fox would bother the goats unless it was kidding season. I just want the fox to stay on his half of the farm, and let me have my half.

Miltonian Stonehenge

  These poles in the middle of the beach were a couple days of camera play for me. I saw them as my own beach style Stonehenge.

In the background you can see another house that will surely have the same fate as this one soon enough.

On day two, I asked for a little cooperation from the family to use these poles in a photo shoot.

  Following instructions,...



...and patience was required.

OK. Set the timer.



Under Construction

I can't wait to do this next year.

 

Delicious Summer Day

After all the storms, tornadoes, floods, locusts.

Okay - I'm getting carried away.

But today is a lovely, dry, blue skied, perfect day.

The goats are rotating into new field, and the chewing is loud.

Speckles is rounding out, as is her udder.  We don't have a due date, so it will be a surprise, but I think soon. She is looks very healthy, and I have no worries about her kidding in the field.

Julia and I took the goats out and then admired Adeline and her buckling that Julia named Bruno.

We got my camera out and both worked on our photography. That is one of the categories Julia may enter at the Westmoreland Fair this summer.

At least you get to see the farmer once in a while!

Bruno has filled out and put on the pounds, and does a great job keeping up with the herd as a two week old.

Isn't he handsome?

32nd Annual Western Pennsylvania 4-H Goat Show

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.