Another older but goodie...

Reconnecting

Like most families, we have a long beautiful history - so reconnecting with family provides another moment to reconnect with that history and honor our ancestors in many ways.  I always feel our loved ones that are here and those that have passed before us are with us most especially on those days.  And the love that is present in our homes is partly because of this family connection.  It is wonderful to see the next generation enjoy the foundation that was built before them and see the promise of the future through them!

My Mother and Grandma are pictured here.

Our Matriarchs always provided us with good food and good wine and much love - they include our Grandmothers on all sides, our Mothers, our Aunts, and elder Cousins!

We are carrying on the tradition as our reunion featured a feast of  Neopolitan wood fired pizza, antipasto, tomato and cucumber salad, pasta salad, apple turnovers, cupcakes and cookies, eggs and bacon, roasted sausage and duck, barbecued hotdogs, hot peppers and potatoes, and fruit salad and abundant beverages bought by all.  As always, the women worked together to feed everyone and talked while we worked and the men tended the fire, moved furniture, and enjoyed men talk.  The kids helped quite a lot, following in the footsteps of their predecessors, our next generation will be pioneers in their own right ... They helped with pizza making, picking potatoes, and squeezed in a few tractor & pony rides!

Animal Memories: Maxine ("Blackie") & Broken Arrow

We lost 2 more animals this year - one to age and one roadkill. I hesitate to write of only our losses here - because so much of our farm life is about life.

However, there comes along tragedies and the natural passing of time.

Aging, while a fact of life is never easy for anyone. To resign oneself to the end of life is our greatest loss of all because we only get one time around. There may be a spiritual life but it is not the same as what we experience now.

That being said, the animals and loved ones we lose to aging is much easier to accept than the tragic and unexpected deaths. This dog and this cat are one of each - one sudden, the other aged.

Neighbors

Tis the Season

I am always alittle torn this time of year between offering time care and attention to the animals in my care and planting all of my custom heirloom plants that I contract with a local nursery and the tons of greens and lettuce and squash, peas, corn, pumpkins seeds that I purchase with the hopes of putting up frozen veggies and brick oven pizzas in our commercial kitchen IN THE WORKS!!!

I take on alot - sometimes I can't explain it - but the farm is in the process of & set up for milking/ dairy and by products, frozen veggies, pony rides, CSA, specialty produce, baked goods, brick oven pizza, stables, eggs, hound dog rescue, custom woodworking, haying, sawmill lumber, heavy equipment for hire, beekeeping and honey, antique apples, and foraging wild fruits and vegetables.   As of this writing we have 6 hound dogs, a dozen cats, 17 egg laying chickens, 19 goats, and 5 horses (having  lost Smokey Boots this winter to age) and 1 pony.

Here are some photos of the animals at play - something they get alot of and I dont!

Goat Facts

Goat facts

8-10 weeks bucking s/b separated from does or banded

2011 kids bday
Jun 2.  Undie, doe.        Helios, buck
Mar 30. Chaos doe.      aither, wither 

2012
Chaos born mar 30, impregnated approximate aug by lil buck Helios




Further, born 2009, impregnated 2nd time, 9/11 butler




Pearl, 2009 , impregnated 1st time,9/17 butler
Born 2/14/2012
Cupid, buck
Ceres,doe


Clover,2009,imp 9/30, butler
Born
Cashmere, buck, withered 4/27
Mercury, buck, withered 4/6.  Ck 10 days to fall off by banding


Sorrelina, imp 9/25, butler
Born
Diana, doe


Further, butler
Born mar 24 2012

Muses, doe
Meander,buck, withed 4/27

Khaos, butler or Helios
Born apr 2

Aphrodite, doe
Achilles, buck

Undie, butler or helios 
Born may 19
Hebe ,doe blk and white

Goats are A M A Z I N G!

We bought our first goats in 2009. Further and Sorellina - pictured here with her kid Diana.  I find them so much fun and amazing - why?  Well they jump in the air and do a 360 degree turn in midair and so many more acrobatic feats.   They are very into human company and companionship which I experience every time I herd them onto pasture.  Like horses, they dive bomb grain or any other treat so be careful with this in your hand.  They constantly struggle with each other for dominance,  You see it from the time they are kids.  And they are good mothers.  They also are just funny and playful so they will uplift me every time I am around them.

I think more people should have goats as pets instead of mowers - although they choose jumping on trees as much if not more than grass so they may not be right for every landscape.  They have done a number on several of the trees pictured here in the background.  But they can be tied on a long lead rope or fenced to restrict access to areas off limits.

Fencing required is 4 ft redline goat fencing- sturdy enough to hold the weight of them jumping and leaning and restricts their jumping capabilities.  Goats are able to get out of fenced in areas - more so than horses - they are both pretty hard to contain.  Provide a large enough space with varied terrain and grasses, brush, trees - they do not become bored easily.  Be sure to  return them to shelter in hazardous and inclimate weather.  A neighbor lost a cow to lightning - don't think it can't happen.  And bringing them in at night saves them from would be predators.  We bring ours in every night and  most days several times during the day.