Good News

I have finally found some terrific local dairy goats, just 8 miles away in Waterville. I saw the sign at Louis Gale Feeds and called the owner, who owns Gallagher's, a local family dairy farm. They are beautiful purebred Nubians with papers! Just what I was hoping for. The Gallagher children are raising them for 4-H and have more goats than they need. The price is very reasonable compared to what I have found in years past. I found dairy goats in Bainbridge but they wanted $350 - waaayyy out of my price range. I'm taking the two I was offered, plus an unrelated buck for breeding in the fall. No babies, no milk. I've wanted to raise my own milk forever, for soap making, lotions, and our own consumption. I missed out on an opportunity a couple of years ago when Susie M. called from over the hill about a flock of Nubians she was trying to place. When she got my voice mail she called somebody else!! Then there was my poor rescued Rhonda, a La Mancha doe, who ate herself into bloat the first day out to pasture in the spring two years ago. She was dead before the vet called back. Yes, I know, something else to do in the morning before I go to work - but I want to try. They have to be milked 12 hours apart for maximum production, say 6 am and 6 pm. I hope to substitute goat milk for the milk I use in the house, too. I bought a gallon Friday after work and it's gone on Sunday morning. How could two adults drink so much milk??? But we do. I'll try cheese-making, too. Goat milk can be frozen. Soapmaking goat people tell me they pour lye on frozen goat milk. I can use it for bottle lambs, too. Oh, I'm so excited. Now to break the news to Matt that I need another pen and feeding apparatus. I have a milking stand already.

Saturday Night

Shearing well smoothly today. I scrambled around to get everything I need. There is more than you think. Loren came early, Jim came early and we got to work. The sheep were still in the barn so I just put up the gate so they couldn't get out. Matt decided he would catch the sheep and bring them to Jim, Loren would take them from Jim once shorn and hold them while I gathered up and bagged the fleece, swept off the platform, then jumped over to Loren to clip hoofs, give the wormer then shots. By the time I did all that another sheep was almost ready to be taken off the platform. We kept going until we did 25 sheep, about 3 and a half hours. It was hot and the sliding door to the section we were working in was sealed up with dirt and manure. Loren freed it with a pick axe and shovel and pulled the door open. The extra air flow made everyone more comfortable. The sheep we sheared are sporting their new summer hair cuts and I have wool to play with. After Loren and Jim left and the sheep were let out to pasture, I confess I had to lie down for a while. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies and sewing, between walking dogs, making lunch and dinner for Matt and playing with kitties. I was doing chores when I noticed Monkey and her baby were not around. I found them inside a giant empty silo on the south side of the barn. They had jumped through a broken window, along with a few other goats, and into the silo. It was quite a jump down to the dirt floor and they were unhurt but unable (or unwilling) to jump back up into the silo entry room and through the window back into the barn. They waited for me to come and get them. Now, the inside of the silo is quite large, and a big circle. Picture me running round and round in the dark (well, my dim headlight made a little light) with five goats ahead of me. I finally gave up and called Matt on my cell phone. I was surprised he even answered, but the phone was near the sofa. He came out, jumped in the silo and asked me to go find a shepherd's crook. He said we left them where we were shearing, which was pitch black dark, and I managed to find one by feeling around. Brought it back to Matt and the round and round started again. He caught one goat and shoved it up through the silo trap door to me, but when I let up my grip on her horns she jumped right back into the silo! Matt was not amused - the colorful expletives filled the night air. It took some doing but we got the goats out. Take a memo: seal up silo door and repair broken window!

10 PM and Still Light

There was an orange glow behind the mountain to the northwest of my farm at 10 PM tonight as I came in from chores. I love all this light. I'm spending so much more time outside. It feels like I spent the whole winter in the barn. Makes sense since I live in the barn. The snow drifts so deep on the northside where the flock goes out to pasture it discourages them from trying. They like it in the barn anyway. Now, when I get home from work, they are lined up ready to be let out to pasture. Tonight they went to work on the low branches of the apple orchard. My orchard is long past productive. I like to think of previous owners, maybe a hundred years ago, pruning and caring for the orchard and enjoying the produce. I don't think the original owners planted this orchard 200 years ago. The trees don't look that old. Anyway, what tiny apples grow on the trees are quickly eaten by the goats who stand on their hind legs to reach them. The apples that fall down are eaten by the sheep. Chris eats the leaves on top. Deer hide from hunters in my orchard. I tell them they better stay put but they leave anyway, to their peril. I'm going to sew a little while watching Bill Mahre, then hit the hay. Loren Wildenstein is coming in the morning to help me catch sheep for Jim to shear. It's a good thing, because my 300 pound Merino boys are not easy to catch. Once caught, they are almost impossible to move. Loren is big, strong, young and determined - just right type for catching BIG sheep. I have to order some dyes from Dharma and get those pots boiling.

Cool and Rainy

Cool, rainy and dark. I heard rain in the wee hours when I was having trouble sleeping. Got up and checked movies on TV. Nothing that would help me sleep - just nasty, gorey, awful stuff. Sometimes a movie playing softly takes my mind off whatever it is that prevents Orpheus from taking me to dreamland. I popped in Master and Commander, yes, I know, with cannons booming and storms about to sink them. I've seen it so many times and the cello music is so beautiful throughout the movie it did the job. Now I have to get ready for work. Tomorrow I'll have some wool to dye. I have a few woolies that I want naked before the real heat hits. I'm terrified of fly strike and too much wool invites it. I will work on another red run, which sold out in Maryland, and a yellow run which just sold out. Well, traded out. Carol Crayonbox trades her graphic arts services for wool. I have lots of soap labels now, which was always a problem for me with broken printers, etc. That girl is so clever.

More Soap

When the world needs a scrub, what to do? Make soap!! I cut up the Clary Sage with Lavender and put it on the drying rack. It has curious spots from the ground oatmeal. You never know how some things react to the blend of essential oils. I like it, and some people will think it's kind of funky, but some might not like it. I'm using lye purchased from Rainbow Meadow. The local market can't get lye in for some reason. It was really good lye which packed a punch and turned those oils into soap with no difficulty. They stopped putting lye on the shelf in New Jersey a long time ago. I hope they don't pull it permanently in NY. It's more expensive to have it shipped here, ofcourse. I made a batch of Lemongrass which set up perfectly and should be okay. All this took several hours, good for me 'cause I needed to be busy, and made a big mess. When don't I make a big mess? Got in from chores to catch the end of another showing of Sense and Sensibility. Oh, those dresses. Oh, those houses. Oh, that furniture. Oh, those horses. And oh, those servants who bring you tea and keep the fireplaces lit. I had a call from AJ who was about to take off for Switzerland. He and his friend, Mitch, will tour Italy then fly to Sweden. AJ wants to do some "roots" investigating. He's bringing a camera. I'm looking forward to the pictures. School tomorrow and shearing on Saturday.

Graduation Day

Our little section of the technical high school where I work is holding a graduation ceremony for the half dozen or so students who are receiving their diplomas. Happy Day! These are students who have triumphed over various challenges to go the distance. I've worked with one of them for three years. Hope she keeps in touch. We are cautioned not to get personally involved with students but it's hard not to with some of them. I have six blocks of Clary Sage with Lavender soap to cut up after school, and several bags cut out. I am going to give myself a schedule of "spring cleaning" to keep to. It's not my favorite activity but it's got to be done. It's getting hot and the kids are coming. Lot's of stuff will have to be packed away in tubs and stored in the barn. Thank goodness Mia is so neat. I used to be a neat freak, way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. I think I'll get some soap cut now before I go to school. See, any excuse not to do housework...

Mia Needs a Bag

Every bag has a purpose. I made the Caribbean Cruise Knitting Bag because I just went nuts over the fabric when I saw in on line. Had to have it. This is not always the best impulse purchase. Truth be told, darker colors sell better. I think people are always thinking, I could only use this bag in the summertime. Maybe I should buy something red, or dark blue, or forest green, or taupe, etc. I made the bag anyway thinking someone would snatch it up and just love it to pieces. I put it on Etsy along with two other bags and wouldn't you know, the two other bags have gotten many more hits. That's okay, because out of the blue Mia called and said she needed a diaper bag for a baby shower. Her nurse friend is having a girl and our standard jungle fabric wouldn't do. Wait! I said. I have the perfect baby girl bag! I mailed it to Mia, Priority Post. I checked my voicemail after work and there was Mia, raving on and on about the bag and how perfect it is and how she can't wait to give it to the mom-to-be at the shower and how she is jealous 'cause she wants one herself. Gave me a real thrill. I'm so lucky. Don't you just love daughters????? I would make her a hundred bags if she wanted.

Happy to Be Over the Hump

Yeah, it's Wednesday. I even got to work on time after a mad dash into the local market to get my bros some jam, white bread and whole milk to go with the mega jar of peanut butter they are working on. I left early enough that I could go 55 instead of 75, a nice feeling. I'm always amazed when I arrive at work in a timely fashion in one piece. It's a big responsibility to leave last and get home first. If I forget something I am the first to find it when I get home and have to deal with it. Most of my morning anxiety is animal related. (I gave up on clothes when I moved to the hill country - I have a fortune of gorgeous things in bags in the tractor shed that I'm too fat to wear now anyway and there are no closets in the barn apartment to hang them up in). I have several stations of water and food to take care of, including putting bowls of water on the ground so the baby chicks don't climb into the sheep water tanks and drown - ghastly thing to come home to - and climbing the hay mow ladder to feed the kitties up there. I know, I know, barn kitties are supposed to live on the nasty critters that frequently live in barns. Those creatures are long gone courtesy of the Kitty Cadre. They even got rid of the pidgeons that were living in the silos after the kitties drove them off the roof of the barn! I am an Italian Mamma when it comes to feeding animals. Nobody goes hungry if I can help it. A big chunk of my pay goes for feeding cats and dogs, don't mention the sheep, goats and chickens. I sometimes think of what all that money could have amounted to if I had saved it instead - but it might have been lost if put into a 401K, like so many others I hear about whose life savings are gone. And I would not have been nearly as happy. I have to come up with a fortune of money to get my cats fixed. I found a place in Cazenovia that will take my cats in groups and do them in one day. When I was growing up Aunt Margaret would take care of getting my cats fixed. She was my father's sister, had no children, and was an ardent animal rights activist...a little crazy, but it runs in the family.

Clary Sage with Lavender

I stayed up way too late last night watching the new Weeds and the first Jackie episode. I thought Mia might be watching it, or taping it, as she is a nurse and Jackie is a nurse, etc. Don't think Mia would approve of this Jackie with her drug abuse and marital infidelity, but it was funny in spots. I don't really watch TV as I am always cutting out bags, playing with cats or dogs, sewing bags, making soap, wrapping soap, picking fiber, typing on my blog, yada-yada-yada. I catch bits of shows but listen to all of it. Since it was pretty late I wanted to catch Conan O'Brien to see if he could begin to fill the shoes of Jay Leno, but no good. I don't like him nearly as much as Jay. But then I didn't like Jay when he took over for Johnny. Nothing is forever... I was tired after work today so gave myself a little nap time, then got up to make Clary Sage with Lavender soap. Oh, how lovely and wonderful. It takes several hours from start to finish, but I managed to get the dogs up the big hill to the pond as it was getting dark. Still had to do chickens, kitties, bunnies and the White Boys. Came in from doing bunnies around ten. Don't think I'll get much else done tonight. I'll try to get in bed by eleven. Nighty-night.

Much Needed Rain

One pre-requisite of farming - complaining about the weather. If it is nice for any length of time, we complain about the lack of rain. If it is raining for more than a day or two, then we are drowning. There is a lovely, soaking rain this morning with a crash-boom-bang thunderstorm forecast for this afternoon. The weather is much more dramatic here than I have ever experienced in NJ. I love it. Storms roll in off Lake Ontario and really give us a show. I keep thinking about the biggie last summer the day I took Hannah and Luke to the airport. The bolts were coming down like giant spears from the sky. I couldn't get out to my dogs who were huddled in their igloos. The big barn light, riveted to steel with large screws, was blasted off the top of the north side doors. The Sisters came out the next morning with anxious concern on their faces and asked if the barn was hit. After all, they built the barn with their bare hands before they went to be nuns in the convent. It was very scary and very exciting...nature's great operatic production. I love to sit on the mound of hay bales in the barn with the big doors open and watch the storms rolling in from the northwest. Many farmers are hit by lightning while on their tractors. It enters your body then exits somewhere, frequently your head, leaving a smoldering hole. How do I know this? My mother was a nurse at the Hunterdon Medical Center years ago and would have some of these unfortunate farmers as patients. Not a pleasant thought to leave you with this morning, but I have to get to work.

Feels Like Summer

Hot and sunny, too hot to stand in the sun very long. The tractors are out, taking advantage of the good weather to get some hay in. Good idea, since it could start raining and keep on raining for a month. You never know in Brookfield with our "micro climate." Holly is standing over Bodie's final resting place. Matt had the excavator dig a nice grave while he was going the septic field. I wasn't home, or I would have had him dig it closer to Jasper, under the pine tree. I placed Jasper in a cave that Knut dug. He died in the summer, almost a year ago, and it was ghastly hot. I couldn't find my pick axe and I wanted to get him planted as soon as possible. There is another cave next to Jasper that I'm saving in case I need it. Bodie would not have fit in there, but I did want to keep my angels close together. There are some nice big boulders that I would have had the excavator put over Bodie's grave, but I wasn't home and Matt didn't think of it. They are in a pile by the road and I will never be able to move them. I hate not being here to run my own farm. Thank the sun, moon and stars that school is out in three weeks.

The White Boys

Full moon and the White Boys barked all night. I don't mind them barking 'cause I know they are telling the coyotes to "stay away or we will eat you up!" The barking drives Matt crazy. He got up in the wee hours and let Thor go, thinking that would stop him barking. It seemed to work. The other dogs were quiet, knowing Thor was patrolling around and taking care of the farm. The Boys sleep most of the day, getting ready for guard duty at night.

It's That Time Again

I'm going to be doing a LOT of dyeing this summer. I dried wool on the table next to the wood stove all winter. This will be a LOT easier and quicker. The kitties are already spying my spruce colored angora and getting ready to lie down on it.

Chris' Summer Haircut

I asked Matt to hold a black doe who escaped when Jim was last here to shear. She's a beautiful doe and I wanted to get that matted mohair off her. It's very dangerous to be out in the brush dragging long mohair around. She could get caught on a sticker bush and I might never find her. We decided to catch Chris and get him wormed. I don't want that meningeal worm to return and cause him more paralysis. Poor guy, he has a bum leg that will likely never heal and he has balancing problems. We closed him in a makeshift pen and Matt got him around the neck while I popped him with the shot of Ivomec. I had the scissors in my pocket and decided to get some of that heavy coat off him. He hasn't been shorn since we moved here and it's hot outside. It took a bit of llama WWF but he calmed down and I got most of the coat off. The neck, where Matt was holding him, is still on along with the bottom legs. Llamas are very sensitive about their legs. I'll get them next time we worm him. I fetched a bucket of rabbit pellets mixed with cracked corn to reward him for being a good boy. When released he ran down to the tractor shed by the road to munch on some funny little plants I don't recognize. He hung out with Monkey and her baby for a while before settling down next to Knut under the big pine tree.

God Bless America

The average WWII soldier was 5 foot 8 inches tall, 140 pounds and a high school drop out. And they saved the world for democracy. When not chasing sheep around the field or taking care of critters I've been riveted to the Military Channel and the D-Day footage. I didn't have any kin-folk going ashore at Omaha Beach, but Uncle Billy ran for his life at the Battle of the Bulge. He told us the story many times, of how he and another soldier ran when they were overrun by Germans, the bark flying off the trees from the bullets shot at them. The other guy was shot but Uncle Billy made it to a river and swam like crazy, saving his life. His brother, Uncle Fred, went island hopping through the Pacific and was part of the invasion force in Japan. He got on a bus in rural Georgia and didn't come back for five years. He said when he heard his mother's thick Southern accent for the first time after so long he could hardly understand a word she said. How could we not be enthralled by these heroic stories as kids? I'm still enthralled with the WWII sagas. We lose a thousand veterans of that conflict a day. I wish I asked for more of those stories. Yes, that's AJ holding the flag for his unit at Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. I guess I did my duty, raising up two more heroes.

Sleepy Market

Very slow at the market. Colgate Univ. is gone for the summer. I spent my earnings at Tractor Supply in Hamilton on rabbit feed, sheep minerals, dog and cat food. I was able to visit with Candace and pick up some gorgeous yarn she spun for me. I'll knit a winter coat for myself with it. She's spinning some of the colorful fiber for me to take to NJ in two weeks. I adore her thick and thin bulky which I cannot possibly duplicate. I met a lot of really nice friendly people, as always, and enjoyed the "affirmation" I receive for my work. Did not sell a single bag today, but still can't wait to sew some more. I really should get a life. My professor friend came by and asked again if I remembered the fabric I used to make her daughter's bag. The daughter, who lives in England, met her in California and was carrying the bag I made. I have NO idea what that bag looks like, and surely can't remember it. The nice professor wants one just like it, the same size. I should have asked her to take a picture of it and send it to me. I explained I use remnants to keep the cost down and rarely have very many of one bag. Don't know if she got it. A nice lady who bought a bag last week brought it back to tell me it's too heavy. It's light as a feather, but she's just been through chemotherapy and thinks it's too heavy. She wants me to take the snap frame out and put a button on it with a strap. I told her fine, sure I would. After everything she's been through I want her to be happy. Many people looked at my Caribbean Cruise Knitting Bag, which I think is gorgeous. When I talked to Candace half way through the morning she had only had one jewelry sale. I'm not surprised. When you listen to the doom and gloom on TV people are afraid to spend any money. I heard some sad stories like the woman who said she and her brother had to sell their flock because they couldn't feed them over the winter, and another story about some shepherds who borrowed money to start their farm, couldn't make payments and lost the whole business. So sad. I think I'll go let the sheep out to graze, grab one to hug, and sink into the chair and close my eyes...

Way Too Late

Stayed up too late sewing and wrapping soap. The bed felt so good, but this dog and that cat wanted in or out of the bedroom. One kitty under the bed is fighting with another kitty and there were yowls and whines. I had to get up a couple of times to seperate them. Then Jackie scratching to get out at 6, which is when I had to get up anyway. Made coffee then looked out the window to see a whole group of goats waiting to get in the gate. Missed them in the dark last night. I'm off to the Farmer's Market. Weather should be good. I made a fabulous bag last night with some pink and peach geometric fabric and beige chenille lining with a snap frame. It's perfect for a cruise ship knitting bag. We'll see if anyone notices it. I made a stupid mistake and sewed the inner and outer sections together without straps! I had to pick stitches apart to get the straps on. No one would know. What a pain it is to change a mistake. Better get ready to go.

No Snapper

Took the doggies up to the pond hoping to see the snapper or the giant goldfish again. No show. I had my shepherd's staff just in case. I decided to let Tanner off the leash, partly because she fairly pulls my arm off, darting this way and that, and I had Pip along with us. She stayed around for a while then took off with Holly. I was able to practice throwing the ball in the pond with Holly. I spent a lot of time getting her to swim out and retrieve the ball then give it to Bodie to bring on to the shore. Holly still drops the ball in the water close to the shore as if Bodie was there to pick it up. Our pond visits make me miss Bodie terribly. I just had a call from AJ at the airport. He's visiting a friend from Rutgers out in Columbus, Ohio. He flies to Europe on Thursday. I'm pleased he's including Sweden in his itinerary. Two of my three kids will have been to my ancestral homeland. Eric, who is crazy about all things Swedish, has yet to go. Hope he makes it someday. Farmer's market tomorrow. Have to get dinner and chores done and hit the sewing machine. I cut out two bags from the lovely pink fabric I got online this week. They will make terrific "knitting cruise to the Caribbean" bags.

Could it be True?

Is it really Friday? Am I dreaming??? I am pooped. Could it have something to do with the kids today, who I don't dare write about for fear of getting canned? I was too late this morning to stop and buy milk, and forgot to carry it down from the cafeteria after lunch duty, so I am GASPING for coffee. Yes, it's cooking now. One nice thing today...it was "Goodie Day" for teachers and when I arrived for early morning cafeteria duty (yes, lucky me, I'm there for two duties a day!) there was a mother lode of cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, brownies, etc...almost all gooey and delicious. The kids had to walk past the teacher's goodies and couldn't have any. Weeeelllll, I piled several plates high with goodies and took them to the kids I eat breakfast with every day. They ate so much sugary goodness, cramming it into their hungry mouths, I bet they fell asleep on their desks at 10 am. Just my luck, at lunch I was sitting alone waiting for my bros to come to lunch and my boss sat down with me. The bros came along and they told my boss what a wonderful teacher I am. She had no idea they were talking about the cakes and goodies I gave them that morning and I didn't let on. See, sneaking goodies to the kiddos did pay off!

The Snapper

Okay, it was just too beautiful not to climb the hill. I should be feeding the rabbits while the sheep are out and can't mob me. I should be throwing some corn down for the chicks while the sheep are not there to step on them. I should be wrapping soap, or sewing bags, or washing the dishes. But not today. Just too gorgeous and not too hot yet. So we climbed the hill. I saw Holly up ahead with her nose focused on something. I had Tanner and Pip on leashes and it took us a while to catch up. There it was in the grass by the edge of the pond...about 14 inches across with the classic pointy head and markings. Snappers can't retract their heads and this one didn't want to. It popped the dogs a few times when they got too close. I was pulling back on the leashes and yelling at Holly and Izzie to stay away. The yelling just got them more excited and they bothered it even more. I wanted it to get in the water and tossed some pebbles at it, bouncing off the shell. Memo to carry my shepherd's staff up the hill next time. I was reminded of the stories my Army father used to tell about the snappers in the South Branch of the Raritan River where I grew up. He said his 45 caliber bullets would bounce off the snapper shells, they got so big and tough. That was how my father thought. If it was wild then shoot it. I knew snappers were in the Beaver Creek across the road as I found one crossing about this time last year. Libby told me about her snapper and how it would cross their road to get to a plowed field to lay her eggs the same time every year, and she would help it get there safely. I think this turtle might have been doing that, as she looked dry and tired. Maybe she crawled up the big hill like me with my dogs. I love all things wild, but now I'm worried about Hannah and Luke swimming in the pond! I walk through the tall wet weeds around the pond all the time without a second thought...but now I'm having second and third thoughts. Snappers in the pond, what next?