Today we did quite a bit of running around. Home Depot to purchase a deep freezer and a mini bar fridge to replace the one that went bust. Tractor Supply for the weekly animal feed run. Great Clips where everyone got a haircut, even me. Sean busted his hand, or leg, or arm, or something, so cancelled on me today. I had to resort to Great Clips. I'm growing it out, so it didn't really matter.
For Halloween Finn is going to be a doctor and Tali a princess. I'm kinda mad at their school because they did face painting on Friday and it got all over both of their costumes. We are going to go into Oberlin. The houses are so pretty in the fall. I hope the weather holds. Mom and maybe Dad are coming.
Animal update: I think that Ruby is still feeling punky. I think she still has a strongyle infestation. I need to get some panacur on Monday. I left her in her stall today because the back creek has been flooding and the pasture is a mess. The poor sheep have half of their pen flooded. Luckily the straw has built up and they have a little dry space. Tomorrow the plans for me are to move the goat wall back so that the space is smaller. Then I'm going to fill it with sawdust and get their bedding built up before it gets really cold. I also want to finish painting the sheep shed and the doors to the pens.
I think that Charlie has been doing his job, at least with Raisin. We had to put Mr. Tumnus along with Bear and Bunny into the barn one night this week so that Charlie could have his way with her. Mr. Tumnus was just getting in the way too much. He is very protective of all of the girls.
Oh, we also need to get some lighting out to the chickens and cover the pool. We are getting two eggs a day but I think that will be dwindling soon if we don't get some light out there. This week we have let them back out to free range and they are very happy campers. But the poo situation is very annoying.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Warm buns
This morning Finn told me that while he was lying in bed he put his hands on his butt and he liked it. WHAT! I asked him to elaborate. He said that his hands were like snow so he wanted to find someplace cozy for them. He he!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Dreamin
While I was making breakfast Finn told me, "Last night I dreamed about budder." Butter, that is. Oh, my child is so strange. But in a good way! :)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
More to cheese
As a follow up on the cheese. There was a boatload of whey left in the pot and I didn't know what to do with it. It seemed like a lot to just throw away. I found a recipe in my Storey's Guide to Dairy Goats from a 19th century cookbook for making lemonade from whey. So I made that. It doesn't taste bad, pretty good actually, but weird.
I just got in from working with Ruby. I think that lunging a young horse has got to be the most physically exhausting activity. Who needs a workout! I am literally wringing with sweat. I know, yum. But it is so exhilirating!!! Really fun!!!! I'll have to try again tomorrow to see if it sticks, but I'm pretty sure she understands the words for walk, trot and now canter along with the sounds that go with them. Walk is a cluck. Trot a click and canter a kiss. She was hauling butt today and since I was working her in the big corral I had to use all of my strength and body weight to hold on to her. Loved it!!!
I just got in from working with Ruby. I think that lunging a young horse has got to be the most physically exhausting activity. Who needs a workout! I am literally wringing with sweat. I know, yum. But it is so exhilirating!!! Really fun!!!! I'll have to try again tomorrow to see if it sticks, but I'm pretty sure she understands the words for walk, trot and now canter along with the sounds that go with them. Walk is a cluck. Trot a click and canter a kiss. She was hauling butt today and since I was working her in the big corral I had to use all of my strength and body weight to hold on to her. Loved it!!!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Cheese!
Not 30 minutes ago I posted that I was going to try to make cheese tonight. Well, my first batch of queso blanco is already hanging! I am just too proud of myself. It was really easy. I heated 1 gallon of goat's milk to 185 and then stirred in 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. Waited for the curds and whey to separate (by the way, I had no idea what curds and whey were going to look like, but I do now!) and then used a slotted spoon to move the curds to a colander lined with cheesecloth. I then hung it to drain. Voila, cheese! The kitchen smells heavenly. Hopefully the cheese will taste as good.
EGGS!!!!
We've got eggs! Finally! 21 weeks to the day. I found the first one on Wednesday. It was so cute. Very small, but perfectly formed. We've gotten two more this week. I ate one on Friday and almost lost my cookies. Not that it tasted bad. It tasted the same as the ones from the neighbor's chickens down the road. It was just too fresh, if you know what I mean. I have to get used to the idea of eating my chicken's eggs just like I did with the goat milk. Now I wouldn't drink anything else.
Horse Show
Today Tali and I went to the Lewis Road horse show. It was fun. We liked the egg and spoon race, the water race, and the carrot race. We went to Taco Bell for lunch. Another nice mother and daughter day. Tali got jiggy 3/4's of the way through and I knew it was time for her to take a nap in the car.
Kindergarten is going well. Finn has stopped telling us that he doesn't want to go to school. They both come out everyday in very high spirits. Friday is a professional day for K teachers, so Mom is watching them.
Mark seems to be enjoying his second graders, but Cathy and I have our hands full. I would say that the biggest problem is a lack of respect for each other and an unhealthy joy in making fun of others. We have started team building lessons and will add lessons on bullying. They are really mean and love to laugh at others misfortunes. It is sad and a little disheartening. No, a lot. After last year it is a rude and nasty awakening for me. Thankfully Cathy and I are together. I get the impression that Arod thinks that since there are two of us that we should be able to work miracles. I don't think she understands the extent of the nastiness involved.
Anyway, Ruby and I are doing great. Last Wed. Rachel came and we put the saddle back on and she acted like it was no big deal. My lunging was still on the crazy side. She was trying all sorts of new tricks like pulling her head away and turning towards me, but it came together in the end. I was exhausted and sweating like a banshee. Lunging is quite a workout. Yesterday Ruby spent the morning whinnying back and forth with the neighbor horse. The girl down the street was riding him in the small arena on the other side of Dave and Sheila's. They kept neighing to each other and Ruby was running and bucking and kicking all up and down the pasture. She wore herself out and was very pliable when I went to work with her. She lunged really well yesterday.
My hands and wrists have really been hurting from the lunging so last night I was envisioning myself using the dressage whip. After the horse show I worked with Ruby again, this time with the whip. We both did so well! She is starting to learn the words and sounds for "walk" and "trot". I was able to hold both the rope and the whip without wrapping it around my feet or hitting myself in the face, both which I have done in the past. Rachel was talking about getting on her this week. I hope she remembers to bring her helmet because I think that Ruby is ready, and so am I!
I have started to dry up Raisin. Cathy and I were accepted to go to a professional development conference for Science in Columbus. It is for 2 days and Mark is going to have to do the milking. I thought it would be easier for him to only milk Promise. I hope that come October Raisin will be dry. She is only giving about 1/2 a quart a day and my hands are starting to really feel the cold in the mornings, so I thought it would work out to dry her up. I hope that Promise still continues to give us the same amount. She is giving about 1/2 a gallon a day. I am going to attempt to make my first batch of cheese tonight.
Kindergarten is going well. Finn has stopped telling us that he doesn't want to go to school. They both come out everyday in very high spirits. Friday is a professional day for K teachers, so Mom is watching them.
Mark seems to be enjoying his second graders, but Cathy and I have our hands full. I would say that the biggest problem is a lack of respect for each other and an unhealthy joy in making fun of others. We have started team building lessons and will add lessons on bullying. They are really mean and love to laugh at others misfortunes. It is sad and a little disheartening. No, a lot. After last year it is a rude and nasty awakening for me. Thankfully Cathy and I are together. I get the impression that Arod thinks that since there are two of us that we should be able to work miracles. I don't think she understands the extent of the nastiness involved.
Anyway, Ruby and I are doing great. Last Wed. Rachel came and we put the saddle back on and she acted like it was no big deal. My lunging was still on the crazy side. She was trying all sorts of new tricks like pulling her head away and turning towards me, but it came together in the end. I was exhausted and sweating like a banshee. Lunging is quite a workout. Yesterday Ruby spent the morning whinnying back and forth with the neighbor horse. The girl down the street was riding him in the small arena on the other side of Dave and Sheila's. They kept neighing to each other and Ruby was running and bucking and kicking all up and down the pasture. She wore herself out and was very pliable when I went to work with her. She lunged really well yesterday.
My hands and wrists have really been hurting from the lunging so last night I was envisioning myself using the dressage whip. After the horse show I worked with Ruby again, this time with the whip. We both did so well! She is starting to learn the words and sounds for "walk" and "trot". I was able to hold both the rope and the whip without wrapping it around my feet or hitting myself in the face, both which I have done in the past. Rachel was talking about getting on her this week. I hope she remembers to bring her helmet because I think that Ruby is ready, and so am I!
I have started to dry up Raisin. Cathy and I were accepted to go to a professional development conference for Science in Columbus. It is for 2 days and Mark is going to have to do the milking. I thought it would be easier for him to only milk Promise. I hope that come October Raisin will be dry. She is only giving about 1/2 a quart a day and my hands are starting to really feel the cold in the mornings, so I thought it would work out to dry her up. I hope that Promise still continues to give us the same amount. She is giving about 1/2 a gallon a day. I am going to attempt to make my first batch of cheese tonight.
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