Still Waiting
Here are Brownie and Spot. I’m still waiting for Dottie to have her kids. Tomorrow is supposed to be colder and snowing, so I think she is waiting till then. Luckily she’s in a barn, so it doesn’t matter what the weather is doing outside.
I hope the other does wait till the week-end to have theirs. It’s supposed to be nicer then. I’m really hoping that at least one is born on Sunday, that’s my birthday. That would be an excellent birthday present!
This morning after I was done feeding the cashmeres, I sat on a rock that is in their pen and all 5 kids came over and climbed in my lap and jumped all over me. They are so cute at this age. They are cute up till about a year old, then they are goats. Still cute, but not as cute as babies.
I’m spinning up an order for yarn made out of dog hair for a woman in the Valley. It’s Golden Retriever hair. It is spinning up really nicely. I think it’s going to be a fairly soft yarn. Kind of a heathery beige color, if there is such a thing. I’m spinning it straight, no wool or anything added. So far, so good.
I’m starting to get quite a bit of milk from the goats now. I’ve started milking Speckles, along with Belle. The cheese factory will be starting up soon! As soon as Dottie has her kids, if she ever does, then I will start making cheese again. Butter, ice cream, and yogurt, too. Plus the soap, of course.
I’ve been getting up quite often during the night to go check on Dottie since Sunday. Good thing I can take a nap or two during the day! I’ve learned to sleep when I can during kidding season. It’s almost over. This next week will be when all the rest of them come. If Emily is actually pregnant, then she is due on the 20th. That will be the last one till July, when Molly, the un-planned pregnancy is due. Hope there are a lot of girls! So far it’s even. Or it would be if Lucky’s sister had lived.
The turkeys are sure laying a lot of eggs! The nest box has at least a dozen in there. Hope one of the hens starts setting soon. There is a chicken hen sitting on 5 eggs. Those should hatch around the 21st. The turkeys are staying in their yard now. Only the two crosses are getting out, and that is just at night to roost. I should trim their wings one of these days. Actually, they should just go in the freezer, except they aren’t big enough yet.
It’s funny to watch the two toms. They strut around together all day and are buddies, then every once in a while, they get in a big fight, both come away with bloody heads, then they are friends again. One thing about it, the critters around here are more entertaining than watching TV any day.
When I was coming home from getting grain today, I saw a red fox out in a field fairly close to the road. That was neat. I haven’t seen one up here for a few years. Now that we have the perimeter fenced, we aren’t getting much except deer in here anymore. Nellie keeps things away, too. We used to have foxes coming through all summer. They never bothered the chickens at all. Went right past them. The guineas even chased one down the driveway one day. The fox was just coming in for water, it was a dry year. There are springs all over this mountain, except right in this area. The animals have to travel a ways to get water when they are here. Which is probably why we don’t have a predator problem here. We are too far away from a good water source. Luckily we have a really good well.
Well, I’d better go check on Dottie again. I sure hope she has them in the morning, anytime after 9. ☺ More as it happens…………..
