Pictures and Updates
I'm sorry for not posting as often as before! Life here has gotten a bit hectic and at night I'm usually too tired to write a tome about the day . . . in fact, sometimes I'm too preoccupied with what needs to be done tomorrow and getting to bed in time to get at least 7 hours of sleep! lol! Actually, I think I might only post on weekends and when something important happens from now on . . . at least I wont be able to post every day from now on. But I will try to continue posting as much as I can =D
Honestly, I can't think of much exciting to report from the week! It's all pretty routine stuff going on here. No big events or anything. I'm trying to take over more things from Jocelyne like the milk sales and general livestock sales tally. I feel like I can do anything well once I get the hang of it . . . but these finances I'm not sure if I can ever get it down without asking for help. =( I'm not sure why, but it just really confuses me. I think it might be the set up or wording of the Excel worksheet . . . but I just do NOT get it. D'=
The kids have been moved in with the dry goats and we have transferred some dry goat wethers (castrated males) to the new pasture with the dairy goats. This new pasture is full of lush greens for the goats and ever since we put the milking goats on that we've gotten 6 half-gallons of milk in the mornings rather than our usual 5!!!! WHOOT!! \:D/ These wethers are on the pasture because we want to give them a month or two of good healthy grazing . . . before we butcher them. =( So it's kind of like "Death Row" out there for the boys and sadly, Falcor has been placed among the condemned D= who knows if he really will "go to town" or not. I think he probably will, so I'm trying not to get as attached to him as many other volunteers and interns here. It's not working . . . he's a charismatic goat =/
Rasputin and I are becoming fast friends! <3 When I come get him to go to his own pasture in the morning he tries to play by jumping in the air and tries to headbutt me with his tail wagging like crazy!! =D he drank my coffee the other day and I fed him a few pomegranates and apple slices when he starts crying outside. he only bleats when he can't see people around him and he feels alone . . . or when he gets himself tangled in the leash =P. He's a real sweetheart. And I was delighted to see that he and Phoebe (one of our good milking goats) were rubbing heads and looking very interested in each other <3 <3 :-" "Love is in the aaaaair!!" Lol!!
A disappointment is that David has decided to go down to only one milk team rather than the two we've had in the past. The reason for having a Team A and B is so that we can have milk year-round. With only one team we will not have milk for a few months, but supposedly it will give us some time to get stuff done in the dairy that's needed to be done for a while . . . i'm skeptical o_O. I wish that we would have stuck with two teams because it would give me two times the experience with kidding, drying up, milking, selling milk, etc. Now I only get one shot at everything =S. Plus I have to call all our regular milk customers (whom we've worked extremely hard to get) and tell them that for two or three months we can't sell them milk anymore. =/ So I'm not thrilled with this decision . . . actually I don't think anyone is. When Neil and Jocelyne talked to me about it they seemed to be leaning toward keeping two teams going as well, so I'm not sure why David made this decision. =/
Lolita is doing ok. She doesn't seem to be in extreme pain anymore. She's still pained, but she's moving around ok, so that's good, I guess =). Hopefully, when we get the farrier to come again in 6 weeks, after that trim she will show much more progress. =)
The rooster Crookfoot is not doing well. Last night when I closed up the coops he could not even get himself back into the coop. I had to pick him up and place him inside ='(. He has a deformed foot (hence his name) and the foot that he uses to walk around is extremely swollen. It's actually hot to the touch. I think we will have to butcher him soon just to put him out of his misery. There's nothing else to do for him at this point. At least the other birds aren't picking on him. Crookfoot is the fighter of all fighters =) a sweet bird, but a trooper if I've ever seen any. It will be sad to see him go, but it will be good to end his suffering for him.
I met one of our regular milk customers yesterday. Her name is Mary Coats and she's 81 years old! She just had a bad fall and was hospitalized for a while. She came early to pick up milk and for once we were actually LOW on milk so I gave her some that was still a little warm from that evening =). She was thrilled and we (or I should say she) talked for about 20 minutes about her neighbors, her fall, her activity level, her health, and the benefits of raw goat's milk =D! She's a real sweetie and it was good to get to talk to one of our regular customers. =D She even thanked me for listening to her talk, but honestly, I loved it. <3
I will probably post some more updates later, but right now I can't remember anything else important. When I do, I will post it =D
#7 Chewing On My Shirt, doesn't his expression just say, "Hey, dude! Just givin' ya shirt teh nibblez. This cool with you?"
Viki
Lolita
disappointed that i didn't bring another apple
Lolita tells a goat what's what
Maasai
Lolita
This kid decided to scratch his leg while placing his hoof on my knee
#7 Stares at Maurice in the bushes
#20
Such a cute face!
#7 Hogs the Camera
Crookfoot
Maurice
Rodney and his harem
Rodney is the (demonic) bird at the top middle perch.
Frosty
A sweet older donation goat
Boer Goats
aka trouble x 2 o_O
The turkeys are all sleeping
Honestly, I can't think of much exciting to report from the week! It's all pretty routine stuff going on here. No big events or anything. I'm trying to take over more things from Jocelyne like the milk sales and general livestock sales tally. I feel like I can do anything well once I get the hang of it . . . but these finances I'm not sure if I can ever get it down without asking for help. =( I'm not sure why, but it just really confuses me. I think it might be the set up or wording of the Excel worksheet . . . but I just do NOT get it. D'=
The kids have been moved in with the dry goats and we have transferred some dry goat wethers (castrated males) to the new pasture with the dairy goats. This new pasture is full of lush greens for the goats and ever since we put the milking goats on that we've gotten 6 half-gallons of milk in the mornings rather than our usual 5!!!! WHOOT!! \:D/ These wethers are on the pasture because we want to give them a month or two of good healthy grazing . . . before we butcher them. =( So it's kind of like "Death Row" out there for the boys and sadly, Falcor has been placed among the condemned D= who knows if he really will "go to town" or not. I think he probably will, so I'm trying not to get as attached to him as many other volunteers and interns here. It's not working . . . he's a charismatic goat =/
Rasputin and I are becoming fast friends! <3 When I come get him to go to his own pasture in the morning he tries to play by jumping in the air and tries to headbutt me with his tail wagging like crazy!! =D he drank my coffee the other day and I fed him a few pomegranates and apple slices when he starts crying outside. he only bleats when he can't see people around him and he feels alone . . . or when he gets himself tangled in the leash =P. He's a real sweetheart. And I was delighted to see that he and Phoebe (one of our good milking goats) were rubbing heads and looking very interested in each other <3 <3 :-" "Love is in the aaaaair!!" Lol!!
A disappointment is that David has decided to go down to only one milk team rather than the two we've had in the past. The reason for having a Team A and B is so that we can have milk year-round. With only one team we will not have milk for a few months, but supposedly it will give us some time to get stuff done in the dairy that's needed to be done for a while . . . i'm skeptical o_O. I wish that we would have stuck with two teams because it would give me two times the experience with kidding, drying up, milking, selling milk, etc. Now I only get one shot at everything =S. Plus I have to call all our regular milk customers (whom we've worked extremely hard to get) and tell them that for two or three months we can't sell them milk anymore. =/ So I'm not thrilled with this decision . . . actually I don't think anyone is. When Neil and Jocelyne talked to me about it they seemed to be leaning toward keeping two teams going as well, so I'm not sure why David made this decision. =/
Lolita is doing ok. She doesn't seem to be in extreme pain anymore. She's still pained, but she's moving around ok, so that's good, I guess =). Hopefully, when we get the farrier to come again in 6 weeks, after that trim she will show much more progress. =)
The rooster Crookfoot is not doing well. Last night when I closed up the coops he could not even get himself back into the coop. I had to pick him up and place him inside ='(. He has a deformed foot (hence his name) and the foot that he uses to walk around is extremely swollen. It's actually hot to the touch. I think we will have to butcher him soon just to put him out of his misery. There's nothing else to do for him at this point. At least the other birds aren't picking on him. Crookfoot is the fighter of all fighters =) a sweet bird, but a trooper if I've ever seen any. It will be sad to see him go, but it will be good to end his suffering for him.
I met one of our regular milk customers yesterday. Her name is Mary Coats and she's 81 years old! She just had a bad fall and was hospitalized for a while. She came early to pick up milk and for once we were actually LOW on milk so I gave her some that was still a little warm from that evening =). She was thrilled and we (or I should say she) talked for about 20 minutes about her neighbors, her fall, her activity level, her health, and the benefits of raw goat's milk =D! She's a real sweetie and it was good to get to talk to one of our regular customers. =D She even thanked me for listening to her talk, but honestly, I loved it. <3
I will probably post some more updates later, but right now I can't remember anything else important. When I do, I will post it =D
#7 Chewing On My Shirt, doesn't his expression just say, "Hey, dude! Just givin' ya shirt teh nibblez. This cool with you?"
Viki
Lolita
disappointed that i didn't bring another apple
Lolita tells a goat what's what
Maasai
Lolita
This kid decided to scratch his leg while placing his hoof on my knee
#7 Stares at Maurice in the bushes
#20
Such a cute face!
#7 Hogs the Camera
Crookfoot
Maurice
Rodney and his harem
Rodney is the (demonic) bird at the top middle perch.
Frosty
A sweet older donation goat
Boer Goats
aka trouble x 2 o_O
The turkeys are all sleeping