Winter Fun

Here are some winter fun pictures from this weekend. I'm frustrated with blogger not allowing me to put these in the proper order, but bear with me. We headed sledding with some friends this afternoon to a large hill a short drive from our house that was created with the highway construction. It is located next to the snowmobile trail, so it was nicely packed, and fast!

This picture should be last. We enjoyed brownies and hot cocoa after our sledding (goat milk cocoa for the Briggs'!)

Nate and Isaiah, coming down.

Kohen's first run, face first of course. I think he's watched too many olympics! At the bottom of the hill he caught three feet of air where it hit the snowmobile trail.

The long hike to the top.
This picture is from yesterday, but so adorable. Isaiah found Kohen's skis while I was mucking out the goat shed. For a while he was even skiing across the driveway-with the skiis on backwards! He had surgery for tubes in his ears on Friday, and is doing pretty well. Hopefully we are on the road to a healthy, growing boy!

In other events, we've been busy adjusting to the new goats, and I've adjusted to an earlier alarm and milking schedule. We have only four weeks until lambs, and need to get more hay, so I'm feeling a bit panicky. No barn completed yet either, so the sheep will again take residence in the garage, unless Nate get's a lot of free time in the next few weeks. We finally put all the ewes together this last week, a day after Jimmer decided to break off a horn by getting it stuck in the cattle panel on the inside of their shelter. He should be in the freezer by now, but it hasn't happened. Does anyone one want some wonderful lamb meat?

Additions

The new additions to our bit of a farm have arrived. Goats. Dairy goats. Meet Feta and Brie. Feta is a saanen/nubian, in her fourth freshening (for those nongoat types, that means this is her fourth time kidding, and being in milk.) Brie is her 2 week old daughter. They are now residing in the old/new goat shed. Old, because our original occupants of four years ago, Jack and Jill, used to reside there. New, because it has been upgraded. Sheeted inside with OSB, hay feeder, full view glass door, and a great milking stand designed by my husband that folds up against the wall for space saving.

The decision to get a milk goat was made for a practical purpose. Isaiah. Isaiah has been battling ear/nose/throat/lymph node problems, but since we have taken him off all cow dairy, he is doing much better. It doesn't hurt that he absolutely loves goat milk. We have made him an appointment to get tubes in his ears in two weeks, but wanted to avoid the more invasive adenoidectomy. We'll see how it pans out. In the meantime, you'll find me in the little green shed every twelve hours, doing my best milkmaid impression. Sheep experience has me much less overwhelmed. I've eyed up Feta's udder, and it appears much more approachable then Pamela or Shrek's (whom you loyal blog followers may remember had a bit of milking last spring to provide for little Cream.) Paulette, whom we purchased the goats from, said that it took her about five minutes to milk Feta in the morning, so I'm giving myself 20 minutes.

My only apprehension to the goat milk was my first taste of store bought goat milk. It tasted like goat to me, but Isaiah loved it, so we were going ahead with it. Well, after tasting fresh goat milk, I am sold. It had no goat flavor, and tasted wonderfully creamy.

Cheese anyone?

Sunday: Stream of Consciousness

A great weekend can really change your attitude, at least mine. I had a rotten week at work last week, and this upcoming promises to be much of the same. But, I had a great weekend to break up the gloom. Nate was gone all last week working in Rochester, and made it home about ten on Friday night. I was so happy to see him! We had a great weekend. It is true that "absence makes the heart grow fonder," I love my husband!
Dogs...On Saturday we were visited by "the dog lady" as Kohen calls her, and her five border collies. She lives in the area and has been looking for sheep to work with her dogs. Our sheep are not dog trained, but her dogs are very trained, and I think the match up can be made to work well. Kohen and I loved to see the different styles of border collies in action, Shep was excited to see some dogs that looked similar to him. Of course we had to take Annafleece and Marshmallow out of the pen. They don't have a clue that they should move away from a dog that is staring them down. The first dog who tried to move them was very confused by their behavior and decided he didn't want anything to do with those two crazy sheep!
Additions...Nate and I spent this morning plotting and ordering our garden fare for this upcoming season. We are planning on doing two farmer markets this year, so our garden will hopefully produce better than last year. Along with a hefty seed order, we've decided to add two more four legged critters to our place in a couple of weeks, but more on that later. The only hint I will give is they are not wool makers! Though there is a new precious, beautiful, exciting wooly coming too...just a tease.
Boys and Baby Dolls...The boys spent this afternoon at my parents so Nate and I could do some shopping. They had a good afternoon with Nanny and Papa and discovered my sister and I's baby dolls. Both boys came home with a doll, swaddled in blankets, with new names of "Koko" and "Alexa."
Here's wishing you a wonderful week, don't forget to order flowers boys!