Update

Sorry, it has been a while since I have made an entry on this blog. I have excuses of course and my first was that I took a trip to Idaho to visit my grandchildren. My grandson was graduating from high school and I was invited to attend the ceremony and enjoy the festivities. It was wonderful watching him graduate and enjoy the rewards for achieving a high school diploma.
I also got to spend a lot of time with my granddaughter which was a joy. She only ten years old but has a lot of personality and character. Seeing the world and yourself through the eyes of a child is most interesting and in some ways humbling. I had a wonderful time with her.

After returning home I came down with flu like symptoms and it just got worse and worse so I went to see a doctor. I got several medications and it has been five days since starting to take the medications and I am just now starting to feel a bit better. I don't know if the medications are helping or this old body is fighting off the virus all by itself. Just glad I am feeling a bit better.

And then there were five

New Mother and the tripletes

The other Mom waiting for hers.

When I went to bed last night there were two goats in the goat pen and this morning there were five. Three little kids crying for their mother and Mommy goat making cute little light grunting sounds over her brood.

The other goat was just looking things over as though she were thinking " so that's what mine will look like?".

First livestock

The first livestock have arrived two female goats that are pregnant.
They are Nigerian Pygmy/Dwarf goats. Rather feisty right now, maybe later
they will get more friendly.

Update on stock

The above photos are what an auction ring looks like. Folks sit in a semi-circle around the ring in a theater like seating arrangement similar to some lecture halls at university. The trick is to keep up with the auctioneer as he calls the sale and takes bids as the stock is brought through ring. This is not for those with short attention spans or indecisive personalities.

Well, I have been looking for stock. I haven't found anything I am ready to buy yet. I have gone to several auction sales at the local livestock auction barns and came close to buying calves. I just didn't see what I wanted. I built a cage to carry them home in, the cage is still in the back of the truck. It looks homemade and ugly.

I have also been looking at sheep, seeing as I like lamb and so does Samantha I thought raising them ourselves would be a good fit. Just haven't come across the sheep I like yet. I look at some Painted Desert sheep the other day and they looked interesting, thinking it over for a while, no sense rushing into it and getting involved in something that isn't a good fit.

So here is the stock plan as of today, subject to revision; Chickens for eggs, Nigerian Dwarf goats for fun and milk, sheep for lambs. That should keep us busy :)

Pics of garden

Things are starting to come up in the garden

After yesterday's rain this morning was a bit foggy at dawn

Visiting Cows

The barbed wire gate


Connected to coner post



This is the side that opens by moving the 'T'post and wire loop.

We have had visiting cows here and they have gotten excited and started running about twice now. So I was discussing the problem with a neighbor and he said he had some barbed wire left over and that he would give it to me to fence them out so Sunday morning I went down to the end of the 'alley' on the east side of the pasture and made a barbed wire gate. I used an old 'T' post and the barbed wire to make a crude gate. I made two loops over one corner post so the 'T' post can be released by moving the upper loop. I guess the photos tell the tale best. I have seen these used all over as an inexpensive gate, they are effective.