words, hives, Henry, hay

I enjoy word games - online and on paper. I guess cryptograms are my favorite. On the computer, I like BOOKWORM.

Also, I'm trying to keep my mind off hives, self diagnosed at this point, they're on my legs and some on my hips. Taking Benadryl doesn't seem to help. Applying oinment that cools the skin does help but I have to lather it on many times a day. I've been researching hives, and my conclusion is, no telling why I have 'em, could be any number of reasons. Can't get a good nights sleep because of the itchiness.


Although the construction crew is doing a good job, I stay nervous about the costs. Mike isn't one to worry about money, so I have to fret for the both of us. And I can hear Mike out there talking to the workers, not staying focused on the job at hand but shooting the breeze about everything from health-care reform to NASCAR, and I want to just go out there and ring his neck.

My 16yr old, Henry, is pictured here enjoying the new deck which the crew is enclosing the today. Henry can you say, "manicure?"


This is a photo from Saturday. Mike was unloading some hay, and the does kept jumping up on the hay, which was stacked on the trailer, just munching away.

Urban Animal Husbandry

from TIME magazine
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914991,00.html

watch this video

got goats milk?

wave to us up here in the NC Appalachians (or down depending), we're at 3,333 altitude


this is our new hanging sign for the Farmers Market


mother-in-law checking on the garden, SweetPea followed us up there


I made some chocolate goats-milk ice cream tonight, of course, would harden up if I stuck it in the freezer for a few minutes but we were too anxious

Did you know?
Goat milk has greater amounts of vitamin A than cow milk.
Goats convert all carotenes into vitamin A, creating a white type of milk.
Goat milk is higher in B levels; especially riboflavin.Niacin levels are higher in goat milk.

Delicious with a slightly sweet, goat’s milk is the milk of choice in most of the world.

Although the mineral content of goat's milk and cow's milk is generally similar, goat's milk contains 13 percent more calcium, 25 percent more vitamin B-6, 47 percent more vitamin A, 134 percent more potassium, and three times more niacin. It is also four times higher in copper. Goat's milk also contains 27 percent more of the antioxidant selenium than cow's milk.


A local electric supply let us have some wooden spools for the goats. Mike nails some plyboard on the tops.

The bucklings enjoying their new spools, also got some in their stalls.

my girl is getting a beard

My girl is getting a beard. SweetPea is 11 months old now.


Franklin is getting new feathers


he's preparing for winter

For evening chores, I'm in charge of the water buckets and assisting if anybody needs vaccinations or medications.

I find that the goats drink more water if I use these white buckets rather than dark-colored buckets. I think they like to be able to see that the bottom is clean.

Mike collects eggs, feeds, and locks the goats and chickens in their stalls.

Punkin is a Salmon Faverolle hen. She's far removed from show quality but real cute anyway. And actually, she's several years old now, I have no idea if she still lays eggs but she gets around real good. (We also run a rest home for retired girls).

Early, our Cuckoo Marans rooster, and Punkin. He has dried mud on his comb but has a good comb.

Our young Wheaten Marans cockerel, Duffy, doesn't have a good comb but he's the only male Wheaten Marans that we have now. We had his Daddy and a backup, sold our backup, and of course, Daddy then fell over dead. Fortunately, we had Duffy as a chick. Two young Wheaten girls with him.

A Cuckoo Marans hen.

Tonight was TootleLu's turn practicing for the show ring. Anybody with Nigerian goat experience please comment and don't worry if you see faults, we don't care about being competitive, just trying to learn.

apples, apple pie spice, raisins, Splenda brown sugar, butter, granola, cover and zap in the microwave for 5 minutes, yummo

these two get out at night after the birds and goats are safely tucked away. Irish Terriers, Bliss and Brawn.

Brother-inlaw/contractor George and his oldest son, Savva getting the footers ready for our enclosed room and covered deck. George is Greek and when he starts fussing it's in Greek :-)

everything is a big mess right now, Mike has to help me get in and out so I don't fall over in big cement pits.

Sunday evening summary

Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats

TootleLu


Mike giving CoCo a haircut


Not that we know what we are doing, but were practicing putting the goats in show poses. We're planning taking the goats to two shows this Fall.
Coco


Deets

Sundance

MilkDud

Cahoot

When Mike brought Cahoot out, the "cougars" took notice.

June and Clara were throwing themselves at him.

Girls, he's only 4 months old.

4 more girls were looking on

Mr. Big Nose

Two Friday nights in a row we have gone up to Sharpies for dinner.

For out in the sticks, the food is pretty good. A friend of mine and her husband own and operate it. Actually she works full-time for the Town of Boone and then works at the restaurant on nights and weekends. I don't know how she keeps up the pace.

After dinner, we came home for the entertainment, watching the goats and birds.

Cuckoo Marans

and Pearl Guineas

going out for dinner is extremely rare for us, now we're back to cornbread and pinto's