Beaufort & Bordeaux = BeauDeaux

Cali had twins today. Mike called me at work this morning to say he had to go to work and that Cali was hanging around the barn. I didn't think she would deliver today because she wasn't "springing." But, when I arrived home, this is what I found.

Mar 31st is our wedding anniversary
Mar 31st is Cahoot's birthday (the baby Daddy)
Mar 31st is the birthday of the buckling twins - BeauDeaux


Mated red Cahoot to red Cali and got RED. Would have liked to have gotten a red girl but...

Everybody seems very healthy and we're happy.

Revised - Clara's Babies Video

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First attempt with this YouTube video had a glitch, now OK.
(excuse the white toilet in the video, came in real handy when my ankle was broken, now trying to figure out a way to recycle it.

4 Clara-Giveaway Winners Announced

The 4 babies have been cozying up to Mama's milk-buffet bar fairly frequently, and all appear happy and healthy. I had some questions about whether Clara would need some mothering help but she's doing just fine with her XL udder.
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Now, to the GIVEAWAY

Since there were 4 babies born, in the Clara Giveaway Sundance had to pick 4 winners! (Mike wasn't going to get home until after dark, so this afternoon I had to orchestrate the drawing by myself - holding the camera, and reaching down Sundance's throat to retrieve the papers).

1) Cindy at AJ Oaks-OR (I'm sending you a turkey, just kidding)
won the "Grits" box

2) Melodie at Laughing Duck Farm-TX
won the "Pixie" box

3) Pam at ga.farmwoman-GA
won the "Clarence" box

4) Tammy at MusingsFairlightFarm-MO
won the "Chamonix" box

CONGRATULATIONS, and I've got your boxes packed and ready to go, so quickly send your mailing adress's to: wilcoxjj@charter.net oh, be sure to include your last name too.

Clara's Quads

Sunday March 28, 2010. No babies at 6AM, 4 babies at 8:30AM. 2 boys and 2 girls. Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats. Clara and Cahoot's babies.
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male - Grits

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female - Pixie

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male - Clarence

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female - Chamonix (shah-moh-nee)

Saturday Sunshine

June was enjoying the afternoon. When the sun is out around here, it's BIG news. Did you know that June sorta told me her name, because I never considered naming a pet "June."


Blissi, our female Irish Terrier, was having a grooming session.

Has Clara given me any grandgoats yet? nooooo, because she is too busy working on her TAN! Look at that udder!

SweetPea hanging with her buddies.

TootleLu and Gabbi

Funny, a lot of the hens have been laying their eggs in that bale of hay inside the trailer.

I made a batch of KitchenSink Soup today, it's been a soup and sandwich kinda day.

Slowly working on the camper part of the trailer.

Need a welder or brother-inlaw to remove the saddle racks. Got a lot to store in that area. Yes, the frig is plugged in and keeping drinks cold.

Had this since my broken ankle. I want some sort of indoor bathroom (not necessarily for regular use but middle of the night sorta thing). How 'bout if I fill a trash bag with pine shavings and hook the bag onto the toilet seat?

Recycled the old camper top from my pickup truck to the Wheaten Marans, they have a house to sleep in but wanted to encourage some broodiness. They seem to love that thing, all 7 of 'em hang out in there.

We took the bucks for a walk. If ya put MilkDud on a leash, the other bucks follow.

In the end, Pappy, Cahoot, and MilkDud were more interested in girls than going for a walk though.

Cahoot and MilkDud love on each other, real sweet to watch it.

Well. time sure flies when I have a sunny day off. Think I'll settle in with the lastest MotherEarthNews and check on Clara from time to time.

Blogger Award

http://wwwaj-oaks.blogspot.com/

http://livingretiredinwesternnewyorkstate.blogspot.com/

I'm accepting this award from two gals who have done a lot of work for rescue animals. If you regularly don't visit their blogs please stop by for a visit and give 'em a pat on the back. I'm to say 10 things about myself.

1) I love all creatures and critters. Sure, if something startles me, I'm sorta scared, but otherwise I can physically handle snakes, spiders, rats, whatever.
2) I have a desire to be a wilderness survivalist. I wish people would say about me, "Oh if Joanna goes into the woods, you'll never find her unless she wants to be found." Or I'd like to be a Julia Butterfly Hill-type. Did you ever read? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legacy_of_Luna
3) I want (and for #2 to be able to possible) my 53 yr old brain, and a 23 yr old, smoking-hot body.
4) Jackie Clay has been a great influence in my life. http://www.backwoodshome.com/store/files/srg02.html
5) The secret to my successful marriage - Mike is a pushover.
6) Clara, our pregnant, due to deliver anytime now doe, says she wants Mike and I to stay out of her business, so we are now trying to respect her wishes.
7) Our TV is mostly on the Western channel. Remember when Burt Reynolds was a regular on Gunsmoke playing a half breed?
8) I've only lived in North Carolina. Mike has only lived in Boone, North Carolina.
9) I believe in the death penalty and I could be the one to flip the switch on the animal abusers (of course animal abusers will never get the death penalty, they rarely get sentenced to any jail time).
10) I feel the most close to my GOD when I am among my animals.

Wordy Wednesday

Gabbi yawning, she's no lady. Clara is her great-grandmaw.


Clara. We're still on Grandgoatie watch.


Around here we know how to relax.


Gabbi and Toot


Sundance


Gabbi, TootleLu, and SweetPea


June, a daughter of Clara


TootleLu, one of Clara's 2009 kids

SweetPea. Clara is her Grandmaw

"Boys, Gabbi is too young."

The greatest turkey ever, Franklin, Bourbon Red Tom

got a broody

Handwriting Test

Alix over at Casa Hice wants us to do a handwriting test (since it's not an IQ test, I decided to play along).

The Rules:
write the following
1) Your name/blog name.
2) Right-handed, left-handed, or ambidextrous?
3) Favorite letters to write.
4) Least favorite letters to write.
5) Write “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
6) Write the following words in capital letters:
- CRAB
- HUMOR
- KALEIDOSCOPE
- PAJAMAS
- GAZILLION
7) Write your favorite song lyric.
8) Tag people!
9) Any special note or picture.

(Unless I'm signing my name, I rarely write in cursive and I always print in capital letters).

Now analyze me.

snow, cold, BB update

[back of my truck this morning] I suppose somebody somewhere finds this new snow funny, but I can tell ya that anyone who lives up here doesn't find it a bit humorous. The March winds are howling, which makes it so cold it hurts to be outside.

I don't want Clara to deliver her babies in this type of weather although Mike has her little nursery fixed, a small, newly cleaned stall with a heat lamp inside. He showed it to her last night but she wasn't ready to stay in there yet, she returned to her buddies. Wish I had a barn camera at my desk here at work.
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Breakfast Bake Update - I made it again last night substituting hash browns for bread and it's really good, I also added in some chopped kale (for green), brought it for lunch today, .

guineas, breakfast bake, goats

Have you ever had guineas, who after living with ya since last summer, all of a sudden decided to leave home? We had 27 Pearl Guinea's, and 20 of 'em have now taken residence across the road from my inlaws. Just some homes and some woods over there but much better guinea digs here. Why have they moved on? Randy at Chicken Boys says he had some guinea's who did that, in fact, they were able to bring them home and yet they returned to the other place.

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Over at the Noble Pig, I made Cathy's Savory-Breakfast Bake this afternoon. Be sure to view her photo's and recipe of the dish. Over the years, I've made similar versions (never made it at breakfast time though), and they all turned out great, one of those recipes that's difficult to screw up. Like me, for you folks with an abundance of fresh eggs - it calls for 10 eggs.

Below, is not Cathy's but the most basic Breakfast Casserole recipe. I've also heard of replacing the bread with hash-brown potatoes which Mike has also requested.

Ingredients
1 pound bulk pork sausage
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
6 slices white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
In a skillet, brown and crumble sausage; drain and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs; add milk, salt and mustard. Stir in bread cubes, cheese and sausage. Pour into a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
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Have you ever heard of or tasted Swiss Batter Bread? We don't have much in Boone but we do have Stick Boy Bread Company. One of their artisan breads is Swiss Batter Bread. The ingredients on the bag read: bread flour, buttermilk, swiss cheese, eggs, sugar, butter, baking soda. whew wee, what delicious stuff. I found this recipe online.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup water
1 package active dry yeast
3 eggs
3-1/2 to 4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
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Clara says if I don't keep my camera out of her rear end, she's just gonna hold on to her babies. (She isn't due until Thursday).


We got the trailer up to the house.


TootleLu and Gabbi in the food dishes again, obviously we aren't very good disciplinarians.


Cahoot is going to be a Daddy, of Clara's babies and Cali's babies.


MilkDud will be the Daddy of June's babies this summer.


We haven't used Pappy yet (but he says he's ready for action).

The 6 goat girls plus Sundance, a wether.