Picking Rocks

It's a rock-picking kind of day...

We went around the field strips in the Kubota, picking up rocks, while Daddy did the tractor work. Corn is going to get planted here today or tomorrow. 

We probably shouldn't have been having as much fun as we were. :P

But it always turns out like that.

This is Ella's creepy face...

(Thanks to Emmy for most of those photos. ^)

I seriously live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

 Ah, Litchfield, God shed his grace on thee. 

Goats: Meet Alyssum & Sweetheart

On Monday, Mama and I drove to pick up our new goats!

Friday, we had gotten the outer enclosure all set for them by driving stakes into the ground and tying the fence pieces together, and she had been busy preparing the interior of the chicken coop to her taste. 

Well, after a struggle to get the mama goat into the crate up in the truck, we were all set. The baby rode home on my lap. 

Meet Sweetheart~

And Alyssum~

Sweetheart, (or Heart), is a Boer-Saanen cross. Alyssum isn't her kid, but she did have kids a while ago, and so she's all set to be milked. While she is constantly butting Lyssi away, she can't stand to be separated from her! When she's up on the milking stand, she won't be calm unless she has grain/grass to her liking, and Alyssum is eating on the other side of the wall right where she can see her. 

Alyssum, (or Lyssi), is a sweet little Saanen, about seven weeks old, I believe. 

The milking has gone about as smoothly as can be expected, what with the shake-up of being relocated. But Heart is getting better and more used to it. We're figuring out her quirks and what makes her feel comfortable. 

They have a pen in the chicken coop, since the rooster was... *cough*... evicted...

And the outer pen is right under a big maple tree. They have shade at all times of the day, and plenty of sunlight. 

Oh, and they have John Deere collars. :3

These goats love dandelions. 

I should have just named Lyssi after them. Then she would be Dandy for short. :P

After a few milkings, Mama had a gallon of milk. So she tried her hand at making chevre cheese. It came out a little wetter than intended, but it's more like cream cheese. It spreads great on bread. Ingredients: dill, onion powder, and sea salt. 

The goats are wonderful. ^_^ 

Every time I walk across the yard to the garden, they spy me and call out. I like their voices. Heart's is funny and loud in contrast with Lyssi's soft bleat. I love the smell of goats, too. XD

We're getting along well, and as the routine starts to sink in, everything will go smoother. Already it isn't such a struggle to coax Heart up onto the milking stand. 

Yep, I'm enjoying this. ;)

A Way of Life

I finished planting my garden about a week ago, and already I see most of my seedlings springing to life. This year I wanted to try my hand at an assortment of herbs, so I took the wooden pallet route and now have three of them set around the rest of my vegetable garden. I also have a section for flowers. (Yes, a whole post dedicated to that coming shortly- can't give too much away yet!)

In addition to all the outdoor and barn work going on around here, and the pleasant seasonal chaos of this particular time of year, I am getting a goat! Two goats, actually- but the baby one is mine. (Again, I'll wait on details- spoilers!)

My goal this year has been to get a lot of practice in on sewing, gardening, baking, and such. And I've made progress... but as you might expect, it all puts me in a kind of mood... one that Pinterest can portray pretty accurately.

So I put together a few collages out of my Homesteading and Housekeeping board.

And very soon I will have pictures and posts about my own little homesteading and housekeeping projects. 

Coming Up:

The Gardens

The Goats

Sewing Projects

New Recipes

and

...A Renaissance Faire!