New Babies :)

This past week we got 3 new baby goats (well, 4 but one didn't make it)... the moms are being good moms, and the babies are eating well and cuddling up together under the heat lamp. :)

We are watching the other goats closely because we don't know when one will deliver. I think one is pretty close, but you never know when the babies will decide to arrive.

Also the young doe who lost her kid is back in heat, so she will probably kid in July.

The weather is warmer, the snow more like slush, the animal's eyes look brighter, and even though the sky is gray and the pine needles are frosty, there is evidence of the earth renewing herself. I can really relate to the pregnant does, who are slow and waiting, like the earth herself, urging time to pass just a little quicker.

Barn Fire!

Apologies for not posting in a while. Our computer has been down so it's hard for me to get onto the internet whenever I want to.
I've been having to do chores 3 times a day for a while, to check on our goats who are due to kid at any time. With the weather this cold, it's very important that the babies don't sit in a cold spot or they will die. We already found one dead from a first time mom who kidded much earlier than she was supposed to, and she never cleaned the baby off when she gave birth so it froze to death. :( So we put a heat lamp in our barn to warm up a spot for the mom goats to give birth.

Well...

While I was doing chores Monday morning, I smelled smoke. I looked around to see if the neighbors were burning anything but they weren't. I got a feeling of dread and opened the barn door, to get hit by a rolling cloud of smoke! The first thing I did was go in there and get the goats out! It wasn't a huge fire, in fact I couldn't see more than a flicker of flame here and there, but most of the floor was blackened and smoking and a support beam was pretty much gone from the fire, and the whole barn was under a dense cloud of smoke. I figured it must have been the heat lamp that started it, so I unplugged the cord from the heat lamp and ran up the hill to the wellhouse to get some water to dump on the fire. Several buckets of water later and there wasn't much improvement, so I went inside the house and got my fire extinguisher. Even that didn't improve things much, so I had to dial 911 and have the firefighters come put it out. I rushed around trying to get the cars and horse trailer out of the driveway so the fire trucks could drive in, and pulled down the fencing so that the firemen could get into the yard. In my rush, I drove my car into a snowbank! And after the firemen got here I realized that my hands were shaking. All I could feel was relief that none of the animals were hurt (well, a cat got its fur scorched, but he's doing fine) and that most of the barn is salvageable. Our milk stand got burned up and 2 hen nesting boxes, plus a barrel and of course the heat lamp plus the bedding, part of the floor, the support beam, and a couple of other wood pieces. Thankfully, we have stone walls on the interior of the barn! Oh, and the nice firemen even helped get my car unstuck!

Afterward, the firemen came to talk to me and told me it was a very good thing that I caught the fire in time, because the fire was creeping up to the hay loft and in a couple hours the whole barn would have been up in raging flames. He also seemed pretty amazed that I could think to do all that stuff and move the vehicles etc... because most people panic when they see fire. Hmmm... I guess I'm pretty cool when it comes to crisises.

Also, this is not the first fire that has started from a heat lamp, so I am definitely NOT a fan of those things anymore!!! We really don't need the financial trouble that comes with this fire, but hopefully the insurance will at least cover the cost of the 911 call. I'm pretty sure that barns are insured separately from homeowner's insurance so I doubt if they'll pay for the damages, so it's a good thing they are very minimal.

RIP Eclipse

This fall my yearling buck Eclipse became paralyzed. We were really worried about him and thought he was going to die, but he pulled through. Since then we have been trying to do therapy with him- we made him a sling out of old shirts and some twine string, and we've been stretching him and working with him. This past 2 weeks he really improved and we had high hopes of him being able to stand on his own and walk again. Then, these last 2 or 3 days, he took a step backward and was acting very tired, but still eating and drinking. This morning I found him dead as I was doing morning chores. I have no idea why he died, as he was out of his sling for the night and didn't get caught in anything. He didn't otherwise act sick, and he was for the most part out of the cold. However, it's possible he just got too cold because the weather has been particularly cold (in the single digits) the past couple of days.

I really wish it wasn't him that died. I raised him from a bottle baby... he would follow me around everywhere and he acted more like a person than a goat. I taught him how to eat grass and not to be scared of the dog (a lesson he never really learned too well). Before I had my human baby he was "my baby." When he was a couple months old I brought him to a preschool and let the kids bottle feed him. He just loved people. Even when he went into rut, I could still trust him, as he had the most gentle disposition of any buck I've ever met, especially when it came to humans. He never tried to be rough with me, the only time I had to worry was when I had treats in my hands because of course he would maul me for the treats! He was just as sweet as any doe (and often sweeter!). I'm so sad he had to go through this and that he had to die, but I guess I can't be too sad because at least I got to see him grow up and we'll probably keep both of his buckling kids from this past year. He probably also bred some does before he got paralyzed so hopefully he'll pass on his sweet disposition to more of our goats.

Rest in peace, Eclipse.

Happy Holidays! :)

Our family doesn't celebrate Christmas much- usually we just go visit our parents, exchange a gift or two (not even wrapped... I dislike shiny wrapping paper because it just creates more trash). This year, we are snowed in, so we can't visit relatives. My parents are in Iowa because my dad works there and he got snowed in. My husband's parents are still 2 hours away, so it's unlikely that we'll be able to visit them. So Christmas will be a day much like any other day, for us. Chores still need to be done, the baby still needs his attention. Maybe next year I'll find the energy to decorate the house but my guess is not. :)
Do I care? Not really. I am a bit disappointed we won't get to see relatives- Christmas is generally the only time we get to see some of them- but this year, most came out for our wedding. So I'm thankful for that. Yes, I'll miss the Christmas dinner with my parents and siblings, and yes I dislike the fact that I'll have to go out and do chores in the cold on Christmas day! But overall, I'm content to just live my life the way I've been living it, to hold my son and my husband and cuddle on the couch with a movie and some popcorn.
Here's a poem that I can definitely relate to:

'Twas the day before Christmas, and all 'round my farm

all the chillun are stirring, just trying to get warm

It's time get firewood, and haul water in

there's chores to be done, 'fore breakfast begins

eggs need to be gathered, and hogs to be slopped

the toilet needs emptied, the chores never stop

then baked bread and fresh milk, we have for the day

the kids bundle up, the horses need hay

when chores they are done, we're all pretty beat

Dad pulls out the guitar, kids sit at his feet

Ma starts up good song, we sing and we dance

small presents are given, all made by our hands

then out to the barn, where we stable our sheep

a miracle happens, a new lamb is asleep

We stand in the darkness, surrounded by love

not much do we have, but a star shines above

We hold hands and we pray, thanks for our country life

Merry Christmas to all, and a homesteader good night!

- LaMar

New Pictures :)

Some new pictures of T!

If You're a Fan of Punk Bands...

You should check out Dead Milkmen. They are a satirical punk band, and have really funny music (although if you're not used to listening to punk you should bring up a window and type in the lyrics so you can actually understand what they're saying.) Also, the rant "intros" to songs are also pretty funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmDBmqcAE40
"Cousin Earl" about his redneck cousin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJYjr-vUKZM
"Punk Rock Girl"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXainwqFvW4&feature=channel
"The Methodist Coloring Book" comparing Christianity to a coloring book

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U30K-Dw18Jw
The intro to "Bitchin Camero" which is pretty funny

Rammed by a goat

Well today I had to go do chores in a blizzard. :P Blowing wind, single-digit weather, and snow drifts that were waist high in places. I have to haul buckets of water for the animals down from a steep hill (conveniently, our wellhouse is on TOP of the hill).
Now our dominant buck always keeps one eye on me, waiting for the opportunity to catch me off guard and ram me into the dirt. Today he found his opportunity, and rammed his big ol' horns into the back of my thigh while I was trying to knock the ice out of their water bucket in the barn. Let's just say, that if he would have hit my knee, I would be in the ER with broken bones. Luckily, I was dressed so heavily in winter gear, and he hit me high enough, that I walked away with my leg very bruised but intact.
If you're wondering what happened to this buck, I hit him upside the head with a hammer when he tried to do it again. Unfortunately, it didn't knock any sense into him and I'll probably have to do it again tomorrow. :( NOT looking forward to it!!!
Stupid goats.