Happy New Year!

It just doesn't seem like it should be December 31st already!

I hope you all have a good 2011 and hope it's a better year for our economy and country! Happy New Year!

Question From the Barn!

Macey here, just hanging out.

I need to ask you a question!

Does this chicken nest make my butt look fat?

Some Random Things

Tomorrow (Wednesday) thru Saturday we will have a bit warmer weather. Thursday we are to have rain. Rain on our frozen dirt road equals ICE ICE ICE! Not good. I hope it melts quickly so I don't have to drive on it or that the sand they put down will stay on top of the mess and still be helpful!

I'm definitely ready for a few warmer days though as I have 3 goats who I really need to do some hoof trimming on again. It'll be nice to be able to not be bundled up so I'm the size of Frosty the Snowman to do the job.

I also need to wrangle some more wire and it will be nice to be able to do so without the bulk of a winter coat.

It's been a rough couple of days here. I had bought the dogs some treats at the dollar store. I got a package of pig ear strips along with others. I was saving them for special occasions. I forgot that I gave them some at Thanksgiving and it upset their guts. Well, I gave them one Christmas day and the more than upset their guts. This has been a NASTY, gross issue. Why do I tell you this? Only because I thought you might want to be very careful of what you get your dogs for treats! I quit using the rawhide chews when we heard all the problems with them coming from China and being recalled. So now I'm not going to be buying any like these again either. When I buy them bones, they sneak them outside and bury them. I guess the buried bones are a much better deal though! We're just going to boycott the rawhide chews and now the sliced up pig ears. Nothing like giving my dogs a tainted treat for a Christmas present! Poor pupsters!

We aren't doing anything special for New Years Eve. We need to get to town this week to pick up some prescriptions so will pick up a couple things for a special treat. I think I'll pull a turkey out of the freezer for New Years Day. With the way the pullets are laying, I may do a few deviled eggs too. Being the oven will be going, maybe I should try out one of the sugar free cookie recipes I've acquired! Cookies are something I've missed the last 6 months. I found some sugar free chocolate chips so am ready for cookies. Doing nothing exciting is fine by me! I'm just glad that we finally have a New Years that hubby is not laid up, nor deathly ill. A quiet NY evening will be just fine!

Good news! I've spent a significant amount of time online incubator shopping. I've made up my mind. I'm getting a Genesis 1588 without the turners. I kind of like doing that turning by hand as I've gotten into this thing of talking to the eggs while doing the magic, good-luck chant of "Grow babies, grow!" over them! It gives me a chance to watch for any problems (rotting egg = NASTY) before they are a BIG, stinky problem. I also candle them as I go. Anyway, I do want to look on eBay before I order from the other company I chose (Cutlers), just in case.... I also found a catching net for poultry on there for $13. I've seen one used and it sure was a handy thing and I'm debating if I want one. It could be VERY handy and could be one of those things that one wondered how they did without it in the past. I can usually pick up most of the hens in the pen and barn if I want too. The roos tend to try to stay out of my way and they are the hard ones to catch. With my disability and balance problems it might be worth the money. I've wanted to make one, but the problem was the weight of a homemade one and my shoulder issues. This is a a pretty light weight one so maybe I should.....

I'm soooo ready for hatching to start!

Funny as it is, I was trying to take pictures of the chickens so I could count them! I sure can't get an accurate count in person! I need to know how many roos I have to get rid of so I can put an ad on Craigslist. That will help a lot! I also have to decide which I'm keeping!

I'm also trying to figure out which are the roos and am trying to put them outside in the buck pen with the others as I figure who who is who. I'm then going to start moving the hens so I have them all inside and separated from the roos. I need them to be without a roo for 30 days so that when I start to collect eggs for hatching that they will have been fertilized by the rooster who is the same breed and for a few, the right color and breed.It actually takes at a minimum of 3 weeks and in a few instances longer for the hen to be clear of unwanted "swimmers". It would seem like this would be an easy project, but it's not as it requires figuring out the young boys, catching them and transfering them from pen to pen. I'm also trying to decide which of the Cochin roos I want to have a harem and which I need to part with. There are more roos there than I had thought! If the horse trailer wasn't full of hay, it would sure be helpful for this shuffling around!

I also need to put some plans down on paper so I can arrange a hatching schedule around eggs I want to obtain for hatching and my own I'd like to hatch! I have to decide if I want to set a full hatch (48 eggs) all at once or if I want to stager them some. Do I want to set the full 48 or maybe 16 per week or even 24 every 9 days. I am saying 9 days due to the 3 day lock down for hatching. I'm thinking of moving them into the hovabator for the lockdown and hatch. I have to plan for brooder space for the hatchlings too. I can't just hatch eggs and have no where to put the chicks! Decisions decisions.... What do you think?

Fair Trade?

I think so! They think so!

I took a pan with some scones and biscuits that flopped out to the chickens and turkeys at chore time today. They were thrilled with the broken bits and grabbed one and then mass running ensued while they had a beak full but not willing to let someone else with a beak full snag their chunk! The turkeys didn't run around with their prize bit but rather stood watching the chickens and wondering what the frenzied running was about and where the problem was. Tom had to swallow his so he could strut about and gobble his alarm that there was a problem. The 2 turkey hens watched but made sure to be where the food was in case it was safe to resume eating. Keet, the guinea, had to sound the alarm until she decided she should join the rest of the gang and see what their problem was.

The goats stood alertly, but kept right on munching in the hay I'd just dispensed. They couldn't figure out the frenzied behavior either.

Me? I filled the foil pan and happily came back to the house as chores were done. I think it was a fair trade!
Being we agreed, so it's got to be fair, right?

I do wish who ever has those dirty feet could wipe them outside the nests or else lay those really dark eggs so the dirt doesn't show so easily!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

I wish for you all a very special time spent with family and/or those who are most important in your life. May it be a blessed time full of joy.

May you have humor in your life with your loved ones this weekend.















I hope you have some special meals or what ever is included in your time with loved ones.

Merry Christmas all!

(You're welcome to snag a copy of the graphics above. They all came from graphic sharing groups.)

TIP: 2011 Calendars

I'm finding the 2011 calendars have THIN, FLIMSY paper. Unfortunately, the weight of the lower hanging part is way too much for even a piece of tape to help hold it up.

So, I simply took the last few months which are the back of the calendar before hanging and bent them up to be part of the hanging portion. This way the last few months help January support the whole weight of the calendar. Come March or April it will probably be able to hang normally.

My free Pillsbury 2011 calendar came and what beautiful pics it has! YUM! It even has the tear out recipe cards for the same recipes as the individual months are.

HTH!

The Alarm Was Sounded

And fear struck the hearts of the younger, smaller chickens in the barn! The guinea hen was caroling her DANGER DANGER alarm. The 3 turkeys were on high alert and having a hot discussion while a few of the chickens were a cackling along with the ruckus. The goats were on high alert and not sure what the heck was going on, but something wasn't right!

And then, SWOOP, up in the top of the barn was a HAWK! He wasn't very big and I only hope now that he knows of the chickens in there, that he is small enough to leave them be and just be after the sparrows. Of course there wasn't a sparrow to be seen at the moment!

I did a whole lot of banging around to try to make the hawk know that he didn't REALLY want to be there. I got my camera and yippeeee! The flash had him in a panic and he wanted to escape! So I proceeded to run the batteries down flashing him in the face as fast as the camera could reset it's self for the next pic. Too bad I couldn't get a good pic and try as I did, I couldn't get a pic of him flying from end to end trying to find a way out.

This is the best I could do, unfortunately. It was actually quite a bit darker up there as it was nearing dark.

He looks bigger here than he actually seemed in person.

I hope he's decided to hunt sparrows outside my barn or somewhere else! I'm sure glad I have chicken wire over the outdoor pen now!

I also hope that the goats being in with chickens really does help keep the chickens safer.

It's Time!

It's time for the lunar eclipse on the soltice which we haven't had for 456 years! That is a LONG time and some! I never missed it. I never gave it a thought. Is this history? Or "just" science?

It's time for the shortest day of the year! YIPPEEE! I'm so ready to get it over with!

It's time for the longest couple of nights of the year! I still intend to just sleep or toss a lot through them! I don't feel a need to stay awake all night JUST to watch them pass and time to crawl by.

Tomorrow I can officially start counting the days til Spring! I can replace the Winter banner and add a Spring banner below the other 2!

It's time to say "Good Bye Fall"! I can't wait til I can say "Good Bye Winter" even though I'm really pushing it.

Oh well, time to just grin and bear it, bite the bullet and deal with it, cowgirl up, stop watching the clock, and go to bed! Nite all!

Results of the Former Chaos

Yes, I really do love them!

I'm SURE of it! Positively! I LOVE goats.

Remember my FRUSTRATIONS with an escapee from the buck pen and does in heat? Well, I had my agenda with assigned breeding plans all planned. I had GOOD reasons for my assignments! I have the SENIORITY and expected MY way to reign. But, I sure did underestimate Bandit, my YOUNG Alpine buckling and his RAGING hormones.

How can those crazy does be so in love with a youngster who doesn't flap his tongue at them while blubbering slutty talk and doesn't reek of pee? They are suppose to LOVE it, ask any doe and her owner!

Bandit hadn't even mastered the full buck-in-rut technique of saturating himself in pee. He only peed a little bit on himself when he managed to have 4 feet on the ground within containment of a barn wall and 6' chain link panels with no doe in heat. You'd think the does would have required him to have perfected his buck-in-rut act; NOT his "I CAN and WILL escape one way or another and you can't stop me" actions!

This has been a very difficult breeding season. I tell you, young Mr. Bandit is a houdini with a PHD in gymnastics! He managed to get up to and break out the window panel on the side of the barn (6' up). Then later managed to find a way to scale the chain link panels (again, 6') and keep escaping into the barn with the does every time someone was in heat - one way or another. I covered the pen with chicken wire and he managed to rip a hole and get on top of it and walk it to the edge and jump out. I caught him in the act, standing on his hind legs and using his horns. That boy only needs 2 legs, not 4! (Is there a Dancing With the Goats tv show?) I put up more wire in the barn too, and even wired above the pens' gates, making it near impossible for me to enter a pen!

I couldn't keep the hot wire around the top of the pen to keep him off it either. This coming Spring I'll have to try to run some hot wire inside the pen to keep them away from it. Hopefully with some mature size he'll not be so agile and able.

I've been trying to figure out how to make him some little cee-ment booties or shoes! I hate to do it, but next Fall I may have to chain him in the buck pen (not a good place to chain him) or out in the paddock with my horse (he'd be lonely) and I do NOT want to do that!

Susan, at Queen Acres, suggested cattle panels over the top of the buck pen; but I needed something to keep owls and hawks from getting my chickens. Some of them are in the buck pen - supposedly with the bucks. Now I think I just need a fortress on top of the pen to keep boys in and predators out!

I REALLY didn't want to breed Spirit to her son. Yet she seems to like him better than Nipper. I weaned Bandit "early" (3+ months) so Becca wouldn't get bred by her twin. And, speaking of Becca, this naughty naughty girl likes her brother MUCH more than she likes the blubbering, tongue flapping Nipper, her intended!

We're not even going to go to the topic of the Nigerian Dwarf does! Bandit has snuck into the pen with them several times too, MUCH MUCH to my dismay and frustrations! I don't think he managed to breed them. Fortunately Nipper was in with them when it happened. They, thank heavens, prefer Nipper!

We "won't" discuss the 2 Boer does who I didn't want to breed but was wondering how I was going to keep that from happening. We "won't" discuss the SCREAMING Macey does and the BELLERING MoNique does when in heat and obnoxious neighbors. Yes, Bandit has been there too. I'm pretty sure they are bred as they haven't had any recent scream-fests. I even put them in the buck pen with Bandit and thought that would help. He was happy and content as long as NO ONE in the barn came in heat and then all bets were off and he reverted to his agenda. I have NO idea who they are bred to!

We "won't" discuss the 5' panels with wire above to about 8'+ in the barn, between pens. Of course Bandit figured out to run at the wall and scale it as far as his momentum took him, and to rebound and flip himself up over that wire I kept re-supporting! We "won't" discuss my vocabulary misdeeds which will probably have me with my chin to chest in embarrassment when I leave this earth! The height never gave him any qualms and I get dizzy climbing into the loft in the barn at 10'!

Bandit has me pulling my hair out. Yet the 5, YES 5 FIVE, bucks who left a few months ago were less frustrating combined than Bandit has been!

With all that happened, I'm not sure Bandit got the does bred HE chose to do, so Nipper ended up going in the doe pen with the Alpine does to make sure Kendra and Claire are bred and to hopefully have Spirit and Becca bred to Nipper. I caught Kendra and Claire back into heat after some of Bandit's escapes so I was then hoping he wasn't mature enough to have all his deeds done completely. My fingers ache from all the crossing and clenching I tell you! I also don't think Spirit's cooperation with her son, Bandit, took and I hope she's now bred to Nipper! But I'm NOT holding my breath! And, young Becca? This naughty naughty girl likes her brother much more than she likes her intended, in spite of me telling her Nipper's kids are tiny at birth and it would be soooo much easier on her to cooperate with MY agenda! Maybe it's all the blubbering and the tongue hanging out Nipper has perfected she doesn't like! Or the slutty talk he does on her virgin ears. I haven't caught her back in heat and yet I suspect Bandit will be the sire of any little BBabies. Who knows!

So, frustrations reign. Chaos pervailed in spite of my efforts and coaching does as to who they would love to chose IMHO! Being the "superior" being and, I feel like I should be in control and all that stuff. I am the smarter one but obviously, outwitted. Come kidding season, I guess I'll have a whole lot more surprises than I expected. Now I'll also get to determine who is the goatie version of baby-daddy (kid-daddy doesn't have the same "flow") and it will help that I kept notes of every single escape in writing along with who I found to be in heat. It will also help that Bandit is a chamoise Alpine and Nipper is a black, moon-spotted ND. So along with dates and color, there are also pattern and SIZE that will help me know who is the sire. All of Nippers 2010 kids ALL had frosted muzzles, ears and some amount of tail frosting. Bandit has no facial spot and no white. He's just the chamoise (brown) color with all the black trim.

I will not admit to defeat or quit trying! After all, one thing I can be certain of is I LOVE goats.... And the 2nd is that the Alpines and Nigerians all have upright ears so their kids will too!

Tip of the Day

I use my onion peels, stems, veggie stems, celery ends, etc to make veggie broth. I have a dedicated pan with lid that I use and boil them up good and waalaa! Veggie broth for cooking instead of buying the boxed stuff. I strain it and can keep it in the refrigerator for a couple days if I don't have an immediate use for it. I can also stick the pot in the frig with the fresh peels and then make the broth in a day or two as I have time and more bits and pieces to "discard". I use a brush to clean off questionable pieces and if they don't brush off I either wash them or toss them. Anything too deteriorated is tossed and not used.

It's a basically free benefit as I throw this stuff in the compost anyway. So now it gives me an extra bonus before it goes there. The cartons of broth are a couple dollars so I'm always happy to get it free. Mine is darker and has more onion to it, but I could make it with less onion if desired. It's a rich flavored broth too.

If you're leary of what to use it for in the beginning, try adding it to a roast instead of water, soup, or such where it will mingle well and you know you'll be pleased with the results!

Try it, you may also discover a new money saving trick too!

Seed Catalogs

I got my first seed catalog for the 2011 gardening year! It's the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Catalog which came first again this year.

I LOVE getting the seed catalogs and spend hours exploring them from cover to cover, over and over. I see so many seeds I MUST have and so many I would LOVE to have but can't afford "this year". Then there are all those which I wouldn't buy but find interesting to read about and see the pic.

Why is it we are so enthralled with these catalogs? Is it because it's a "breath of Spring to come", or a chance to get out of some housework, chore we should get done and haven't, or just because it's fun to dream and to plan our garden and food for the next year?

I think it's all of those for me. Now, if the rest of the catalogs would please hurry up and get here..... I'm so ready for them!

The Twelve Days of Christmas Goats

I read the neatest thing on a goat group yesterday and immediately went to the website listed. There is more there written by Pam and daughter, Katy. She's GOOD, and so is Pam! I wouldn't be at all surprised to see more good writing by this young lady and I'm sure I will enjoy it! With permission, here is:

The Twelve Days of Christmas Goats

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
A Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
3 French Alpines,
2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
4 Lamancha's calling,
3 French Alpines,
2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
5 Golden Guernseys!
4 Lamancha's calling,
3 French Alpines,
2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
6 Angora's grazing,
5 Golden Guernseys!
4 Lamancha's calling,
3 French Alpines,
2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
7 San Clementes,
6 Angora's grazing,
5 Golden Guernseys!
4 Lamancha's calling,
3 French Alpines,
2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
8 Saanen's milking,
7 San Clementes,
6 Angora's grazing,
5 Golden Guernseys!
4 Lamancha's calling,
3 French Alpines,
2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
9 Nubian's prancing,
8 Saanen's milking,
7 San Clementes,
6 Angora's grazing,
5 Golden Guernseys!
4 Lamancha's calling,
3 French Alpines,
2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
10 Sable's leaping,
9 Nubian's prancing,
8 Saanen's milking,
7 San Clementes,
6 Angora's grazing,
5 Golden Guernseys!
4 Lamancha's calling,
3 French Alpines,
2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
11 Oberhaslis,
10 Sable's leaping,
9 Nubian's prancing,
8 Saanen's milking,
7 San Clementes,
6 Angora's grazing,
5 Golden Guernseys!
4 Lamancha's calling,
3 French Alpines,
2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

On the 12 day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
12 Nigerian Dwarfs,
11 Oberhaslis,
10 Sable's leaping,
9 Nubian's prancing,
8 Saanen's milking,
7 San Clementes,
6 Angora's grazing,
5 Golden Guernseys!
4 Lamancha's calling,
3 French Alpines,
2 Toggenburgs,
and a Pygmy with a goatee.

written by Katy Ann Staples©

I only got permission to share this here on my blog, so hope you'll not snag a copy and pass it on (unless you get your own permission, of course!). You're welcome to share their web link and I'd LOVE it if you share my blog link too! The website for you to read more is: http://punziwu.webs.com/12dayschristmasgoats.htm

Thought I'd Seen It All!

But I know I haven't and I'm usually not surprised at the unusual things I discover! Today's unique item has to be one of the all-time surprises by my standards!

There was a flier for a gun shop in our little weekly newspaper that brings the local grocery add and school news types of articles. In looking through the gun ad with it's food processing section, etc, I ran across something NEW to me!

Have you seen the pink camo lingerie? I've seen the ad and now I'd like to see the "real thing" just because I want to! No, I'll not buy any. After all, at 60 and a bit over weight, it just isn't "me"! That being, it doesn't mean I can't be interested in seeing the real thing.

The store didn't have it on their website so I had to go google surfing and used "pink+camo+lingerie" (without the "") and instantly came up with links with pics. You can even buy it on eBay! It's titled "Wilderness Dreams". Are you going to go look? I don't blame you if you do. And don't forget to check out the bikinis too!

Snapping out of my "dreams", I'm back to looking at the sale ad's dehydrators, other clothing, toys, etc. I'm surprised at the extent of their fare they are hoping to sell.

I can only dream of what will be my next thought-I'd-seen-it-all item!

I Can't Believe It!

I am LUCKY!

I got 6 eggs today! The young pullets aren't giving up even though we're at the darkest time of the year and with it being only 4*F this am! I can only guess that they are enjoying laying and my telling them what wonderful girls they are! Only 2 of them were froze so those will go on the cat and dog food.

This pic is of some eggs from the other day. It was icy out and I dropped one and cracked a couple of these. Barney, the barn cat, was happy to help me with the dropped egg of course. I have 2 pullets giving me the darker eggs.

Now these girls have me wondering if they'll quit laying for the summer or if they are going to be laying "gangbusters" then!

What nice pullets and eggs they are!

A Must See Silent Auction

Nancy, over at Shepherd's Voice has the most awesome silent auction going on with a limited edition felted soap of one of her famous and memorable sheep, Dream. Please take a minute to go see the replica of the real Dream at:
http://shepherdsvoice.blogspot.com/2010/12/silent-auction-let-bidding-begin.html

If you can help her out, please do. She's a great person and I'm sure the winner will be thrilled with the felted Dream. I've known Nancy on line for a few years and know of many people who have purchased hatching eggs and others numerous times and are thrilled with the outcome of doing business with her. I'm positive this is a legit proposition!

I wish I wasn't also one of the out-of-work as I'd LOVE to try for this myself if I could.

The auction ends Wednesday, so please hustle over and don't miss this chance!

Analyzing My Writing Style

Interesting! I was reading a digest from a Yahoo Group and a link was provided to analyze one's writing style. Fun!

Of course I had to go visit and check out my style. I used my 2 most recent posts (excluding the Sunday Silence with Bobbi falling asleep in my tote by here by the computer) and got 2 different results. Would I get a different result for each post with a new author? I've not heard of Corey Doctorow but have heard of and read John ? Jack London.

Do you want to give it a try? Go here:

http://iwl.me/s/f92755a9

This link will probably be connected with me as it was a link for me to provide to friends below the text box. If you do have some writing analyzed, please post a comment and let us know whose writing style you have!

You'll also see an ad from Amazon that lists some of the books written by the author, whose style you write in. That was really interesting!

I've also added the provided html text to add the 2 results to the column on the right here on my blog.

Enjoy!

Sunday Silence - Nap Time

New Camera

I wish I had money to buy a $400 camera, but I don't. I did find the great buy on a nice camera though so bought it. It was to be delivered between December 6th - 9th and came the 3rd! Wal*Mart did well.

The camera is better than I expected from the write-up too. I'm very pleased! I'm also quite surprised how thin and small it is though! It's actually a bit too small for my aging hands but I'm getting use to it. It's easy to operate too.


I'm quite impressed with the pics it takes. When I open them in psp they show 16% of the actual size. The pics are NICE! It also is able to take pics in the barn and not come out so darned grainy and dim! I'm pleased!

I've given hubby the other camera which he asked, for inspite of it's issues due to his kitty knocking it off the desk and my dropping it. He's enjoying it.

The pics are of the new Fuji (14 mega pixels/5x wide) cam. Isn't that thin? It's not quite as thin as a deck of cards, but it's the same size. Thank heavens for the nicely cushioned case. I'm keeping it in it!

And, no more sitting the camera down on the desk! This kitty definitely thinks those wrist straps are toys so she can swipe, dangle and watch it drop!

Gettin' A Snow Storm

Today is a BUSY day. We have a significant snow storm coming in tonight and running through Sunday night. We've had snow on the ground for a few weeks and have been getting a bit but nothing like what is coming tonight. What's coming is the snow that one has to prepare for. It's also going to be the snow that stays and continuously builds up til we hopefully get a January thaw right at the point I'm really into cabin fever!

Yesterday I made a trip into town to stock up on feed and get a few grocery items that were on sale. So I need to finish unloading the van and have it back up to the house so it doesn't get snowed in and stuck out back.

Today I drag the hoses out and top off the stock tank, give water buckets and tubs a good washout, make sure there is adequate bedding, shelter and wind block for the poultry and 3 goats in the buck pen, outside. There's a bit to do inside but that's mostly done and protected by the barn itself. I had 2 round bales delivered Tuesday so the convicts in the buck pen and my cherished mare have adequate hay to keep their systems running well and providing body heat. (The chickens and turkeys are REALLY into hay. I've always given them chaff to pick in, but this bunch likes to pick long green stems out of the hay I give the goats, which is fine with me.)

I've looked and looked and looked for my purple plastic "tobogan" sled that I use to move stuff around, and no luck. How it has disappeared I don't know and the searching has been a time waster! So, yesterday I grabbed a new one at the dollar store. This one is a pretty blue and will slide along better. The purple was starting to break up so it was about to need replacing anyway. The wagon has gotten hard to drag in the snow we have so it's time to switch "wheels". I also got my 2 wheel hand cart up to the house to use for fetching wood.

I also want to pick up a couple more buckets of twigs, bits of useless wood, etc that I collect and use for fire starting. Buckley was really into bashing the pallets that are the compost bin so there's still more I can collect.

I've also drug my boots out and now have to give up my garden muck shoes that I prefer wearing because they are so easy to slip on and off. They also have great traction which I dearly need with my balance problems.

I'm almost ready for this and today is my last chance to get it done before it's much more difficult to accomplish. Everything has been freezing down so it's a daily billboard type of sign for the impending difficult period. Plus it's COLD out so it's hard to stay out too long without coming in to warm up some and catch my breath.

One thing about this outside work on a farm, one keeps finding other jobs that could be done so the work NEVER ends! I'm at that point. I'll also throw a roast or something in the oven so I don't have to "fuss" with getting dinner ready.

Yes, it's a busy day, but one with a huge purpose that will affect everything for the next 3-4 months! Off I go! So much to do and so little time!

(By the way, go ahead and copy this graphic if you wish. It was a snag from a graphic sharing group.)

The Carol of the Goat Bells

This is a neat thing that is only available to enjoy the month of December. It's really cute and I enjoy it every year. I thought you might also!

http://www.goatbiology.com/animations/carol.html

Enjoy!

Christmas Cookie Rules

1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calories free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking. Causes calorie leakage.

9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories Rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING!

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!

THE FINE Print!
(I have no idea where the bottom cookie recipe ORIGINALLY came from as it got to me through an email. I'll gladly remove it or give credit if it's yours!)

Also, you may snag a copy of the cookie rules and the "good morning" graphic at the top of this post as those came through a file sharing email. I wish I had a pic of cookies on a Christmasy plate! I'll have to work on that!

Links to Blogs and Web Sites

I would like to do something nice for my followers!

Do any of you have links to your own blogs and/or websites you'd like me to post here on my blog in the "Blogs I Enjoy" section? I have a couple of you there already and hope the links are still good.

Please post me a comment with your link and I'll get it done.

If you have a blog, please feel free to share the link to mine if you share them.

Thank you to all of you who follow my blog. It makes my day! ;)

Pitchers

I have taken a liking to glass pitchers with all the fresh milk and cream I have.

It use to all be plastic and Tupperware pitchers that were non-breakable when the girls were growing up. I've out grown those! I LIKE glass pitchers and especially those that appear to be an old, useful style.

I think I posted about a blue, "RealMilk" labeled pitcher I have some time ago. I should look back and see! I got it and a couple other smaller ones to use with the cream separator. They sure are handy! I use a plastic bowl cover on them when I have milk in them. That usually happens when I have a gallon jar that is no longer full and is taking up too much space.

Now I found a pair of really neat pitchers!

These are, IMHO, really neat. They are a rounded square with a good pour spout. The bottom of the handle isn't attached to the pitcher making it easy to have hold of them and be able to shift my fingers for stability and control during moving or pouring.

Have you ever tried to get good pics of a clear glass pitcher? It's not easy! I tried the backs of a couple recipe books and without and neither shows them off well. I'm not sure what is the best way to take photos of clear glass. I guess I need to study someone else's photos that look nice! Maybe I just need them full of milk and cream!

I have a couple that are different shapes that I also found recently and will need to take some pics of those too. I've also learned from them that they don't all pour cleanly and neatly! I have a couple that I'm putting in my boxes for selling at a garage sale. I like them, but I want useable ones that make life more simple and not add to a job-at-hand.

I wonder what neat thing I'll find next?

Dollar Store Find

I MUCH prefer to use stainless or glass for cheese making, but this just looks so handy for scouping curds out of the pot and into the cheese cloth for draining that I had to buy it. It wll hold about 4 or so cups and is a perfect size for dipping into my 2 pots I use for cheese making. I'm betting it will be handy for scouping out the ricotta curds too!

Too bad the does are now dried up! As soon as those girls are bred they don't think I need to be "bothering" them. They have their own agendas! My agenda.....I'd so love to make some cheese with this and the new kit that came from New England Cheesemaking Supply and Chickens In The Road!

I'll be sharing lots of photos of that as soon as I get a few minutes to make sure I get them loaded in the right order.