Saturday, March 27, 2010

Day is Done


Goats have a very strong herding instinct and they do everything together.  One goat decides its time to go in for the night and this is what happens.  Our kidding will start early next week, watch for new kid pictures.  Things are trying to get green now even though you can't really tell from the picture.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Suet Feeder Project



Many years ago my father made several suet feeders. A couple weeks ago a varmit discovered mine and chewed the wire it was hanging on and carried it off..Never to be found again...(so far anyway) So John decided to make me another one. The suet feed keeps the woodpeckers off of our cedar siding. This one looks just like the one Dad made...and it took all of about 3 minutes for the birds to discover it and start feeding. Now we hope that the varmit that took the other one does not come back and try and carry it off. John has it wired and chained to the tree...

Friday, March 19, 2010

Last Day of Winter 2010

Thought I should take a picture of my flowers before they get snow covered!

It is almost 70 degrees here today and we have a winter storm watch for tomorrow!!!

"Daffodils" (1804)
I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Foggy Spring Morning





Well, we are getting ready for Spring here.. This morning it was frosty... 30 degrees with Fog... We wormed everybody on Tuesday the 16th..The weatherman says it is going to be 65 today.. we shall see...

Monday, March 8, 2010

Blue Birds




Last spring we had a little problem with our Blue Bird population...they tried to move into the house with us...or least on to our porch..they were flying up and down the sliding glass windows, hanging on the screens just generally making a mess of things. So this spring we decided to fix the housing shortage before they tried to move in again... We made the Peterson Style house, it seems to work the best for us and the birds.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Lady in Waiting



Here is a photo of one of our ladies in waiting. She is getting pretty uncomfortable now and all the expectant moms have started to "sing" to their unborn babies...

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Dog and Goat Treats.....


Okay, I know this isn't my recipe blog...but here is a recipe that was given to me by a dear friend (Hey Patty) that lives in Granite City, Il. and has one of the biggest "Dog Lover Hearts" I know of. Not only do the dogs LOVE them but my goats will literally knock you down if they know you have them in your pockets..Enjoy...have fun trying to find a Dog Biscuit Cookie Cutter..this one came from Target of all places.

GARLIC DOG BISCUITS

1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Cornmeal
1/8 Cup Non Fat Dry Milk
1/8 to 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder (NOT GARLIC SALT)
1 Egg Slightly Beaten
1 to 1 1/4 Cups of Water or Broth (I use Campbell's Beef Broth made per their directions)

1. Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the egg, then add the water or broth gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon. The dough should be very stiff, if not, add a little more flour. Knead the dough with your hands to create a smooth texture.
2. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick. (It helps if the "top" and "bottom" of the dough are lightly floured.) Use the cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits. Place the biscuits about 1/2 inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.
3. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes to one hour**. The biscuits should be lightly browned and they should not be moist inside. Turn the oven off and let the biscuits stay inside without opening the oven door for five hours, or overnight, to let them harden.

Store the biscuits in an air tight container.
Makes: About 4 Dozen 3" x 1" Biscuits.

**In my oven they bake for 40 minutes.