Memorial Day Weekend

Good Morning:

These pictures are of our 4-H sleep over weekend.

I just want to say that I really enjoy writing to you all when I get a chance to sit down. Its a great jounal of our life on the farm. I know sometimes its kind of dull - but then there are the times when things are hopping. So put on your running shoes for this weeks blog;

May 19 - This was a day off - truely. Couldn't make cheese didnt have enough milk, goats have been liced and wormed and the girls have been trimming toes during milking. I did go out and clean the processing plant and dust the high spots and scrub the low. My inspector is coming tomorrow to test the thermometers on my pasturizer and inspect the farm and the processing plant. We worked on the yard and my parents came over. I made dinner for us all and looked through old pictures they brought me. (Boxes and boxes) Mom decided after a friend passed away that she didn't want us kids to have to go through all her stuff when she passed away. So she thought she would start disperssing it now. So that is what is going on. And since I am working on the family photo album I should get the photos. They are great too. Looking at people that are not in our lives any longer and remembering. So today was a relaxing day.

May 20th - I made some Grande' Rosa and Pepper Rosa, 50 gallons so it makes about 35 pounds of cheese. I had to package and lable cheese for market on Thur. This is going to be my first day alone at the Olympia market. David will start Broadway in Tacoma market. So I need to have alittle extra cheese packaged cause you never know what your opening market day will be like. The weather is suppose to be sunny so that always helps bring the people out. The girls worked onHistory and math and Bible today for thier homeschool class. David did running around picking up bits and peices of stuff. Like grain and Hay and such. We didn't get to go to Church this evening - due to the extra things going on this evening. The goats are producing great and everyone is healthy. We do have one doe with diahrea in a pen and are doctoring her. She doesn't look very good... but you never know.

May 21 - We were both on the road about 7am for market. The girls are home today. I left them with some chores and some schoolwork to do. Market was pretty good. I met alot of nice people at this market. David did pretty good at his Market too. When we got home at about 4pm the girls had thier friends over. I paid Katie and Nichole for helping the last weekend milking and doing chores while the girls were gone. I have to package up an extra 20lbs of chevre for the Seattle Art Musem order. And David will reload up the car for Pikes Market tomorrow. My parents came and picked up the girls and took them to where thier motorhome is parked right now - so Ali could climb under it to get a number off the front axel.

May 22 - David left at 6:15 and took Ali incase they get really busy due to Memorial Day. So it was Danyel and I all day. I had so much cheese to label and package it wasn't funny. I started working on packaging cheese while Danyel milked the goats this morning and finished about 11pm. We had to borrow vaccum sealer bags from Black sheep creamery - I ran out... OOPS!

They loaned us some and I was on my way again. Danyel and I did some running around after Biology. I started making cheese in the morning too - Chevre. I thought about the milk I'v been hauling down to the processing plant - 52 gallons each batch. Its heavy and time consuming. So we went to the farm store and had one of the gentlemen help us figure out how or what we needed to make a nozzel for the bulk tank and then buy 70ft of hose. I think it will work. We got home and I finished my cheese and tried my new contraption in the bulk tank... it fits. I'll try and make cheese on Sunday after church. It was really pretty out today and I washed the table and chairs on the deck. Watered some of the plants and planted a few more in the pots.

David and Ali got home at 7:30pm. Danyel was n't finished milking yet cause we started at 6pm cause it was pretty warm out. My back hurts and so do my legs. But all is well at the dairy.

May 23- I was up at 5am to clean the parlor and cut up samples to take to my market. I need to leave at 6:15 or close to that. I am driving to Adna to pick up Meg (Black Sheep Creamery) and we are car pooling, or as it is truck pooling to Puyallup for the market. We arrived at about 8:30 in puyallup and the market starts at 9am. David went to Proctor street in Tacoma and had left our house at about 7am and was set up ready to sell by 8:30am. I did get set up in time and was selling right off the start. I am inside the pavillion and in front of one of the big open doors. So I wore my coat all day at the market while it was hot outside. But the market was busy and I sold alot of cheese. At this market there are three cheese venders. David did very well at his market too. I had David buy some pork steaks at the market for dinner. He also brought me a bunch of spinach and some greens. We were both home about 4:00 and I went out and cleaned the parlor then hung my chevre that I made yesterday. Then into the house to cook dinner. David unloaded and counted the cheese and the tills. We all got to sit down about 8pm. I fell asleep about 11pm but took a nap at about 6pm for half an hour. Ali had a friend spend the night - so they slept in sleeping bags out in the barn in thier fort.

May 24 - Sunday. We got up at 6am and went out to do chores. I cleaned my parlor and then headed to the processing plant to clean and wash dishes. I want to be ready to make Black Jewels and NW Comfort today - using my new hose to get the milk to the pasturizer. I'll let you know how that works on my next blog.

You all have a great Memorial Day and remember the men and women that have given thier all for us to enjoy the little freedoms we now have. Please enjoy these freedoms as it may be the last ones you'll know. And you need to remember what it feels like so we can again work for our independance when the air has settled. Have a great day.