Monday, November 28, 2011

Preparations for the Trip to Africa

Well I reserved my airline tickets to Rwanda today... It has been 4 years planning and working twords this event.  I will be helping a goat dairy start up and a processing plant start.  I will be teaching 150 women to care for goats and make cheese.  It is so exciting.  I have calanders to take over, soccor balls and clothes, and childrens shoes and clothes.  If you want to make any donations  you can contact me through my web page and we will figure out how to pick up your stuff. 
I am still not in the believing mode of this yet.  I have to go get my hepatis shot tomorrow, already have my pass port and I have to get the malaria perscription.  I need to get my phone worked out for international travel too.... so much to do.
We will start kidding in about two weeks and that should be done before I leave on January 18 thru Feb 10. 
Above all else please keep me in your prayers through this trip... its scary and fun at the same time.
I want to blog while I am gone so we will see what can be done about that too.  Well got to go mail a letter so I need to go.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Winter is Here

Well winter is here.  We turned our clocks back on Sat. night.  We are down to milking only four does and we are graining 2# of grain, 1 TBSP of my mixture (sea kelp, soy bean meal, alfalfa meal, copper, dolomite lime, linseed meal, yeast) and 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar. 
We are trimming hooves and checking for health. 
David has cleaned all four pens on top for kidding pens and we have  5 more to go.  We still have to buy heat lamp bulbs and get those all set up. 
We will be kidding in about 5 weeks.  This is the earliest we have kidded.  I am excited to see how this goes. 
We still havent turned Marus (our Anatolian Male pup) out with the goats as he still wants  to play - he is 2 1/2 years old.  Got to get that worked on.  Bernie is now 10 years old and showing his age.  Cloe is digging tunnels in the barn... so I am always filling in these huge tunnels.  She must think we are going to have a very cold winter.  I hope not.
I am working the winter market in Olympia - Sat. and Sun.  I love decorating the tables.  Danyel will be doing the markets on the days we need help through December.   David is doing Pikes Place on Fridays an Sundays.  We will do the Tacoma _ Proctor market until Dec 17th so David is doing that one too.
I think this week I can do one more batch of Chevre (20 gallons).
We had our big Thanksgiving Dinner Oct. 15.  I cooked 30# of Turkey, made 15# of mashed potatoes and about 5 boxes of dressing.  We had 22 different pies this  year.  And we had 33 people over for dinner.  It was great.  We also did birthdays.
Ali has been in Texas since June and is coming home soon.  That will make chores easier.  Cant wait.  Though chores right now are not so hard.  Haying probably is the hardest.  We have been turning off our waters facets off every night, so things don't freeze. 
We got our Nigerian Buck this last week.  His name is Sugar Daddy and his freind Buddy.  So we should have nigerian babies in April.
David has been working on housing facilites for all the goats in pens.  So everyone will be dry and warm during the winter.
I am planning on going to Africa the 18 of Jan. this next year.  I will go to Rwanda and help get the processing plant and milk parlor set up.  And teach 150 women how to take care of goats and milk them and make cheese and yogurt.  It will be a busy three weeks. 
I can't believe I am really going for sure this time.... we have been working on it for 4 years.  Wow!! I am going to Africa.
I have to make a picture book of what I am teaching these women... so I am hard at work gathering pictures and putting it together.
Have a Great day.