Kidding Season is Here and Africa Here I Come

Merry Christmas, Christ is the Reason for the Season.  Our Family and Farm want to wish you all a Blessed Christmas

Yes, I am going to Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya!  I have the ticket in hand.  Now all the real packing will start..  I can take two 50# suitcases and my carry on bag.  The two big suitcases will be full of stuff to give away.  All my stuff will be in the carry on bag.  Travel light- coming home the bags will be full of stuff for family and friends and some dresses I bought for me.
Jode Garbe, DVM, JD
Managing Director
Rwanda Wildlife Sanctuary
& Science Education Center
(RwandaSEC/RwandaNOW)
Jode is who will be traveling with me to Rwanda.  I am so glad too, cause I am terrified about the airports.  Missing a plane or getting lost has always been my big fear.  Coming home I will travel alone and that is when I will need all your prayers.
Wow, a women from Winlock, Wash is really going to Africa to help the people.  Now the strange thing is no church is sponsering me, no grange, or any big business. 

Kathleen Harrison, PhD
Founding Director, HARAMBEE, NFPwww.projectharambee.org
This group is paying most of the airfare.  Blue Rose Dairy is picking up the tab for Visa's and extra's while there.
Please check out these websites and help them if you can.  They dont get big grants from big corporations.  They do get them from small companies.  There is no staffing or overhead so all the money goes to the people to help the people.  These two ladies have a big heart and truely are gifted.
Anyway I will keep a jounal while I am there and then post them daily when I get back.  I will also post pictures.

As for kidding Season.... yes it is here.  We started two days ago.  We have 4 moms and 8 kids on the ground and everyone is doing fine.  One doe had triplets so we are bottle feeding suppliment (colostrum to them).  We milk another doe and feed the colostrum to the triplets .  We have heat lamps on each pen right now.  David has 9 heat lamp set ups ready for the kids.  My oldest doe Mary (13 years old) had one buck kid.  We will keep him for a replacer buck.  One lamanch doe had twin does, we will keep one or both of them.  I have to save 20 doe kids this year for replacer does in 2 years.  Then we have lots of people wanting kids this year so these little guys should go fast.  I have one lady coming on Christmas Day to pick up a pair of does.  We havent had any problems birthing.  One of our large Sannen does had two large bucks.  They are strong and big. 
Chores in the morning take about 1/2 hour longer just to go pet the kids.   We are looking at close to 60 does kidding this season.  We are just hoping they are all done by the time I leave for Africa. 

So preperation for Christmas Eve is on.... made fudge, peanut brittle, walnut roca last night I was up till 12 midnight.  Danyel and Katie made the cookie dough and Danyel finished baking the cookies yesterday.  Today I will make potatoe soup, double batch of home made rolls, a large green salad and dressing.  Our adopted grandparnets brought us a big plate of assorted cookies she made - this will add a nice touch to our table too.  Everyone will be showing up about 5pm.  Since Christmas is going to be pretty lean - we are playing a christmas gift exchange game for the adults and then the kids will open gifts from all of us.  Ali and I will be cleaning house and doing the prep work for the gathering here tonight.  I will have Christmas music blarring all day.  Its warm outside right now and its not raining.  Only two adult children will be coming - Our oldest is having horse problems in Montana and so they won't be coming.  But #2 and #3, #8 #9 will be here.  Well better get Ali up so we can start chores - so we can clean and bake in the house.