Christmas and Good By Snow

Hello: I hope your Christmas was wonderful. Ours was. We had the first Christmas without most of my children home. I have to say it was very different. But we enjoyed opening gifts and hanging out together. Ali and Danyel got us a massager chair pad... it has heat too. It feels good. We got the girls a few jewelry things from the markets that we thought they would like. Danyel knows I love books, so she got me one of my books for a collection I am doing. David got some ceramic pigs to add to his collection. We ate fudge and frosted sugar cookies. We watched the snow and wondered when it was going to go away. In the afternoon we hitched up the flat bed to the tractor and took some of our cheese around to our neighbors and wished them a Merry Christmas. We were cold and ready for some hot chocolate when we got into the house. But it was fun to see our neighbors and visit a little with each.
I have gone to market Friday and Sat of this week with David. We tried an new way of selling out cheese for us any way. We took the whole round of Grande' Rosa and Pepper Rosa and cut it as we sold it. It seemed to sell pretty good. I stayed home today so I could go get the hay. I broke out hitch trying to turn to sharp when I was backing up. So I'll go to market tomorrow and sell cheese and David can go and get the hitch fixed. The people we buy the hay from brought us up one round of hay today.
We are milking 10 goats now and I am trying to keep these last ones on as long as possible so I can experiment with some new cheese. I have 20 gallons in the tank right now and will make that into Grande' Rosa and Pepper Rosa and then I'll freeze the rest of the milk to make yogurt for a store that is selling it. We are all ready for a break.
We will sell everyday until the first weekend of Jan. then we'll go to Fri and Sat. and Sunday until Farmers Markets Start.
Tonight David and I will look over our markets and see which ones we will be in next summer.
We took some pictures of our barn when the snow melted a little and fell off the roof. It was pretty cool to see.
When I got up Sat. morning to clean the parlor and make up some cheese I was very glad to hear drip drip drip. The snow is very pretty but I like it on the mountains. We made it through the snow and now the wet rain is a good thing. We can start getting back to normal.
When we were at Pikes Place on Sat. I met two different groups that were from Winlock. I got to meet some new people that live close to us. Its funny how small a world we live in. They were really nice and it was fun to chat about our small community.
Well you all have a nice peaceful evening and remember the best cheese comes from MY Goats!

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas. Its Christmas Eve day and it doesn't feel like Christmas is even here. We are snowed in up here and non of our older children are coming for Christmas. Its really a blessing in design, because we have no money to buy gifts or to feed them all. So after the snow goes away we are planning a big dinner - Mom's gift to her kids.
David got home alright last night from Seattle... he did a good Tue - but a bad day for two days before Christmas. Danyel and David left this morning at 6am for Seattle again. I bet he comes home around 2 today though, cause its snowing pretty good here.

This is our house on Monday

This will give Danyel a chance to do some Christmas shopping for her nieces and nephews. The girls have so much fun shopping for their brothers and sisters.
Today Ali and I will wrap the gifts we have for each other and make some fudge. Tomorrow we are going to frost our sugar cookies and decorate them pretty.
Yesterday Danyel and I worked on the family puzzle in the front room and read our books. Danyel took off another 10 goats on the milk line. So we are down to two loads about 15 goats now. We did the evening chores, which consisted of separating horned goats, from milkers from non milkers. The horned got locked on one side of the barn to be grained - the milkers got the hay first and the non milkers went through the milk parlor to get fed one at a time (8 can eat at once). That took about an hour to feed them but I bet it was 45 min. to separate them all into their special spaces. Tonight, we are going to grain everyone through the milk parlor except the horned goats. Their horns don't fit in the stantions, so they eat in bowls on the ground. Hopefully it wont take us so long to feed.
When Ali and I went out to this morning there was no sign that a car left or the goats were fed - there were no shoe prints in the snow. The snow is blowing off the roof and the icesicles are still dripping from my roof. The icesicles could kill you if they fell, they are so big.
My book I am reading is really good, its getting me motivated for this spring to do some planning and make our house run a little more self sufficient. Use some of the canning jars I'v saved for years - I probably have about 900 jars. But today they are all empty.... so next year the goal will be to fill them. Or at least some.
Danyel worked on her Biology project - CAE - its a goat virus that can kill your goats. She also finished one of the three books she is reading.
As I look outside its so peaceful and beautiful. I have a warm house and good smells coming from my kitchen. I have things to keep me busy. We have no TV anymore- so we watch DVD or VHS movies. We listen to the radio for our news and entertainment. Its great and simple. I enjoy my life here at the dairy - even when I am stressed about finances. But all in all its a good life and it has great potential. Everyday I wake up with goals to complete and visions of the future. What more can you ask for..... Peace on Earth.

Have a Great Christmas Eve and a Very Merry Christmas from our Family and Farm to Yours.
Remember the Reason for the Season. JESUS
May God Bless You and Your Family.

From The David and Rhonda Rider Family

More Snow- and cold weather

Good Morning. Another white day. We are not going up to Mt. St. Helens on Christmas Day this year, because she came to us (the snow).
Yesterday David went to town to get FOOD for the cupboard. He went and got 10 bags of grain and some new boots for Ali (she was taping a hole in her boot- good sign someone needs new boots). And while out he decided he could make it to Seattle today. He called our hay supplier to find out if they could bring one round of hay up- cause our van won't make it up our hill and driveway, because its a two wheel drive 2 ton Van.

Some of our last year kids playing in the snow!

Neighbor's helping neighbors is the motto in small towns around here. They said yes they could and would. So come about 7pm last night here comes our neighbor with that round of hay. He wouldn't take any money for the gas it took him to drive 15 miles, after he got done with his work. We are truly blessed with the people we know around our small community.
After that we loaded the car and counted cheese. David needed more garlic and dill chevre packaged and he needed some more Grande' Rosa and Pepper Rose labeled. He went out to our cheese cave to get some cheese we had already packaged from my last batch of Grande Rosa and Pepper Rosa. All the packages are not sealed right..... how, when, why are the questions we ask. We don't know but its a loss of about $1000. We have to throw it out - All. OUCH! It happens that I made these cheeses on Monday so we will have some by Friday or Sat. for the weekend coming up. If we can get over to package it up. Maybe we'll try selling it by the slice at the market since its so cold out. That might be fun. Anyway he had a few pieces of this cheese to take today to market.
I got up at 5am to help David get ready to go to market today. They left at 5:15 got gas, and bought ice and was driving on I-5. He said it was pretty good driving all the way to market.
Ali went with him so she could make her $20 for helping - she has gifts in her head for Christmas to buy. Danyel will go tomorrow and earn her $20 for some more of her gifts.
I made sugar cookies this morning and plan to make fudge this afternoon. Danyel and I are stuck at home all day.....DARN!
We started graining all our goats last night. The ones that haven,t been in the milking parlor were a little afraid. Hopefully tonight they will feel a little more comfortable. I know they like the food. It takes about 1 hour to grain everyone through the parlor - but we know that everyone is getting what I want them to have. No fighting or spilling the grain either.
I am reading the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle book, and find it very good. I am inspired again to go back to the way we use to do things. David keeps reminding me about the little time I have when not doing the farm and cheese making stuff. And that is so true. But I think I can figure some stuff out with the local farmers and veg. and fruit this summer. I know eating local here would be heaven. Anyway, anyone that hasn't read the book you should. When I started reading it I was slightly turned off by the Green Approach to everything. I am anit-green so to speak. I believe in doing what I should to make my farm run its best. Like no pesticides and using our manure to fertilize our pasture. Not injecting our goats with unnatural substances - unless thats all I have left to do to save them. Doing preventative methods with the goats. I love canning and using my own stuff to feed my family. But I am not anit- business. That is what made out country grow and prosper. Yes, some can do better but its not a bad thing. It is my CHOICE to do the good things I think are right and work for our farm and family. I have always had a stubborn streak in me - just ask my mom. I think we should all be advised about the right things to do - then let people make choices. Choices are what we as farmers are all about. Letting people buy good cheese from me or mass produced cheese from Tillamook. Its taste and community that help us make good choices. Its hard for all of us to fit into the same box. Its the variety in our world that makes it go round. My goats are happy not because someone told me to only feed them some specific thing. Its my choice to choose the foods and meds. I do for my goats. It's my choice to feed my family what ever I choose. I know I take good care of my family and farm. I read and gather information then make MY choice. I am sorry there are stupid people in this world, but I think its because they gave their choices up. I think we need to start giving people choices again about everthing they do, eat, buy or whatever. The ones that do research and find the information they need to make the choice are the ones that really care. The one's that follow the pack are just that followers. The leaders are the ones that inspire us to go deeper and want more of what is right and good. The laws are for the lawless and the criminals - but for us plain folk they are restrictions on good choices we can make on our own. Anyway, off my soap box. Just make good informed choices and then Choose.
Onto another subject - the weather -They say we are going to have 2 inches of snow tonight and then more tomorrow and then the thaw is going to happen.
How often in the Northwest do we get a White Christmas? Not often.
Have a Very Merry Christmas and Enjoy your Family.

Merry Christmas

Good Morning. It sure white at our house. We got another 4 inches of snow and it hasn't stopped snowing this morning yet. We got chores done. And we are almost out of hay, and grain. David is going to try and get some grain today. And if he gets out he has a grocery list a mile long to get too. He has plowed our driveway and is clearing our road up to the barn. He has kept a walkway cleared for me to the processing plant and the milking parlor. Where we buy our hay from they are going to try and get us a round of hay up here with their dump truck and trailer.

This is our driveway yesterday afternoon.

14 inches of snow

I called into our morning radio show "Lets talk about it" and complained about our state road dept. - about no sanders or graders on I-5 Sat. Let a little steam off my chest.
We have gone to one milking a day now. But will run all the non-milkers through the milk parlor at night and give each 1lbs of grain until kidding season in Feb.

New Cheese Class March 21, 2008
Attentive!

I have a lady coming from NY, Colorado, Arizona, and Paris France to my cheese class in March. So if that doesn't perk interest in my class.
Some of my goats are looking like they don't feel good. So one more thing David has to pick up is more minerals. We are going through one 50 lbs. bag every week right now.
We have been calling around to our neighbors to make sure everyone is doing alright.
I am going to make David hook the flat bed trailer on the tractor and pull the neighborhood kids around singing Christmas Carols today. He won't be thrilled but I think it would be fun.
So today with my cheese -I'll turn them over and put the weight back on them for the rest of today. And clean my pasteurizer and wash some buckets.
And maybe, if David gets to town I'll make some cookies. We do a tradition of frosting the sugar cookies and decorating them as a family. So I want to do that too. And what is Christmas without fudge. My grocery list keeps getting longer. If we can have some sweets in the house we'll all feel better.
I personally love being stuck at home. I think its relaxing and less stressful. Even if we can't go to things its all right with me. My kids love being home too. David doesn't. He loves to go places and he is usually bound to break out of the house somehow.
Well I hope your all doing well and getting all the things done you want and need to do. Enjoy each other and the small things that make up Christmas. Like the blinking lights on your tree. The smell of pine in your house. The quietness when you turn off your lights at night just before you fall into bed. These are the things that make The season, not the holiday and not the birthday of Jesus - just the season of the year.

Big Snow Storm and Drive Home

Good Morning
I am not sure where to even begin this blog. It snowed on Wed. so we decided we wouldn't try and go to market till Friday. So on Thur. we packed the car and prayed for no snow and clear roads as we went to bed that night. I packed extra clothes in case we had to walk when we got stuck. I wrote a note in case something happened to us, to where the girls wanted to go - if need be, one of their sisters and not to the STATE. Friday morning 4:30 came, and David and I were up doing our chores, Haying and cleaning the parlor and setting it up. We got in the car with our hot thermos and and cups of coffee and buckled up. Backed out of our nice dry carport and headed down our driveway. The grooves were pretty deep. We had 8 inches of snow on the ground.
( Ali sculped this goat on our deck on Thur.)
Just getting to the freeway 7 miles away was very bad, icy compacted snow. We drove slow and careful. Once to the freeway it was pretty icy too. We drove no higher than 60 miles an hour but down to 30 all the way there. It took us at least 3 1/2 hours to get to Seattle. Once we got closer to Seattle you could see the darkness of the freeway. We took one of the exits that kept us low in Seattle. Those roads were icy too but no hills. Once we got there at 8:45 - there were no other vender's there yet. We ended up being one of three farmers that showed up to sell the rest of the market was full of crafter's. We did better than an other Friday on sales, but not that good. It was so cold- we had hand warmers that kept our hand warm but our toes froze. Our ice in the tubs that we display our cheese in (because the State says so!) had not melted any so we just dumped it into our coolers and decided to reuse it tomorrow. We stayed until 4:30 and packed up and were surprised with the drive home. The roads were bare and dry and driving was easy. All the way home we heard the weather report for Sat. but figured the roads would be dry going back to Seattle the next day so we would go.... we had to go.... our finances are pretty dependent on the market right now and we had missed 4 days of some of the best market money due to weather. While we were gone to market Danyel and Ali had to hold down the farm. We always leave my cell phone with them so they can beep us anytime they need too. Their day went not without incident too. About 2pm Danyel called us to tell me her new puppy, Maggy, ate my Dairy Goat Journal. Doesn't sound like a big issue until you know it was the one I had saved from 2005 that had our first article in it, I was rereading it as I wrote my new article for the Dairy Goat Journal. Oh well, I'll just reorder the mag. but DARN! The next call came about 6pm telling me Danyel had dropped my cell phone in the barn and Cloe had chewed on it and she though she broke it. Great! And of course things always happen in threes so I was a little nervous what I was going get for the third incident. That one came about half hour later, when they called again and said the switch to turn on the compressor didn't work - so they had to turn it on at the junction box. Alright enough is enough. When we got home David unloaded the car and I went out to check the parlor - to make sure things were done the way I had told them. Like water running though the hose. Nope it wasn't running so it was froze. So I proceeded to run hot water on the hose to get it thawed out. The iodine was also froze cause they hadn't put it in the bulk room. So I move it and I was so unnerved that I decided to clean the milk parlor then.
On our way home Friday night we decided we'd have fun with the storm news, so we put together a survival one night basket. (Wine, 2 glasses, garlic and dill chevre, plain chevre, honey, bread, chocolate hazelnuts, candles and matches). We displayed this with a reader board announcing the Emergency Storm Kit on our table on Sat.
So the trip Sat morning went great as it did with our drive home Friday night. We got there at 7:30 normal time and set up the table and then went and got a donut and sat in the car warming up until 8:30 when we went in and put the ice in the tubs we use to display our cheese. We also had brought a light with a 150 bulb in it to hook under the table to warm our toes. So we turned it on and put our honey bottle under it to warm up, we like to sample the honey with our chevre to show people how wonderful natural frutose tastes with our cheese (like berries and such). There were more farmers today at the market. The traffic through the market started right at about 9am but it got pretty heavy at about 11am. No snow yet and no wind. They had expected the storm to hit Seattle between 3-8pm and we were hoping for at least 5:00pm. We kept calling the girls to get the weather report... thiers was always snowing mom (that started about 8:30am). People loved our survival kit. We also had put extra decorations for Christmas on our table - the market was having a contest. Needless to say we won - we got a package of smoked salmon. No one else did much to show the season were are in. That was fun. David and I took turns sitting in the car during the day warming up and listening to the weather report. We had decided when it started snowing we'd head out. Well about 2:45 it started spitting snow and we kept close watch, by 3:00 it was snowing and had put a light coat on the ground. So we packed up and started tword home. To make a long story short it took us 6 hours to get home. You couldn't see the lanes on I-5 and no one seemed to know where they were so everyone was driving all over. I want to know where the snow Plowers were........we never saw one. We had to stop about every 20 miles and de-ice our windshield wipers. It was pretty bad and very dangerous. And seeing what the freeway looked like we couldn't imagine what our off the beaten path roads were going to look like. Well they were really bad. We got to our hill and had to take three tries at it before we acutally crested the hill and then we just had our driveway to get up. NOT! we made it half way up and then walked to the house.
This morning David took the tractor and moved snow and dug under out tires of the car so he could get it in the carport. It worked. No we will unload and put away the cheese. I will atempt to get some milk down to the processing plant this morning to make some cheese.
The goats are happy as they are dry and have full tummies. But our hay is running out and so is our grain. Hope the thaw comes very soon or at least a snow plow. Living on a hill is awsome until you need to get down.
Well I will post some other pictures on the blog tomorrow and fill in any of the other things happening on our little farm in Washington.

Hello, I hope everyone is enjoying the snow. I know the kids are. Us, adults we are if we are not having to go anywhere. David didn't go to Seattle today and as I listen to the news this morning I am very glad. There was a big semi wreck past Centraila and it closed two lanes of I-5 in both directions. And it happened about the time David would of been heading toword Seattle. God Knows!
Last night we put warm water in all the buckets in the barn. We are down to 12 goats at night for milking and 40 in the morning. I have about 22 gallons of milk in the bulk tank right now and I am going to make Grande Rosa and Pepper Rosa today. I'll pull some pasteurized milk to make buttermilk too.I have to pull some milk for a lady in Seattle so she can make some soap, don't know if we'll be able to get it to her though. The goats are nice and snug in the barn.
The girls went sledding yesterday on the road... until the grader came and cleared the road. This morning we have about 8 inches or so and its the good sledding snow. I know the girls will be very happy when I wake them up at 7pm.
I was up at 5:30am this morning, went out and cleaned the parlor and when I get the girls up and David up I'll go clean the processing plant. And get ready to make cheese after the milking is done. I should only have to haul about 5 buckets down to the processing plant today.
Yesterday David and I found a good book and sat and read. The homeschool thing only got one subject done -Math. I'll have the girls work on Math again today and maybe get them to do some English too.
David too the pictures of our house in the snow.
Have a great day - take a deep breath and enjoy the view. God is just reminding us of WHO is in control. And how powerful HE is. The car industry may be shutting down for a month - planned shut down. But God can shut down a whole area when he wants.... Proof - look outside.

Its Snowing again!

Good morning. I think. I got up at 5am to get David off to Seattle. Its about 25 degrees here and the wind is blowing pretty good.
Yesterday we stayed close to home. David did run me to Winlock as my book was in at the library and I knew if he was gone tomorrow I wouldn't get to get my book. So after I got the parlor clean and the children on task - about 5:30 we ran to town. The book Animal, Veg., Mineral was in and I had been told how good this book was and that I'd like it. We also ran to the store to pick up a few loaves of bread.
There isn't enough milk in the bulk tank to make cheese yet.... the goats are really slowing down. So today its another day at home. Personally I love it. I will homeschool today. I am not sure if Danyel will go to Biology - though her dad is home and so are the stud's. (The car has studs). We are going to hook up a new water trough in the barn that will have warm water flowing in it with the water valve on it so it will stay warm and full. I sure am glad that we moved all the goats and dogs into the barn. It s easier to feed and water and they have good shelter.
While I was cleaning the parlor this morning there was snow coming into the milking parlor.... David filled our propane tanks for the heater in the milking parlor.
I am already thinking of spring....and babies. Today Summer sounds good too.
David turned around this morning just past Centraila, he said it was a white out and his car was sliding on the ice. So no Pikes Market Today.... OUCH! We will try and go Friday, Sat. and Sunday. So much for Christmas gifts, we were counting on that money to get the girls some gifts. I guess we'll have an old fashion Christmas. Meaning, we'll make things for each other. Thats what Christmas is about anyway. Maybe I'll give them their own cheese too. This brings the true meaning of Christmas back to the home front. God is always in control and knows what we need - and supplies it. David is going to build a fire in our fireplace - it doesn't really heat anything but it sure looks cool, (meaning WARM).
Well enjoy the snow it could stay this way until Christmas.