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.

Cold!

Good Morning. It is surely cold this morning. Our temp. reads 16 degrees. But nothing is frozen in the milking parlor or the milk parlor or processing plant, YA! I went out and cleaned the milk parlor at 6:30 and came in at 7am and woke the girls. They are getting dressed now to get ready to go out. David isn't going to market today. And with the snow tomorrow who knows.
The girls will have to haul water from the milking parlor hose as its not froze and it can be turned onto warm water. But it takes the hammer to break the ice in each of the buckets. We will also have to go out and fill buckets at noon today - goats drink a lot of water when its cold out. David hays really heavy for the goats too.
Today is going to be clean the house. I want the clutter gone. And the spare room cleaned.
For Christmas I don't know if anyone will be here. With my X having liver cancer they may all stay up his way. Thats alright with me, they should be there. So it would be the first Christmas by ourselves (2 girls and David and me). I know they will all come after Christmas, even my daughter and husband and grandchildren from Montana will be over this year.
Tami my #4, daughter, is here right now. She wanted to see her dad. I don't expect to see her this trip as the roads are icy and their dad is in Portland in the hospital.
You know the thing with large families, is that they are very flexible because nothing ever goes the way its planned.
Last night I read to the girls for half hour before I sent them to bed. David and I hit the sack about 10pm.
The girls have home school today and Danyel has Biology at Napavine. We also need to go to the library to pick up one of our requested books.
When its cold everyone stays inside unless necessary to go out. The girls are occupied with thier computer game. They did go outside yesterday to sled on the ice. They are hoping for a better ice run today though.
Have a Great Week and Think of Summer Days. Have a Merry Christmas

A Frozen Week

David took the winter picture the other day from our deck. And Katie, our neighbor is checking out the picture above the goats today while she was helping milk. Are you cool enough? I sure am. Our temp. today high was 19 degrees and a wind chill factor of 8. Well, Sunday morning I was going to go to Seattle with David. We packed the car and got everything ready to go. The snow hadn't started coming down. But at 4:30am when we got up it was very icy and white on the ground. So we did our chores and then came and got dressed to go. And headed out ..... only to get to the bottom of our road... a little slippery but really shinny. We were listening to the Seattle radio station for road reports and all we heard were lots of crashes and really icy roads.
We decided to turn around at the road that leads us to the freeway and come home. It wasn't worth our lives. It was a hard decision since we are really needing this money to pay some bills. But in the end God will take care of our needs and watch over our farm. We had arranged for the youth paster to come get the girls for play practice that day too. He called and we told him not to try and come up our hill it was really icy. Anyway we spent the day at home - trying to get ready for the cold weather to come. I went out and drained the milk out of the bulk tank as it was to old to use, and clean out the tank. I got creative and decided to make it really shinny inside - so I used this stong acid stuff that makes it really bright. Boy it smelled like rotten eggs. When Danyel came out to milk she said it stunk, so she opened the parlor window to air out the room. We had the heater going in the bulk tank room and the propane heater going in the milking room. Milking was over and we decided to watch a movie while we ate dinner. I decided I should write down all our farmers markets in a record book so we could see really what we have done this year. I got all of them but about 20 market sheets wrote into the record book. I logged the stall fees and all the meals out we have eaten. Wow, I was impressed. I finished the rest of it on Monday. We decided to not go to market on Monday either. So Monday morning I went out and started to clean the parlor to find the window had never been shut and there was no water running in the parlor or milking room. We will have to milk by hand - unless we can get this water running. So started the morning. We hauled warm water to all the goat water buckets and I hauled water to the parlor sink so I could wash the inline system . It took till about 8:30 before we could start milking this morning. I got the water running in the bulk tank room but not in the milking room. David worked on the other water faucets/ to recover them and to check to see if they were frozen. We got to eat breakfast about 10:30 this morning. Our little neighbor girl is staying with us and their house was totally frozen - her dad was working on getting them unthawed. So the girls ended up taking warm water from our house in the wagon to their animals. This afternoon David went and got the studs put on our car. And picked up some dog food and milk filters for the bulk tank. I stayed home and finished the bookkeeping stuff. The Christmas music is playing in the background and its so peaceful. Our milking is done for the evening and now we'll sit down to a fried chicken, baked potatoes, corn and green salad for dinner. And watch a movie together and then off to bed. The life of a farmer in the winter is really nice - the days are short and you don't seem quite as tired as the summer days.
Our tree is up and its half blue and half pink for our two daughters. We have no gifts under the tree yet. David and I will do shopping a few days before Christmas. Most everyone on our list gets a cheese basket. But there are a few surprises for the rest of the family. So all is ready for the holidays.
Have a Great Holiday Season. Enjoy the small things that seem to get un-noticed.

December A month to Enjoy

Good Morning. Its cold out and its white.
On Thur. we started preparing for this cold front coming. The girls started turning the water faucets off and uncoiling and draining the hoses. Friday evening David got out the faucet covers too. We turned the heater on in the milk room and turned a drip on in the processing plant. The goats got extra hay starting yesterday and I think we are ready.
Thur. I didn't make cheese, to much running around. Friday I had bazaar and so no cheese now till Sunday. Friday we got up at 5am - I cleaned the parlor and then got the girls up at 5:30. They milked and I got my stuff ready to go to the bazaar in Rainier, Ore at the Rainier Marina building. Danyel was done by 6:45 and I headed out to clean the parlor so we would be ready to milk when we got home at 7pm. At 7:30 I ran to Winlock to get some grain (prep for the snow storm) about 20 bags, that should take me to mid week before I need more. Then home to unload the grain and load the truck with ice chests and get dressed in market clothes. On the road by 8:35. We got to the bazaar at 9:25 and ready to sell by 10am. They closed the bazaar at 5pm because the weather and there was no one there. So we got home at 6pm and I then got in the van which was hooked up to the flat bed trailer to go get two rounds of hay (this lasts us right now about 9 days), which is 1/2 hour drive one way. It was pouring and blowing but I made it there and back by 7:30pm and then Ali and I had to unhook the trailer from the van and hook it up to the tractor then take it up to the barn and then it got interesting. Only because its me and a 90 pound girl (when wet) trying to push a one ton bale of hay off the trailer - the trailer is wet and slick and so we are slipping and can't find a foot hold to get leverage. We did get the hay off the trailer and into the barn. Then I had to hay everyone. We usually eat on the way home from a market but non of us were hungry so we skipped dinner. Now we are hungry but no energy to make anything... we just fended for ourselves. I then unloaded my cheese and put the blue ice back in the freezer to re-freeze so I can load up tomorrow morning for the last day of the bazaar. I counted the cheese and then my money bank.... wow I sold $30.00 of cheese today - that made my table space fee. What a waste of time. The girls had fun though they did their Christmas shopping at the thrift store in town. I guess I made some good contacts about doing some cheese classes at their facility next year. I fell into bed at 10pm and didn't hear anything.
Now this morning there is a little snow on the ground, the hoses are frozen and the girls have to be in their blue's uniform for Civil Air Patrol by 7:30am - So they are taking turns milking because they needed to iron their uniforms. (Ali told Danyel she would only milk one load though). I won't leave for Rainier until about 8:30 providing there isn't more than a skiff of snow on the ground. I am driving a two wheel drive pick up - little one. I'll put 4 bags of grain in the back before I leave for weight.
Well I wish you all a very Wonderful Day.

Has our Ship come in?

Good Morning.
We are just finishing milking this morning. Our time has changed again back to the 7am milking instead of 6am. We are now down to four loads of 8 does. Our milk is dropping fast as the winter sets in and the goats are wanting a rest. I am trying to make 50 gallon batches of cheese twice a week to stock up for the off months of milking. Its starting to get tricky.
I made a 48 gallon batch of chevre on Tue., its ready to come down this morning. I'll take it down and put it in the refrigerator, until this evening when I have to package chevre's for the
One of our sunsets from our deck
Bazaar this weekend. I am going to make an other batch of Grande Rosa and Pepper Rosa today too.
I packaged up 2 - ten pound buckets of chevre for two restaurants that are going to start using our chevre. Now I can tell you the names: Dockside Bistro in Olympia and Michou at Pikes Place Market. We are so excited. We also picked up the Pike Place Creamery with our yogurt. I've sent them two batches so far.
We are going to go deliver the cheese in Olympia today. Danyel has Biology and then we will leave from there.
We have our grange Christmas Party this Sat. so we are making some brownies, cake and a cheese basket for the party today. They will do a silent auction and the basket will go for that and the cake and brownies are for the cake walk. I will be at the Bazaar, but the girls will be Santa's elves for the evening. So, milking on Sat will be about 3pm so the girls can get picked up at 5:45. I'll stop by the grange after the bazaar. The girls will be up milking on Sat. at about 5am too, they also have CAP and will get picked up at 7:30am.
Sunday morning I drove 4 goats up to Seattle that some people had bought for thier holiday. I was back in time to take the girls to church. What a crazy morning. We layed low the rest of the day though.
Monday I went over and vacuumed up marinated feta and brushed, re-oiled and charcoled my aged cheese and turned them over too.
Tue. David took off - from his sales in Seattle. We went over to Black Sheep Creamery and vacuumed 10 rounds of Grande Rosa and Pepper Rosa - that should keep us for awhile stocked of that cheese. David put up Christmas lights outside. And we went to Longview Wa to look at Christmas Lights - a family tradition. We went out to dinner at the Rose Tree - another family tradition for 14 years on Christmas Day. They are not open anymore on Christmas day so we thought we'd go eat there early. It was a nice day. We loaded up the car for market and all went to bed by 10pm.
Wed. I stared working on an article for the Dairy Goat Journal - Our 5 year anniversary is coming up and I wrote an article for them in 2004 about the life and times of our dairy. So I thought it would be fitting to bring the magazine up to date of our life now. So I spent a great deal of time writing on the computer. We ran to town to do errands. And then we started chores early so we could go to church. Home from church and we cleaned the kitchen up and visited with David.
Well I best get off the computer and start working to get things done around here. I will run out and hay the bucks and then come in and change clothes and take down the cheese and then run Danyel to school and Ali and I will run to the library to drop off a CD that didn't get put back in the audio book checked out. Then pick up Danyel and run to Olymplia then home to bake and then run that stuff to the grange then home to package cheese and make dinner. CRAZY!
TALK TO YOU ALL SOON. Have a Great Day.

Getting ready for market

Here is the picture I promised - my Thanksgiving pie table.
Yesterday I was running like crazy . I got the cheese made. I made it to the Grange event, with a potluck dish (cheese & crackers). And got the kids to church on time. I was in bed by 11pm. David got home before I had to go get the girls at church. He didn't do very well at the market again.
Today is off and running too. I have to turn the cheese and re-press it. Go to the bank and get cash for my cash box for the bazaar tomorrow. Run by the craft store and pick up some Styrofoam to make mock cheese pieces for my gift basket so I can set it on my table. I also need to go pick up my business cards if they are ready. I will take Danyel to class and then come home and package and label Chevre's and Feta's. I also need to get the yogurt mixed up and packaged and labeled. I will go through my box I take to markets to make sure all my supplies are in there. I want to decorate my table very Christmas like - so that is extra stuff . I will also make a picture board to put out so people can see our farm. On top of this I need to drive and pick up my grandson in St. Helens Oregon by 2pm today. Two more thing, make turkey noodle soup and take the girls to play practice at 6pm and picked up by 7:30pm. Oh yes, we have to milk and feed the goats before play practice.
My daughters will decorate the house and Christmas tree while I am gone today. They will do about 3 hours of school today too.
I just need to remember to breath today.
Well, you have a wonderful day. Its going to be sunny out today and that always brings up my spirits.

Busy Days in December

Hello:
Well its already December and things on the dairy are slowing a little. We are down to 5 loads at morning and 4 loads at night (meaning the most is 40 does being milked). I made a 50 gallon batch of chevre that turned out great. Today a 51 gallon batch of Grande Rosa and Pepper Rose is in the making. I got up at 5:30 this morning and cleaned the parlor. Then went and put all the dishes away in the processing plant and washed the buckets to haul the milk over to the pasteurizer. Have I mentioned that is 10 buckets weighing between 35 and 42 pounds that I haul. Anyway I woke the girls up at 6:15 to do their chores. I went into the processing plant and washed and sanitized the buckets and then went and started transporting the milk to the pasteurizer. I got that all done and started the pasteurizer at about 8 am. I will start school at 9am this morning, we are studying Psalm 23 its an awesome book from a Shepard view. Ali has two tests today and grammar to do. Where Danyel has Biology class at 10:23 to 11:25 and then she will do her math and grammar. I will be leaving at 11:35 for a Lecture meeting for our grange and won't be home until 2:30 or so.
My milk will stay in the pasteurizer until I get home at 2:30 - cooling down so I can make cheese when I get home. That will take me to 4:00 which then I'll clean the milk parlor so the girls can milk the goats at about 4:30 and be done in time to eat some pancakes (made with 7up in place of the water- they are so good) and then we are off to church at 6:45 till 8pm.
Then it is home to turn cheese and package more chevre and garlic and dill.
We have two neighbor girls living with us right now while thier mom is going through cancer surgery. They love helping my girls do chores and they don't complain about our schedual. Its always nice to have good kids around - let alone be my daughters friends.
David didn't do very good at market on Monday or Tuesday - so we think we will drop those two days. We are in a tight way right now trying to make the house payment in order to avoid loosing the farm.... and its tough. There are no jobs here in Lewis County and the markets are not good for saleman. I just don't see a bright side to this ---- right now. Anyway we will keep walking forward and TRUSTING GOD.
The goats need wormed but I am trying to hold off until after the 15th. I can get away with the pour on dairy cow wormer - the small bottle will do all my girls and guys. I have I think 7 meat goats that will go to the butcher on the 20th of December.
Danyel and Ali and Katie and Nichole went for a walk on Monday. Danyel always takes her pack goat Koosko, well the neighbor's dog down the way spooked him and he fell. Now he like has a hard time walking - maybe like he pulled a muscle or something in his hip. We penned him up and are watching and taking care of him best we can. He seems alright. When he falls he falls forward like on his head. Its really weird. Then there are our cats..... we are doctoring one with a icky cheek and another one has to have penicillin because he has an internal infection from some hawk claw holes in his head. Everyone is doing better - just takes a little extra time to take care of all needs.
Our turkey is just about gone. I am making Turkey noodle soup for dinner tomorrow night. I am going to St. Helens Oregon about 75 miles from here to pick up my grandson for a few days. CJ is 5 years old and loves to ride the tractor. His mom's dad is going in for surgery and thought it easier to have CJ at Nana's. I agree. So I'll have him until Sat. when they pick him up at the Bazaar I am going to in Rainier, Oregon.
Did I mention I'll be in Rainier at the Marina for a two weekend Bazaar. Well its suppose to be busy and very nice. Its on Fri. and Sat. Dec. 5 &6 and 12 &13 from 10-6pm. I sure hope I do well there. I made up three sizes of baskets to take orders on. I am planning on delivering the baskets on the 22 of December at the bazaar location. We'll see how this goes.
As you can see I have my hands full as usual and running as usual.
Hope everyone has a great day. I will post that table of pies as soon as David downloads them.