I thought I was going to do office work this morning and run down to Thayer in the middle of the day, but I awoke to an intimidating weather report. We were supposed to have wind and rain by mid-day. Plans were shuffled, and I headed to Thayer after securing everything for the weather.
The weather gods didn't see the forecast. Finished all my shopping at Wal-Mart, Hirsch Feed, and Harp's grocery store, and it didn't rain. Bought the van a new battery. Went to the post office. No rain.
Came home, ate lunch, tried to take a nap. The lawyer's office called with the news that the letters testamentary from the court had come in, and the UPS delivery man scared the dogs... or they scared him.... whichever.
Packaged up goat blood and milk samples to ship off for testing (routine stuff), scooted to town to the post office and the lawyers office, and then discovered that the bank closes at 3:00 PM. So, I'll have to go BACK to town on Tuesday. It's a ten mile drive one way, and I really try to avoid making that trip daily.
The plan for doing paperwork never materialized, either. I started on the inventory for the estate because I have thirty days to get that done and turned in to the probate court. I only inventoried the garage and workshop, but it's a step in the right direction.
Here is a wonderful poem by Wendell Berry that my good friend, Angela, sent me. It certainly applies at this point in my life, and I felt much better after reading it.
No, no, there is no going back.
Less and less you are
that possibility you were.
More and more you have become
those lives and deaths
that have belonged to you.
You have become a sort of grave
containing much that was
and is no more in time, beloved
then, now, and always.
And so you have become a sort of tree
standing over a grave.
Now more than ever you can be
generous toward each day
that comes, young, to disappear
forever, and yet remain
unaging in the mind.
Every day you have less reason
not to give yourself away.
~ Wendell Berry ~
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Wonderful Sunday
I've got the Halloumi going. It's a middle Eastern cheese that you can grill! Non-melting. Often served with caramelized onions.
I mowed around the goat playscape and weed eated under the fence separating the goat yard and the house.
After lunch, I went to Kirsten's and drew blood to send for CAE testing on all her adult females. She has one goat with a hard udder, and I took milk samples to send in to the mastitis clinic.
I brought her a quart of milk (all I had) because one of her does had triplets, one doesn't make much milk, and she's grafting that one's kids onto her other milker that's in milk. No milk for her house! Darn, I wish I'd taken her some of the frozen milk. Didn't think of it!
I came home with a beautiful loaf of Tuscan bread, just out of the oven, a few tomato plants of unknown heritage, some goat ribs cooked with Garam Masala, and mint roots. Also brought home the long flatbed trailer that she kept safe over the winter, as I need to pick up more cattle panels on Monday.
This evening, I planted the tomato plants and mint from Kirsten, then planted rutabaga seeds. I've never grown them, but I like saying RUTABAGA. Rutabaga, Rutabaga, Rutabaga.
Snowbelle's walking better after I trimmed her hooves this morning.
When I went out the door to milk this evening, Orange, Bella, Tonto, Prince Charming, and Aster were coming up the hill in the back yard, between the house and the birdbaths. This is not where goats are supposed to be. Sigh. The fence that separates the hay field from the little orchard was down in one spot, and they found it, of course.
When I was giving Prince Charming his bottle after I milked, Tonto chewed through my ear bud cord on my MP3 players. Luckily, there are extra sets of ear buds in the desk drawer.
Goats. Gotta love them.
I mowed around the goat playscape and weed eated under the fence separating the goat yard and the house.
After lunch, I went to Kirsten's and drew blood to send for CAE testing on all her adult females. She has one goat with a hard udder, and I took milk samples to send in to the mastitis clinic.
I brought her a quart of milk (all I had) because one of her does had triplets, one doesn't make much milk, and she's grafting that one's kids onto her other milker that's in milk. No milk for her house! Darn, I wish I'd taken her some of the frozen milk. Didn't think of it!
I came home with a beautiful loaf of Tuscan bread, just out of the oven, a few tomato plants of unknown heritage, some goat ribs cooked with Garam Masala, and mint roots. Also brought home the long flatbed trailer that she kept safe over the winter, as I need to pick up more cattle panels on Monday.
This evening, I planted the tomato plants and mint from Kirsten, then planted rutabaga seeds. I've never grown them, but I like saying RUTABAGA. Rutabaga, Rutabaga, Rutabaga.
Snowbelle's walking better after I trimmed her hooves this morning.
When I went out the door to milk this evening, Orange, Bella, Tonto, Prince Charming, and Aster were coming up the hill in the back yard, between the house and the birdbaths. This is not where goats are supposed to be. Sigh. The fence that separates the hay field from the little orchard was down in one spot, and they found it, of course.
When I was giving Prince Charming his bottle after I milked, Tonto chewed through my ear bud cord on my MP3 players. Luckily, there are extra sets of ear buds in the desk drawer.
Goats. Gotta love them.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Back to paperwork, mail, and bookkeeping
Yesterday was a VERY full day, and we got a lot accomplished. My friend, Cyndy, came over and we sorted through three closets of stuff and uniforms. There's a stack to go to the daughters, a stack for the auction, a staging area full of items for the auction in the fall, and a large sack of clothing going to the Sheltered Workshop in Alton.
After that, we cleaned the milk house and installed the new washable mats on the milk stands and floor. I caulked the seams that had allowed rainwater to come in.
Then, we mowed. Three of the mowers are working now, thanks to Lonnie's stash of new lawnmower batteries. Cyndy mowed around the house, and I mowed the front pasture/yard.
This morning, I'm decluttering. Sorting and cleaning makes more mess!
In a little bit, I'm going to start on the stack of mail, paperwork, and bookkeeping. There are Lonnie's things to deal with, and the end of the month approaches, so there's the normal bookkeeping.
I'll run to town later to go to the post office, bank, feed store, etc. It's nice to do NORMAL things.
The garden is looking good, even if it's only partly planted. The peppers, tomatoes, and herbs survived transplanting in fine form. The lettuce is starting to sprout. Still waiting to see little beans and squash coming up.
After that, we cleaned the milk house and installed the new washable mats on the milk stands and floor. I caulked the seams that had allowed rainwater to come in.
Then, we mowed. Three of the mowers are working now, thanks to Lonnie's stash of new lawnmower batteries. Cyndy mowed around the house, and I mowed the front pasture/yard.
This morning, I'm decluttering. Sorting and cleaning makes more mess!
In a little bit, I'm going to start on the stack of mail, paperwork, and bookkeeping. There are Lonnie's things to deal with, and the end of the month approaches, so there's the normal bookkeeping.
I'll run to town later to go to the post office, bank, feed store, etc. It's nice to do NORMAL things.
The garden is looking good, even if it's only partly planted. The peppers, tomatoes, and herbs survived transplanting in fine form. The lettuce is starting to sprout. Still waiting to see little beans and squash coming up.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Back in the Ozarks
I returned to Missouri on April 17th. The migration north was a bit early this spring due to several factors:
1. I have goats due to kid in May, and they needed to be settled in and NOT traveling for a month before their due dates.
2. The Go Green Festival in Thayer was scheduled for the following weekend, and I wanted to attend.
3. I needed to begin the process of settling Lonnie's estate.
After a week of being here, all is going remarkably well. The goats are happy. The festival was outstanding. The legal process is underway.
Today, my plan is cleaning and sorting out things in the kitchen, making goat cheese (cheddar and feta), and doing goat stuff. I need to separate the bucklings from the girls, clean up the fence lines so the electric fence doesn't short out, and clean the milk house.
However! I got distracted by cleaning the kitchen drawers because of the mouse droppings I found when getting out the utensils for making cheese. So, washing all the kitchen spoons, spatulas, silverware, etc., took precedence!
I did get the buckling's fenced area ready.
1. I have goats due to kid in May, and they needed to be settled in and NOT traveling for a month before their due dates.
2. The Go Green Festival in Thayer was scheduled for the following weekend, and I wanted to attend.
3. I needed to begin the process of settling Lonnie's estate.
After a week of being here, all is going remarkably well. The goats are happy. The festival was outstanding. The legal process is underway.
Today, my plan is cleaning and sorting out things in the kitchen, making goat cheese (cheddar and feta), and doing goat stuff. I need to separate the bucklings from the girls, clean up the fence lines so the electric fence doesn't short out, and clean the milk house.
However! I got distracted by cleaning the kitchen drawers because of the mouse droppings I found when getting out the utensils for making cheese. So, washing all the kitchen spoons, spatulas, silverware, etc., took precedence!
I did get the buckling's fenced area ready.
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