Another rainy day on the farm. Last night we started to bring the goats out of the barn to their outside area when we descovered the electric fence isnt working. We tested it before we brought the goats out and it was working. It was very frustrating. We decided to put the few goats we had out back in the barn where they will be safe. However we were unable to catch one, Janet, is her name. She is a nice smart goat with a black head and white body. We decided to leave her out with Happy Birthday. It is so cold and rainy I havent ventured out to check on them yet. AR and I will need to feed and water all of them soon anyway. Goat catching isnt always easy and electric fences are tempremantal.

We recieved our 100 large mouth bass yestereday. Asa and AR released them into the pond yesterday.

Our feeding frenzie. Today AR and I went out to feed the goats after preschool. Happy Birthday must have heard us coming because she had her head stuck out the bottom of the door where it is broken off. When we went to open the door all the other goats were already there to greet us which makes it very difficult to push past them to feed them. Happy Birthday usually can get her head in and out of the door very easily but because all the other goats were standing there she was stuck. And we were stuck at the door. I put one bucket of grain down and went inside while AR stood there with the water. When I came back the door was wide open and Happy Birthday had escaped. No big deals she is easy to catch. However, there were six others standing in the door way looking like they could make a break for it. Luckily there was still some corn in the bucket I had left and I was able to get them back in the door with a little rattle of the bucket. I was envisioning the worst when I saw them all standing free at the wide open door. Happy Birthday even went back on her own.

Next we had to go feed the bucks. For the past couple of weeks we had noticed one may have the beginnings of a cold. It was sneezing alot and not hanging with the others as much. Well today it had a huge runny nose and was blowins snot all over the place. Just like a little kid when they are sick. Luckily we had just talked to the lady who has the big goat heard yesterday about what to do when they get sick. It was a trip to Agway to get pennicillin and a few syringes. It was too dark to administer the antibiotic by the time Asa and I got home so we hope the goat is still alive tomorrow. Then we will both get to play Veterinarian and try to figure out how many cc's of Meds to give and how often and where to inject the medication. It shouldnt be too hard. Just catching and holding the buck still will be the most difficult part.

With all of the fencing we have been doing and now having to administer drugs to our animals we are starting to look like real farmers.

Today Asa, the girls and I woke up early and drove to Cayuga. It is a small town just south west of Syracuse. Once we were off the highway the trip was beautiful. Lots of hills of full colored trees and so many apple orchards we were overwhelmed. We had no idea they were there. We stopped at a few and bought some of the best apples I have ever tasted. They are like candy. In Cayuga was another goat rancher. Her goats had sixty kids and we went to look at them and her facility. She was very nice and extremely informative. Most of the day was rainy and windy but we all had fun.

Happy Birthday now has 18 lady friends to keep her company. However, she would still be with us and on the porch. Yesterday Asa and I spent the entire day putting up the electric fence for our new goats. It looks nice and it works. In the late afternoon we went to pick up the twenty goats which were purchased. 18 does and 2 bucks. The one buck is older and tried to have his way with all of the bucks we already have, all day today. The other buck is a painted 100% Boer Register buck and is only 10 months old. He got to spend the night with the ladies because when we were off loading the goats into the milk house we were unable to catch him and it was dark. This afternoon Asa was able to corner him with some food and put him in with the rest of the bucks. So if he was able to have his way with any of the ladies we will have kids in April.

The herd is doing well and the girls love to feed them and hang out with them. QT thinks they are so funny. She doesnt seem to mind getting knocked over by them either.

Our current Animal count is

1 Hen
7 Buck Goats
19 Doe Goats
1 Dog
2 Cats

Rats and mice arent considered pets. We are hoping we dont have any of them at least in the house.

Grandma is back and is trying to readjust back to farm living. We tell her she just shouldnt leave then she doesnt have to go through this adjustment period.

Asa and I still have lots of fencing to complete. We are trying to put the goats into large quadrants so we can rotate them around. Hopefully we get faster and more efficient each time.

The Lesson learned today on the farm....Its not wise to wear flip flops and feed 5 hungry buck goats. Their hooves really hurt!

Today on the farm we invented a walking fertilizer system. We put the bucket of feed in the back of the stroller and Happy Birthday wouldnt leave it alone so I kept walking with the stroller and she had her front feet in the bottom of the stroller and was walking behind us eating while pooping. Thus the walking fertilizer system which can also lul your baby to sleep.

Asa hooked up the electric fence at the bottom of the stairs so that the goat will not poop on the porch. It worked really well. She ran very fast the first time she got zapped. Woody on the other hand it took him about 4 times. It was a little nerve racking getting into the house, trying to step over it. We know it doesnt hurt its just the antisipation of knowing you may get zapped.

QT was suppose to be in her crib, I had just checked on her and I was doing dishes. It was no more than 2 minute when I started to taste something weird. I turned around and saw a cloud of white pouring out of the living room. In less than 2 minutes, QT, had gotten a hold of her fathers powder and dumped it all over the living room, in part of the kitchen, in the bathroom and all over our bedroom. Our blue carpets were no long blue they were white and it was difficult to breath because of the thick powder in the air. While cleaning up this mess; I look over into Grandma's bedroom and saw QT had pulled the clean wet clothes off of the rack onto the dirty floor. Tomorrow is another day.

This is a picture of a Boer Goat Buck. Ours arent quite this big yet but we hope they will be at least this big or bigger. Tonight Asa and I were out working on the fence again. The girls were playing in the field. AR was throwing her sister to the ground then dragging her sister by the hood of her sweat shirt thru the thick grass. After the third time we told her she would have to go inside if she didnt quit. Asa and I were in the field on a hill which over looks the farm and the sun was setting while the girls were playing, it was beautiful. Almost surreal and peaceful. We were all working together and everyone was happy. It was great. We never thought a year ago we would be worring about fencing and keeping coyotes out away from our goats.

Tonight it was QT's turn to ride the tractor back from the fields. She has only had 2 or 3 rides and AR always gets to go. Well QT loved it and AR had a fit and wined and cried the whole walk back. She did redeam herself in the end by being such a good helper.




Yesterday a man stopped by and I saw him out there talking to Asa, I was in the house. It looked like they knew one another because they were laughing. Then I saw them walk toward the road and thought maybe it was the neighbor who is working on the water construction team outside our house. They have been digging and blasting for the water line which should be done by spring of 2007. I asked Asa who that guy was and he said it was someone who wanted to know if we had a big red rooster. Appearently, the guy told Asa he didnt know why the Rooster crossed the road and guessed it might be suicide. Yep the rooster got ran over by a truck. The man was nice enough to tell us he killed our rooster. He said there was nothing he could do that the rooster jumped right out in front of him and began to try to fly and he hit him. Which is better than the lady who swerved to miss a sqirrel and hit us. I would rather him hit the rooster than crash his truck. We would have eatent he rooster for dinner but it was pretty mangled. He only had one tail feather left before he got hit due to Woody chasing him. Thats why we wonder if it was suicide or just an accident. He may have thought these people move in, their kids chase us out of our house, the dog is plucking us off one by one, my nerves are shot, I cant handle it any more. Our chicken count is very low. We have One hen and One chick left on the farm.

AR had balliet class today. It is very different from the class she took in Colorado. This one is much more regimented and the focus isnt to just have fun it is to learn and you will learn or be out of the class. So very structured. Which is ok. AR likes it. Although she almost got kicked out of class today because she kept laying on the floor. Then eating her Tutu. The instructor is from NYC and was on Broadway for many years and has now taught for many years. She is very nice and very patient with the students but you will listen or leave. She has the accent of Joey's manager Stella from Friends. The parents can only watch the first week of every month until January then they have to really focus on the recital at the end of June. AR has learned 1st, 2nd and 4th position and several other moves which have names that I can barely pronounce let alone spell, so I wont even try. It is very cute and she does have fun, it is just very different.

We got back from our trip on Monday September 18, 2006. Aunt Midge came to visit on Wednesday September 20, 2006. She got here just in time to go to the girls Acrobat Class.

Thursday September 21, 2006 we all went to an animal auction near by. Where we saw to grown men screaming at each other about their bids over an animal and the cops were getting called. It was an interesting way to start an auction. We didnt buy anything for the goats always seem to come last and the girls were getting so antsy after two hours. We saw lots of sheep and pigs sold. Some of the sheep even were able to leap out of the pen into the crowd.

Friday Great Grandma Kistler and Cheryl arrived. They had a long day of driving but it was nice to see them. We tried to have the house clean. Well as clean as you can get a place when you have absolutely no room to put anything. Aunt Midge was
moved to the storage room where there was just enough room for her to set up her cot and put a few things.

Aunt Midge, Great Grandma and I played lots of cards. Aunt Midge and Great Grandma seemed to hit it off. They played cards and gabbed for hours. They both seemed to have a great time. I know Aunt Midge really enjoyed herself. The weekend with Great Grandma went very fast. It rained most of the time. The Girls liked having both of them around too. While they were here Asa and I were able to get a home established for Happy Birthday so she would stay off the porch and quit pooping on it. We were sweeping about 10x a day from her. It gets old quickly. She would be great if she wouldnt poop on the porch. Great Grandma and Cheryl left Monday to go back to PA and Aunt Midge left Wednesday.

Asa started his new job at Lowes. It is the same job he had when he left the Lowes in Greeley. He is happy to get back to the position he likes there. It makes him much more enjoyable. At the top is a picture of the 5 Boer goat bucks he bought while we were gone and Happy Birthday. They are 10 months old and very funny to watch. They are getting very big. This week we should have 20 more goats on the way. All we have to do is finish the fence for them. We tried to get it finished this weekend for Asa had three days off but we only had one nice day and we didnt get it all done. However we did clean up around the garage and chicken coop and picked up years of garbage from the previous owner. We had the biggest bonfire yet. We will pick up the goats using the mini van. We will have to make 4 trips so luckily it isnt too far.

We have been without a phone line for nine days. We didnt have a dial tone and we have been fighting with the phone company to have someone come out and fix it. They finally showed today. So we now have a phone thus a computer. Our logs should be more regular again.