tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6286626039326077542024-03-13T05:03:21.210-05:00Krazo AcresThe attempts of a former suburbanite family at making a life in the rock & chigger infested wilderness known as The Ozarks.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.comBlogger1057125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-26810135368926495382021-05-28T11:08:00.000-05:002021-05-28T11:08:42.320-05:00Toe-may-toe, Toe-mah-toe...Poe-tay-toe, Poe-tah-toe. Same difference, huh? Well. Sometimes.<br><br>
Even though we sold 99.99998% of the goats here on Krazo Acres Compound a few months ago, we kept three of them because.......well, because of some reason that I can't recall. Anyways.<br><br>
One of them, Cactus, was pregnant and was about to pop. Thankfully she chose one of the few hours of somewhat-dry time between the days and weeks of rain to do so. Paul went to check on her and she had just successfully birthed two bucklings, although one of them still had the fluid-filled sack around him even though he was completely out. Luckily he found them in time otherwise I fear that he may have sufficated / drown before Cactus got around to cleaning him off (as she was still busy cleaning off the first one. I've never seen a kid born still inside the embronic sack, but apparently that happened yesterday. The kid can still receive oxygen if they are in the sack and the umbilical cord is still attached to the mother, but once the cord is broken, the only way to receive oxygen is for it to actually breathe that oxygen in. Paul and Rhiannon broke the sack, swung him a bit (to remove fluid from lungs/nose/mouth) and got him to take his first breath of air.<br><br>
Mom and kids are doing well, but now we are moving upwards in the number of goats here instead of decreasing the numbers. The only "good" thing is that they are males. Normally I would be bummed, but since we do not want any more goats, I'm releived that they will be going into the freezer this fall and providing our family with several nourishing meals.<br><br>
The above accounting on what exactly transpired yesterday during the goat birthing is brought to you second-hand (or is it third-hand??) as I was not there for the event. I was first notified by my daughter when I got the call at work. She told me the story, said she was glad that Cactus finally popped, mentioned that she is goat-grandmother, and rounded out the mostly-one-sided conversation by telling me that she had to take a shower because she had, "polenta all over my shirt" and had to clean herself up.<br><br>
I suppose a normal person would have immediately chuckled and responded to her saying, "I think you mean placenta, right?"<br><br>
But I had to pause for a moment. Because this is what was going through my head in the half-second before I respoded.....<br><br>
For those who do not know, this is Merrian-Webster's definition of polenta:<br><br>
po·len·ta | \ pō-ˈlen-tə
, pə-, -ˌtä \
Definition of polenta
: mush made of chestnut meal, cornmeal, semolina, or farina<br><br>
Rhinannon and I enjoy polenta. It is easy to make and very adaptable to many dishes. I highly suggest you try it. Yummy.<br><br>
Rhiannon is schooled in cooking polenta.<br><br>
Rhiannon is also schooled in goat birthing.<br><br>
Rhiannon likes to treat mother goats, after giving birth, to a treat. Sometimes Nilla wafers, sometimes fresh greens, sometimes fresh fruit.<br><br>
So, my mind, in that half-second before I answered her, I had to decide if she:<br><br>
A) Meant to say "Placenta" instead of "Polenta" or<br><br>
B) Fixed the mother goat a fresh batch of POLENTA as her after-birthing treat<br><br>
Neither of which were really out of the ordinary.
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The correct answer is A)<br><br>
But B) would have been just as believable.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-12036591827540053392021-03-08T13:50:00.000-06:002021-03-08T13:50:24.365-06:00Fowl Ball!The above title is a play on words. I'll give you a few seconds to think about it before you scroll down.<br><br>
Figured it out yet?<br><br>
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It's not about baseball, y'all.<br><br>
Last chance to click off this blog and go somewhere else. Three....two....one.....<br><br>
We have chickens. We hatch our own chicks. We always, ALWAYS end up with more roosters than necessary. I recall that we had thirteen roosters last year. It was noisy. So very, very noisy. Roosters crowing at 1 am (yes, in the coop), roosters crowing at the butt-crack of dawn, roosters crowing at 8 am, 9 am, Noon, 3 pm. Thirteen roosters crowing at all times of the day, and each one trying to out crow the other. It was maddening. Eleven of the thirteen ended up nourishing our family in the guise of enchiladas, soup, stew, BBQ sandwiches and atop dumplings and gravy. Butchering day is never really fun, but I look forward to it because it means that there are chicken livers to be eaten. Rhiannon and I are avid liver connoisseurs, be it goat, deer, pig or chicken; but chicken livers are our favorite.<br><br>
I'm not sure exactly when I acquired my taste for livers, but I'm pretty sure that I never ate them before moving to the homestead and growing our own chickens. I've been told that my grandmother's favorite dish was calf liver and onions, but that was the extent of my liver foray prior to Krazo Acres. Back in the Chicago burbs of the subs, we had plenty of grocery stores, most of them being the "American" type (i.e. Butternut bread, Jiff peanut butter and nothing more exotic than "Hot" salsa made in New York). But if you knew where to look, there were plenty of ethnic neighborhoods with their own grocery stores, most of them being of the Mexican or Polish variety. Oh how I loved wandering the aisles, staring at the bountiful shelves filled with exotic canned goods, fruits & vegetables, fish, meats and other "unusual" animal products. Chicken feet. Duck heads. Bovine stomach lining. Brains, hearts, livers, kidneys. It still amazes me that the typical American diet does not include these tasty, and often nutritionally superior, animal food products.<br><br>
So, back to the livers (and beyond). Once I had started to butcher our own birds, I noticed that we were not utilizing a lot of the animal. So instead of just tossing all the innards into the compost heap, the gizzard and heart became the official Butchering Day dog treats, while the livers were the official human treat. Necks were saved for chicken stock, and if the feet weren't too icky, they went into the soup pot as well. But there were still two not-so-little items that were not being utilized by us humans.....<br><br>
I got the final push from watching too many Asian Street Food documentaries. No matter what episode or producer of documentary I was watching, chicken gonads inevitably appeared in the dish, either as a side, an ingredient or the main production. Down the rabbit hole I went.<br><br>
I admit, I am not one for being very squeamish when it comes to eating strange foods. Rhiannon and I even fried up a dozen or so wood beetle larva in bacon grease a few years back and it wasn't too shabby. But for many, there is the totally understandable "Ewwww" factor when the consumption of animal testes is mentioned. There are many areas in the US that make a big To-Do about eating fried cattle or lamb testicles, just do a search for "Testicle Festival" and see how many there are!! I tend to be a textural kind'a person; I like chewy, I like stale, I like crunchy. Give me a bag of Cheeto's Cheese Puffs that have been left open for three days in the summer humidity and I'm in heaven, but anything that is "Oozie", not so much.<br><br>
In order to avoid this texture, I opted to give my new culinary experiment a thorough cooking in a pot of boiling water. I cleaned off one of them (the other was smooshed in the process of extracting it) and plunked it into boiling water for about ten minutes. It seemed to firm up a bit, so I took it out and cooled it off enough so that I could remove the membrane. In the videos I've seen for cooking them, they appeared to have the membrane intact, but I didn't want it to "pop" when I took a bite so I stripped it off first. I also refrained from adding any salt or seasonings as I wanted to taste the unadulterated flavor.<br><br>
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It. Was. Good. And I didn't gag, although I didn't expect I would. It has the texture and coloring of a soft tofu with the flavor of a mild chicken liver. And as you already know, I do love me some livers! The next time we butchered roosters, I made them all and Rhiannon and I ate them for lunch. She said it was ok, but I think she was a little put off by the fact it was a chicken testicle. Or maybe she just wasn't very hungry. We will find out next butchering day. I may even try to cook them like little sausages, fry them up with the membrane still on, pan fry and crisp the exterior up a bit and add some seasoning.<br><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r7agIjdYFRY/YEZ_XFCDgxI/AAAAAAAAF_o/aNXnV62khr0it_PxHd6G6Tc8teo3KjL7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1544/rooster.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1544" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r7agIjdYFRY/YEZ_XFCDgxI/AAAAAAAAF_o/aNXnV62khr0it_PxHd6G6Tc8teo3KjL7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/rooster.jpg"/></a></div>Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-66647760811685553892021-03-03T09:59:00.001-06:002021-03-03T09:59:08.213-06:00The Ending of an Era (or Error???)I haven't been the offical "Keeper of Goats" at the homestead for almost six years now. After re-establishing myself in the weekday 9-5 grind, the daily Care of the Caprines was no longer my responsibility. I don't recall how many goats we had when the Goat Baton was passed to Paul, but I swear it was no where near what we had last week. Specifically, thirty-nine goats. As in just one less than forty. As in, "Holy Crappers! Where in the hell did all these goats come from??" Well, when a mommy goat and a daddy goat love each other.......<br><br>
But I regress<br><br>
We've been talking about thinning the herd for a few years now but it just never seemed to happen. Until last week:<br><br>
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Two separate buyers releived us of twenty-seven goats. Not only do we not have to feed these goats any longer, but we ended up with a few extra dollars in our pockets. Not to say we actually MADE any money on them because as anyone who raises small-scale livestock painfully understands that you never, EVER make money, but we did not send the goats off without getting a little bit of green for the trouble.<br><br>
Hopefully we will be visited by an additional buyer this week who will take a few more off our hands, leaving us with only MamaGoat, Cactus, Sunflower and the two bottle buckliings. MamaGoat is past her kidding years so she will live out her life here. Rhiannon was unwilling to give up Cactus and Sunflower as they were her bottle babies from last year and Cactus is pregnant; she wants to be with her for her first kidding. Sunflower is a little bit gangly and not really fit for breeding, so she's become a pet; she may eventually be sold if it's to another family as a pampered pet goat. And the two bottle bucklings will hopefully be sold as soon as possible.<br><br>
Going out into the goat yard yesterday was still a bit eerie. Not being mobbed by them nor hearing the screams of "starving" goats whenever you make eye contact with them is taking a little getting used to. Wait, what's that racket now?? Oh yeah. We still have seven roosters. Five more than we need. Time for rooster stew.<br><br>
And I've got a rooster story for you as well. Stay tuned!Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-42816688743426977192021-02-25T11:00:00.001-06:002021-02-25T11:00:14.467-06:00Finally DefrostedThe entire Universe seemed to have a particulary cold spell last week (or was it the week before? I don't recall, I think my brain is still defrosting) and caused havoc for lots of people. It hit especially hard for those in areas where we are not used to sub-sub-sub-zero temperatures. For those of my readers who live, and even enjoy, the Arctic weather, I tip my hat to you. You truly are survivors (and possibly a bit cray-cray).<br><br>
Our temperatures dipped to the negative two or three days during the night and didn't venture above single digits during the day. So when do you expect our goats decided to give birth? Yep.
Twelve kids popped out during this time. Our older does had enough sense in their little noggins to go into the lean-to, but two others just plopped out their kids in the middle of the field. In the freezing cold snow.<br><br>
We've dealt with hypothermic goats before, so (un)fortunately we pretty much know what to do. If the kids are somewhat coherent, we just bring them into the house and warm them up with a dryer. When their internal body temp is back up (around 101 degrees) they can be fed warm milk. It is imparative that their body temperature is normal before they are fed; it they have milk introduced into their stomach before this, they are unable to digest and end up dying. We found this out with our first hypothermic kid several years ago.<br><br>
These years of (in)experience have given us the proper protocol for dealing with frozen goat kids. The two this year were found unresponsive and immediately brought in to warm up. The first doeling was able to warm up with just the hair dryer treatment, but the second buckling was well beyond that and he had to be submerged into a bucket of warm water for about an hour. It took almost all day to get his temperature up to even think of getting some warm milk into him. He was still kind'a out of it, but he needed nourishment as soon as possible so we tube-fed him until he was able to take the bottle.<br><br>
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Both hypothermic goats are now being pampered by my daughter, along with a third buckling who we pulled from the dam as she doesn't seem interested in him (she's on the "sell" list, btw). So we have goats in the kitchen. I wish I could say that this is an unusual occurance; alas, it is not.<br><br>
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The other goats and Ms. Melman seemed to get through the cold spell without any harm. The chickens did not care for the snow at all and would not come out of their coop until Paul shoveled a path for them. The ducks didn't seem to mind the snow and would just bulldoze (duckdoze??) through the soft snowdrifts looking for a snack or a pail of warm water to muck up. Kai wasn't bothered much by the cold, but he did come in at night. The cats would venture outside for like fifteen seconds then loudly request to be let back inside, cursing me for being such a horrible cat-mom and demanding that I change the weather to the 80's. Penelope stayed tucked away in her little polar fleece lined burror for two days straight, but is already back to her at-dusk feeding schedule.<br><br>
The wild birds flocked to our suet feeders and trays of warm water. There was quite a menagerie of feathered friends; bluebirds, tit mice (mouses??), juncos, cardinals, wrens, sparrows, downy woodpeckers, sapsuckers and nuthatches! I've never seen such a variety of birds at the feeders at one time!<br><br>
Our weather outlook for the next ten days looks to be in the mid-50's and nothing lower than 32 at night so I think we're back to normal. I'm hoping to get out in the gardens this weekend and play in the dirt a little. I've already started some herbs inside and have to stick some tomato and pepper seeds into pots. Spring is coming in just twenty-three days! I just hope that Winter is done being a pissy-bitch and leaves quietly.
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-51010610958114241982021-02-18T11:54:00.001-06:002021-02-18T11:54:38.596-06:00Little of This, Some of ThatOne thing always leads to another. This particular "one thing" started about three years ago.<br><br>
During one of my "I can make that into jam / jelly" fits, I had started saving apple cores and some skins from the copious amounts of apples consumed by my daughter. (BTW, I cored them BEFORE she started chewing on them) They were saved in large zippy bags in the freezer until I had enough to make apple cider jelly. Unfortunately, several of the jars didn't jell up properly so we had a half dozen Apple Cider "Syrups" sitting in the pantry for the last two canning seasons. My daughter has been watching a lot of baking shows lately and loves to come up with new desserts. Her favorite concoction has been Apple Tacos, which are basically little fried pies, but baked. We had apples, and we had apple cider syrup, so away she went to making her dessert. It started with the apple cider syrup, fresh apple chunks and some oatmeal thrown in for good measure. That goo was then used for the Apple Taco filling. And filling, they were. But the filling-to-pie crust ratio was off and there was over a cup of the filling goo left. Not being one to let anything go to waste, I saved it from the chicken bucket and put in aside for "something" later. Yes, the frugal person of Polish heritage strikes again.<br><br>
As I was drinking my second (or thriteenth, don't judge me) cup of hot tea, it occured to me that a scone would go wonderfully with my beverage. Hmmmm....what flavor scones could I make? Enter the extra apple filling.<br><br>
I took the filling and added a duck egg, a bit of vegetable oil, milk, whole wheat and white flour and a big pinch of baking soda. Mixed it up until it looked good then slapped the scone'ish mass onto a greased baking sheet, scored it and popped it into the oven.<br><br>
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Please dont's ask me for the recipe, as I have no idea what I did. I have found out that after years of cooking (and burning, and ruining, and giving mistakes to the critters), that I have become "that woman" who just bakes and cooks without a recipe. In my younger years, it drove me totally bonkers when people would say "a pinch of this" or "until it looks good" or "season to taste". I would have seethed at me if I knew the older me when I was the younger me.<br><br>
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-12506984056112555152021-02-09T10:54:00.001-06:002021-02-09T11:30:14.802-06:00"Butt" it was on SALE!I tend to go overboard when it comes to stocking our larder. To me, there's nothing more satisfying than to see a pantry or freezer full of food for my family. I don't know where I got this habbit; I didn't live during The Depression, I didn't have a horrible childhood, nor was I ever deprived of food.<br><br>
I guess I just have a "problem", albeit not too horrible of a problem when compared to the multitude of real-life problems many are having now. I just have no more room in the freezer.<br><br>
Pork shoulders / butts were on sale last week. So I bought some. Like 100 lbs. "some".
And as I've just mentioned, I did this knowing that there is like zero freezer space.....but it was on SALE!!! Gawd, I'm so weak willed.<br><br>
But I did have a plan.....to CAN!<br><br>
We've canned plenty of venison, goat, and even chicken legs (ick, don't let me do that again), but I've never canned a "prepared" meat like sausage. I just thought it seemed strange to have a jar of canned sausage on the shelf; but why not?? We do adore breakfast sausage patties, and Italian sausage links, but I also use sausage crumbles in other dishes like lasagna, spaghetti sauce, pizza topping, etc. And when I make my breakfast, I occasionally crumble up the sausage to put in omelettes and mix up with my egg burritos so what's the difference if it comes from a jar or if I cook it into crumbles from fresh stuff?<br><br>
This weekend was filled with boning, chunking, slicing, grinding, mixing, browning and canning. Lots and lots of it. My hands hurt when I gripped the steering wheel of the car this morning to drive to work. But at least I was at the office and not cutting up meat.<br>
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Out of the 100 or so pounds of pork, we've made 25 pounds of breakfast sausage and 50 pounds of Italian sausage. There was juuuuuuust enough room in the freezer to put most of the breakfast sausage in there. Twelve quart jars of Italian Sausage are now lining the pantry shelves and several quart bags were stuffed into my Dad's freezer. The only things left to do are to stuff the remaining twenty pounds of Italian Sausage into casings and to cure about 20 pounds of buckboard bacon. I WILL find room in the freezer for bacon, even if I have to remove some items (like, say, the peaches I never canned last year. Ugh) to make it fit.<br><br>
What is buckboard bacon, you ask? Well, it's basically BACON, but not from the pork belly; it's from the shoulder. And this is what my buckboard bacon looks like.....<br><br>
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Technically, I could have just taken the bone out of the shoulders and made the entire thing into buckboard bacon, but I still wanted sausage. So I just took the fatty top and some meat underneath off the shoulders and that was closer to what "normal" bacon is like (i.e. more fatty). Those slabs of buckboard will be rubbed with a curing salt / seasoning then left to age in the refrigerator for about two weeks, massaging them every day (sexy, huh??). Once the curing process is over, they can be sliced and put into the freezer or smoked (for more flavor) THEN sliced and put into the freezer. It's a wonderful thing.
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-68575838572432814702021-01-27T11:52:00.000-06:002021-01-27T11:52:38.020-06:00Emulsified GroundnutsI'm one of those people who will see something and immediately say, "I bet I can do / make / try that!" <br><br>
This thought applies to food, clothing, art, carpentry, animal care, medicinal items, cleaning products, etc. Just about anyting with the exception of things that have to do with electricity. It's not that I'm afraid of electricity (well, I really should be), but because I do not understand it. At all. But that's another story.<br><br>
I like to think that my "I can do that!" attitude comes from my inate thirst for knowledge and empowerment, but mostly it comes from being a tightwad Polok.<br><br>
Rhiannon and I went to the local health food store in town and treated ourselves to some fresh ground peanut butter. $5.98 a pound peanut butter. Which wasn't even really "FRESHLY" ground as the bulk bin section where the peanut butter machine is located is on "lockdown" because of COVID. So basically there are a bunch of little plastic tubs filled with already-ground peanut butter in stacks on shelves right next to the taped-off peanut butter making machine. Boooooo.<br><br>
Not only did we have to use their tubs (we bring our own tub), but we didn't get to see the magic of the peanut butter machine in action. Bought a single tub anyways. Because, well, peanut butter.<br><br>
Said peanut butter was finished rather quickly. With homemade jam and fresh bread, slathered on apples, dolloped on top of banana slices, mixed in with breakfast oat groats / wheat berries, eaten right off the spoon (did I say that aloud?).<br><br>
So. I am out of peanut butter. Well, not really. We do have a stash of store-bought peanut butter in the pantry. And it is good. But you really can't compare store-bought to fresh ground. It's like comparing Little Caesar's pizza to a deep dish Chicago pizza; they are both pizza, they are both good in their own right, but they are not the same animal.<br><br>
Out comes the aforementioned frugal person of polish decent.<br><br>
I pillage our pantry and bring up a pound of dry roasted, unsalted peanuts. Do a quick internet search for "homemade peanut butter" and find out that yes, it is as easy as it seems; IF you have a food processor. Which I technically do not OWN, but I HAVE one that I have yet to return to my Dad's house. I'm thinking that my crappy blender would not have been ideal for this project, nor was I THAT stubborn to shun the use of electric chopping devices in favor of somehow smashing peanuts with some sort of mallet (which I did, indeed, entertain the idea of....for like two seconds).<br><br>
After hefting the behemoth food processor out of the bottom cabinet, snapping on the metal blade and securing all safety contraptions to it, I was ready to make my own darned peanut butter! I dumped the entire 16 ounce can of roasted, unsalted peanuts, closed the top and pushed the button. The peanuts rattled around for a few seconds, then went from chopped to minced to a crumbly mass. Not wanting to be hard on the motor, I gave Ol' Bessie a minute off, then proceeded with the peanut processing. <br><br>
After it looked like, well peanut butter, I plopped a couple of tablespoons of honey in there and zipped it again for about 20 seconds. Scooped it all out and put it in my hand-me-down glass container thingy.<br><br>
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I can now add "Maker of Peanut Butter" to my Curriculum Vitae!<br><br>
Yes....growing peanuts is now on the list.
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-43650336587598080892021-01-06T14:15:00.000-06:002021-01-06T14:15:30.754-06:00Empty Porch SyndromeHappy Thanksgiving, Merry Yule, Happy Winter Solstice, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!<br><br>
There....did I cover it all? Hope so :)<br><br>
And I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, however you celebrate it....or don't. <br><br>
I've neglected my blog (again), as well as neglecting everyone else's blogs. I've been trying to do more non-computer stuff and making the most out of the spurts of nice weather we've had so far this Winter. Lots of hikes, lots of wandering through the back 40. Collecting lichens for tinctures, collecting mushrooms for eating. Taking down Christmas decorations, putting up grow lights. Moving marsupial mauraders, adjusting to Penelope moving to her own pad.<br><br>
Penelope (our resident fart squirrel) had decided that it was time for her to go out on her own. She made this decision by now twice by jumping off the back balcony in order to get into the great wide outdoors. She had food delivered to her twice a day, she had a box house, toys, cat tree, blankets and a heating pad. But all that extravagance and comfort was no match for the call of the wild. I wrongly assumed that her first "fall" off the back porch was a mistake, and I found her later that evening wandering around the yard, digging for yummies in the ground. So I brought her back in. The second time, just a few days later, I had to admit to myself that she really wants to be off the porch. Even when confined to the (relative) safety of the back porch, we would take her into the woods, or walk with her down the trails or just in the front yard, but it wasn't enough. I reluctuntaly understood. My beloved fart squirrel didn't just leave the nest - she hurled herself off the back porch.<br><br>
Luckily for me, she decided to make herself a home underneath our storage shed. We provided her with several polar fleece blankets and she drug them to her little burrow under the shed; close enough for us to still see where she made her home, but far enough under that we cannot get to her if we chose to. Sneaky little girl.<br><br>
Fart squirrels do not hibernate in the winter, but instead enter a period of "semi-hibernation" called topor when it gets too cold. Internal body temperature drops, respiration slows, and they basically just take really, really HARD naps, sometimes for days at a time, but nothing like what grizzly bears do. I'm not sure if she's gone into this state of rest yet as our lowest temperature has only been 19 or 20 degrees at night and we have seen her for supper every day since her emincapation. I'll have to read up on that. Maybe topor is just something like I go through during the winter. You know. It's freaking freezing outside and you're cold and sleepy so you go to bed really early and just sleep like a rock and nothing can wake you up. Except the smell of bacon. Bacon I would wake up for. And she does wake up for her nightly suppers so apparently her olifactory senses are not dimmed during this lightened state of semi-hibernation.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kXQJK56g1HU/X_YYff0EJzI/AAAAAAAAF7o/ETuIR6_7-mw5hqfaraf6JXkP0JlvVZQAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1544/img.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1544" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kXQJK56g1HU/X_YYff0EJzI/AAAAAAAAF7o/ETuIR6_7-mw5hqfaraf6JXkP0JlvVZQAACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/img.jpg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9MK4BhgFi-0/X_YYgFP8eBI/AAAAAAAAF7s/sEIsdY2TXP8mGcFLZwvm4bGWTFu-faJdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1544/img1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1544" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9MK4BhgFi-0/X_YYgFP8eBI/AAAAAAAAF7s/sEIsdY2TXP8mGcFLZwvm4bGWTFu-faJdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/img1.jpg"/></a></div>Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-16718651243712722412020-11-13T10:36:00.002-06:002020-11-13T10:36:20.125-06:00Late Night Skunk-er-cise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='400' height='322' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwUvw6QfKi0XLraqqQI7UQfBK5j_orhR-iTZUmvxcwW_fdhx8XfRHpyyAAwLwECRjLXUDxv6OSDJ-lXXlI2hw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-85513679046131276612020-11-09T10:46:00.000-06:002020-11-09T10:46:14.586-06:00I got a PaddlingI bought some ducklings about, uhm, a while ago. On a whim, of course. Saw an ad in the local paper & I'm like, I'M ON IT!<br>
<br>
About an hour later, $27 lighter, and nine ducklings heavier, I was home with my new Pekin charges.<br>
<br>
We had hatched out two mallard drakes from the neighbor's duck eggs earlier this spring and I was hoping to get some duck eggs for eating / incubating. Not so much happening with two males. So at least now I had the missing female piece of the future duck eggs puzzle.<br>
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We raised Pekin ducks about 12 or so years ago. I remember them fondly. Well, I was fond of the way they tasted. Smoked duck with an orange / cranberry sauce is absolutely delectable. I think I ate the entire crispy smoked skin from one of them myself. Heaven. Wonderful. Lip-smacking good.<br>
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So you may ask why, if they were in fact so delicious, that I waited 12 years to grow out more Pekins?<br>
<br>
Because they are freaks.<br>
<br>
That first batch of ten Pekins were hand raised by yours truly. I didn't bring them in bed with me, or have tea parties with them, but I was nice to them, even tried (unsuccessfully) to win their affection with special treats. But they hated me. Absolutely, positively, undeniably hated me. Every time I went into their outdoor enclosure they would run as fast as their little flappy feet would take them, right into the corner of the fence, all ten of them vying for the place farthest away from me.....and practically sufficating each other in the process. I fed them. I watered them. I brough them fancy snackies. But they were just the most nervous, noisy, scardy-ducks I have ever seen.<br>
<br>
So I was hoping that THIS batch of Pekins would be different. I don't know why I bother hoping for anything. Because they are just as excitable, freaked out and neurotic as those first birds. Except these guys (and hopefully gals) have the run of the entire farm. Paul let them out of their outdoor enclousre one day and they never went back in. How they've escaped becoming coyote or hawk or bobcat meals, I have no idea. We've never had a white hen last more than a few months here.<br>
<br>
But all nine of them have survived from Spring, to Summer and into Fall. And they are still freaks.<br>
<br>
They do, however, provide a very nice lawn-keeping service. I haven't seen a cricket or grasshopper in any area that they have access to. Not a one. I've watched them for some time and they all stick together and waddle, bills down, across the lawn and suck up anyting that is moving. And they don't scratch up the plants like the chickens do nor crow all freaking day like the roosters. When they get spooked they make Crazy-Kazoo noises, but not so often that it becomes a migraine. Four of the nine ducks are drakes, so all but one of them will become the centerpiece of the upcoming Holiday Dinners. The lucky survivor will have the five Pekin females to look after and hopefully be Ducky Daddy to more ducklings in the near future.<br>
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I don't think that we will switch over from chicken to duck (for eggs & meat), but I'd like to keep them around if only to give the gardens an all natural, organic, flappy-footed and kinda-cute insect control team.<br>
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By the way, if you're still confused about the title of today's blog post, a "Paddling" is a group of ducks in the water. You're welcome.
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-54324915524456836212020-11-02T13:20:00.000-06:002020-11-02T13:20:25.435-06:00The Flavor of FallIf I were to ask someone what Fall “tastes” like, no doubt the number one answer would be, “Pumpkin-Spiced-Such-n-Such”, closely followed by, “Apple Cider”.
I strongly disagree. My immediate answer would be, “Persimmons!” as I rolled my eyes back in my head, made a faintly erotic sounding “mmmmmm” noise while dreaming of the taste on my tongue and licking the sticky sweetness from my fingers.<br>
<br>
Wow. That was a little weird.<br>
<br>
Moving on......<br>
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Persimmons are what Fall would taste like, at least in my tiny corner of the Ozarks. But not the store-bought persimmons; Oh no, no, no. Those huge, shiny, perfect looking persimmons that you find at your local grocer are not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about those squishy, rotten looking orange and brown’ish globs of goodness that you find on the ground underneath the holiest of holy fruit trees. <br>
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My first encounter with a persimmon was about 20 years ago, off an old dirt road in the Missouri Ozarks. We were driving along with our friends, Mark & Rita, and they suddenly swerve over to the side of the road and Rita tells me to follow her out of the car. She is picking up a bunch of dark orange, squishy golf ball looking things and popping them into her mouth and then hands me one. She is the person who introduced me to poke weed (and I didn’t die), so I trusted her. But if it were anyone else but her handing me one of those things, I likely would have recoiled from them thinking they were trying to poison me or something. So I follow my mentor’s lead.<br>
<br>
1. Take the top cap off & toss it away<br>
2. Pick off any obvious dirt or debris <br>
3. Pop the entire thing in your mouth <br>
4. Squish it around in your mouth to extract the pulp while taking care not to swallow the large seeds <br>
5. Swallow the good stuff<br>
6. Unceremoniously spit the mass of seeds out onto the ground (hopefully away from everyone)<br>
7. Lick fingers clean <br>
8. Repeat<br>
<br>
And from that day forward I looked forward to freezing nights and falling leaves.<br>
<br>
Persimmon trees are not uncommon around here, but there are only a few large trees that I know of that produce the largest fruits and biggest yields…none of which are on our property. We have several younger trees in the goat yard, and a dozen or so in the woods that I have found, but none that are really my go-to harvesting tree. And the trees that the goats have access to are pretty much a zero-yield for me as they know exactly where those trees are and congregate around them waiting for the fruit to drop. Besides shaking the bucket of grain, the other sure fire way to get the goats to come a-running is to shake a persimmon tree and they are on it like fruit flies on your kitchen compost bucket.
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So how did I acquire my latest haul? I left the woods and went to Taco Bell.<br>
<br>
A friend and I went into town this weekend to do some thrifting. On the way out of the parking lot, she tells me to pull over towards the road (but still safely in the parking lot). In the narrow grass strip between the road and the lot there is a large persimmon tree just filled with persimmons. I almost pee’d myself I was so happy. I jumped out of the car and proceeded to pick up as many fallen persimmons that I could cram into my Salvation Army plastic bag and shoveled no fewer than ten ripe fruits into my maw. What a scene for the line of cars in the Taco Bell across the street to behold! Slightly overweight, pony-tailed, middle-aged lady in barn-chore jeans and t-shirt, squatting & waddling underneath tree on the side of main road, tossing squishy & sticky overripe fruits into plastic bag and licking her fingers. My friend stayed in the car and opted for a more civilized lunch from Taco Bell. So while she ran in to get a chicken taco thingy, I sat in the car…..eating more persimmons. When we pulled out of the parking lot, the spot next to me was heavily littered with persimmon seeds. And I had a bellyache. But oh sooooo worth it.
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-36808122564548469232020-10-09T11:35:00.002-05:002020-10-09T11:35:44.946-05:00Save a Life. Buy a Donut.<p>Occasionally I will drive into town before work to get donuts for the office. Well, more than occasionally. But not like every week. Maybe twice a month if I'm in the mood and not running late. Today was one of those days when I was actually up and around earlier than normal so I thought I'd make a run to procure some diabetes inducing snacks.<br /></p><p>The road into town is a two lane state highway. And when I say highway, it's not crazy-city-madness highway, just the main thoroughfare. Houses on the side of the road, businesses as you get closer to the town center, and cattle pasture with wooded acreage scattered throughout. </p><p>I got my twelve-pack of glazed goodness and proceeded to work. On the right side of the road, just on the line between shoulder (btw, our road "shoulders" are more like a 4" strip of crumbly gravel) and main strip, is a hunched up lump of floof. That almost gets blown over when the cars in front of me blow past it. I know what the lump of floof is. Don't ask me how, but I can pick out the type of creature with surprising accuracy even at 55 mph.</p><p>An, "OMG!" immediately passed my lips and I pulled into the first spot on the side of the road that wasn't 1) a cliff 2) occupied by a large brahman bull or 3) a farm pond. I jam the car into park, fling the door open and run like a crazed maniac down the side of the road, hoping that I do not end up like the carcass of the long deceased deer in the ditch.....down the hill....probably hit by a car....while running like a crazed deer-maniac down the side of the road. </p><p>There, sitting hunched up, and still as could be, is a barred owl. There was a pellet next to her, as well as some poop. I'm assuming that she got hit by a car during a "swoop" and managed not to get run over. Yet.</p><p>I slowly put my hands around her wings just in case she wanted to flap away, but she offered zero resistance. I went back to the car as quickly as one possibly could with a small raptor in one's hands while trying to avoid being hit by oncoming traffic or slipping down the embankment.</p><p>We make it to the car and lucky for me, there is a donation bag sitting there. My procrastination in getting to The Salvation Army paid off! I hurriedly grab the first soft item in there and wrap the owl up in a pair of sweat pants. Since my vehicle is in a relatively safe spot, I gave her a quick once-over and there did not appear to be any broken bones, blood or missing chunks of flesh or feathers. She was quite still, blinked at me a few times, but not once tried to claw or bite. I wrapped her back up and put her on the front seat while I called the local vet that takes in wildlife.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4nXt-nTcpcg/X4CPOqeVOZI/AAAAAAAAF5U/JxWy1UE2lQw6mKn9P-DGR25y8LKwQ07cQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1560/owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1560" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4nXt-nTcpcg/X4CPOqeVOZI/AAAAAAAAF5U/JxWy1UE2lQw6mKn9P-DGR25y8LKwQ07cQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/owl.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little dazed. See those talons gripping at the fabric??<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qPzG_T_9OrU/X4CPc6k661I/AAAAAAAAF5Y/KZ6Qkvcz0DMTm4mPXWjClGBLjDVzd1dogCLcBGAsYHQ/s1560/owl2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1560" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qPzG_T_9OrU/X4CPc6k661I/AAAAAAAAF5Y/KZ6Qkvcz0DMTm4mPXWjClGBLjDVzd1dogCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/owl2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is that look a "Thank you" or "I'm about to rip your face off" ??<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <br />Luckily, they were going to be open in just twenty minutes so we drove over there. As I was waiting for the vet's office to open, she slowly righted herself and just kind'a stared at me. Of course, I couldn't help but do the babytalk crap all humans do to cute little creatures and pet her sooooo very, very soft feathers. </p><p>Once the office opened, I brought her in, but not before she gave me a good "Clack-clacking" of her beak. I "relinquished" her to the vet and made my way back to the office, donuts in hand. <br /></p><p>What a great morning.<br /></p><p>I'm kind'a hoping that Karma recognizes this small act of kindness by negating the calories in my donut.<br /></p>Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-61730905195753790692020-08-17T10:47:00.003-05:002020-08-17T10:47:45.663-05:00Little Steps & Little Chicks<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal">We ran out of the Creepy Meats in the freezer about three months
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dad comes over for Sunday Supper
every week and roast chicken is by far his favorite meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve hatched out two batches of chicks from
our flock and we butchered the roosters for the freezer, but they are nowhere
near as fleshy or large as those Cornish cross meat birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you know what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll survive.
</p><p class="MsoNormal">I won’t lie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love
to have a big chonk’n bird on the table with gravy made from the oh-so-yummy
drippings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I also love knowing that
I can raise my own suppers without having to rely on a hatchery to provide me
with those chicks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you purchase
chicks yourselves, you are well aware of the fact that they are getting pricier
each year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this Fall, we decided not
to place our normal September order for fifty Cornish Cross chicks and will instead make do with hatching out our
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will they be as plump and juicy as
those from Cackle Hatchery?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they will be good nonetheless
and we will appreciate each bite even more so knowing that we raised it from
the incubator to supper plate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of raising chicks…….</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VDzf_7AonAo/XzakEOCTZBI/AAAAAAAAF3w/iMqwumRQl9AAEF6hWxXGalIc40pqqSpqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/117310500_10216795770957760_1683270674583514534_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="554" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VDzf_7AonAo/XzakEOCTZBI/AAAAAAAAF3w/iMqwumRQl9AAEF6hWxXGalIc40pqqSpqwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/117310500_10216795770957760_1683270674583514534_n.jpg" title="Make sure you get my good eye!" width="554" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFQmgWjhHuM/XzakF1q9OfI/AAAAAAAAF30/jEd4uG_8Nhw33-A_dzA59vQDgvNeS2H1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/117596384_10216795771197766_3781113708873483215_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="554" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFQmgWjhHuM/XzakF1q9OfI/AAAAAAAAF30/jEd4uG_8Nhw33-A_dzA59vQDgvNeS2H1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/117596384_10216795771197766_3781113708873483215_n.jpg" width="554" /></a> <br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That is Pirate (named for the fact that she survived an
opossum attach, sans one eye).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
hatched out a single chick last year (Sparkle) from her nest
oh-so-inconveniently-placed in the bulldozer seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And she managed to hatch out another single chick
this year plus was kind enough to do so in the nesting box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hen & chick will stay in the pen for another few weeks
then be let out into the Great Wild Open of the barnyard.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Earlier this year, in the cold months of January, we were
gifted some hatching eggs from the neighbor down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe there were about twenty live
hatches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We butchered and ate the
roosters and just recently started getting eggs from the ladies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3P8TO6RZYH0/XzqljoA1dYI/AAAAAAAAF4E/ok5wcFoKfmQcTioeis3VDLfNA-IyMo_XQCLcBGAsYHQ/s526/118084637_10216818389163201_2764052651311737866_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3P8TO6RZYH0/XzqljoA1dYI/AAAAAAAAF4E/ok5wcFoKfmQcTioeis3VDLfNA-IyMo_XQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/118084637_10216818389163201_2764052651311737866_o.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Green eggs!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K6mvaNX0SSI/Xzql43fLpLI/AAAAAAAAF4M/_9_d-jWld2kI1LtSHTftUmXlwrYPVGg_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s526/117953670_10216818401803517_8467546134492341009_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K6mvaNX0SSI/Xzql43fLpLI/AAAAAAAAF4M/_9_d-jWld2kI1LtSHTftUmXlwrYPVGg_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/117953670_10216818401803517_8467546134492341009_o.jpg" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And an occasional double-yolker!!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s the little things that make me smil<span style="font-family: Wingdings;">e :)<br /></span></p>
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-46905076896184867222020-07-15T13:32:00.000-05:002020-07-15T13:32:11.301-05:00Eating the lawn again
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, I’m cooking up stuff normally thought of as landscape
weeds. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a lot of plantain in our yard and mostly year
round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the spring, you can gather the
smaller leaves for a salad or cook them like spinach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The older the leaves get, the tougher they
are and they develop several fibrous veins that are pretty much impossible to
chew up without looking like a goat eating bailing twine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead of using the leaves, last week’s dish was young
plantain seed stalks (or whatever they are called) and seed heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The younger seed stalks were much softer and
I could nip them off with my fingernail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The older seed stalks I snapped off at the bottom and “zipped” off the
seeds by running my thumb and forefinger down the stalk and letting the seeds
fall to a bowl sitting below.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I boiled up the younger stalks for a few minutes, drained
them and then sautéed for a minute in butter & salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9xjnNNBJlA/Xw9LTesYfAI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/N9rqA9O1HgYQHcU5mKbe0bWOMXaoFUP3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/107806800_10216575398808594_3607992041536917678_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9xjnNNBJlA/Xw9LTesYfAI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/N9rqA9O1HgYQHcU5mKbe0bWOMXaoFUP3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/107806800_10216575398808594_3607992041536917678_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wjg1vBYX9Xo/Xw9LVb748XI/AAAAAAAAF2U/fvZFf5lE2qAxAs4vGOv46bW8AvgL61VUACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/107840067_10216575399488611_3184519467194549129_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wjg1vBYX9Xo/Xw9LVb748XI/AAAAAAAAF2U/fvZFf5lE2qAxAs4vGOv46bW8AvgL61VUACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/107840067_10216575399488611_3184519467194549129_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They were not my favorite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was hoping that the younger part of the plant would not be bitter, but
alas, it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There weren’t nearly as many younger shoots as
there were older seed stalks so it’s not like I’d be picking many of them
anyhow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I boiled the plantain seeds for about five minutes, drained,
rinsed, then sautéed them with a bit of butter & salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were much more palatable than the
younger stalks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ate them stand-alone,
but they would be good to toss into a soup, or maybe with a rice dish or
anything that called for “greens”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Z-Cnr5L1Jc/Xw9Lhz0xQVI/AAAAAAAAF2Y/0Rid_TguYeM6Rjoy9cJRw62ose4MNzdMACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/108346444_10216575399928622_4027680374169170684_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Z-Cnr5L1Jc/Xw9Lhz0xQVI/AAAAAAAAF2Y/0Rid_TguYeM6Rjoy9cJRw62ose4MNzdMACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/108346444_10216575399928622_4027680374169170684_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9BYmp6bqZ0/Xw9LimfSO1I/AAAAAAAAF2c/J2EzB7gpGEUm19BGKO8cB_WmvvahKbRIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/107603529_10216575400328632_7359334659067954332_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9BYmp6bqZ0/Xw9LimfSO1I/AAAAAAAAF2c/J2EzB7gpGEUm19BGKO8cB_WmvvahKbRIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/107603529_10216575400328632_7359334659067954332_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sprinkle them here, sprinkle them there, sprinkle those
things everywhere!</div>
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<![endif]-->Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-42665006530126264702020-07-10T12:56:00.000-05:002020-07-10T12:56:44.449-05:00Yucca Yucca Yummy!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will readily admit that I am a lazy gardener and that
finding any sort of wild edible makes my heat sing (and my stomach growl).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the fact that I can just go over there
and yank something or other and put it in a pot and have something yummy to eat
without having to plant, water, weed or otherwise care for said yummy thing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the view outside my office window…..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--QQf2ZvnnJM/XwimbVaZ86I/AAAAAAAAF04/iNd-7hnYGeg5dMli0_FGNumqC1yOnVVtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/107668986_10216538066235303_1001308344192987493_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="897" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--QQf2ZvnnJM/XwimbVaZ86I/AAAAAAAAF04/iNd-7hnYGeg5dMli0_FGNumqC1yOnVVtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/107668986_10216538066235303_1001308344192987493_n.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuccas to the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddrFT5M7yoA/Xwio-FFmR5I/AAAAAAAAF1w/a4Vr4N6oPdctaB8DhUtdvQlOQe8lQNFSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/33ea4a26a5ce3a91f0ddc811a6094353.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="555" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ddrFT5M7yoA/Xwio-FFmR5I/AAAAAAAAF1w/a4Vr4N6oPdctaB8DhUtdvQlOQe8lQNFSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/33ea4a26a5ce3a91f0ddc811a6094353.png" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, Fozzie, it's Yucca Yucca Yucca! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been looking at those yuccas for five years now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just now realized that I could eat them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They started blooming in early June and I would snack on the
flowers back and forth from the car to the office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I meant to gather more for putting in a
salad, but always forget to do so (i.e. lazy).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So now I’ve noticed that the seed pods have formed and I did
one of my usual internet searches, “Can I eat this thing?” and came up with
enough “Yes” posts that I thought I'd have a go at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<br />
I picked one off the stalk and took it into the
office, wa<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>shed it off a bit, plunked it
into a coffee cup with water & boiled it for a few minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drained, salted and proceeded to take a
bite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not bad!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kinda like a green bean exterior taste, a
wee-bit mucilaginous like okra, and the seeds were still forming so they were
soft like okra seeds as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On my way
to the car after quitting time, I stuffed the remaining ripe pods into my bag
and headed home to cook them up as well.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
And on my way home, I spied more yucca plants!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pilfered a few more plants (yes, I had
permission!) and added them to my sack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I bet I had over five pounds of yucca pods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lZGZreGQ3R8/Xwim6WQMgwI/AAAAAAAAF1A/U7RyzevJDPk8Ha628cbHAKWdEtC_nR1MQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/106942899_10216538068275354_1140380093806916125_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lZGZreGQ3R8/Xwim6WQMgwI/AAAAAAAAF1A/U7RyzevJDPk8Ha628cbHAKWdEtC_nR1MQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/106942899_10216538068275354_1140380093806916125_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Took them home and boiled up a few more,
lightly salted & buttered them and proceeded to munch away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this time there were some that were
over-ripe, at least for eating.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ixc1ThX7O6M/Xwim_FjUJXI/AAAAAAAAF1E/a4VLK6_lO8Y9pOdJ-3YFVgqibYp1zfSIACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/107056594_10216538066875319_3818382272568975546_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ixc1ThX7O6M/Xwim_FjUJXI/AAAAAAAAF1E/a4VLK6_lO8Y9pOdJ-3YFVgqibYp1zfSIACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/107056594_10216538066875319_3818382272568975546_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pod on the left, not good. Pod on the right, excellent!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kPPGm6LjkYI/XwinG1AV9fI/AAAAAAAAF1I/3lhPetK_ssALqNaRIR28U4aeiGuu64wAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/107719586_10216538067195327_4902119509212861250_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kPPGm6LjkYI/XwinG1AV9fI/AAAAAAAAF1I/3lhPetK_ssALqNaRIR28U4aeiGuu64wAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/107719586_10216538067195327_4902119509212861250_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting too old to eat. Notice black shells forming on the seeds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Younger and yummier!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EvtfL7eLZPk/XwinfFApRwI/AAAAAAAAF1g/8n4-edlS2UUVNuI5amnPEQlIV2tcZLwGACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/107619291_10216538067515335_5695489945157167143_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EvtfL7eLZPk/XwinfFApRwI/AAAAAAAAF1g/8n4-edlS2UUVNuI5amnPEQlIV2tcZLwGACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/107619291_10216538067515335_5695489945157167143_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy seed pod showing tough, center thingy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ones that started getting black seeds were definitely not
worth eating, although I did try my darndest to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could choke through it, but it was very,
very fibrous and the black seed coverings were a bit much to swallow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also a center vein in all of the
pods, but I just yanked those out or chewed around them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing
as this is my first time harvesting the seed pods, I will definitely make sure I
get to them earlier in the season as to avoid those tougher, more mature seeds.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can eat the entire pod as is, just kind’a using your
teeth to peel the three sections off and leave the stem in your fingers, or I
suppose you could just cook them, then separate the sections off and then
butter & salt them for a more “normal” looking side dish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, I’m glad I found out about these
and I’m already driving around looking for more yucca bushes for next year’s
harvest.</div>
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<![endif]-->Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-81849518580731647112020-07-07T10:27:00.000-05:002020-07-07T10:27:51.458-05:00Driveway Garlic<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a patch of wild garlic up by the front gate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pass by it at least twice a day on my way
to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I watch it start greening up in
the spring, getting taller & taller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then the scapes start forming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then the scapes are ready to harvest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then they are past harvest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
the seeds pop out of what could have been a bunch of scapes on my dinner plate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because even though I pass that spot every
stinking day, I just can’t manage to get my lazy bum out of the car to pick
them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rhiannon started milking one of our dairy goats last week
and accumulated enough milk to make some fresh cheese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmmmm, some fresh basil and garlic would be
perfect for an herbed cheese. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
have any garlic in the pantry, but there is that patch up by the gate!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I schlop my flip-flop wearing behind up
the driveway with a trowel in my hand and proceed to dig up some garlic
bulbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then disappointment sets in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are smaller than I recall, and a bit
dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not sure if it’s because all the
energy went into making the seed heads (and those lovely scapes I missed
picking) or I just need to wait until fall to dig them up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless, I wanted - no NEEDED - some garlic
in that goat cheese.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I plucked a half-dozen seed heads, shoved them in my pocket
and flip-flopped my way back down the driveway, snipped several basil leaves
from the herb garden and made my way into the kitchen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Getting the husks off the tiny seed heads wasn’t difficult,
but was time consuming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or at least took
more time that I would have liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
know, more time than it would have taken had I properly stocked and stored
garlic in the pantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I did what I
had to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T7Fs88K6mjI/XwSTu3RISRI/AAAAAAAAF0g/ryNci_ZLaysfj4X5axBdMjUOeQ86WXwBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/107367882_10216513816629078_9162574897053738991_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T7Fs88K6mjI/XwSTu3RISRI/AAAAAAAAF0g/ryNci_ZLaysfj4X5axBdMjUOeQ86WXwBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/107367882_10216513816629078_9162574897053738991_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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I diced the peeled garlic seeds and added it to the basil
and cheese and put it in the fridge for several hours to set up a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EEN_Q2-jOMU/XwSTy5PQInI/AAAAAAAAF0k/qi0AmPvdY7MzoxaOaAV7WsPkxCLX47ElgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/106913719_10216513816149066_5605365008459863221_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EEN_Q2-jOMU/XwSTy5PQInI/AAAAAAAAF0k/qi0AmPvdY7MzoxaOaAV7WsPkxCLX47ElgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/106913719_10216513816149066_5605365008459863221_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was divine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ffn49RE4D5k/XwST53qTrvI/AAAAAAAAF0o/9yISrwV3TEAvwlM1pEpW8PP89PkHD0U4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/107236830_10216513815909060_4433829196526829369_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ffn49RE4D5k/XwST53qTrvI/AAAAAAAAF0o/9yISrwV3TEAvwlM1pEpW8PP89PkHD0U4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/107236830_10216513815909060_4433829196526829369_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">And all gone. </span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The peepers, frogs, salamanders and toads are thoroughly enjoying
the overly-wet spring we’ve had. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TGpiHSWh0i4/Xtppc8XRh7I/AAAAAAAAFzs/AJgLKU9qCEY-jDr9OhTQ7BlaSdSr2epoQCEwYBhgLKs4DAL1Ocqwm0858Lr-vBGIOaSIk_TP0N9xG94FfaC2zRmSbtcZyIjOMBxU0mzj1HZuReWy0WkfL9dBAW1rehb3CWhMv79-4ln7Vvt0n0chvTXL35iM0dGUqopeK57NhKi40d3xJy-bGBFNsPuNaNGCi_qsZ18Pq4Mxv1rbPpMx9Rdn5FdNNUcsouVKU7U2dIRLAMGES10G8eoAxdv4RcNw2it0wUNjYW35gmu44GLuVtrpCYxLDFq1NRJKQEBjGJPe-F-gQPtG05XZVACpdi15uMyIRurB6y1nydHbDPGtGNZEvmwHRQHotU-GrDSYPog0-B-deCaIxJ4H9UTbS760zxQhICbV6CzM2uSsuOqqk2v_fodEz58cIz_9iSQIRshGNfDHpLJ2FacovbvFfpFFzHAOExjtHx1UlHGzn_jRHEUiM8fhkG1xOJJgQuu4o1YZUDuGi7MUvUunfHGTUFXYYyD7QG3N0NwYEnqSP6Pl-72FyfsruUA3jZCMOlm_28MWTaIGpsX4Cdp9FyfOAnW9NGXe1S6nfaPCeLptIDVehVzVtHg8TGu5ImZ6Y9jcEkrQrdn6lzvH7DQrR4u5c-DYl6odSTW3mTDuFf6GL_OciMP_X6fYF/s1600/630a2f9eb47b4bcfa70d17fa884e3bc7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="473" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TGpiHSWh0i4/Xtppc8XRh7I/AAAAAAAAFzs/AJgLKU9qCEY-jDr9OhTQ7BlaSdSr2epoQCEwYBhgLKs4DAL1Ocqwm0858Lr-vBGIOaSIk_TP0N9xG94FfaC2zRmSbtcZyIjOMBxU0mzj1HZuReWy0WkfL9dBAW1rehb3CWhMv79-4ln7Vvt0n0chvTXL35iM0dGUqopeK57NhKi40d3xJy-bGBFNsPuNaNGCi_qsZ18Pq4Mxv1rbPpMx9Rdn5FdNNUcsouVKU7U2dIRLAMGES10G8eoAxdv4RcNw2it0wUNjYW35gmu44GLuVtrpCYxLDFq1NRJKQEBjGJPe-F-gQPtG05XZVACpdi15uMyIRurB6y1nydHbDPGtGNZEvmwHRQHotU-GrDSYPog0-B-deCaIxJ4H9UTbS760zxQhICbV6CzM2uSsuOqqk2v_fodEz58cIz_9iSQIRshGNfDHpLJ2FacovbvFfpFFzHAOExjtHx1UlHGzn_jRHEUiM8fhkG1xOJJgQuu4o1YZUDuGi7MUvUunfHGTUFXYYyD7QG3N0NwYEnqSP6Pl-72FyfsruUA3jZCMOlm_28MWTaIGpsX4Cdp9FyfOAnW9NGXe1S6nfaPCeLptIDVehVzVtHg8TGu5ImZ6Y9jcEkrQrdn6lzvH7DQrR4u5c-DYl6odSTW3mTDuFf6GL_OciMP_X6fYF/s320/630a2f9eb47b4bcfa70d17fa884e3bc7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My
garden, on the other hand, is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As of May 31<sup>st</sup>, our area has already recorded a
total of 39.98“of rainfall, 15 of which happened in May alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are only 5” from our average total YEARLY
rainfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To say that it’s a soupy,
swampy mess around here would be an extreme understatement. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We planted tomato and pepper seeds and starts outside the
first of April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is now the first week
of June and they have either rotted in the ground, stunted or have been washed
down to the creek, never to be seen again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my sage plants have
basically rotted to death, the marigolds are waterlogged, beans – if they even
came up – are growing s…l…o…w…l…y.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
corn plants Ms. Melman hasn’t been able to reach & chew up are doing ok,
but the squash and beans planted in the Three Sisters mounds aren’t doing very
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pea seeds have gone into the ground twice now, the first
batch rotted and the second batch didn’t do much of anything and it’s already
getting to hot for them anyhow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First
planting of cucumbers and pinto beans shared the same waterlogged death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
herb garden, which seems to thrive in the midst of heat, poor soil and watering
whenever I get around to it, is also taking a beating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">We did, however, get a great harvest of radishes! White Icicle and Breakfast radishes to be exact. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-55yOQuVivBg/Xtpj_JgmLYI/AAAAAAAAFzc/HeLA92kC-fQ44HFYvOZZSGnJHpkQ0f1EgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/101811454_10216250698491289_7510743420869017600_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-55yOQuVivBg/Xtpj_JgmLYI/AAAAAAAAFzc/HeLA92kC-fQ44HFYvOZZSGnJHpkQ0f1EgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/101811454_10216250698491289_7510743420869017600_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I mention that I don't even like radishes? Figures.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Grass, weeds, moss and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fungi are about the only things (other than giant radishes) benefiting
from all this moisture and the goats / mule / chickens /
whatever-the-hell-other animals we have are gorping on greenery. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy and fatten up, goaties, because it’s
going to be a meat-heavy and veggie-light harvest come fall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So since we actually want to get some sort of consumable
vegetable matter out of the garden this year we are going to have to get more
seeds in the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may as well just
toss them off the back porch & say “Good luck, suckers!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably get a better yield using that method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wonder if there is a book on Swamp Gardening?</div>
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-48076400955545146952020-06-02T10:58:00.000-05:002020-06-02T10:58:06.441-05:00Feline Exotic Dancer<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Short version:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
I've been sleeping with a polecat.<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Long version:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My mom lives a few miles away, her small subdivision tucked between cattle farms
and patches of woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last Thursday she
told me that her & her neighbor noticed two tiny black and white balls of fluff wandering around
their property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point they were
camped out on the driveway, just hanging out with no mom in sight (the animals, not my mom & her neighbor).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Friday she texted me that they
were still there, and still sans mommy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saturday I go over there and there is now only
one of the two, huddled under a bush by the garage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So of course I do what anyone (anyone - right??) would do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I carefully picked up the apparently abandoned baby
and plunk it in a box with a towel…..and brought it home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul was on the porch and I laid the box on
the picnic table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was not
amused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not one bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t even get him to look at the tiny
ball of black & white floofness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
little jet black, sparkly eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
scuffed up little nose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tail puffed
up like it’s about to……</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one was
sprayed. Well, as of 10:30 am on 6/2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because if Paul were to have
been, I would be living with the fart squirrel in that same box and pleading for
handouts on the corner of the Walmart parking lot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the years I’ve taken in orphaned squirrels, feral
kittens, a fawn, birds of all kinds, and I’m sure other fauna that I can’t
recall at this moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a polecat is a
new one to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not an “official”
Wildlife Rehabilitation facility, but I may as well be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was quite the show of floofy tail and butt pointing,
stomping of cute little feet, although that was about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure if she is too young to actually spray,
but I’m pretty sure they can at a pretty young age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe she used all her ammo the past few days
out on her own?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I know is that I haven’t been stink
bombed….yet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After some research, I’m figuring that she was about 4 ½
weeks old given her activity level and the emergence of her teeny-tiny
teeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have goat milk & store
cow milk available, but I ran to the local farm store and got some kitten milk
replacer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She didn’t eat any solid food (apples,
bananas, worms) I offered her, but once she figured out the syringe was full of
milk she took to it pretty well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
once concave abdomen is now a convex ball of no-longer-hungry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Against all common sense, I gave her a name: Penelope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you know what that means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once bestowed with an official name, you’re
either a “pet” or an entrée.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In case you
were wondering why <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it wasn’t named
something more befitting to Krazo Acres (like Stupid Cat, Outside Cat,
Peckerhead, Curry or Dickhead), Penelope is was the name of the cat who constantly
shuns the romantic advances of Pepe le Pew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I learned that two days ago (thanks, Christine).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back to my
new wildlife orphan adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which, as
I write this, am only three days into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Therefore I am three days lacking any real sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because real<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wildlife rescuers (i.e. naive dipshits like myself that have a soft spot
for furry & cute animals) sleep outside with their charges…..waking up
every two hours to let the ball of fluff relieve herself and gorge on milk
replacer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least with Rhiannon I got to sleep
IN-side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul made it perfectly clear
that the newcomer would not be coming inside. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So outside it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least I have a hammock or a blowup
mattress to sleep on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Paul is still upset with me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll get over it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Rds-PpA0y4/XtZ0679MLWI/AAAAAAAAFy8/8WuvtIyQ7OEZ5d_0gIdVcZ5q5d4GV82KACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/100873415_10216225558822813_2691432790657859584_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Rds-PpA0y4/XtZ0679MLWI/AAAAAAAAFy8/8WuvtIyQ7OEZ5d_0gIdVcZ5q5d4GV82KACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/100873415_10216225558822813_2691432790657859584_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If anyone is wondering why I have avoided using the actual work S****, it is because it is not lawful to capture / save / help / buy / sell / trade / transport or apparently even fucking look at them in our home state. I could, however, destroy the animal and they would be just fine with that. Or I would have to take it to an approved State Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility where they may (or may not) find it worth saving, but most likely euthanize it. I spoke to my "Go To" vet and he even said that he isn't even allowed to touch any wildlife, under risk of losing his license. Because you know, vets are only allowed to help "special" animals. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And since I've already started an anti-government rant (only three posts into resuming my blog; imagine that), I will say that I <i>have</i> looked into what it takes to become an official Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility and it is beyond bullshit. Red tape upon red tape upon red tape. Put in a red folder, wrapped in red cello and put in a red mylar bag with a red sticker that says, "Bullshit" on it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My vet guy said he also looked into it (as he actually <i>wants</i> to take care of injured animals, regardless if they are "good" or "bad" as defined by our state) and it was just not worth it to him in fear of doing something "illegal" by mistake. So if you do happen to know a State licensed Wildlife Rehabilitation person, be nice to them....they get paid absolutely nothing to do this service. In fact, they shell out $$ to the state to be given the official permit, they do it out of the kindness of their hearts, they do it out of the love they have for<i> all</i> animals. For which the state obviously has little of.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, I know that there are rules to keep people safe. But I also know that anytime the government gets involved it's going to 100% screw something up and make it virtually impossible for good people to do good things.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rant over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now go back up and look at that cutie so you end on a good note :)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-89971199539041477832020-05-26T14:26:00.000-05:002020-05-26T14:26:41.668-05:00Remember when..........I said that I had too many freaking goats. Like three years ago. At that point in my blog, I was lamenting on about how we had a whole SIX pregnant goats for a total herd of twenty or just under/over. At this point in time I cannot tell you the exact number of goats we have. It's hovering around 40. I think. I just know that there are, like, a lot of goats.<br />
<br />
In general, we've done pretty well breeding and caring for the goat herd. We've put countless goats in the freezer & canner, sold a few (not nearly enough!) and lost several to old age, but we've been pretty lucky that only four have died without our wanting them to in the last three years. One to bloat, one to hypothermia, one stillborn and one to an unknown malady. Oh, there have been several close calls though. Broken leg, hypothermia, overextended tendons, dam rejection, bottle kids, etc, but we've done well if I do say so myself.<br />
<br />
And done pretty well digging a money pit in the process.<br />
<br />
You'd think that with all the people freaking out and screaming.....<br />
<br />
OMG, there's NO chicken! then the <br />
OMG, there's NO beef! then the<br />
OMG, there's NO pork! (do you see a trend? Anyone.....anyone???)<br />
<br />
that there would be a demand for some of our meat goats. But alas, there is not. As anyone who tries to sell anything via FB or Craigslist, there are plenty of people who want this or that nowNowNOW, but when push comes to shove there is never a follow through involving actual cash.<br />
<br />
We have made a couple hundred goat burgers. Slow roasted goat shoulder. Goat sausages. Goat meatloaf. Pulled BBQ goat sandwiches. Goat broth. Goat enchiladas / tacos / fajitas. Goat pot pie. Goat chili. You name it, I've made it with goat. <br />
<br />
So we continue to plod on and butcher them for our freezer. Which really isn't that bad. Except that I'd be apprehensive to do a cost analysis in fear that I would immediately suffer a stroke, knock my head on the countertop and the cats would eat me. Because frankly, they're sick & tired of eating goat meat. And honestly, I don't blame them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-46324151856038284982020-05-22T13:31:00.001-05:002020-05-22T13:42:17.624-05:00Sneaking back inPlease forgive me if this post is all<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="e24Kjd"><b> </b>katywampus</span></span>; it's been a wee bit since I've logged on to the Blogger site.<br />
<br />
I've come back to blog for several reasons, but the final push was because Small Farm Girl (https://www.smallfarmgirl.blogspot.com) hinted that she was going to start up again and I'm like, "Not without me, you ain't!!"<br />
<br />
The world, as many already painfully know, has officially gone to the crapper. TwentyTwenty is going to go down in history as "That year pretty much sucked". So I'm not going to discuss virology or economy or political-ology stuff (not yet, anyways) because frankly, I'm sick of the shit. And I have only myself to blame because I have taken FB on as my main "outlet" and pushed my blog to the back of the closet (along with my size 10 jeans and high heels that I swear I will mash myself into one day). It's time to start focusing on the GOOD things, and the things that I personally have control over.<br />
<br />
I've been working full time since 2015, so things have obviously changed around the homestead. Oh, the homestead is still here, if only to provide me with moments of rooster-rage or goat-screaming but I'm just not the one dealing with it full time now. Paul is now the sucker - I mean - the Head Human in Charge, with Rhiannon as his Second in Command.<br />
<br />
Following your blogs used to be the highlight of my week. And I hope to bring that spark of joy back to my life. And honestly, I miss writing here as well. <br />
<br />
Oh, the stories I have to tell. Some good, some bad, some downright so ugly that you will have to wash your eyes out with lye and then squirt salted lemon juice in them to flush it out. But tell you about it, I will.<br />
<br />
See ya soon!<br />
<br />
Stay safe. Stay well. <br />
<br />Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-87962261808019081512018-04-04T12:40:00.000-05:002018-04-04T12:40:24.912-05:00Dem Bones<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We butchered one of our Boer goats last month…..or was it
the month before?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">“BBQ” the wether was
past prime butchering time (i.e. we should have last fall) but he finally went
to freezer camp.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">After several years of
experience butchering goats and deer, we have a pretty standard operating
procedure now.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Shoulders and ribs are
slow roasted in the oven; hind quarters are either slow-roasted, cut into stew
sized pieces or ground up for burgers; loins & tenderloins saved for
“special” meals and the neck meat and other scraps saved for burgers.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The dogs and chickens love butchering day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Scraps here, scraps there, scraps, scraps
EVERYWHERE!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">(Imagine me doing that
sing-song while I fling small pieces of fat, sinew and flesh across the yard
for the chickens to brawl over.)</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Charlie and Kai get the choicest of scraps; liver, heart,
kidney, and whatever else they manage to swipe out of the gut bucket when one
turns their back for even a millisecond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Kia snagged the goozle this time.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">I have no idea where the word “goozle” originated, but it is the local word
used to describe the throat piece that looks like a ribbed, plastic pipe.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Normally that stays IN the gut bucket, but Kai
managed to swipe it.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">I can’t quite
describe the sound that is made when canine teeth chew through the eight inch,
cast-aside esophagus of a goat. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Seriously.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">I can’t.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">All I know was that I
was audibly bombarded by such a horrific noise that it made me visibly wince.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">(I came back to this post over a month later
and I STILL cringe at the memory of that sound).</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Anywho.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once all the meat was cut, cubed and picked from every
possible bone, the bones and some other not-quite-good-enough-to-eat, but good-enough-for-broth
scraps went right into the pressure cooker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Bones are usually saved for the dogs, but I was running out of soup
stock and thought I’d try my hand at goat bone broth.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">I added water, onion, celery, carrots,
bay leaves and a few shakes of salt into the pressure cooker and set it at 10 lbs.
of pressure for about an hour.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">I let it
cool down in the pot, strained it, poured it into ½ gallon mason jars and stuck
the broth in the fridge.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Normally I like
to can broth to have on hand, but I wasn’t going to waste my time if the goat
broth wasn’t up to par.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I personally finished drinking a gallon of goat broth in
less than a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">And I will be making
more, much to the dismay of the dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
</span>Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-3661203124903697692016-07-01T13:00:00.002-05:002016-12-01T12:16:02.403-06:00Where, oh where.....<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> .....has my little blog gone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh where or where can it be? With its posts cut
short and the intervals so long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh
where or where can it be?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I have no excuse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have either lost my muse, lost my mind, or a little bit (or a lot) of
both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last post I wrote was about
the bucks in the beginning of January.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since then the productivity of those bucks has been confirmed and we
added another twelve kids to the herd; six females and six males.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And three months after that, we subtracted
seven goats from our herd, having sold the wethers / bucklings / buck to other people
who wanted to have a goat for supper, a pet, a lawnmower, or for gawdonlyknows
why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wethers from last year’s FFA
project are gone as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don (the one
that got sick & stunted) was handed a winning lottery ticket and went to
another family to be a pet, while his brother wasn’t so lucky and ended up on
our supper plates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I guess I should probably log it in this blog who birthed
who and when, but alas, I didn’t even write all of those dates down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I should just be happy that nobody
has died unexpectedly (yet).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So here’s the 2016 Kidding Totals (or at least what I can
recall):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Annette had two doelings (Amber & Angie)<br />
Lily had two bucklings<br />
Dilly had one buckling and one doeling (Pickililly)<br />
MamaGoat had a single buckling<br />
Pyewacket had two bucklings<br />
Pickles had a single doeling (Sweet Pickles).<br />
Clover had a single doeling (Blossom).<br />
Maypop had a single doeling (Buttercup)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Lily didn’t have a very difficult birthing, but she ran a
temperature, was passing bright red blood (not “regular” blood from kidding)
when she pee’d and was really out of it for a few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure if she tore her urethra and
that’s what the infection / fever was from or what.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I gave her a round of antibiotics,
Vitamin E & B and all the other good stuff and she perked up to normal in a
week days.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">MamaGoat had a horrible kidding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a single buckling who was not
presented correctly and was large to boot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of his front legs was bent backwards so I had to push him back in
and grab the leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s a smaller goat
than the others and it was difficult to get my hand up in her, let alone try to
hook a finger around the leg to pull it forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was tore up pretty good, but has since
mended up quite nicely and is back to normal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I think that the rest of the kiddings went without a
hitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I think that Maypop had
her kid without any of us there at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Paul went out to the barn and came back in saying she had a kid on the
ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bonus for me not having to have
my hand up the backside of a goat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Out of nine breedings, all but Daisy had taken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I SHOULD know if she were pregnant because if
I HAD kept good breeding records last year I would have known if her kidding
date was past due, but because of my lack of goat-keeping-ness, I did NOT write
everyone’s breeding date down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least
not where I could retrieve that information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Probably on a soda-stained, crumpled up, yellow sticky note just barely
adhered to the bottom of one of my slippers crammed into the corner of my
bedroom closet and hidden from sight underneath a bag of clothing that was
supposed to go to the Salvation Army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hmmm……I think that last sentence pretty much sums up the last twelve
months or so of my life here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Pickles has been saved (at least for now) because her
breeding DID take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have bet
money that she wasn’t pregnant; she didn’t bag up until a few days before she
popped and she wasn’t big at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she
didn’t have a kid this year I was going to grind her up into sausage.....with a smile on my face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it turns out, she had a very stout,
very healthy doeling that she is still doting upon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She has absolutely no idea how lucky she is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now if I can just find some way to shut her howling screamer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her yelling is maddening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Dilly (Pickles first daughter) is a total asshat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She pretty much rejected one of her kids last
year (and the other one eventually died) and this year she just barely
tolerated her two new offspring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
doeling is still with us, but is basically ignored by her mother and she weaned
her & her sibling short of six weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have her in the sale paper & if I ever get my butt going, I’ll
send her to the sale barn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Pyewacket’s two bucklings were sold a few weeks ago and I’ve
been on again / off again milking her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mamagoat’s buckling is growing like a weed and I want to keep him
drinking all that good milk to fatten him up for the freezer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Once I pull him off her (to put him on our supper plates), I'll milk Mamagoat as well. We only kept</span> two males for the freezer; Mamagoat
and Lily’s bucklings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was thinking
about keeping Lily’s buckling as a breeder, but we already have two bucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We DID have three, but I sold the year old,
black-headed buck, Moe-Lassas to a couple who wanted a pet &
lawnmower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At first I was reluctant to sell Moe-Lassas to these people,
but desperation and the need for some cash INcome won me over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They knew he was a buck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span> even reinforced that fact several times,
going so far as to remind them that he’ll be stinkier than all holy hell during
breeding season, would try to breed anything not moving (or moving slower than
he can) and that “buck” meant “intact male”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although if they didn’t realize that by the overly-large, fuzzy sack of
testosterone and DNA material swinging from his backside meant that he was a
buck, I don’t know what would have convinced them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
They n</span>ever had goats before, but they knew what they wanted, and claimed that they knew what
they were getting into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have my
doubts, but who am I to question someone’s intentions and / or preparedness for
having a goat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Oh, and they said they </span>have Pomeranians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not sure how owning a couple of fluffy,
bug-eyed yapping dogs qualifies you to keep goats, but what the hell; I guess
it shouldn’t DIS-qualify you from owning goats, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>So I convince Paul to go into the buck pen to get a lead
onto Moe-Lassas’ collar when suddenly the husband buyer whips his shirt off and
joins him in the pen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not exactly sure
why the man felt the need to remove half of his clothing, but I will not be
able to un-see the living “shirt” of curly, overgrown graying chest and back
hair from my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have packed
sea salt in my eyelids just to burn that image out of my retinas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the sweaty, hairy, and according to Paul,
quite intoxicated man is running Moe-Lassas around the pen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anybody with half a functioning brain cell
knows that if you want to catch an animal you do NOT go running right towards
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, everybody except drunken,
hairy, Pomeranian-owning men, apparently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>l tell the man with a BAC of 1-point-something to just stay put and
Moe-Lassas is picked up and put in the back of their SUV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No cage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No leash (WHY does NO ONE. EVER. Bring a leash or crate or cage?!?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a blue tarp in the back of the
vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Money exchanged hands, I wished
everyone good luck, the wife (thankfully) hopped in the driver’s seat, and they
drove Moe-Lassas away into the sunset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wonder how long it took Moe-Lassas to jump into the front seat, piss all over
the leather seats, send goat turds rolling all over the floor boards and try to
hump hairy Pomerian-guy in the ear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Goats may be a pain in the rear, but it sure does provide for some interesting blog fodder.</span></span></div>
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-11683298238869844102016-01-10T20:55:00.002-06:002016-12-01T12:19:47.266-06:00If looks could kill.....<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GJbbLKKpT4I/VpMVOaTzB6I/AAAAAAAAFqA/bWEmbO1LXXc/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GJbbLKKpT4I/VpMVOaTzB6I/AAAAAAAAFqA/bWEmbO1LXXc/s320/018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't be fooled. That is a glare of total and utter hate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
.....I would be dead. If an autopsy were to be preformed from whatever remotely recognizable heap of torn flesh that the state medical examiner could scrape off the ground, it would have to be put into one of those triple-walled heavy-duty trash bags and the fat, muscle, grizzle and tissue that was once my body would be littered with the hay, grain and goat shit from whence I met my demise.<br />
<br />
But lucky for me, I was able to convince Pau to help prevent the above gruesome scenario.<br />
<br />
So what could have transpired that something so horrible could have happened, you ask? <br />
<br />
Herman's head gear fell off....and had to be put BACK on. <br />
<br />
Herman is the Alpha Boer buck goat. With horns. And the goat fence is constructed from cattle panels. We chose cattle panels because they are very sturdy, movable, re-usable....and, well, we had them. The only downside to using the panels is that if one has a horned goat, that goat will stick it's head through those panels and not be able to un-stick it, therefore requiring assistance from the goatkeeper (that wasn't supposed to have any horned goats on the property in the first place) in order to release his head.<br />
<br />
To remedy this situation, one attaches a pvc pipe across Herman's head with copious amounts of duct tape thusly ensuring that he can not get his noggin through the squares in the panels. This worked like a charm and I was delighted to NOT have to go out there fifteen times a day to get him out. Unfortunately the duct tape eventually gets rubbed off and we're back to square one with him sticking his head through the panels. I think he rubbed his last pvc & duct-tape noggin contraption off almost two months ago. So every day since then, several times a day, we've been having to get the dickhead's skull out from the cattle panels. One would think that a goat, even a stupid goat, would eventually figure out that if he shoves his head through something and gets stuck EVERY SINGLE TIME, that maybe, just maybe, the urge to shove your head through the fence would subside. But no. I believe Herman's sole purpose on this earthly plane is to test my resolve and to teach me to contain the disturbingly violent urges which swim like slippery, needle-toothed eels through the murky waters of my subconscious.<br />
<br />
Every subsequent time that Herman's headgear needs re-attaching, it becomes more and more difficult. The time before last we took turns straddling Herman and holding his horns while the other wrapped (and wrapped, and wrapped) the duct tape over the pvc pipe and horns. The last time neither or us were able to get on Herman and by brute strength and luck alone we were somehow able to manage the task. Each time Herman is stronger. And meaner. And hating us more and more. And he is on to us. Paul was almost castrated by Herman's swinging horns the last time we were in there. A pissed off buck goat with pointy horns at groin level is something every man should rightfully fear.<br />
<br />
So this time we had a plan. Actually, Plan A was to sucker a friend or three into coming by and helping, but nobody was that stupid. So plan B was for us to wait (the whole fifteen seconds) for Herman to get his head stuck (again) into the fence, incapacitate him, THEN put the headgear on.<br />
<br />
Plan B actually worked. And no one was disemboweled or gored. My jacket and barn chore pants however, reek like, well, a buck goat in all his sticky-piss glory. Once Herman was stuck, Paul went into the pen and tied Herman's front and back legs and we yanked his head out of the fence. <br />
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<br />
Let me tell you that I had to use every last ounce of willpower to not give Herman a few good swift kicks to the backside while he was down. Oh, how I wanted to lay into him. I'm telling you, if <a href="http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/">OhioFarmGirl</a> lived anywhere near me I would have invited her over for tea and biscuits and we would have had ringside seats when she released The Dog Horde on Herman's tied-up ass and I would have been grinning from ear to ear as the flesh was torn from his body in a blur of bright white gnashing and crushing canine teeth. I'd be standing up and cheering on her Fighting Uruk-Hai as the blood from my most hated goat spattered across my face. I'd wipe the still warm and sticky blood from my cheek and taste the iron-rich victory on my tongue.<br />
<br />
Wow. Got a little carried away there. Uh hugh. Anyways........where was I?<br />
<br />
Oh. Paul had Herman tied up and on his side. I sat on top of the asshole (the goat, not Paul) and grabbed his beard (the goat's, not Paul's) to keep his head still while he wrapped the pipe over his horns. I'd be lying if I said I didn't purposely put all my weight on Herman (maybe even bouncing once or twice for the full "Ooomph" effect coming out of dickheadgoat's lungs). I'd also be lying if I said that I didn't feel sorry for Herman. For an eighth of a second. Because as soon as I did feel a pang of pity for the peckerhead, he started whipping his head around to BITE us. Yes. He was trying to bite us now. Eventually we ran out of duct tape on the roll and had to make our way out of the pen. Paul untied Herman's feet while I was still on top of him (which, now that I think about it, probably wasn't the best of ideas) and on the count of "Three!" I jumped off and ran for the gate, leaving Paul behind to fend for himself (serves him right, why exactly, was it ME on top of the goat in the first place???)<br />
<br />
Once we were out and Herman was up, he immediately started rearing and taking his frustrations out on the nearest tree. He also started trying to rub the headgear off so gawd only knows if it's still on him now. I hope so, because I am not looking forward to doing this again anytime soon. <br />
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<br />
I will, however, enjoy NOT having to get his stupid head out of the fence in the middle of the freezing night. Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-44178939774251376242015-11-23T20:25:00.001-06:002015-11-23T20:25:30.327-06:00Meet the BucksYou know, if I recall correctly, I believe I swore up and down that we'd never keep a buck here at Krazo Acres. For several years we took our girls on dates to other buck-owning farms for their date, a small amount of cash or a couple of homegrown frozen chickens exchanged hands and that was that.<br />
<br />
The first buck was pawned off on us by a friend who no longer needed him for breeding purposes. We kept Pan, the Nigerian Dwarf buck for about two years and used him on all our dairy gals. He was a total shitface and there were times I had to wrestle his piss-stained and rank tub of muscle and hair down to the ground just to let him know who the boss was. I may have eventually proven that I, in fact, was the boss....but it was definitely not a "win" for me as rolling on the ground with a buck goat is nothing more than total olfactory torture. I sold him to the first person who agreed to come get him and give me four bags of corn. Smell ya later, dickhead!<br />
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<br />
We were buck-less for a year I think, then I decided that we needed to have goat MEAT on the farm. So I got Lily and Herman, our first Boer goats. We kept Herman intact to use for breeding. He is a prick as well. Not nearly as much of a jerk as Pan was, but unfortunately there is no way that I would be able to take Herman down. The first breeding year I was able to get in to the buck pen to bring the does to him, but it's no longer safe to do so. Now I will bring the does in the pen & Paul will be right behind me brandishing a pitch fork or a long section of metal pipe. Herman has one last fling here and then I'm putting him on the sale page and shipping his sorry butt outt'a here.<br />
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<br />
Studly Do Right was purchased as a bottle baby to be Herman's replacement. He is much nicer, even friendly and I'm assuming that is because he was babied by us. He wants to be around you and not try to knock your skull in or rear up to you. Although during breeding season I don't scratch or pet him unless it's with a stick. The fact that he doesn't have the huge set of horns like Herman is also a major bonus.<br />
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<br />
Moe-lassas is our newest buckling. He and Moo-latte were out of a Nubian / Boer doe and Herman so I'm guessing the black heads came from their Nubian lineage. He isn't the biggest buckling we've had, but I'm really a sucker for the black heads now so I'm going to give him a shot at breeding this year. If he's shooting blanks or becomes a jerk, he's off to the sale barn as well.<br />
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<br />
So now I find myself with not one, not two, but THREE stinky piss-faced bucks.<br />
<br />
Annette & Pyewacket have already been bred to Herman and Dilly, MamaGoat, Lily and Daisy have been bred to Studly. We tried giving Moe-lassas a shot with Maypop, but he seemed to be more motivated than functional. Unfortunately she's no longer in heat so we'll have to give it another go-round in two weeks. Moe will get one last shot and then Studly will get his chance. <br />
<br />
Pickles is still holding out on us. We tried getting her in with Herman but no connection was made. She's going to end up as sausage if she doesn't get bred this year.<br />
<br />
So it looks like we're going to have a late kidding season next Spring beginning in the middle of March and dragging out into the end of April.<br />
<br />Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628662603932607754.post-91006443332387586082015-10-25T21:41:00.003-05:002015-10-25T21:41:43.400-05:00The Dating, I mean, Mating Game!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Good evening all, and welcome to the Dating - I mean - Mating Game.<br />
<br />
It's been a wonderful Summer here at Krazo Acres and all the goat ladies have been working on their best hay-bellies and practicing their tail flagging flirting with each other, all in anticipation of the fall breeding season.<br />
<br />
So let's meet the Does for the 2015 Breeding Season, shall we?<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pickles, the Screaming Goat</td></tr>
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Pickles was the first Boer here on our farm so she tends to think she's something special. She likes to scream, wedge herself under the barn and scratch herself on the chain link fence. She says she's looking for a gentleman buck; one that will share his grain ration with her before he jumps her. Let's all give Pickles a warm welcome!<br />
(Applause)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vILsqq0HcL0/ViROve-n7BI/AAAAAAAAFoA/W0vzolvwDhY/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vILsqq0HcL0/ViROve-n7BI/AAAAAAAAFoA/W0vzolvwDhY/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lily</td></tr>
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Lily was the second Boer doe on our farm and she's quite the naughty little goat. She's not afraid to try new or Taboo things in the breeding pen and if truth be know, she and her brother, Herman, shagged up the first season. And she said she'd do it again in a heartbeat....although she requested more spanking and wanted to be tied to the fence. Which Buck will be willing to get it on with this little pervert?! <br />
(LOUD applause from the buck pen, and lots of snorting)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SAgoQP8nUVk/ViRPMO-Nc1I/AAAAAAAAFoI/pprrTeuCasc/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SAgoQP8nUVk/ViRPMO-Nc1I/AAAAAAAAFoI/pprrTeuCasc/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dilly</td></tr>
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Dilly is Pickles first offspring, and although she's already had time in with Studly Do'Right, she wasn't having any of him. Dilly is a self-proclaimed stubborn prude and says "I ain't gonn'a let just any piss-faced buck from this farm poke me up the wah-hoo". She says that she is holding out for a more refined and Registered Boer Buck with a good pedigree.<br />
(Booo's and hisses from the Buck Pen. Little does the prissy bitch know that I'm going to lock her in with the smelliest buck this year.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OHH6Hv4qAgg/ViRPmrBu9PI/AAAAAAAAFoQ/wHJ4GwbGDYY/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OHH6Hv4qAgg/ViRPmrBu9PI/AAAAAAAAFoQ/wHJ4GwbGDYY/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annette</td></tr>
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Annette is up next. She's a Dairy mix and normally goes for the Nigerian guys. But since she's getting on up there in years she said she wants something different to spice up her breeding life. Some Boer Buck Booty, perhaps? Annette is not the romancing kind'a gal and isn't looking for a long-term relationship. A minute & a half stand is perfectly acceptable for her. Don't be expecting her to leave her number on the nightstand guys; she's already over your sorry ass before she even gets in the breeding pen with you.<br />
Let's give it up for Annette! (crickets chirping in the distance)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o1oilXOWkDc/Vi2QDblwXNI/AAAAAAAAFos/TcWeppePq_c/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o1oilXOWkDc/Vi2QDblwXNI/AAAAAAAAFos/TcWeppePq_c/s320/018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MamaGoat</td></tr>
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MamaGoat is also a Dairy mix and she will be looking over the three Boer bucks carefully. She's never been with a Boer before and is feeling a little anxious. During our interview, she inched closer to me and quietly whispered, "Is it true what they say about Boer's, uhm, you know?" I said that I had only heard rumors and suggested that she ask Lily. MamaGoat trotted over to Lily and whispered in her ear. Lily whispered back. Then MamaGoat's eyes widened and she ran back to me. "Yeah! I'll take a Boer this year. Maybe two. Or all three. Can I do all three???"<br />
(Excited applause. From MamaGoat)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NCwZ8pPG3Ug/Vi2QfNUZzwI/AAAAAAAAFo0/f5xXz-lLD2M/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NCwZ8pPG3Ug/Vi2QfNUZzwI/AAAAAAAAFo0/f5xXz-lLD2M/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clover</td></tr>
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Clover is Lily's first offspring and is looking to keep the Boer blood line going but not at the price of more inbreeding (so Herman's off the list) She likes being scratched on the shoulders and having her ears nibbled. Although she's not as adventurous as her dam (and wants to distance herself from her incestuous conception), Clover is willing to look into a non-traditional colored Buck. And Moe-lassas just might fit that bill. How do you like your coffee, Clover?<br />
Black; like my bucks.<br />
(Whoops & frantic applause from one particular section of the buck pen)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-do4xjCui_X0/ViRQEq9XrDI/AAAAAAAAFoY/E_-A2WOZApo/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-do4xjCui_X0/ViRQEq9XrDI/AAAAAAAAFoY/E_-A2WOZApo/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyewacket</td></tr>
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Pyewacket is Annette's mixed-Dairy offspring and she seems to share her mother's general disinterest in romancing. She enjoys spending time by Herman's fence line, but has admitted to me that it is only because the persimmon tree is there. When I asked her who the lucky bucky is going to be this Fall, she just rolled her eyes at me and said that it's all about the persimmons. "Which ever dope of a buck gets me the most persimmons can do me. You gott'a think about yourself these days. And if some moron of a buck wants to spend all his energy keeping me in a persimmon-eating lifestyle just so he can get some doe action once a year, well, that's just fine with me."<br />
(No applause but lots of commotion claiming rights over the few persimmon trees in the yard)<br />
<br />
Let's give all our Doe contestants a big round of applause!<br />
<br />
In our next episode we'll interview the Lucky Bucks - Herman, Studly Do'Right and Moe-lassas.<br />
<br />Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14436557172029575513noreply@blogger.com5