All is well!

                                           Jewel finally got the hang of it! I am so glad she did.

                                (I didn't realize this was such a bad picture when enlarged. Sorry.)

Goat kids and farm visitors

 How does life get so busy all of a sudden? I hardly did anything all winter. Now, it's like every day, there is something that needs to be done or somewhere to go. Or animals being born. Or markets to go to. Things to get planted. It just goes on and on and on lately.

But today, I stayed home. I told my husband I am not going anywhere. I had bought 3 big bunches of onions and a 9 pack of cabbage that I was going to plant and that was about it for me. Well, besides the house needs cleaning SO BAD! And all the farm chores. And lamb feedings. And farm visitors.

And now I seem to have another bottle baby. I noticed this little cutie of Sandy's yesterday, looking rather small and wonky looking. They were all outside yesterday afternoon and this little gal just didn't look right to me. So I scooped her up and brought her inside. I gave her some Vitamin E oil and a bottle of milk wixed with colostrum. She sucked it down! She was SO hungry. And SO tiny. She was born first and her sister is way bigger than her. I figured out that Sandy's teats are just too big for her to get in her mouth. So she hadn't been nursing. And I had been too busy to notice. So I gave her another small bottle after market, then again at 11 pm. And already today, 2 bottles. And now she thinks she belongs to me.

She is so adorable. Yesterday, when I picked her up, I called her my little jewel. So that her name now. Jewel. I am hoping that if I keep her with Sandy and her sister and the others, that when she gets a bit bigger, she'll be able to nurse from Sandy. Will that happen though? Has anyone had success with this? I don't know.

A few days ago, I started driving up to my friend's farm to milk their 2 does. I am getting up early to go milk them first. Their kids are about 6 weeks old now. And need to be sold as soon as possible. So I have gotten a half gallon both days. I did keep most of the first milk for me. It's the first goat milk I've had since Penelope dried up. And it was SO GOOD! Other than that, these lambs and Jewel get ALL the milk.

I sure wish Zarah and Zeeboo would have their kids and get this over with already! Zeeboo is huge! I am thinking she's going to have triplets. Wouldn't surprise me at all. John Henry has already had 2 sets of triplets from this breeding.Not my goats though.

This is Jewel's sister. Yesterday, I picked my grand daughter Kansas up to help me at market. We were talking about cute goat names and she said she likes the name Aslan, that it sounds magical to her. It does, doesn't it? So this little girl's name is Aslan now. I think that is from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe? And it was the lion's name? But I like it for her anyway.

Here are Penelope's kids, all stretched out. They've had a busy morning. I think Emmy Lou is going to be naturally hornless, like her momma! But Woody's horn buds are already showing.

This is one of the little girls that came to the farm to see all the animals. She wanted to gather the eggs. She did such a great job getting them all one by one and placing them ever so gently in the basket. Cameron wanted to help her! She got to help feed Jewel her bottle too. Such a fun time on the farm! These are some people I met at the market. I love it! I had a really good time at market Wed. Met lots of people. I love this market in Chattanooga. Such fun people that come shopping there. Can't wait to start bringing produce soon.

My sister Heidi has been in surgery today. The moved her to another hospital and are doing this surgery to try to get her lungs working better. My mom and Heidi's middle daughter, who lives in S. Ga. are going to leave Sat. morning to go be with Heidi for a week. I am so glad mom's going. Heidi has a long recovery ahead of her. And I would want my mom there with me. I know Heidi will be happy to see her.

And Tiny went to the wound care doc this morning. It's infected. AGAIN. More antibiotics. I'm beginning to wonder if this ankle will ever heal. Ugh.

 Hubby went back to town to get tires for my car. I went to drive down the drive way this morning and the back right tire was so flat. So we need new ones anyway. Gotta get dinner fixed now. Y'all have a great evening!

This is a first!

I woke up earlier than usual this morning because I had a busy day with mom and Mrs. T. so wanted to get all my chores done quick. When I went outside, I heard that familiar sound new momma goats make when they are talking to their babies. I looked all around the barn and saw all the goats but Sandy. Went to look for her outside.

She was under the pine trees with a little wet baby. I went back in to get towels and when I got back out, I saw feet so knew another was coming. The dark brown kid was first. Then the little blond kid came out. I caught her. Got them all dried off. It was cold, so I moved them over to a sunny spot.

I was really surprised. Sandy is always the last to kid. Always! And she didn't even look that big and her udder wasn't anything to brag about last night. So she fooled me!

AND they are both does! And they both have 2 toggles each! They are adorable. This makes her having 5 doe kids in 2 years now.

Sandy is the best mother. So I didn't worry about leaving her outside. It was a very warm day, nearly 80.

But this is where all the kids end up, under the ledge in the first stall. Aren't they so cute? I am thinking I'll name the dark kid Joanie Mitchell and the blonde kid maybe Carly Simon.  Still thinking though. Could be Judy Collins. Joanie and Judy.

It was a great day to have babies! I hope you all had a great Monday too.

Still waiting on Zarah and Zeeboo. I so hope they have theirs this week.