A sad day.

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Yesterday, i had some friends come help me load up the 2 sheep to take to the butcher. I know that's why I do this. I know that's what these animals are for here. But that doesn't make it easier. I raised these guys from birth. I bottle fed them and their 2 sisters. They were the nicest ram lambs ever. Always came to see me and get lots of love. And give it too. They were sweet guys. So it kind of hurt to say good bye to them.

When I got home later, my husband said he had to bury Sybil, our white cat. He ran over her. He had gone out to the truck, turned it on, then went to open the gate. He had seen her under the truck and figured she'd move when he turned it on. She didn't. She was getting old and had some problems. She was also a bit deaf. But she always moved. Not this time. I will miss her. She was probably 9 years old. We've had 6 cats for years. The first one to die was Alex. He died earlier this year. So we have 4 left. And they are all pretty old too. I never really was much of a cat person. But they kind of grow on me. She is buried next to Sophie and Zoe, out in the garden. RIP Sybil. We loved you.

Goat escapes.

Yesterday afternoon, Freja was VERY loud out back of the studio. She went on for a good 10 minutes before I looked to see what was wrong. She's a very noisy goat, that one. She is about 1/4 Nubian. And she got the loud mouth! She's a bit of a tattle tale, actually. She lets me know things that the others are doing.

So I went out there to see what she was trying to tell me. She was all by herself. I couldn't see the others anywhere. So we walked over to the fence, where the littles usually go through. Still didn't see them. Then they came running when they heard me. Freja went through the big wide opening. Then they all got busy on all that wonderful stuff out there.

That's Oden, the buck, laying down in his yard.

This is Freja and Oden. They are fine like this when they aren't in the same yard together. Like this morning. I put Freja in with Oden. She sort of acted like she was in heat. For a few minutes. Oden was all over her. But then she just would not shut up. I don't know what I'm going to do with these 2 does.

This is what the 2 little girls have been doing the past few months. They go right through the electric fence. They have really been doing a great job. Olga and Freja never have gone out there.

Til this happened a few days ago. The pallet fell down. And see that huge gaping hole there between the chain link fence and electric fence? It's huge! So the other 3 went out yesterday. But not Freja. I think she was afraid to pass through the electric. She's been bit a few times too many I guess. But I went through, then she did. Then they all took off too far. But that's fine.

So I have started drying Freja up today. I also gave her some Cydectin. She was acting a little droopy and not eating much.Then I really need to get this breeding going soon. I might have to take the 2 littles up the road for awhile so I can put Oden out there with the big girls. It's so much to think about.

I also took my 2 wethers to the butcher this morning. I hate this part of having farm animals. Especially lambs. This was Click and Clack, The Tappit Brothers. O will miss them. Now I am down to just 10 sheep, 2 alpacas and 5 goats. Plus the 11 chickens. And 5 cats and 2 dogs. And a hive  of honey bees.

Life is always changing on a farm.

Dinner.

When I first met my husband, I didn't know how to cook anything but spaghetti. His mother taught me how to cook. And I had never eaten turnip greens or fried okra or pinto beans. Or even biscuits and gravy. I had a lot to learn when I married this man!

I did have the best mother in law ever. She taught me so much. And she was a really good cook. Nothing fancy ever came out of her kitchen. She had a small kitchen too. But she could feed an army. And sometimes did. On very little.

We'd go up to her house in Ozone, Tn. a lot when our kids were little. She'd make a little bed out of a drawer when they were babies. And she'd fix a big breakfast. Always biscuits and gravy, bacon, fried potatoes, eggs. And a few of her other kids would come eat. And their kids. Always a big breakfast. then when we were all finished with breakfast, we'd clear the table, wash the dishes, and get ready for dinner.

Always a big pot of pinto beans would go in a pressure cooker first. Then we'd peel lots of potatoes. Then fry chicken in a big electric cooker. Boil the potatoes. Make cornbread. And we almost always had turnip greens. She made THE BEST turnip greens ever.

She'd wash them real good. Then put them in a big pressure cooker for a little while. Then with the bacon grease in a cast iron skillet, she'd rinse off the greens and put them in the skillet. She's cut them up, add more grease and salt, then cook them to death. I always asked for greens when we came up to visit. I always try to make them like her, but they are missing something. They're good, just not as good as hers. And we'd also have green beans too. And most everything she cooked, she grew or raised herself. Oh, and always, big ripe red juicy tomatoes too! The best dinners ever.

So tonight, we are having turnip greens with some dandelion greens thrown in, field peas with rice of course, and fried okra, all but the rice I grew here. And corn bread too. Gotta have cornbread with greens, right? I am so hungry right now, just thinking about this dinner.

What's for dinner at your house tonight?