Goat's Milk Soapmaking with Gram

Our Handmade Lavender, Lemon Verbena, and Oat Goat's Milk SoapThe first visitor on the farm from my family was Gram. My Gram has always been the "cool Grandma"... Her seemingly uncanny understanding of what was "in" with the kids (she taught High School English) was bolstered in my awkwardly bespectacled eyes by the fact that she had been a model (which my 10 year old self would have died to be). The voracious reader who always had the right books for me at the ready, was also a curious and creative person (with a great eye) from whom I inherited my interest in (ok, obsession with) minerals and exquisite details from exotic cultures.  

Whenever I would visit her growing up, Gram always had a pile of good books (usually tucked into a basket with some chocolate) waiting for me and fun projects in store for us. We made Ukrainian Easter eggs, we baked, we made jewelry... Oh, she also introduced me to pine nuts! Visits to Gram's were always a treat and now as an adult (well, almost), I hoped to return the favor. I had been looking forward to her visit for weeks and trying to think of some fun things we could do together while she was here. 

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I had cheesemaking, soapmaking, and a visit to The Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson's Plantation, in the cards for her 3 day visit. Obviously, I had once again failed to add the "unexpected element" of farm life into my time calculations for the weekend. When Gram arrived, our first goat shelter had just been trampled and pooped on by The Herd, and a whole day would be needed to plan and build a new one. 

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Coyote Night - Sleepy Guard Dogs


Sophie, the Maremma puppy, looking particularly sleepy

Last night was the first rowdy coyote night we've had. It started around dusk with a couple coyotes howling. The dogs went nuts, obviously, running to the perimeter of the farm where the noise came from. With rainfall down dramatically this year water's getting hard to come by. We still have a little bit of water in our old ponds, but not a lot. Something's better than nothing, however, and I suspect that's what the coyotes are after. We do have baby goats around too, so I'm sure the coyotes aren't missing out on that either, but there's plenty of wildlife around that would be much easier prey than our goats. The goats are inside two fences, one is electric, and they have three dogs protecting them. Previously when we've seen coyotes on the property they headed straight for the north pond and then left (or were chased out). 

We figured last night that it would just be a couple howls, the coyotes would be pissed that they couldn't get to the ponds and then it would be over. Nope. The howling continued on and off all night, driving Sheba and Sophie berserk. Right now we're keeping Izzi inside the electric goat fence and letting Sheba and Sophie patrol inside the perimeter fence. With Izzi inside the electric fence the goats are guaranteed to have some protection and it helps Izzi bond with our goats. Sophie and Sheba protect the remainder of the farm (guineas, pigs, cows, etc).

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Meanwhile, Back at the Farm


Janis, showing us how she really feels...When stuff like the piglet escapade happens everything else on the farm stands still. No goats need milking, no pastures rotating, meals cooking, gardens weeding.

We wish.

In fact, not only does everything still happen, none of the animals even seem to care! The goats were actually perturbed by the whole thing. When Bridget and Mayday would come in for milking Bridget would walk right over to the edge of the fence and snort loudly at the little gilt piglets.

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