Monday, April 18, 2011

Monday, Monday - what I do instead of painting my nails

Busy Sunday Night and Monday Morning Here!!! I was the worry wart that we all knew I would be... Checked on Goldie every two hours between the bottle feeding times just to make sure she was doing O.K. Her tiny voice was a bit horse because she was calling for me but just like with my human sons I had to sometimes let them cry a bit to learn they could settle themselves down and be just fine. Now, I admit I would sit outside their door and peek under the door along the floor just to make sure they were safe but as I have said many times I know this is for her own good as it was for my sons... I also started plucking a few more of the girls when I was in the barn this morning. It is like a sickness - once I start I can not stop.. My fingers take over my brain and before I know it I have finished two or three girls and I have been in the barn way too long... What I love about my crosses is they blow out their fiber just like Angora Bunnies. If you start them early they will allow you just to pluck off the fiber and that way you do not end up with second cuts or blunt ends which I feel do not draft as nicely. So I did Jill this morning and she was a dream to do however I had to do Rasputin because his fiber was being drug behind him along the ground. This was not going to be as easy as Jill. Being hopefully smarter then him I went to work. First I constructed a maze of pens which go to funnel him to where I want which at the end is a catch pen that I can squeeze the panels together if he gets a bit aggressive. Once I had him there it was slow breathing and talking softly. Yes, sometime it works as long as you do not have all the goat girls screaming for him like a rock star. Those girls - No Help!! As I went about getting his fleece is was anything but calm. So the panels gave him a nice hug to keep those huge horns from cutting me up. I admit it I am not into pain if I can help it. I took the best fleece, tried to clear up some of the peed on tags and boy spaces that no one needs or wants. Great however for the compost bin.. After I got most of him done I told him that we would call it a day because there is no need to over stress these big boys - not good for their tummies. When I opened the gates and let him out with the his pasture mates and llama's he turned and gave me a bit of a smile - as if to say "Wow, I can feel the air on my body - feels great". Now just so we do not have a snow storm hit he will keep that kind thought and we might be friends again. He is such an amazing boy but would hate to be on the wrong side of those horns. I bet your wondering what else is on the schedule for today? I have a dozen skeins of yarn dyeing on the stove. I finished packaging up the last of the felt shards, folded and stored away the goat towels and started on my own laundry, finished printing out goat baby pictures that will be tucked into customers packages. So all in all just a typical Monday with still the evening to come. What was your day like??

2 comments:

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

I have to laugh at the girls screaming for Rasputin. Do they not realize that he is the reason they have spent the last few months big as a house, then in pain and then in the birthing stall? We girls just cant resist a handsome guy, can we.

And my day? I spent most of it procrastinating. And putting things off on a farm is NOT a good idea. But I did it anyway ;)

larkspur funny farm said...

Oh Jane, I am horrible at that - procrastinating is my middle name. I either go full tilt or a walk around like a zombie not getting anything really done but starting tons of things...

Your right about the girls. Like I said if I shear we get snow... Sure enough snowed last night. Maybe I could do a traveling show and make it snow where they need snow?? I'll write a business plan tonight.