Names and More

 I want to thank everyone for their suggestion for  names, there were a lot of good ones and it was a hard choice.  I had to spend some more time with the girls to see what name would fit them.

Dumm-da-da-dummmmm......With out further ado I present to you ......

Purl...

 

I just love that name!

And Little Red......

At first I was going with Knit because it was so cute, a future goatie will surely get that name, but it wouldn't stick. Then I wanted to call her Minnie and have Minnie and Purl...but that didn't seem to suit her just right either. Minnie will also be reserved for a future goatie! The Boy and I just kept calling her Little Red so I guess that is the name she is supposed to have!

They are supper sweet and since they are not real old and were bottle fed when I go out to feed Dolly Doodle they come looking for their bottle too! Actually the come up every time we go out there happy to have just some scratchins and oh,  is it so nice to give then what they want! They are soooo soft and wonderful feeling!

I though I would show you all how big Miss Dolly Doodle has gotten! The only way to keep her sort of still enough to get a picture was to have the Boy hold her! He was happy to  because he is usually toting her around every chance he gets anyways, although he is not smiling here because he is trying to hold on to Miss Squirmy Pants!

Speaking of being toted around... Oscar Peterson is pretty fond of it too!

It is no wonder The Boy is always toting around some critter like they don't have working legs...I did the same to him when he was little! I am surprised he ever learned to walk as he spend most of his time balanced on my hip as I went about my day until he got too heavy  for me to tote him anymore! Seems like yesterday...it makes me smile to know even though he is all boy, rough and tough, he has a loving and tender heart and I am for sure our critters think he is pretty great too!

The Cliff Hanger...

Today I went and got the start of the second part of my fiber dream...two Pygoras!  Pygoras are a cross between a pygmy and an angora goat! They are a relatively new breed and have wonderful fiber! I got two young girls today, yet to be named! This chocolaty sweet girl....

 And this little red sweetie who is just a little younger!

 They went in with our other girls who checked them out thoroughly but were not mean to them at all.

 This is Doodah, Lola and Sweet Pea trying to figure out these new fluffy goaties!

 
Nibbles is getting a little too personal with her inspection of Chocolate Girl! Chocolate Girl is like,"Hey, hey, hey watch it back there!"

 I am very fond of red colored animals,I married one after all,lol!  Hubby is a red head! I just had to take home this little cutie!

I knew for sure I wanted the red one but it was a hard choice to pick out the second one! These goats come in many colors and well ...they had a lot of colors there! I would like to get one more girl and I am on the list for a baby buck when they get one and then I will have my own little herd of Pygoras....sigh......


















These girls have been hand raised and are just as sweet as they can be! I am just on cloud nine....Feel free to leave suggestions for names!

The Day After

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We had our Christmas early because Hubby had to go back to China which was OK because we were thinking he wouldn't get to come home at all! That is how we have always done,we celebrate each holiday when we are together, not necessarily by the date is falls on.

So ....being the day after Christmas and all I am sure everyone is showing what goodies they got !  My good friend Texan sent me some cast iron I needed for my collection! I am a cast iron junkie and I have enough to sink a ship! Cast iron, to me, is just one of those things you can never have enough of! She sent me this cornbread pan I had been wanting...

and this cute little pan of heats too!

Texan also sent me, even though she said it wasn't a Christmas present but a just because present, two customized baby goat coats with Laughing Duck farm embroidered on the back! Now, just how cool is that! If you would like one of these super little goat coats for your winter born kids she is taking orders and can make you one right up!  This particular one is modeled on a stuffed possum because well ...

I don't have any new born kids and Dolly Doodle has grown too big for it!  I tried to shove her in it,honestly I did but it was no use,she has just grown too much!

The Boy, who also knows of his mothers cast iron obsession got me this nifty combo..

a pot with a lit that doubles as a skillet! A very handy piece of cookware! The Boy informed me he was all for me getting gifts that enable me to cook more food for him! Then he said,"Mom, you just don't realize how hungry I am these days." The Boy is growing like a weed I tell you what! He is a full head taller than me...it seem strange to hug my "baby" and his chin rest on the top of my head and he is only 13! We may have to cut the door frames out just so he can walk through the house by the time he is grown! I won't even go in to the size of his shoes...but I will say if he were to walk barefoot in the woods the big foot hunters would be all over the place!



Hubby got me this box of wool..

You may be thinking  that is a peculiar gift! It is not so puzzling if you see what is goes with!

My very own spinning wheel !

I  have dreamed for years of learning to spin! I know,I know I have read it is not an easy skill to learn  but I am so excited to start trying! My first attempts are not too bad..
.

I have done some more since this picture that looks even better, though still not professional looking yet...let's just say it a rustic yarn with a lot of character! I will work at it a while and tell myself I am done for the day but I will find myself right back at my wheel spinning some more. Have you ever started something  and just felt right...like this is a thing you were meant to do? That is how I feel about spinning...sigh...

This is only the beginning of the story! I am going to leave you with a cliff hanger because tomorrow something else is happening to continue my fiber dreams! Tomorrow or Tuesday I will let you all know ,if it works out of course, what is going on! So until then I hope everyone is enjoying their after Christmas bliss of family,new toys and delicious leftovers!

Merry Christmas Everyone !

                                                    

 I know,I know I have been gone lately,everything is fine and I will be back posting soon! I want to wish all my blogging friends a very, merry  and safe Christmas!

Thanksgiving Babies and ...

the last breath of Summer...

First thing Thanksgiving morning Weed Whacker,the sheep, had her babies..here is baby # 1 in all his gooey glory!

 I couldn't help this picture, just look at the size of that bag!

As soon as Weed Whacker started talking to the little fellow the whole flock came over to see him!

They just  stood there, greeting him..letting him know he is part of their little family!

Charger lamb sat baby # 1 as Mom  took care of baby # 2 ...

Charger is a very good Dad!

Here are the new boys all dried off, one has short ears like Weed Whacker and one regular ears like Charger! Other than the ear thing they are almost identical!

Summer has breathed it last breath. A cold front has come in this afternoon! We were at 80* and high humidity ...uggg..so not the way this time of year is supposed to feel!  It may freeze tonight but if it doesn't it will tomorrow for sure so I went out and got all my green tomatoes and the last of my peppers and a handful of purple hull peas.

I had a lot of green tomatoes! Too bad they didn't ripen but I won't let them go to waste,nope! There are lots of things to make with them  the hard part is just going to be deciding what!

This is a picture of my one calendula plant, the flower almost doesn't look real it is so vivid

Happy Thanksgiving !

Hello Dolly!

 Meet Dolly,she is our brand new farm baby! Just look at that face, total cuteness! Dolly came to us this morning from my friend Texan. You can read about Dolly's story here.


 My friend Texan, did a great job taking care of her after her mom rejected her!  She is strong and full of energy and already trying to do The Goatie Goat Dance! I think she is going to be an excellent Goatie Goat Dancer,don't you?



Of course we had to introduce her to Oscar Petterson...




Oscar gave her a few gentle  touches to see what this strange critter was...

He was unsure and decided he would watch Dolly from the baby asparagus plants!

 Me and the Boy went to sit on the red bench by the goat pen with Dolly and Oscar followed...Mr.Petterson had made up his mind! He was the farm baby and he did not like this new critter and as far as he was concerned he was a cheetah and Dolly was a zebra!

He kept trying to attack her! It may have had something to do with that cute little wagging tail of Dolly's!


I think Dolly has formed her opinion of Mr.Oscar Peterson too...phtzsttttsss!

So now we have a new farm adventure...another bottle baby! I can't help it...just have a soft spot for taking care of critter babies..even if it means middle of the night feedings! I mean really,who could resist that face!

For Your Turkey Viewing Pleasure....

I present to you the following programs....

Veggies

 Fall is here so I though I would show you all what I have in the garden. I wish I had about ten times the amount that I have planted but maybe next year I will have more garden space...and what I mean by space is more raised beds with decent dirt!

Here are some nice sized green tomatoes! We had two nights of near misses with the temps dipping down to 33*! It warmed back up some so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will get some red ones! If not, everyone will be getting green tomato relish for Christmas!

  This is tarragon blooming! I tell you, if this herb will grow in this flower bed it will grow anywhere! I have had very few things grow well in this patch of gumbo! I also think the lawn was heavily weed and feeded  before we bought the place,the first couple of years I really had trouble establishing  flowerbeds.

Under the tomatoes in this bed I have some cabbages.Once we have frost the tomatoes will be gone and the cabbages will have this bed all to themselves! I did the same out in the garden,I planted my cabbages between the tomatoes to protect them from our harsh sun and I didn't loose one single cabbage this Fall!

Here are some turnips, we raise them mostly for their green tops. Nothing like a big ole mess of turnip greens and a pan of cornbread! That is a southern comfort!

 
Carrots...I wish I had a lot more planted! This is the first time I have had any success with them. I think it is because they are in one of the raised beds!

 The parsnips came up great this year too, both in the regular garden and the raised bed!

 This is a baby white kohlrabi...I really like these strange veggies and have  a lot of them planted around in different places!

 Here are some leeks and beets! The beets need thinning. I can grow leeks really well but have trouble with regular onions. Well, I can  grow the bunching onions but I can never, for some reason, grow a decent bulb onion! That's OK, leeks do just fine as a substitute for me!

These are collard greens...this is the first year I have grown them  and they seem to be doing great!

 Chives! Oh  how we love our chives around here! The Boy will hardly eat mashed potatoes with out chives in them! I absolutely  have to have them in my eggs in the mornings!

 This is some oregano,it has really taken off in the cooler weather! I need to get some in the dehydrator soon...

 

 I still have bell peppers and jalapenos making like crazy too!  I am already thinking about spring seeds and what I want to plant next year!  It is a sickness, I tell you all, this gardening fever!   So....what are you growing this fall?