Special Delivery

This evening, Penny had her babies. I was able to call my SIL in time and she came just in time to assist me in delivering the first one, since Penny was having a hard time. The poor kid was trying to come out all hooves first! It just wasn't budging, so with SIL holding Penny as still as she could, I gently pushed the kid back in and rearranged the legs and face so that it would come out front feet first, then head, then body, back legs, etc. I have no idea if I did it 'right', but I was pretty proud of myself for getting it so Penny could get the baby out. I guess I did it right in the fact that the baby came, and was alive and not too traumatized.

The second was easier, and after a good toweling-off, Penny showed mild interest and let them figure out how to nurse. Not quite as good of a mama off the bat as Belle was, but she'll get it. I'm so proud of our little 'herd'. I hope there's a big market of whethers, though!

Belle's Ice Cream

The 'Recipe' DH found for ice cream....Very easy. He tried cherries this time, which I love, and tomorrow I plan on trying vanilla.....

"I make sort of a shortcut ice cream that no one whines about. It is usually served as a thick milk shake. If you’d like to try this, just whip a teaspoonful of vanilla and as much sweetener as you like into a quart of fresh milk. Put the bowl into the freezer with a cover on it. I use a saucer if I don’t have a cover. When it is starting to freeze, take it out and beat it very well with a hand mixer or a blender. Put back into the freezer until almost frozen. Take out and mix well again. Back into the freezer until as hard as you’d like. Most of the time we can’t wait any longer and eat it like soft serve ice cream or add a bit of milk and beat it well, making milk shakes. Of course, you can add as much or as little as you want in the way of flavorings. Fruit, jam, chocolate, chocolate chips, or even marshmallows and nuts all can be incorporated into the nearly frozen ice cream. You can also add almond, black walnut, or whatever extract you desire. Then there are banana splits, sundaes with fresh fruit (we used our wild blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries, and syrup made from them)."

--http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/clay92.html

Wash Day Towel

I finshed the dishtowel I started on Friday. I am pretty happy with it, and I like that I chose to use only one color for the whole thing. I likely will try different colors with the next one, but I like the simplicity of the solid color, also.


I picked up all the stitches fairly quickly, except for the french knot, which is incredibly frustrating for me. Each one has to be attempted about 3 times before it looks good enough to leave and move on.

Flies

62 confirmed kills by me this morning. 100 by DH this afternoon. I am getting an air curtain for the door, I don't care if it costs $1K. Well spent.

Hey, there, Lonely Girl

Pancake's pen was completed today (minus the water nozzle, but she can just drink from the water trough until the nozzle's installed), and she seems pretty happy with it. Only thing missing is a companion! She looks very small and all alone in that pen. It's been decided that we will most likely get another one this week.

DH built the shade structure for it and did a fantastic job. Pancake seems to be satisfied, and I think it will work well to keep her out of the sun and in the cool shade as much as possible.

Morning Weigh-in

An entire half-gallon (to the brim!!) of milk from Belle this morning. If she wasn't nursing the kids during the day, I am sure we would be getting a gallon a day, which seems on the higher end of average for her breed. I am thrilled!

Goat milk soap, here I come!

Caught off Guard; Poor Mathmatical Skills

I went to Joanne's with my SIL, looking for embroidery items (a skill I wanted to work on developing!). We got very excited near the entrance at some darling smocked fabrics that would whip out the cutest dresses, lickety-split. Strangely, they were sold by the inch, which fact I didn't really think about, since above that sign was the sign yelling '40% off!!!!'. We got enough to make about 8 dresses, and as I checked the ticket printed out at the cutting table, I about fell over. $113?? Oops.

We half-heartedly looked for the embroidery supplies, and I quickly picked up the basics for starting a couple projects. The store announced it was now closed, so we paid and left.

I was sweetly gifted new scissors, which will be put to good use. The fabrics are darling, and I am excited to make up the dresses (3 different fabrics for the girls, 1 for me!), but I was a little let down as I considered the expense. I guess I am used to looking at prices/ yard. These had better be the most dang cute dresses ever to be worn by women. If not, I have something to answer to; DH took one disgusted look and said, 'What's that?'. 'Material for making a dress!'. 'A what?'.......