First Of The Month - August

I'm joining Jan at Murrieta 365 for her First of the Month meme all this year. Here are the ground rules per her site: "The goal is to capture one thing repeatedly on the first of each month. It can be a landscape, a person, an animal, a project; whatever your focus is, is fine. It can even be a record of where you are each First of the Month."

Not really too much new to report on Miss Daphne this month. She is five months old now, growing like a weed, and her favorite pastime is eating! I'm going to have to add a couple more links to her collar before too long.

She still wants to be right by my side whenever I'm down in the pasture, which makes picture taking somewhat of a challenge. No matter how nicely I asked, she just would not jump up on the steps behind her for a photo session. ;-)

Here, she is trying to figure out how to get the chain off the gate so she can get out! LOL!!

I really love seeing the goats out in the pasture during the day.

I'm still working with Daphne every day - making her lead, getting her used to having her udder touched and just lovin' on her lots and lots, which is very easy to do because she is such a sweetie! I really love my goats and feel very fortunate to have such nice girls. :-)

Linking up with Rural Thursday too.

Daphne - Thankful Thursday

We went yesterday and picked up my new little Alpine doe, Daphne. She is just about the sweetest little goat I have ever seen and I love her to pieces already!!

She bonded with me before we even left the farm where we bought her. I'm sure she will become more independent as she gets used to being here but, for now, I'm enjoying having a "Velcro" goat whenever I go down to the pasture! :)

I put BW in with her in the smaller pen yesterday and last night so that she would have some company. I must say, I'm surprised how small she is compared to BW. She is two months old and BW is just over three weeks old and he is almost as tall as her! Maybe I have freakishly large Alpine goats or something. The lady we got her from has quite a few well-papered Alpines but none of them are as large as mine. My older doe, Nike, is a registered Alpine too and her daughter, Madeline, is purebred but not registered. I would estimate my does outweigh hers by at least 30 pounds and stand a good 6 inches taller! I wish I had taken my camera, the buck was really nice and he was HUGE!!

Of course, Daphne enjoyed climbing on the stairs. All the goats LOVE playing on them, even the older does!

Just look at that face, what a sweetie! Now, I just have to wait for two years to see if she is going to be a good milker! I have high hopes, she is already 200% friendlier than Abigail was at the same age. I am thankful today for my hubby indulging my love of goats and for my sweet baby Daphne! :)
Linking up with Nancy and Lisa for Rural Thursday.

Thankful Thursday, #7 "Hey, those are MY eggs!"

I have one hen who is very vocal when I try to get eggs out from underneath her...she literally starts screeching at me as soon as I open the door to the hen house! LOL!! She is so funny, she gets all puffed up too! I usually laugh at her and pet her and then leave her alone and gather her eggs later.

This is Dolores, my only chicken with a name. She is 7 years old this year and she still lays eggs! She has given us 3 nice eggs in the past 10 days. She laid 8 or so eggs last spring which really surprised me! :) Hers is the green one in the basket below.

The 10 girls gave us 10 eggs yesterday, I think that was a new record for us! I am very thankful today and every day for my lovely chickens and all the yummy eggs they give us!!

Linking up with Nancy at A Rural Journal and Lisa at Two Bears Farm for Rural Thursday.

Thankful Thursday, #6

Today, I am thankful for...

...our farrier, Robert.

Paco has problems with quarter cracks and we went through several farriers trying to get the problem taken care of. Some of them even made the situation worse!

Robert was highly recommended by a couple of our friends (thanks Sharon!) and he has done an excellent job with Paco's feet!

And as an added bonus...he will trim the donkeys' feet when they need it! :)

Linking up with Nancy at A Rural Journal for the Rural Thursday Blog Hop.

Thankful Thursday, #5

Today, I am thankful for...

...the sound of a rooster crowing in the morning. Hearing the rooster crow in the morning as I'm going down to milk the goat always brings a smile to my face, even though he doesn't quite have his "grown-up" voice yet or maybe it's because he doesn't quite have his grown-up voice yet! ;-)

Thankful Thursday, #4

Today, I am thankful for...

...the ibuprofen and homeopathic sinus medication that is keeping me going with what I hope is just a head cold! LOL!!

Thankful Thursday, #3

Today, I am thankful for...

...my beautiful Alpine doe, Madeline, and all the lovely milk she gives me every day! I always make sure I tell her "thank you" when we are finished milking and give her extra lovin'. This is the milk she gave me this morning.

Thankful Thursday, #2

Today, I am thankful for...


Harriet helping at the Farmer's Market this past summer.

...my mother-in-law.

Jerry's mom got her own place in Green Valley, about an hour away, in November. She hasn't had a chance to make many social contacts yet and she gets lonely. She is here visiting with us this week. Today, we are going to take a trip to Tombstone and Saturday, she is going to go with me to the Farmer's Market. I lost my mom 25 years ago and my dad 5 years ago.  I am thankful that, at 85, Harriet is still with us and that I can enjoy her company! :)

Thankful Thursday, #1

Today, I am thankful for

Flannel sheets dried outside on the line.

My blogger friend Julie at Mooberry Farm Homesteading Journal does a Thankful Thursday post every week and it got me to thinking. By taking just one day a week and focusing on something to be thankful for, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem at the time, it would make me more appreciative of my life and all the wonderful people, animals and "things" in it. And as an added bonus, it would give me more structure in my blogging! LOL!! Thanks Julie for being my inspiration! :)