Editorial FAIL
The weaning process seems to be complete. The girls no longer cry for momma and she's quiet, too. Sundae's udder has shrunk dramatically and her general appearance in much better, including her coat. (Feeding two kids is tough on a momma goat.)
Frenchie will be ready for weaning the first of October so I'll leave Cannoli and Donut up there even though they could probably go back to the main pen sooner. Marta gets Cannoli as her breeding fee. We agreed she gets every fifth goat, either as meat or live, her choice. Marta likes Cannoli's size and coloring so Cannoli will go live. Frenchie needs a companion when she goes up to the weaning pen so I'll leave Donut up there even after Cannoli is gone to serve that purpose. Being weaned AND being alone would be horrible for everyone within 1/4 mile.
By the time Frenchie is ready to go back to the pen - mid-December or so - Donut will be ready for butchering.
Dolly will be bred for the first time in late Dec. or early Jan. and Sundae will be ready for her next (and last?) breeding shortly after that. Once Dolly is bred we'll finally have three breeding does in production.
Note: some people have expressed their horror that we name goats we'll eventually eat. I don't understand why that act is cruel if they're named but more acceptable if they're not. Whatever.
Anyway, you can see why they need to be named. We need some way to identify them as we go through the breeding, tending, and butchering process. Who's due for shots? When can this one be bred? Which goats should get alfalfa and which only grass hay? Yes, I suppose we could use numbers but that seems a fairly flimsy work-around.
Each time we stay at a CA state park we're reminded why we vowed the last time to never stay at a CA state park again. That whole state is SO messed up.
I have no time or patience with the PC hypersensitivity that is so prevalent, especially in Oregon. (But we do have great state parks!) So I hesitate to mention this, but.....
The pic of Pam's black eye in last night's blog entry I also posted on Facebook, with her permission. It generated a lot of reaction and comments (so far 58 and 60 respectively). Some of the comments were the predictable suggestions that the shiner came as the result of spousal abuse.
OK, I can take it. I'm not offended or defensive because Pam and I both know nothing of the sort ever has or ever will happen (assuming I don't get Alzheimer's-induced violent tendencies).
But what does give me pause is thinking about any people who saw those comments on FB and have been the victim of domestic abuse. Trust this pastor, you almost certainly know someone who is getting hit by their husband. And it's probably someone you would never guess lives in a violent home.
For them a black eye from getting hit is not funny, and making light of it hurts, too.
FWIW.
I caught Cat One playing with his food this morning. A mouse.
Goooood kitty.
The teardrop is officially gone. I took the cut up and pulled apart pieces to what's euphemistically called the "county transfer station," aka the dump. While I was there I was thinking I should have cut it into smaller pieces; throwing some of them over the barrier was harder than I expected. But the teardrop is now history.
Time to take it off the sidebar of my blog?
Tomorrow I'll make a run into Lowe's to get the first of the materials for building the new trailer box.
We'll leave in a few minutes for a dessert meeting with two other couples about starting a small group. Our church has about 40 of them that meet sometime during the week and this would be a new group.
One of the staff guys is leaving UFC to start a new church here in Eugene and his duties included writing questions for the groups based on Brett's sermon from the previous week. I've been asked to take over that task until they hire his replacement.
So now I gotta start paying attention on Sundays.
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