Twin Nigerian Dwarf goats, both boys, one horned and one polled, for sale now as bottle babies or weaned in four weeks.  These boys are pure Nigerian.  Horned buckling $75.00, polled buckling $100.00.  Born on March 19, available now as bottle babies or weaned around May 15.

Our Nigerian Dwarf goat gave birth to twins, both boys.  Our biggest ewe gave birth to a single, another boy.  Woke up the next morning, our second ewe gave birth to another single, yet another boy, that she refused and she now has to be restrained several times a day so that he can nurse.  This morning, our third and final ewe gave birth, with our assistance because one leg was backward in the birth canal; as we finally got the lamb all the way out, yet another boy.

We have been aquiring, raising, and breeding all these animals for two years, to get crosses for milking.  And after all this time, no ewes.  I am crushingly disappointed.  And despite the fact that it is spring, it has been sleeting all day and the new buds on all the trees are now covered in ice.

I am just not feeling the homesteading vibe today.

Ah well, I'll start over tomorrow, take stock and figure out where to go from here.  These are the realities of living this lifestyle; sometimes it is difficult to absorb the disappointments and still feel like I am doing the right thing.

It's funny, this homesteading life.  When you decide to do this, before you leave the city, you have these images in your head of tranquility, and peaceful gardens, and pure quiet as you sit listening to only the sounds that nature makes.  You have food in abundance, and time as well.  Little birdies land on your finger, small animals trail at your heels, and suddenly you can sing really well.  Your little country home is tidy and adorable, and filled with the smells of freshly baked bread and homemade pies.  Life is serene, beautiful, and oh-so-carefree.

And then spring comes.

Babies, everywhere.  Adrenaline, in over-drive.  Sleep, grabbed when you just can't keep your eyelids in the open position anymore.  Baby goats, baby sheep, baby dogs, baby whatever-you-have, even baby plants that need your care RIGHT NOW.  And don't forget the other spring chores; cleaning the barn, cleaning the coop, making repairs to things that suffered in the ice and snow, building new enclosures and fences, maintaining existing gardens as well as cleaning out the old ones and building new ones, making sure the machines that you use (or in my case the machines that someone else uses; one look from me and a machine refuses to go), catch and release all animals for spring de-worming, de-miting, general de-lousing, shearing and grooming, hoof trimming, and after all of that is done you have time to peruse the list of things you WANT to get done. 

Cooking?  Maybe tomorrow.  Cleaning?  Let's just say we believe in the Cleaning Fairy.

When I have time to write, there is nothing going on.  When there is something happening every day, I don't have time to write!!

I am taking tons of photos and trying to keep notes, so that when I do get to sit for a while, I will be able to write story after story to fill you in on what is happening here, how we are doing it, and the things we are learning on a daily basis.  Two and a half years in, and we are still feeling like we have no idea what we are doing.  And honestly, some days I wonder if we really CAN live this way, or if we are just dreamy morons who saw a pretty photo in a country life magazine one day and thought "I can do that!!".

We will not give up, and in a couple of months we will feel proud, as things go through the season of growth and into the season of production.  We will have time to watch the fireflies, and cook with produce grown by our own hands.  We will have time to sit on the porch with family, and tell stories of our new, sometimes chaotic life.  A life that is serene, and beautiful, and not so carefree.  And I wouldn't go back to the city if you paid me.

He is a ram lamb, so will have to be sold, but he is our first, and Beady's first, and Mom as well as baby are healthy.

It is ironic that starting seeds indoors requires grow lights, and that they be close to the seedlings or they will get too leggy and collapse.  The sun isn't close to seedlings at all, and yet if you are growing things native to your area those same seedlings will thrive.  Just more proof that all living things do best in their natural environments, including humans.  :)

Our emergency well pump; we chose this pvc set up because there are no leathers to dry out if we don't use it.  This well is relatively shallow, but we had the same pump on our last well too, and it was 180'.  It doesn't put out as much water as a big iron pump, but for now it serves our needs. 

This well was abandoned when the house was put on county water, so no longer has an electric pump in it.  The pvc set up can be installed even with an electric pump, as that is how we had it on our last well. 

For me to feel secure, I like to have at least two sources of water that I can use even without power.  Now if I can get my windmill hooked to another well this summer, I can keep my ponds full too.