What a day!

Yesterday was so busy, and I've taken more photos than can fit on one post, so I'll give you the rundown first and then several photo posts.

The day started out with me doing my regular Tuesday chores--putting away Monday's laundry, ironing, violin practice. Normally, I procrastinate until much later in the day, but yesterday wasn't the day to procrastinate!

Dustin, Paula, and I met at Paula's. The intended departure time was 12:30, but as life goes, the events in each of our days gave us a 1:30 departure time. We picked up Paula's daughter, Jenni, and headed down 109 to Lebanon Kubota. I had to get supplies for David to do tractor maintenance. From there, we went on to Andrea's.

Paula dairy clipped Andrea's girls (the goats) so that she wouldn't get so much hair in the milk. It strains out, but it's nice to have a little smoother udder. Jenni held the kids (two bucklings and the doeling we're getting) while Dustin disbudded them. I watched and decided that I'd have to pay someone to do it at least for a while, because it's not a fun chore I want to run right out and do. The process includes taking a hot iron to the horn buds on their head, which means burning, smoking flesh and lots of screaming. I hate that it has to be done, but if my girls had horns and udders, with the way they play, they would have slashed udders by now. No fun, but a necessary task. Also makes them a little less dangerous around the two-legged children.

Dustin's and my children had fun playing with Andrea's children and all the new and different toys. I hope we didn't leave too big a mess! Brent and Andrea discovered some chicken supplies that were left in their barn from the previous home-owners and offered them to me. What a gold mine! There was an egg incubator and egg turner. If we get a forced air fan kit (and maybe if we don't) we will be able to hatch our own eggs! (Many chickens have been bred for their production, and along with that, the broodiness sometimes goes, so artificial means are a great help to hatch baby chicks.) Then there were chicken transporting cages, and a little chick-starter box with a viewing window, heat lamp, and hatch. I'm so thrilled!

We took one of the bucklings (the one the mother rejected b/c he stole milk from another mom and she no longer thinks he is hers) to the Garnett farm. Hopefully, they will be able to graft him onto one of their older, heavy-milking does. Yesterday, it looked very promising! From there, we took chickens from the Garnett farm to the Butler's farm. The Garnetts gave us a bunch of extra eggplant! Yum!

So it was a busy, hectic day. We got a lot of work done (even if my part in it was primarily driving!), and were able to visit, albeit briefly, with good friends. We got home well after dark, exhausted, hungry, and happy. It's nice to work hard, and it's nice to be home.