Posted by Suzanne McMinn on August 9, 2008 @ 5:05 am
Daily Farmhouse Journal
Clover talks to me. From morning till night, she talks to me. She hears me when I first step my foot on the porch in the morning with my coffee. She bleats and lets me know that I should not sit down in my rocker and enjoy my coffee, not without bringing her a bowl of food first and opening the gate to let her out of her night pen. She talks to me when it grows dark. She wants her food so she and her babies can go to bed again in the night pen. And she talks to me all day long. I love how she talks to me.
She watches for me on the porch. She runs to the house and gazes up at me. I love how she looks at me.
“I would like a cookie,” she says.
And often I go down the steps and around to the gate. She meets me there. She wants a cookie.
I say, “I would like milk and cheese and cream and butter.” Then I give her a cookie and she lets me pet her. I want her to get used to being handled, to get comfortable with me. Or maybe I am the one who needs to get comfortable with her….. Soon, I’m going to start milking her. In fact, as soon as I finish laying in the necessary supplies and equipment. Hopefully, that will get accomplished over the weekend. I have the supplies to make my first cheese-citric acid, cheese salt, cheesecloth, a dairy thermometer, and rennet tablets. I can make fresh mozzarella! I just need some milk. And a seamless stainless steel milk pail and a milk strainer and filters. And that milkstand needs finished. I have glass quart canning jars to store the milk. I’m ready! Almost.
I told all of that to Clover and she said, “I would like another cookie. And I would like more gym equipment.”
Okay, Clover, my darling, whatever you want….. Those logs have been sitting in front of the gate for a long time now. They have one pile of logs already, which they enjoy, but their favorite spot is under the tree, and this new supply of logs was intended for a playground under the tree. So yesterday afternoon I hauled them into the pen. Anything for cream and butter!
Unfortunately, turns out logs roll downhill. Two of them tumbled right down.
Clover said, “I would like all of the logs as promised, please. Fetch them.”
And so I traipsed down to the fence. Wow, it was further down here than it looked.
It looked really far back, too.
Coco kept me company. Not that she was helping or anything.
I don’t think I’m cut out to be a farmer. I’m too delicate! Nobody told me I’d have to roll logs uphill!
Clover and the babies were gonna love these logs, though. I just knew it. They’ll clamber and scamper and fly off them. Endless entertainment for my viewing pleasure from my porchtop perch. So I got all the logs back up the hill and got them all together in a nice neat arrangement near the gate. Cuz, you know, that was as far as I was taking ‘em. Forget the tree! That tree is all the way across the enclosure. I already pushed these logs uphill. Haven’t I done enough?
Clover?
Nutmeg? Honey?
“Okay, I know this isn’t your favorite spot. I know you like it over there by that tree.”
But it is a long way over to that tree!”
“Did somebody say something about butter?” Clover said idly.
Me: “I rolled logs uphill for you! Now you want them all the way across the yard?”
Fine. Be picky.
I started rolling. One log, two logs, three logs…..
Clover jumped up to certify the new arrangement as satisfactory.
Then Nutmeg.
Then Honey.
“This is just right,” Nutmeg said.
Me: “I’m milking you next year, missy! You’re gonna give me a lot of butter for this!”
Nutmeg: “I will want twenty more logs next year.”
“You can stuff those twenty logs up your-”
“Did somebody say something about butter next year?” Nutmeg said. “Because I’m not feeling it.”
OKAY. TWENTY LOGS.
These goats are killin’ me.
The view off my porch………..
Flying Goat:
Okay, that was worth it.
Posted by Suzanne McMinn on August 9, 2008 @ 5:05 am
5:41
am
I would have been huffin and a puffin, I know that was hard work…I would have begged 52 to just move the tree.
6:57
am
Job well done!! You did it! You are going to have the best time with “Goat T.V.” .
7:12
am
Us WV girls can do ANYTHING!!!
7:41
am
I would love this view every morning - just beautiful!
7:51
am
I absolutely LOVE tuning in to the adventures of Clover, Coco and Company!
7:52
am
LOL…I would have quit at rolling the first log uphill. Now you have to do 20…
8:14
am
What we won’t do for our animals….or is it only the butter. Love to follow the adventures of you and your ‘gang’. Really fun…for us readers!
8:18
am
Awwww . . . they’re so cute! Love the pics. Thanks for sharing with all us readers who do not have goats.
8:30
am
What a view! And may I compliment you on having the only goats I know that not only can talk but also manipulate the conversation! (My husband just said….”oh they must be female”……) Just awesome!!
8:35
am
So funny! Those logs sure look heavy.
I would do the same if I had those sweet goats. (and there was butter promised!)
9:11
am
I am love with your blog!! Your pictures and stories are awesome. I could just kiss those cute little goat faces. OMGOSH too sweet.
Cece
9:13
am
What a day! What a life! Your blog just brings me smiles every morning!
:J
9:17
am
I LOVE THE PICTURES AND CHECK YOUR BLOG EACH DAY TO SEE WHAT IS NEW DOWN ON THE FARM.
9:27
am
Oh, that was SO worth it…especially since it was you doing all that work!
9:34
am
I love to hear about your goats! they are adorable. I bet they are so intertaining. It makes me want a goat, almost!
9:43
am
Cute pic of the flying goat! How adorable. I think I would just sit and the porch and waste hours and hours watching them scamper about!
9:46
am
Those goats have you trained well!
10:08
am
i want a goat too! I`m thinking, i might be able to sneak one in and the neighbors might think it`s a dog, i`ll name it spot.
Adorable!!!
10:08
am
You are going to have a blast making that cheese. We’re going to have a blast reading about it!
10:16
am
Lol, hystericl!
10:22
am
Hilarious! Seriously — you can do anything!
10:37
am
Love the goat pictures! You’re going to have so much fun watching them.
10:50
am
This is why I’m glad to live in the suburbs…no logs to roll uphill.
Of course, that means no goats, either. And no farm-fresh goat milk.
::sigh::
That last picture is fantastic.
10:52
am
Like Tobacco Road!
10:55
am
The goats are so cute, Good luck with the butter/cheese thing. They are really demanding little critters, aren’t they?
11:02
am
Yes, those goats have you wrapped around their hooves! You are such a good farm mom. Can’t wait to see the milking adventures begin!
11:03
am
Luv Luv Luv coming to visit your blog.
11:14
am
Ohhh, aren’t they Cute!!!!! Gosh, you are a hard worker, because I was just thinking - hmm, I think I like the part about just LOVING on Clover and playing with her and then going to the STORE to buy some cheese. LOL But, I know, then you don’t get FRESH and the satisfaction of knowing you made it yourself…and prob. alot cheaper…all that.
They sure are adorable, aren’t they! Looks like Clover LOVES Suzanne!!! I think you are friends now!
11:15
am
oh, and Princess - yeah, she’ll have to hit the hay earlier now, to get up earlier. Oh, to be young again!
11:23
am
I think you will burn a lot more calories taking care of these goats than you could possibly eat from the cheese which is a great diet.
11:39
am
Log rolling, flying goats, and Coco the adorable giant dog! Sounds like it could be quite a circus act!!
12:25
pm
On the picture of Clover on top of the logs…I could swear she’s smiling! That’s hysterical. It must be so much fun to watch them jumping off those logs.
12:33
pm
Flying goat! These are just great to see. A lot of work by you, endless house of enjoyment for all of us… Thanks!
12:56
pm
They are so cute! You deserve gallons of goat milk for all that hard work. In the heat of summer, I’d of given up before the first log was under the tree ;-)
3:22
pm
Why aren’t you forcing, er, recruiting those teenagers to help you?
3:28
pm
I love the dialogues you write to go with the pics!
3:35
pm
I’m with Tori - they are going to be enjoying te fruits of your labor
This whole blog would make a cute story book - except for “You can stuff those twenty logs up your–”
3:37
pm
I think the picture of Nutmeg’s furry little butt is so cute. Flying goats…think you could teach them to do a back flip off the logs? Just imagine them them in the Olympics in four years. Gold medal material, I say.
4:03
pm
The teenagers were all gone at the time that I got it into my head that I was going to move those logs now-now-now. So I did it myself!
6:25
pm
No way could I ever do this, but man, it’s fun to read about.
7:33
pm
How in the world do you ever get anything done? I would be spending way too much time (read all the time) just rocking on the porch and watching Coco and the goats frolic..or be down there with them just conversing.
7:48
pm
what great goat adventures and log rolling to boot. Frolic, that’s a great way to describe the goat flying. Thanks for sharing
8:50
pm
That’s the sound of the Suze working on the Goat Gang!
Huff Puff……
That’s the sound of the Suze working on the Goat Gang!
Huff, Huff, Puff….
I’m singing. LOL!! Love the pic’s.
Those babies are just too sweet for words.
9:12
pm
I found out about your website reading you had come back to WV in a local paper (Fairmont WV), so I checked out your blog, just out of curiosity. I may have to take my mom’s lead and start reading Romance novels, now!!!! I love your style, at least here. Good Job:rockon:
9:35
pm
Your house is so beautiful! That porch is to die for. I’ve heard it is very hard to get butter from goat’s milk. Is this not true? I’d rather get a goat than a cow but I had heard cows milk is much more versatile.
9:37
pm
I have read that it’s harder to get butter from goat’s milk than cow’s milk, but I don’t have any practical experience yet. Stay tuned and I’ll let you know, LOL. Cuz I’m gonna try it!!
9:38
pm
your posts always bring me the warm fuzzies! thank you for sharing the little wonders of your everyday life with us.
12:21
am
Oh, wow - how can you bear to sit inside typing at your computer when you have that wonderful circus with the front porch seat!!! I’d have to have enough money to hire people to do all the work, because I’d want to just sit on the porch all day and watch the entertainment!
12:47
am
I love the flying goat!
9:40
pm
I swear, you have more courage than me! I don’t think I could ever milk a goat. Good luck!
9:42
pm
Wahoo!!! Entertainment — farm style!!!
Yes, it is more difficult to get butter from goat’s milk (vs. cow’s milk), but it can be done!! I can’t wait to take the adventure with you.
11:39
pm
Just saw your website listed on the Herald-Dispatch web page. Read the story about the goats and can’t stop laughing. I have had several goats and the expressions and sayings are exactly the way mine acted!! I can’t wait to read more of your stories!!! Thanks!!!
3:27
am
Your pictures are just priceless! Your posts make me want to go right out there and buy goats!
9:44
am
good thing they didn’t want me to roll those logs uphill! LOL
7:27
pm
Aww, my goats talk to me too! Every day when I go out to their fence with a banana peel or something for them to eat they run up and jump and beg…
When we bottlefed the twins a few years ago they talked, too.
We have a pile of cinder blocks and an old trailer for our four goats to play on, simular to your logs. There’s also an ancient stump which they take delight in playing on.
I long to have your life, as soon as I’m old enough to move out and support myself. Wouldn’t it be amazing to make cheese from my own goats?
With admiration from the northwest,
Rozie