Snow!

We were treated to snow today...

Boy Parts

I went in for an anatomy scan today and learned the sex of our upcoming babe.  We laughed at how the ultrasound tech labeled this shot....

I make the Fonz noise every time I look at this one of his arm...Ayyyyy.

On such a winter's day

We took a nice little weekend getaway to San Diego, used up some pesky frequent flier miles.  Have I mentioned we flew first class?  We are now ruined for coach travel.  We did kind of go on and on about flying in first class (to each other, quietly).  For me, it's the glass glasses--those plastic cups are downright dehumanizing.

From the ferry to Coronado Island

Here's Alex working on his camouflage at the botanic garden.

The Crystal Pier

The sun is out; the flip-flops are on!

Unfortunately we arrived home to a broken well pump that needed to be replaced.  No laundry, no dinner, no fun.  In lieu of my morning shower, I heated water in the tea kettle and poured pitchers of water over my head.  Welcome home!

Putting up the mead

Today we primed and bottled the mead that has been fermenting in the basement for a couple of months.  Priming is adding a bit of honey before bottling to restart fermentation and produce carbonation, so after a few months of aging it will be a sparkling dry honey wine.

My own personal brewmaster.

Capping

Homemade labels

 Now we wait...

Soak, wash, wash again, rinse, rinse, wring, and dry.

The solution to so many of life's little messes:  hot hot water, rubber gloves, and good old Dawn dishsoap.

An aromatic blend of mohair, dirt, hay, and grease.

All spread out to dry.

It's cleaner than when I started, that's for sure, but there are still some little bits of alfalfa and hay in it.  And it seems tangled and matted in places, so I'm not sure how usable it is.  I'll certainly try to spin it up.

Take off your sweater and stay a while

This weekend we took advantage of a dry late winter day to shear the goats. We spread two sheets of clean plywood outside the barn, oiled up the electric shearer, and strategized a bit.  Alex snagged Iva from the pen and we got to work.  She was stinky and matted and totally needed a haircut, but she was not happy about it--the neighbors heard her bleating from a quarter mile away.  Yep, we're just over here torturing goats.

Iva before

It probably took close to two hours to get her sheared (which is embarrassing to admit--I think it takes the pros about 7 minutes), but her fleece was dense and matted.  Her mohair was full of yolk, this waxy or greasy buildup which protects it.  It softened my hands and Alex's leather gloves.  She got a few nicks and cuts but we all survived.  Mohair we couldn't use, because it was too dirty or cut too short, went into the compost bin.  I'm envisioning birds with soft plush nests this spring.

A stinky bag of mohair.  I'll wash it up and spin it.

Milton, our timid guy, was next.  We let Iva graze near him in the yard while we sheared him, and he was surprisingly calm and patient.  His fleece was much softer and thinner and we got into our shearing groove. 

That's Milton lying on his side.  As we shear, his fleece comes off in one sheet.

They're cold and shivery without their thick coats, so they'll wear jackets for a couple of weeks until their fleece grows in a bit.  We put an old dog jacket on Milton, and I'm fashioning an old fleece vest into a jacket for Iva. 

Milton with his sporty jacket

A playful moment after the haircut



Iva Belle..it's so nice to see your pretty eyes again.