Good Evening!!!!

It was breezy and quite cool today with no sun.  We warm up, cool off, warm up, freeze, cool off, warm up . . . you get the picture.  Hard to know what to wear and what to plant. 

Today was hard to get motivated with the weather and I struggled to decide what to do.  I will admit to playing on the computer for a while.  But, I was reading blogs and articles on gardening, animals and health, so I think I'll call it a "research" time - sound good? 
When I'd sat as long as I could, I went outside and made two potato towers.  I've seen them online several times and finally decided to make them.  We'll see how they do.  They're planted and ready to go!  Also collected a bit of lettuce and some young collards to take to the market.  

After I finished the potato tower, I played with the goats.  I am working on getting them used to getting up onto the milking stand w/out a fight!  Orla, the oldest, knows how, as she's been milked before, but because I'm new at this, she's taking full advantage.  What she doesn't know is I have lots more years of being stubborn behind me than she does.  The little ones, Peanut and Winnie are learning how to get on the stand (which they love jumping up on, of course) and standing while I pick up their feet, rub their tummy and generally touch them all over. 

Orla is due to kid on or around March 20.  I am very excited.  Since I've not owned goats before, this is a completely new experience for me.  Part of me wants to just go out to visit with them and find an adorable kid (or kids) looking up at me, all healthy and clean and the other part wants to be there when it (they) is born.  However, in all the reading I've done, it starts out with the details of birth - things that will happen.  Then, it gets into details of what "can" happen.  Um - - so, I go back and forth on what I want. 
With any luck, I'll be milking her by the middle of April.  I hope to get enough milk to supply us here at home, as well as offer goat milk products at the market (of course it will be sold "For Animal Consumption Only" per Florida Law).

Orla

The chickens were doing their normal chicken thing today.  Then at one point, they threw up a huge fuss.  We went out to see what was up and lo and behold, there was a hawk sitting on the ground IN their pen!!  Hubby threw a stick at it to make it go away.  Hawks are natural predators and I respect that, but this was a bit much!  Sitting on the ground IN the pen trying to figure out how to get into the biddy enclosure??  No thanks.  Once the hawk was gone, they were back to their chicken-ness.  I collected eggs - no green ones today, sadly. 

  

Meet Otter and Adonis

This evening, I did my baking for the market - the house smells so good!!

This week at the market, you'll find:  Whole Wheat Bread, Oatmeal Wheat Bread, Zucchini Bread, Peanut Butter Cookies, Oatmeal Craisin Chews, Tomato and Basil Noodles, Various Jellies, as well as Fresh Eggs.  You'll also find Hand Woven Baskets, Feed Bag Totes and, while they last, a few doggie sweaters. 

Come and visit us at the Lake City Farmer's Market at Wilson Park on Lake DeSoto if you're in the area!!