We're kidding

Happy Sunday all !! We are melting away in the middle of a long duration heatwave...like the weather network calls it. I am a fan of summer and everything that comes with it but temperatures above 30 C are not my favourites. It makes everything just so icky, everyone is exhausted and annoyed, the kids are whiny and only happy when they are on the pool. We have a little window air conditioner and some fans, so really, it is bearable in the house but I feel so sorry for all the critters in their barns and in the pasture. I know they are as cool as possible ... but in a heat wave like this ... they are also not happy. 

The worst part of this ... I could deal with the heat when I have to but ... since yesterday we have has bazillions of mosquitos ... I don't think we've ever had them this bad. There is no getting away from them ...This particular week is not my favourite time of summer. 

Before the heat started and the mosquitos got bad, I spent one morning in my rose bed. Everything was overgrown with grass. I remember last year, I didn't even get to do it once. My wild toddler was almost 2 back then and there was just no getting away from the scenery to do any kind of un essential job. This year things are looking up. My wild toddler is almost three and she knows now that she can not just take off and explore the world by herself. She knows she has to stick around me or with her brother and sister, who explore just as much as her but with a little more common sense and understanding for safe and unsafe. Yes, things are getting a little easier and once in a while I can even find half an hour to do jobs like, weeding my rose bed. 

And so we started kidding :) Two of my four does gave birth to two little girls on Friday morning. We missed the birth but maybe only by an hour. The two does are Ruby and Pear, who are twins from two years ago. I thought it was so neat that they had their babes at the same time. 

This first picture is of Pearl and her baby Lacy. 

The second picture is Ruby and baby Trudy. Ruby and Perls mom was Gertrud. She died last summer. We were all very sad about her sudden death. To remember her, we decided to call Ruby's baby Trudy. 

Pearl and Ruby both are first time mommas and they are so good at it. It's always a little tricky with first timers. Will the accept the baby, will they know what to do, will they have enough milk, will they left them drink ?? Those two ... perfect. Both have lots of milk. So much that I might have to milk them a little just to keep the udder at a comfortable level for the mommas. I am planning on milking all four but not until the kids are a couple weeks old. Then I can give the moms some alone time to go grazing while the kids play together and before they go back to their babes I will milk them. I can't wait to have goats milk again and to make cheese ... yummm. 

Sky loves to drink the milk and I hope that my wild toddler will also enjoy it. She is lactose intolerant and I am hoping she will do good on the goats milk. 

This is Trudy again , maybe a couple hours old in this picture. Isn't she just too cute. I am already thinking ... maybe I will have to expand my little herd a little ;)

Here is little Lacy. She has tony ears like her momma. Pearls dad was a La mancha goat who have tiny little ears. Only Pearl inherited his ears tho ... and she passed them on to little Lacy. 

My big kids with their baby kids.  Baby goats are the most fun and most loved animal on the farm 

My little wildie loves the baby goats. She gets right into the job of feeding and watering and lots of playing and cuddling of course. 

while we mostly cuddling baby goats right now, the Turkeys continue to grow !!! 

I love them, they are such smart and beautiful birds 

The geese are more like the chaotic neighbours ... but they are cute as heck and I love them as well. 

Here is the meat chicken. They will be ready in only four more weeks. So far this meat chicken experience is a good one but I will tell you again 4 weeks down the road if this is something I will be doing again next year. 

So two does done and two more to go. I am on barn duty tonight. I check every two hours until midnight, G. does his rounds around 3am and then me again at 5am. Mable the doe in the picture is so big and is having such a hard time in this heat. I hope she will kid soon. Darla is the one that looks like she migh have her baby in the next 24 hours. So, fingers crosses for two more easy deliveries. 

Next week, for sure I will have more pictures of more baby goats :)

until then, take it easy and stay cool !!!