Blind Hog and Acorn

Has been a good 10 years since the farm has witnessed such a long heatwave, and it isn't even August yet...  Good thing Savanna goats are heat tolerant!

The honey extraction worked well- about 7 gallons of dark amber spring honey.  Deeeeelicious!

Acorn is selling camera equipment so she can get a new camera that fits in a pocket instead of an albatross around the neck...  Blind Hog has been catching up on reading.

All good at SteelMeadow Farm, least there are no pressing issues at the moment!

After lovely morning walkies, Blind Hog and Acorn set to doing chores.  Acorn needed to check the bees, first time in MONTHS... That culminated in robbing a completely full honey super (with 2 more yet to rob) netting 17 pints of honey and that does not included the honey tied in with the cappings!

Much needed rain was received, pastures are taking a deep breath.

Time for Acorn to put up her feet- has been a day!

Triple digit highs next week?  Not looking forward to it!

Blind Hog and Acorn had a grand time with company- Dave, our former neighbor.  Had a fun-filled few days and even managed a trip to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Acorn DID get the littlest kids dosed with dewormer- tapeworms have shown up again.  Only kids get them, not so much with adult goats.

Will Blind Hog spend a few hours next week in the workshop, getting it straightened out?  Only time will tell!

Drought continues however there have been some bright sorts the past week- goats got sold, goats got moved, and everyone seems hunky dory....  Well, except for the garden which is forlorn for lack of plantings this year.

NEXT YEAR the garden will be lovely- Acorn promises.  Already planning to heavily compost then cover the raised beds, make it all extra good for next spring.

Just watching the clouds go by... No rain on the farm in a while...

Blind Hog and Acorn have another feline in the pig barn/ chicken coop... A little blonde kitten that is probably male...  Maybe...  Sgt's Inky and Boots can show him the ropes.

Selling goats during a low price slump, waiting for rain, and going on a diet of all things.  Talk about a variety of woes!

Acorn does love a good breakfast though...  Arroz con pollo, beans, tortilla, fruit... Put that fried egg on top and all is right with the world!

Midsommar already- Blind Hog and Acorn took a second bunch of goats to market this morning, filing in behind all the Amish who were having contract haulers bring in their sheep- 3,000 head consigned already.

Is a bit toasty at the farm, but heat cannot be compared to Texas' heatwave- that is for sure!

AC fun in Springfield...  What will the final bid be???

Acorn has a set of 15 goats for sale, buyer to come up tomorrow- maybe Monday.  Will allow the farm to keep more of the 50% Savanna doelings for the great "breed up" program...

Got some rain, fields doing ok enough.  Geese have been given full use of the yard, not like they weren't doing it already...

Acorn is going to drop a few pounds... Fun fun there... Blind Hog needs all the calories he can get...  Sam cut a toe going after a skunk, but he got the skunk so he counts it as a win.  He doesn't smell bad enough to warrant a bath.

As work on the Springfield House comes to a close, Blind Hog and Acorn can focus their attention to the farm.  

Two trips to different IKEAs, assorted trips moving furniture and soon the job will be "mostly" done...

Geese are acting all cliquish- Alpha gander is bullying Bravo gander something awful, but geese will be geese.

Goats are getting caught not only in the fence, but sinking in the mud as the ponds dry up.

Acorn has been a baking fool- three different items today and most are in the freezer, all portioned out.  Goat milk yogurt making continues- won't be long till that little chore is over.

A week of silly things happening, from unknown tractor belts to out-of-towners getting gas at Costco to varmints in the barns.

Rain evades the farm for the most part, but 0.47" did manage to fall to start off the month.

Goats are weaned, milking is in full swing and the chest freezers got sorted through. Skyr is going into the freezers at the rate of 3 qts a day.  At this rate, Acorn may only have to milk for the month of June, if that.  Make the skyr, make the mozzarella and be done.

Seed heads getting clipped of the fescue, fields are 2/3 done, if not a smidge more.

Old Pi, our oldest cow, died and got toted with as much ceremony as the farmers could muster, up to the Upper 40 to be laid out on the glade. She was a very good cow who was not trouble at all.  Never sick, always had a good calf.

Bucklings were taken to market, will see what they bring but prices have dropped a bit.

Acorn has to wean the other goat kids now, spray the goats with permethrin spray against the onslaught of ticks. That will be fun fun fun...

Have a great weekend and don't work too hard.  Blind Hog and Acorn promise to relax a little bit.