There have been a lot of projects going on simultaneously on our farm recently. I finished canning for the year last night. We had a bumper crop of pears so much so that we ran out of jars and the rest will need to be eaten fresh (a lot of pears!). This is the most I have canned so it feels good to be done. Let the eating begin!
We also are in the middle of breeding season and have some visitors. These are animals that were born here, were sold to really nice homes, grew up quite well, and are back for “dates”. Above are Katarina and Josefina. Below is Jade.
Then there’s Ruby Tuesday. She is a Nigora (Nigerian-Angora cross). Isn’t she pretty?
It is somewhat bittersweet meeting her again. Her fiber is so gorgeous I wished I hadn’t have sold her. Plus since her mother died I cannot reproduce the breeding. But I get to pet her and her wonderful fiber while she’s here.
We are continuing in backyard recovery mode. We have made a lot of progress. Now it is just moving the firewood rounds and raking up the leaves. I am concerned our backyard will be muddy once the rains hit because of all of the machinery driven over it.
Check out the rings on this cottonwood stump. These trees were growing fast!
Finally we are fermenting our cider and wine. We (well mostly Tom) are getting ready for bottling, cleaning the cider bottles. This is a bottle drying rack a friend Alex made for me in exchange for goat milk. Pretty cool, huh?
Great post. Perhaps Ruby Tuesday could be joined and you could buy back the baby when it comes?
Thanks Zakgirl! Unfortunately Ruby’s kids will only be 1/4 Angora so probably will not have the fiber she does.
Good job with the canning! That’s awesome, having all that good food put away. I still haven’t gotten around to learning. And that ni-gora fiber does look amazing.
Thanks Denise. It is nice to have a stash of good food ready at the onset of winter. Isn’t that fiber pretty? The owner said I could have it but I really can’t shear an animal this late in the year. Darn!
Love the drying rack! 🙂
Pretty cool, huh? Nice to see it in action.
I’m wanting to learn about Ruby Tuesday’s history and lineage. Can you email me at ? Thanks.
Donna
(wanna be nigora breeder)
I can email you tomorrow when I have access to her records.
Thanks! I’m looking at buying her from Maureen. 🙂