The Homestretch of January

Well, we are winding down the month of January, which means the worst of winter is over. At least in my mind. Sure we might have some more snow here and there - maybe even a March blizzard or two as in '93 - but for the most part, those long spells of frigid temperatures are behind us.

A cause for celebration.

Speaking of causes for celebration, we would like to congratulate Mystic Grange of Chesterfield, NJ, the new owners of Lone Pine Farm Raven! You can see his picture on the sales page of our website. http://www.lpfarm.net/sales.htm We are so happy he has gone to such a wonderful new home!

As for us, we are keep an ever watchful eye on the ever growing bellies of our girls. It is so easy to see with some of them, and with others we never know they are going to have kids until they actually hit the ground. At any rate, we can use every spare minute between now and then getting ready for the big day(s). Just when I think I have everything ready, I will remember that I need to order something or other and it's back to checking lists, wringing hands and many nights where sleep comes in 2 hour intervals.

And yet we do it again every year. Go figure.

In other animal news, I took some time to play with the horses the other afternoon, enjoying the sun and the relatively dry ground. The Handsome Boys were having a great time chasing me around the paddock, kicking the air and snorting like they Really Mean Business. They are so goofy when they're feeling playful. When we all ... ok, when I finally got tired, I brushed them down a bit and noticed Dozer had a cut right at the top of one of his hooves. It didn't look too bad but it was still bad enough to warrant washing, medicating, and dressing. He was a very good patient and stood nice and still while I examined the wound.

Let me just tell you, having a horse's hoof mere inches from one's face is...well...scary. But it's one of those things where you can't let yourself be scared until later because you don't want your 1,000 pound patient to sense your nervousness and get spooked when his foot is that close to your head.

But we both kept our collective cool and the foot seems to be coming along nicely.

The end of January also means the arrival of various seed catalogs in my mail box. Which is nice because they effectively neutralize the dour mood that comes with the various income tax mailings. Seed catalog - yay! W-2 form -Boo. Seed catalog - Yay! Important Tax Information Enclosed - Boo. Seed catalog...and so on. I tell you, picking up the mail is a veritable emotional roller coaster.

So I must slowly gather my paperwork - and determination - and begin the Great Income Taxathon. If I could just lock myself in a room for a week - with a 5 pound bag of Sumatra coffee beans, grinder and Mr. Coffee - I'm sure I could accomplish great things. But as it is, there is always so much else going on at this time of year, pulling my attention away. DON'T THEY KNOW WE HAVE BABY GOATS ON THE WAY?????!!!!!

But alas, this is the Homestretch of January.

A Chilly Start to the New Year

Well, it's only January 4th and I'm already counting the days until February. For some reason, February signals the end of the Really Cold temperatures - at least in my mind. The animals don't seem to mind it nearly as much. The other day when I went out into the cold, windy morning to serve up their breakfast, most of the animals were out of their shelters, just snoozing in little clusters. So much for the effort of trying to give them nice shelters.

The humans are also fairing remarkably well. Winter is a really trying time in the house at Lone Pine Farm since we have not reached that point in the rennovation where insulating and new windows are behind us. However, we are holding our own while we eagerly await spring's arrival.

The holidays were wonderful and, even though we may not have been able to spend as much time with family and friends as we would have liked, we felt genuinely blessed to have the opportunity to see loved ones and share in the holiday spirit.

Right now we are tackling small projects around the house while we hone the largers plans that will keep us occupied this spring and summer. There are always so many little things to do. Despite that, I've decided to try my hand at knitting. So far I have about ten rows of what I hope will eventually be a scarf. I'm going to stick with the knit stitch until I feel comfortable and then I plan to move on to the purl stitch.

College classes will soon start again for our son and daughter, Sebastian and Hannah. The school year is so hectic - it's nice to have them to ourselves for a little while.

Regarding kids...

I've been checking on the ladies of the farm - our does - to see who's belly is growing. It looks like we definitely have some girls expecting. We planned things so kids hopefully start arriving in mid to late March. One year of January kidding was enough for us, and probably the goats too! It is such a fun and exciting time but, until every kid is safely on the ground, it can be a bit nerve wracking too. As it is, I am already working on the kidding kits and gathering supplies. It's hard work running a maternity ward.

And with that, I must sign off for now and go into the World Wide Web to place some orders. We here at Lone Pine Farm wish you and yours a healthy, happy and prosperous new year!