Tippy had three babies yesterday morning, effortlessly and with few outward signs. I could tell it was "her time" but the usual external signs were missing. She was zero to 60 in very short order. I can honestly say she is delighted to not be pregnant any more :).

But on to the big news...one cream colored baby girl, one more baby girl, also cream colored, but with a black stripe down her back (how cool) and one brown, black and white striking boy.

Mum and babies are doing well, and existing babies have already snuck in to the maternity ward to get acquainted with their new playmates.

And today Li Hing's two boys and Rhianna's cute boy met their new owners. Much happiness on all sides. They'll be here til the end of June at least, but I think they made a couple of brand new goat owners very happy.

Normally I like to plan my animal "days of beauty" but today, events conspired against me.

While feeding this morning I noticed that angora rab Gracie really really couldn't put off a hair cut one day longer, so while still in my PJs, she got a new do (and most of a carrot). We were both happy.

And I figured beautification was done for the day, ha!

After school, it was so lovely the 9 year old and I took a long hike through the (very) muddy woods. Unfortunately, so did the dogs. It was nice to have them along, but the end result was mud. A lot of mud. Silt, even. Let's just say the low-slung Corgi was muddy up to her ears, while the legs and some belly of the big Newfie were a nightmare.

So it was tub time for both of them tonight. The Corgi, though smaller, is way less cooperative when it comes to water. My husband came hobbling over (he's on crutches, recovering from a hip replacement) to make sure we weren't torturing his dog, she was crying that much. The Newfoundland bounded into the tub happily, like the good boy he is.

Now the house has that distinct wet dog smell...aaah, it's another sign of spring, right?

It's really spring this week...cute baby goats hopping all over the place, big round goat soon-to-be mums trying to sneak out and nibble on new grass, and half-naked rabbits, also caught trying to sneak out...hmmm...perhaps I should have entitled this post Jail Break, since the "spring fever" has apparently affected their minds.

We have two big and bouncy baby goats for sale...Lucy and Lucky are hale and hearty despite their rocky start, and as cute and affectionate and beautiful as you could wish. They follow us everywhere, hopping and jumping and spinning around...they've even jumped in the car. They know their names, come tearing over when you call them, and are generally so cute we will all be crying when they leave. But leave they must (but only to a loving pet home of course!)

And very soon it won't be just them...my other does are really big and round, already, and they're not due for 6 weeks or so...aaah, it does feel like spring.

We've got a ton of barn and yard and paddock projects in the works, but everything is on hold til my partner in crime comes home from the hospital with his new hip...and then he'll be on hold still, but at least I'll have enforced time at home to get a few things done.

So please email me valerierice@gmail.com if you are interested in two adorable pet goats or if you'd like to add some registered Nigerian Dwarf babies to your farm...the next batch will be ready for new homes in mid-July. We may also have one registered ND doe for sale as well.

Off to bottle feed some babies :).

Happy Chinese New Year!

It's the year of the pig, and in honor of the occasion, we give you our pig, in all his glory.

And yes, he celebrated by devouring home-made blueberry pancakes (with Maine blueberries of course!)

Between a woman and a wood stove, there develops a certain intimacy. Initially they are tentative with one another -- who knows if the flame will keep burning, and what if the wind blows the wrong way? But they persist. She learns to bring the smaller kindling, the short split logs, the newspaper without shine. The stove rewards her with a roar.

And at a certain point, they become something more than friends.

But even this level of familiarity does not allow you to slack off. The wood stove -- and his magical fire -- will not be taken for granted.

Perhaps because I spent 40 years perfecting my relationship with Dura-Flame, today I have the utmost respect for the fire, the stove, the process. A soap-making friend likes to say that "soap waits for no man" (she's right of course, when it's traced it's traced!). But that's also true for the wood stove. It won't keep burning just cause you really really really don't want to go out and get more wood. It's a give and take, where you cannot stop giving for very long.

As such, I've found it's changed my winter rhythm. This year, I am, literally, keeping the home fires burning on the bitterly cold days. It's forced me to live in the moment, to slow down, and to plan and organize my time to maximize the heat. I now think seriously of how to manage our 6 acres, about half of which is wooded. I see the oil delivery truck leave more a bit quickly each time than the last; it's a subtle thing, but even 10 gallons of oil a week not used is something tangible gained. My bread dough rises next to the stove, and my Newfie likes to sprawl in front of it.

It's not about self-sufficiency, exactly. Perhaps it's about living purposefully, and a bit more slowly. Thanks to a small, secondhand, homely stove, we don't just turn up the heat. We build our fires, one stick at a time. And surprisingly, we really enjoy it.

It's so cold, so windy, and did I mention cold? I'm doubling everyone's hay, and blessing my many heated water buckets. And blessing the fact I have a barn...doors that shut, and lights, and running water, even when it's so cold.

It's a far cry from the old days, hauling water from the house, two 5 gallon buckets at a time.

Inside the wood stove is roaring, and there's a nice fire in the fireplace.

Now all we need is a little more snow!

a hair dryer.

Who knew?

But after months and months of winter being non-existent, it finally arrived this week. First ice, then frigid temps, and guess what? That huge ladder I left outside cause it has nowhere to fit in the barn but still fills a key role was frozen solid. The hose I'd drained was also frozen and wouldn't even re-attach to the hydrant.

Enter my humble hair dryer...problems solved.

Who knew that a hair dryer had a role in the barn?