(Leta) is looking better.My umph has gone up and left. I haven't even made the pie crust yet. I had good intentions then three tow headed boys showed up in my backyard just aching to help me unload wood last evening. I couldn't say no. I'd then have to do all the work myself. Besides wasn't it teaching them good manners to help the little old lady down the street. Me silly. Okay I'm not little or gray haired but I'm feeling mighty old right now after cleaning the chicken coop, the goat shed, and unloading lots of wood yesterday. So I enthusiastically agreed to allow them to help. After all doesn't it take a neighborhood to bring up a child and how dare me to be derelict in my duty to teach them the rewards of hard work.
The oldest was 13 and the youngest 9. The kids asked me how old I was and then the oldest informed me that I was mighty spry for my age. Fifty must seem ancient to them. I guess I am a grandma. Their dad said I couldn't pay them so as a reward they received a large piece of oatmeal cake.
Despite how achy I'm feeling, I'd best speed things up and head back out again to finish unloading wood before the sun sets. This was just suppose to be a brief old ladies break. The weather man is still calling for snow tomorrow and then I can putter in the kitchen finish painting it and do some baking. So I'd best run but I'll be back soon. You can count on it. I haven't the energy to stay outside much longer. Then I'll finish this post for sure.
Since the sun was shining so warmly today, I had no excuse to put off once more trimming Chicory's feet. She is a purebred Nubian that was culled from a prestigious show herd due to the fact that her hind pasterns tip out mildly. It isn't a fault in the breeding line so we brought her home. She does require frequent hoof trimmings to keep those pasterns up close to where they belong.
As you can see I've been a bit neglectful. I should have scooped out the dirt that was impacted in the hoof and you could have gotten a better idea how long her feet are. Then again do I really want you to know just how bad an owner I've been. Not really. I do want you to know at what lengths I had to contort over backwards to hold her hoof and move the camera far enough away to get a good shot and the right angle. I know there is zoom on the camera lens but who's going to twist it? My hands are already busy one holding the camera and the other her hoof? Kirk doesn't trim hooves. That's okay, I need him more for other tasks I can't do alone or at all.
But what I want you to see was the angle that the hoof is sitting at. Note the coronary band. That's where the hairline stops and the hoof begins. That's right you have to imagine where that is in the picture because the hair length is draping over it. I should have trimmed the hair so you could see better. I'll do that next time. But I think you can see how the line slopes toward her heels. That is because goat's hooves grow much quicker at the toe than they do at the heel.
That leads many goat owners to trim hooves at the incorrect angle such as the one in the sketch above. If a goat's feet are left at this slope it will stretch the ligaments and eventually weaken the pasterns.Try wearing shoes with the high heel under the ball of your foot instead of under your heel and you'll get an idea of what goat's have to contend with when their feet have grown too long.
This sketch shows how the goats feet should be trimmed. The hoof should form a nice rectangle with the hoof wall horizontal to the coronary band.
Chicory's right foot is trimmed but you can see her left is not. Look closely and you'll see that on the right hoof the right section sits back from the left. I did not trim the toe too long. The heel sits forward on the left section and so the toe does also. That is why it is so important to pay close attention to each hoof for the individual differences.
I know that look. She's getting tired of me stopping every few minutes to take pictures and wishes I'd just hurry.
You can see I'm almost done trimming her one hoof. The best way to teach a new goat hoof trimming manners is to hold the hoof up at a comfortable angle close to their body and the second the goat quits struggling, let go of their hoof. Let them stand there a half a minute then pick it up again. If they struggle hold it. If the goat gets the hoof away from you then they've learned that struggling has rewards. Soon you'll be able to hold the hoof a little longer and a little longer but don't take advantage and just keep it. Trim for a brief minute and let them have their foot again. After all it is theirs. You need to study the hoof frequently anyway to make sure you have the correct angle.Before beginning to trim make sure the goat is standing on a fairly level surface and that they are standing square when you're eyeing the angles.
On Chicory's hooves I have to leave the heels just a bit long to keep the walls parallel with her coronary band.
Also her back pasterns tip out just a bit so I try and trim the inside half of the hoof just a hair shorter than the outside which is tough to do since her hooves tip under on the outside. That's why I should have trimmed her hooves sooner to keep those hooves from tipping anymore than they already are.
Another really important reason to keep up on hoof trimming. The blood vessels will extend downward into the over grown area. You then can't trim as far back as necessary to give the goat a level hoof or you will cause bleeding, lameness, and possible infection as the goat will go back to walking on a dirty surface.
Hooves like this must be trimmed back a little at a time to the pink look but not beyond. The blood vessels will recede with frequent trimmings. But if the goat is left too long without being trimmed the hoof can become permanently warped and no amount of trimming will completely correct the damage.
Just like in any other animal a more correct conformation usually means a longer more productive life so it is imperative to keep those feet trimmed and the pasterns up where they belong.
If I was heading for a goat show I would use a plane to round the toes and make everything a little prettier but I haven't the tool though someday maybe I'll get one. Then again I can't stand to file my own nails, I'm not sure if I can a goat's. Okay, I know that's strange but what is is and until I can get over it the goats won't have planed feet.
Then when your done with the hooves and you have the hoof trimmers out, snip the dewclaws back if they are overly long.
Right now this old lady, because in reality I can't say little when I'm not, is going to put her pajamas on and put her feet up. Good night to you all.
Place 1 cup of oatmeal in to a small mixing bowl and pour 1 1/2 cup of boiling water on top. Stir and let sit or is it set until just warm? All of a sudden I'm confused. I use the quick kind of oatmeal, not the old fashion but suit yourself. 
I bake the cake at 350 and then turn the oven down to 325 when the cake begins to turn brown but isn't done. It's not any special scientific cooking thing that I'm doing I just habitually forget that the oven is suppose to be on 325 and not 350 for I've learned that the higher temperature makes the cake too dark before the interior is done and dries it out a bit. Try baking at 325 Fahrenheit from the beginning and tell me how it goes. I'm sure it's much easier and works great.
As it's cooling, put on the stove top a medium saucepan and add to it: 
At this point turn off the burner and stir in: 
Spread frosting warm frosting on to cake. 
The two younger girls ran to meet us when we arrived and Kirk scooped up the one-year-old as I hugged and visited with our three-year-old. When I looked up Kirk had moved his granddaughter to the side and away from himself revealing a wet area on his sweatshirt, a very large wet area."Here, would you please go and change her?", he said extending her toward me. Yup, our youngest granddaughter had a wet diaper AND had played washer women with her sister's shorts in the toilet. Her mother was gone on a field trip to the fire station with the oldest granddaughter and she'd managed to get into the bathroom. The one that's door is to always remain shut to prevent such opportunities. The guys began working and we soon joined them. I with the youngest in one arm as I stacked. That lasted maybe fifteen minutes and the girls were wanting second breakfast. Yes, five meals a day to keep those girls fed and I mean FIVE MEALS. Man they can eat for such slim little bodies. While they ate, I folded clothes. The girls helped me finish the two basket loads. 
When we got home it was two o'clock and the bees from our two hives were busy flying around. The sun's warmth penetrated the stark dismal winter scene where a small snow drift still lines the yard's fence. As tired as I felt I just couldn't even think of going inside the house and working. I decided instead to begin unloading wood while catching some wonderful rays. Light passes through your pupil stimulating your pituitary gland and I could use all the stimulating I could get because my thyroid doesn't work so shiny. I'm a bit low on Vitamin D too especially after winter. So Kirk and I agreed, I'd unload a while and he would grind on a knife he needed to get done. It is an incredibly awesome project and I'll get the photos ready and show you what he's been up to later this week. Today I promise when I'm done outside I'll make that leaf lard pie crust. Shepards pie is sounding really good right now. First I'm going to take advantage of the promised sunshine. We've just two day before the next snow storm.
Kirk suggested shrimp salad and I had a hankering for oatmeal cake. I enlisted his help to go check the coop for eggs while I make a biga for bread, whipped up an oatmeal cake, boiled eggs, and chopped vegetables to add to the spring lettuce mix. I was doing pretty good when he got home - eggs boiling, cake in the oven, but the salad wasn't quite finished so I asked him to please cook the shrimp. 
The munchkins are on their way and so this had better be brief. Knock, knock, okay, not that brief. I guess I'll have to dart in here now and then to get this post done because the grandkids have arrived. They've barely walked in the door but they are already asking for heart shaped graham crackers. They must have seen the picture on yesterday's post. When Kirk handed them out, the oldest took a bite and said, "They're not crackers. They're cracker cookies." Yea, they didn't turn out too cracker like but non the less they are a big hit and the older girls downed five while the youngest ate two.
My only experience with an extremely low temperature on an adult animal was when a friend's dog ran their neighbor's ewe into the frozen pond. We covered the sheep with a blanket and then exposed small areas as we blew dry the wool with a hair dryer. Even when the ewe was dry she continued to shiver. What ended up being the most effective was aiming the warm air on the main arteries that run on the inside of the legs, particuliarly the back leg. Warm this spot and warm blood will flow throughout their body. She also had some dog bites to treat but nothing severe.
Animal's temperature is influence by their environment whether it is hot or cold and by the amount of exertion they are under. A pack goats temperature while hiking a mountainside will be higher than a goat who is taking a nap on a cool sunny day.
When just four Ritz crackers caused me to swell for several days, I knew my store cracker days were over. But oh how I love the vegetable flavored Ritz and those buttery rich Clubs - divine. They're especially good with a slice of cheddar cheese. What's a girl to do? I know, I know but for some reason I just don't want to have to make my own. Silly maybe since I'm making butter, cheese, bread, and a gillion other things. Maybe that's the problem, I feel overwhelmed. But after this last time when I swelled up so much with so few, I knew there wasn't a choice.
I found a way to tone it down further as the wheat flavor can overwhelms the honey taste. This is a graham cracker after all not a wheat thin. Leave the dough in the refrigerator at least over night. The ingredients meld and form a chemical reaction that tones down the wheat and plays up the honey. I made mine Sunday and didn't get back to the project until Tuesday. A bit long because the texture of the dough had changed to the point that the crispness of the cracker was gone. Typically if you roll the dough out a little thicker you have a soft cookie and thinner a crisp cracker. Soft cookie was all I got.
Some see this big space as a large area to loose food in. To me, it's a hole of opportunity. 
I'm a bit embarrassed to show you my vegetable freezer because it hasn't been cleaned in two years. With processing the pigs and a beef needing to be done, I NEED room. I know the meat freezer won't hold it all and the vegetable one wasn't efficiently organized. I had to get it done. Not to mention the old vegetables haphazardly disheveled that gave me the illusion that I had more than what I thought. Oh my, I found corn in there from 2006. I guess that will make good food for the chickens, along with the old shredded carrots. I had forgotten about the extra sausage tucked in the back. 
I made many these dividers when the kids were real small. Simple, simple, because I don't have carpentry skills. This is peg board stuff that is seen in shops and stores that hooks hang off of with items for sale or you see them on the wall in shops. It's durable and has lots of holes in it for the air to pass through. I just wish that I had made them higher. At the time I used the baskets that hung off the lip of the freezer but I found them to be a pain and threw them away.
I wired the pieces together and this way they can fold up to be removed from the freezer when I need to clean it.
This is the freezer partially full. I do love these divider since I can quickly find the food I want. I can rotate the newer corn to the bottom of the section assigned to it and move the older corn up. It is a must to clean and straighten a freezer at least once a year because in a hurry you begin to toss things about and it looses its order. That's how the sausage got lost. I use plastic freezer bags to store my vegetables in but I see an advantage nutritionally to using glass jars. With just the two of us, we are needing things in quarts anymore and have gone to pints. We don't have enough and so I add to our stores each year. The extra quarts go to the kids. I simply don't have enough pints for the freezer too but I've begun using a few jars in there. Testing the waters so to speak. If you've got some advice on how to organize jars in a freezer without wasting space, I need all I can get, please share them with me.
The freezer is now cleaned and here it is being filled. Still going to be a bit of a mess since we have our son's half a pig in the other freezer awaiting his trip to come and get it. That makes everything of ours shifted around. I'm curious, what is your favorite freezer food that you make?