Nearing the End of Season

I'm nearing the end of my goat milking season.  Truth be told I'm lazy and I've got Miss Jenny Cow getting ready to calve and I don't want to be squeezing too many teats in one day.

This beauty is my Sofia.  She had her first kid this year, Jezebel.  Shelly though Jezabel was so cute we ended up keeping her.  Sofia has proven to be a great milker, giving about a half gallon of milk at each milking.  She's part of my hillbilly tribe.  She is the daughter of Maggie who is my first and most beautiful goat.  Sofia is a Sable Saanen and gives great kisses.  She's helped feed 22 bummer lambs along with providing milk for my raw milk share program.  She's a wonderful lass.

This is Pearl, she came to us along with her sister Opal and mother Maggie.  She is about 9 or 10 years old and this year is her last for providing milk.  She will now spend the rest of her life chasing annoying sheep and eating until she can't stand another bite.  She'll probably get a chance to chase a few dogs too.  Pearl no like pooches.  She is the mother to my most favorite goat ever, Noah.  Noah lives over the hill in Guffey with a some of this year's kids and a couple of crazy women.  He's in good hands.

This is Tawny and she's a bit of a diva.  Can't have a picture of her eating!  She and her sister Ivory kidded for the first time for me this year.  They are both great goats.  Tawny is very vocal and tells it like it is.

And of course, there is Ivory!  She's got perfectly shaped teats, gets right up on the stand, doesn't ever dance and produces fine milk.

This is Chloe's baby girl who has yet to be named.  The ears just crack me up!  She will be on the stand in the next couple of years giving us her milk.  She's beautiful.

And in case you weren't sure, these are inappropriate shoes for doing chores and milking goats.  I have a yellow nail polish on that I borrowed from the kid, I don't have funky toes!  There is a little Norwegian/Scandinavian saying that goes something like:  "You know you are a Scandahoovian when.....your favorite footwear is socks and sandals."  I'm here to say that, that is more of a truism.  I love my socks and sandals.  I like my boots but would rather not wear tennis shoes unless I'm running somewhere.  Then I only run when there is food involved.


In other not so uplifting news:

The Waldo Canyon Fire continues to burn over the hill near Colorado Springs.  This evening the sad news will be delivered to 347 families, that their homes have been lost.  Please keep our friends and neighbors in your thoughts.  Flying W Ranch which has been a Colorado Springs institution and landmark for nearly 60 years burned completely.  As sad as that is, firefighters were able to save the entire herd of cattle that made the Flying W their home.  Despite being a good day on the line of the fire, I can't help but cry when I think of all those that have lost so much.  We've been doing what we can to help by donating to the Red Cross and offering our ranch to those that are displaced.  We are expecting some chickens and horses this weekend.  Still hard for me to wrap my head around what is happening.

***The three fire related pictures were borrowed from KRDO.com***