12/30/14

Auld Lang Syne

 December of 2013 was the 3rd snowiest on record;
 
 We "enjoyed" 40 inches of snow by the end of the month.
 By contrast, this year's December has been pretty wimpy.
 It looks more like mid-May at MeadowWild Farm than the middle of winter.
 Roads are clear
 fields are bare
 and streams have been flowing for most of the month.
 But crazy people still hang out in ice houses on Spring Lake,
and temperatures have turned more seasonal now that the month is ending.
 This morning Dustin awoke to -9 with a -30 windchill.
He was torn between his two favorite activities: blocking a view of the computer monitor or taking the rays in the east study window.
 He fell asleep trying to make up his mind
 before finally moving to his cushion in the window.
 
 Santa's busiest elf spent the month making soap
 gift baskets
 goats' milk caramels
and decorated jars of cajeta.
 Hers was the busiest table at the Christkindl Market in downtown Mahtowa.
 Friends Mike & Joyce stopped by
 as did Janaki, Annie and their new baby Truman.
 Last year's market started out at -26 and warmed up to zero.  This year was considerably more comfortable.  The bonfire was pleasant but not necessary
 and Santa was sweating in his outfit with the wood stove radiating behind him.
 Santa Goat made a Christmas appearance at MeadowWild Farm.
 Eclipse insisted on celebrating Festivus, too.
 She especially enjoys the Airing of Grievances
 but gets a forgiving head scritch, anyway.
 The boys were happy to move from the Gentlemen's Club to their own section of the pole barn
 although Amigo was secretly hoping that Mojo would be left behind.
 The Big Guy can now keep an eye on the ladies all the time
 and try to lure them over with his suave slobbering.
 They have lost interest in him, though, now that they're all expecting.
The blood tests also revealed that the entire herd remains free of CAE and Johne's Disease.
(Yaaayyyyyyyyyyyy!)
 Eclipse is due on March 8
 Cheeky on March 9
 Momo on March 29
 and Chandra on March 30, rounding out what we hope will be a month filled with healthy and cute baby goats.
This year's baby Amigo joins us in wishing everyone a happy new year!