The barn’s roof is almost finished. (Jonny says I need to call it a mini-barn. I suggested “barn-ette.”) To cap off a day full of small disasters, I got the van stuck in a friend’s driveway during the last hour of daylight and Jonny had to stop working to come and rescue me. He teased me a little, but was mostly a good sport. And the truth is that he was running out of roofing panels anyway, so he wouldn’t have been finished that day even if I hadn’t gotten myself in trouble.
We got a LOT of snow yesterday. The baby goats had fun romping in it, but my dear big girls (I can’t stand to keep them a secret any longer. I’ll introduce them properly very soon.) weren’t quite so keen on being out in it. They followed me around while I filled their hay bag, but were happy to head back into their (temporary) house.
The barn-ette is for them.
After much thought and deliberation, we have decided to house train the baby goats and make them long-term indoor pets in an attempt to live this book
(insert Ginny giggling)
Actually, they are just going to have their own housing elsewhere, separate from the girls. Mark my words, I plan to have them out of the house in a few days despite their immense cuteness.
Oh those babies are just so precious bouncing about in the snow. I can see how keeping them indoors would be tempting but yet… No.
Lamancha’s – nice and quiet! Can’t wait for the follow up. 🙂
all that snow missed us and we are having an epic melt away. Love your little goats and big goats and can’t wait to hear more about them 🙂
I commented on it a few weeks ago and I will say it again….please please a childrens picture book with these pictures!!!!!!!!!!! Oh they are just wonderful!
Your pictures are most beautiful! Very pretty babies too
Thank you for the chuckle! I actually thought you meant it at first…but then I thought, no way, she must be kidding. My kids have long asked to diaper one of our beloved Blue Cochins & create a house-hen–my children really do not seem to understand their mother’s temperament very well, apparently.
Your ‘girls’ are beautiful! So much excitement at your house lately!
Hi Ginny
Your pictures are beautiful! I have read your blog for some time and check it often. I have never commented before but wanted to tell you that I find your blog so refreshing – in such a good and simple way. I am a homeschooling mom as well. We live in Alberta Canada and you have much more snow there than we have here!! How lucky you are to have such beautiful cardinals to look at. The goats are adorable.
God Bless.
Ohhhhhh your photos are breathtaking!
Ginny, your photography is amazing! I enjoy following your life through your posts. Very inspiring and uplifting.
Thank you!
Ginny, your photographs are quite lovely – especially the ones with the bright red birds (cardinals?) against the white snow. Simply beautiful.
I can’t believe there was every a question about this. Good move, mama. Good move!
House trained goats….that is the best!!!!!
But in all honesty, seeing those adorable babies playing in the snow does make you want to keep them w/ you all the time! Too adorable……..
I do believe that you & Jonny just love a very full plate……….yeow…such brave souls you are.
What stories to tell your grandchildren…..hahaha….one step at a time; right?!
We are getting 4-5 Lamancha’s to start our own herd in a few weeks! I had them growing up and they are wonderful goats! They have great personalities!
So sweet! Your pictures *almost* make me want goats and snow!
Absolutely loving the photos of your babies! They look to be so much fun. We had three when my kids were little. I wish we still had some. Beautiful pictures today! 🙂
I’m so glad that you reminded me about that storybook! We checked it out once from the library in the midst of some chicken tractoring gone wrong! 😉
I love the look of the goats – they appear to be saying ” I love this snow – how can I play with you?”
The snow in Fredericksburg is so much more serine and warm than here in Minnesota. Just saying! 🙂
Sweetness. Tiny goats playing in the snow, I love these photos and the courage you have just getting animals like this. Thanks for sharing, looing forward to see and read more.
Oohhh, so exciting, I’m living vicariously through you 🙂 Those baby goats are just adorable, and the cardinals so bright. That is one of our favourite books! I like ‘barnette’.
I just LOVE your blog, it is such a inspiration to me! You gave me the courage to homeschool my children! Thank You
Wow Sandra! What an encouragement that is to me! Thanks so much for sharing.
OH, You are going to have so much fun! The best part about adding goats to your life is watching your older kids learn to care for them. We have one (mildly) autistic child who has become so much more brave, connected, and responsible since having goats to take care of! The milk of Lamanchas is typically awesome, good choice. (We have la mancha/nubian crosses and a Boer) Do you think you might keep one little guy intact to breed? More baby goats next year….Just saying….
Oh no, I can’t handle an intact male! I felt like I needed to go to confession after reading the breeding portion of Goat Song! We will carry the girls to a local Lamancha farm to breed this fall…. It is really neat seeing my kids jump into help with this new project–they all love the goats, even my oldest son who typically scowls at all farm-y activities.
Humph!!! I only scowl at garden-y activities, not animal activities!
Umm, Seth? Honeybees are in the animal kingdom, and you certainly scowl about the bees. 😉
True. What my boys know about the facts of life, from watching goats, is pretty shocking.
Ginny,
Your photos make me feel warm and cozy, thank you.
Today, weather in Houston, Texas, cold … 48 degrees, I am loving it as August will bring
us 100 degrees
Jean
Oh, I have been wondering! Such sweet big girls, I can tell already.
I raised dairy goats growing up,saanen and toggenburg,for 4H.are you going to milk your big girls? I miss that–I haven’t had goats in 35yrs.I see from the pics that the mamas are dehorned.are you planning on dehorning the boys? Good idea for safety reasons…looks like you found some excellent reading materials on goats.if you have a cooperative extension office in your area(they oversee 4-H groups and the like),they should have a wealth of resources on the subject,too.and a word to the wise from a former goatherder–make sure your garden fence is sturdy.goats eat everything and anything!!! they even strip the bark off trees with their teeth.and they can open simple gate latches with their lips and tongue.goats are super smart and quite clever! and addictive! we used to says that goats were like lay’ s potato chips–you can’t have just one! that’s how our first goat turned into 12 goats in under 4 years! Good Luck!!!
Yes, the plan for the girls is milk next spring! Our boys won’t be dehorned, but they also won’t be residing in the same area as the girls. I’ve read a good bit about mixed (horns/no horns) herds, and some people are comfortable with it, but I’m not. We are putting a lot of thought into fencing, that’s for sure! Thanks for your words of wisdom!!
Oh my! What Stunning pictures! And what adorable goats!
I wanted to comment on the toddler jumping out of the crib at a young age and not being able to have the room toddler-proof enough. I have six children and my fifth was my “climber!” I really never knew what that meant until my Irene came along. She climbed out of her bed at 7 months! She has since slept with her older sister and that has worked relatively well. She is now three and it did take time to get her into a regular schedule. It helped when we started keeping her up from a nap… she would be exhausted enough to fall asleep pretty quickly.
I don’t know what type of crib you have… Irene broke the older crib that we had since our first child, we were then forced to buy a new crib. The new ones have the low side and the high side. A friend of mine, who had a climber as well, ended up putting the short side against the wall and sandwiching the whole thing between a tall dresser and the wall. I wish I had thought of it when I needed it… but I thought I ‘d throw it out there for you in case you could use it. 🙂
I really enjoy your blog. The pictures make me want to take pictures. The knitting makes me want to knit. The simplicity makes me want to simplify. Thank you for being an inspiration for me.
Oh Ginny I had to giggle too about the book link. My kids love that one!
What beautiful photos, Ginny! Enjoy the snow. After way too much of it this winter in Connecticut, I still think it’s beautiful – it is! No doubt.
Cute goaties (kids, I should say, I guess.)
very fun; love the barnette 🙂 well done! and such cuteness in these photos! what treasures! God be with you all!!! :)))
Just beautiful pictures of the goats, birds, snow and the new animals. When you commented you were going to house train the little goats I was in shock…then read the rest of the story. So funny. Enjoy your weekend!
I love the idea of house trained goats! 😉 Goats would make a nice addition to the baby chicks, turkey’s and other critter’s that always seem to end up in my house!
Gorgeous photos of the cardinals! And the goats are just too cute jumping and butting! Can’t wait to hear more about the girls :-). Have fun with the snow today!
your photos are so wonderful! love your goats and their colorful collars! And the birds! Thanks for posting. Blessings.
You are doing a good job on feeding those babies…..they are really growing and getting cuter by the minute! Tell Jonny and your big boys that they are great carpenters! Love the way they made the stringers (?) for the roof all fancy on the ends! I like the steep pitch too so the kids will have a hayloft to play in! Can hardly wait to meet ” the girls”. Your photos are beautiful as always.
That is some immense cuteness for sure :-D. Great shots!!!
Omgosh…these pictures are amazing! We live in ND and have no snow, what’s up with the weather, would love a snowy day. “sigh”
What breath taking pictures!!!! Those cardinals in the snow are soooo gorgeous! Great photography. I am anxious to hear more about ‘the girls’. 🙂 Ps. Why are their ears cropped?
Their tiny ears do take a bit of getting used to! They are LaManchas and “gopher” ears are characteristic of the breed. They aren’t cropped (yikes!) but are born that way.
The Cardinal photos!!! All of them. I adore them. I would purchase them to hang in my home if you did prints. ADORE.
The goats look like they’re smiling! They make me happy just looking at them in photos.
I have nigerian dwarfs and I love watching the babies play. Love your LaMancha does. So pretty. I hope to add Nubians this year. Goats are so much fun.
Ginny, the cardinal photos – Breathtaking! I so enjoy your photography.
The leaping and butting babies are so cute I make little happy noises when I see them but I thought you’d finally crossed the line at which I say, “Nope. Too crunchy for me.” House train indeed. 🙂
Are the big girls Lamancha? Are you calling one of them Dulcinea? THAT would be funny.
Oh and all those cardinals together! That’s amazing!
I just love the cardinals!! So gorgeous!
You have made me want goats – your 2 to be exact. So dear and what looks like bonding between the 2 of them is priceless! Enjoy all the animals – can’t wait to hear more! Have a fun weekend!