We had a very pleasant Thanksgiving. I hope you all did too. It was truly nice to focus on how we have been blessed and not on troubles. On Thursday, our whole family went down to Wayne’s nephew’s house in Richmond. We all took dishes and had a pleasant and relaxing time.

Nothing horrible happened while we were gone, and the weather cleared up. I had gone to Newport News earlier in the week to pick up a door order from Waterfront Lumber for the house next door, and ended up fighting gale force winds and rain, but a dry load, so the peacefulness and lack of anything happening was very nice.

Things are going well with drying off the cows that need to be dried off. Pearly has been dried off, and Mary will be started next week. Sweetie Pie has dried off on her own (it was her first lactation).

I just got a note from the people in charge of the fence on the other pasture that it should be done soon. (It was supposed to have been completed in September), At that point we will be moving heifer calves, some goats, and my guard donkey over there to free the front pasture for seeding with winter rye.

The response for the tentative share owner meeting in December has been positive, but less than 25% of people can make it. I believe it would be best to reschedule for the January 6th or 7th. The afternoon of the 7th would be best for me. I would have preferred to get together before the General Assembly session started, but so many had Christmas plans already. It seems better to schedule when people can come!

At this point we are getting about 30% of the average production. That means about 1/3 of the normal share amount. Please let me know if you are, or not coming for your regular pickup, and I will keep everyone posted as things change.

The chiller has shipped!! Yeah! It should arrive within 3 weeks. It will be SO NICE to get going on installing it, organizing the barn area, and not having to play musical milk. In addition, in times like this, where people get the milk that has been milked that morning, the chiller will bring the milk down to less than 40 degrees in 20 minutes, so milk will be well chilled even when it is that days’ milk.


Our family will be celebrating Christmas at Mountain Lake Biological Station this year from about Dec. 22- December 28. Since there will be cows in milk still, it will be a challenge to be all together, but some wonderful share owners have offered to help me out. The weekends of December 16, 17, December 31st and January 1st and January 13th we hope to be able to allow the whole family to spend some time with Wayne, who will be at Mountain Lake from December 14- January 15th.

We are enjoying the mud (well, not really, but it sure is nice to have the moisture) and are looking forward to some time together as a family relaxing. The first quarter of 2007 we will have 9 cows calving as well as some dairy goats kidding, so will be in the excitement again! We have not bred the sheep yet, so will have late lambing this year to spread the busy time out.


Warning! Our African cross goose has turned out to be a gander, and is chasing people (especially little ones) PLEASE be cautious with your children and stay with them until he becomes dinner in a couple weeks. The Canada goose is fine, she is a nice gal, but ganders can be gnarly, and he has become so at a young age. All the better for the platter.

Let me know if the January 7th afternoon will work for you, and I can make plans for that date.