We have been under an excessive heat warning for about 3 days now--Our temps are running in the triple digists with heat index of around 110--Our humidity here is awful--its been quite the challenge to keep enough water hauled in for the critters, but by God's grace we are managing--we still have no air conditioing so during the day I go to my Mother in laws--but Friday we will have an air conditioner--now if my fridge will hold out in hot temps and the compressor not go out--It's been along time since we have been this hot and I think they said we are breaking records--

Our house is still not here--having a bit of a problem with it, but all should be resolved shortly--right now I think everyone in our area is simply trying to stay cool--I know that has been our focus--I really don't wanna move in these temps--LOL--

Thats it for this update!

~Kris

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We have a long way to go to get this place the way we want it, but even with all the work and trials we are currently facing we could not imagine ourselves anywhere else on this earth--We have more than some and less than others, but we love our life of simplicity--we love the fact we are 'getting back to the basics' and truly finding out what contentment and happiness really are--We are a blessed people and do not take anything for granted--Somedays I am discouraged at the amount of work we have to do and the fact we are truly 'roughing' it, but I do know in the end the result of what we are trying to do will be so worth all the hard work and hardships we are currently experiencing. Our home will be ours in 2.5 years if not sooner, we don't know to many people if any that can say they will have a brand new home payed for in 2.5 years!-- I love the fact we are surrounded by dense woods--we have on cleared area that is just as you turn into our drive way there is about 2 acres give or take cleared that we keep the donkeys and goats in--This place is truly a solace from the world--It is our 'Eden'-- Below are a few pictures of our place and some of our critters, will post more soon--

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The newest addition to the farm--"jack"

One of our Buff Hens

Our Buff Rooster

A few of our other Hens

These little cuties were born in April--Chocolate(the brown one, Female) and Ace(black one, male)

This is a picture of our drive way--this is the view if we were leaving going towards the main road

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Well, the rain finally stopped and I have gotten most of the garden in, its really late for us, but the rain kept us from doing much of anything--Its so nice to look outside and see the sunshining brightly--I love being outdoors in spring and summer, it just gives me a sense of happiness--I also got out and did a bit of yard work yesterday--Our ground is so rocky that mowing is impossible but I did use the weedeater and get some of the weeds knocked out--we have a rather small space here for a yard so it wasn't to bad--The goats are all doing well, looking forward to early fall when we are hopeful to have a couple more babies--the kids that we have are growing so big and I just love sitting out and watching them play, again its the simple things in life that make it great--Our egg production is in full force here, we are averaging 13 eggs daily out if 18 hens--I sold some hens the other day to a guy that had a large family and was needing some, at least now they have eggs!--We sell few dozen eggs here and there, but mainly we use them for bartering--The guy we get hay from is also a family friend and we give him eggs, he said if we kept him in eggs he would keep us in hay for our donkeys and goats--Sounds good to me!--I have noticed more and more people willing to barter these days for goods--I have some chicks that I purchased the other day, they are brown leghorns and cherry eggers--cherry eggers are a cross of Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshire reds are suppost to be great winter layers--we shall see--Hope everyone in blogville is doing well!

~Kris

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I posted yesterday about the newest additon to our farm--at first glance it looked as if she had had a girl, but yesterday afternoon when I was able to get a bit closer--it became obvious we had a jack and not a jenny! I am so thrilled--bleow is a couple pictures. They are not very good quality as they were taken with my phone--But you get the idea.

~Kris

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We woke this morning to not only more rain but to a new baby--Our jenny had a little girl this morning--mom and baby are all doing well--This puts us with 3 female donkeys--Funny how nature works--here, we want doelings from our goats and get bucklings, we want jacks from our donkeys and get jenny's--*Sigh*--guess we can't have it all!

~Kris

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Yesterday afternoon, Millie, had her kid--she had a little black faced buck--Mama and baby are doing well--we have yet to name him as he will probably be sold--again this year we have had a run on bucks--we have 2 more does to kid but not until around September--we are hopeful for doelings out of those 2.

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Today should be the day we bring the "Jenny's to their new home! Dh is out finishing up the fence as I type--The bigger pasture will also be for our goats--we will be fencing the entire 3 cleared acres as time and money allows--It is all the cleared land we have the other 15.18 acres is wooded and full of wildlife!

We have one doe in milk and I have been milking her twice a day--this was her first kidding and I posted about her kid being born dead in a previous post--anyway she is a great milker, we don't even use a stand and she will just stand and allow us to milk her--she is amazing!--She gets a treat of raisins after her milkings--right now she is giving about a quart a day--but I had let her begin drying off--I decided to milk her and freeze her milk for future use--so I have been milking her and building her back up--I have no doubt that in another 2 weeks or so she will be giving close to a 1/2 gallon or more a day--not real sure what her breed is--I think she is an Alpine/Nubian cross--whatever she is, she is great for milking and so sweet natured!--We are very blessed to have her--

Our boer goat should be kidding within the month--she is bred by our black boer buck--I am excited to see her kids--we are very hopeful for doelings, but we shall see--

Our newet goat kids are doing well--their mama is about over her mastitis and seems to be her old self again--I will get some pictures today and post them later if I get a free moment--

I should run and get my chores done--the critters are calling!

~Kris

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