I suppose I could make up an excuse for my elusive-ness lately, but I won't... you know me, tell it like it is.  The fact is, I've been busy!  Directing the goings-on of this place is a full time job for a goat.  So, since it has been like five whole weeks since my last post, here's what happening:  

Builder took an off-the-farm job at Lowes.  It's a good fit for him (IMO) because of the whole builder thing, but apparently they don't hire part time help right away.  First you have to do your time as a temporary seasonal worker (which is 39 hours a week)  until they see if you are worth putting on their part time staff (which is what he wanted, just a little something to keep busier).  So, anyway, he's away from the farm now for 39 or more hours a week, at least for now until he finds out if they'll keep him on for the job he wanted which should be by the end of summer.

Wench's activities off the farm have been restricted due to builder's new schedule.  This is not a bad thing.  She can be a bit of a gadabout, you know.  There were several things already planned before this all took place, so yes, she did the Powhatan Festival of Fiber (two days gone) and the Middle Tennessee Fiber Fair (three days gone) to sell the shirt off my back, and guess what?  She did GREAT.  Our yarns and fibers were warmly received and I'm becoming a celebrity, which is only right.  Here's the set up:

Of course the set up changes with each show because wench gets another bright idea and changes things around.  But, as you can see, it is colorful and showcases ME, FRANKIE because I am important.  Oh, and I started making hand creme too.  That's fun.

Around the farm, it's been pretty quiet.  The babies are growing up, eating like piglets... see?

They are learning to be goats.  Wench brings our grain each morning and each evening, to our separate stalls, (I get fed first, of course) and then each baby goat knows to leave their momma's stall and come out to the middle common area, where they all chow down together because, well, if they go live somewhere else, they will have to know how to fight for their food.  Not every place is like here where each goat is given their own space like we were horses or something (can you tell that wench grew up with horses? at least she doesn't try to ride us)  In the morning, if it's nice out - and it always is here in North Carolina - we take our hay outside.  In the evening, when we come into the barn, our hay is waiting for us in our stalls.  We have it pretty good here on the mountain top.

In bunny news, Kastanje and Ted had a litter of 9 and they are now weaned and ready for new homes.  Kastanje might be going to Texas for convention in October... Ruby and Ted had a litter of 6; Bellatrix and Ted had a litter of 6.  (Ted was a busy boy before he went to live in Virginia).  The planned breedings for this summer/fall include Julianna to Geordie (a buck from our barn now living with Aunt June) Bronwen to JT's Data (Aunt June's buck, home grown grand champion tort) Kerry Megan to Dexter - who, was suffering a bout with sterility, but we're gonna try him again now that we are on the third floor of the barn.   And of course the chins are popping out all over, having big litters, taking on foster kids, etc.  it's a busy place around here.

That's about all the news.  We have the Independence Farmers Market each month - the next one is June 20th.  We'll be there probably with bunnies for showing and fibers and yarns for sale.  In the meantime, we'll continue to grow our fleeces for your enjoyment, and, if I can work that wench any harder, I'll try to get her to put the yarns on line, but she's kinda slow, in more ways than one if you know what I mean.  From all the clowns up here on the mountain, thanks for reading Frankly speaking!