More work experience

So there I was, sitting at my laptop, patiently waiting for it to start up when I heard the patter of tiny feet.  Out of the corner of my eye I spied something small and brown toddling across the mounds of paper on my floor.  Another present from Marmite.  Small, brown, furry and not very quick.  Which was how the small mouse probably got caught in the first place.  I was quicker out of the blocks than Marmite who was sitting on the other side of the room, and I scooped it up and took it downstairs for a release into the wild (of my garden).  Hopefully, it will now be sitting at home with a beer entertaining the family with tales of capture and release!

So, last weekend was busy with two London markets - Balham and Parson's Green.  Both went pretty well for me but it did make for quite a tiring weekend.

Then Monday morning saw the arrival of our latest school work experience student, Ellise, who is spending a week with us.  She is the niece of our acupuncturing vet Monica and has a desire to become a vet herself.  She came to visit us during kidding time some months ago and asked if she could do her work experience with us.  Monica did warn her that she would have to work hard and do long hours - it wouldn't all just be sitting cuddling baby goats!!

So, Monday morning we loaded up the milk tanker and off we went cheesemaking.  Ellise did really well helping us mould all the cheese and here she is at the end of the day.  Apron kept her dry but I think it was a bit on the long side for her!

We also have Molly again this week so between the three of us, we are hoping to get some major work done in the goat shed.  We started today by moving the big chaps back out to the cattle yard for the summer.  Summer?? Mmmm .... They weren't impressed at having to walk round there in the rain but were happy once they got there to a nice bed of fresh straw and a full hayrack.  And the added bonus of being able to spy on the girls through the back door of the barn! 

The job was quite hard work but made all the more entertaining as we were accompanied back and forth by a small troupe of escaped baby goats who insisted on following us around.  They had a lovely time, running through the mud and leaping over puddles!  I think they will sleep well tonight.

The fashion in the kids' pens at the moment seems to be to lie in a bucket.  Or a crate.  Even if it's too small ..  This is Jake:

In another pen, a little chap managed to squeeze himself into an upturned crate:

Obviously a popular spot though as you can see by the other goat trying to climb in as well.  He kept on trying to get the little chap to move out by standing on him - notice the open mouth as he gets squashed for the umpteenth time!  He did eventually get out of the crate.

Tomorrow I believe that David has got us walking some fields to pick ragwort before he makes hay.  Bet it rains really hard .....  That'll please the work experience girls!