Happy New Year!

A very Happy New Year to all our readers! 

Today was a beautiful day but I decided that I would take the opportunity of a quiet day to get stuck into a load of filing.  I wanted to get everything sorted ready for the year ahead ... Comes of being an archivist in a previous life I imagine ... So, in between goatie matters, I spent a happy day filing and shredding and dumping piles of stuff into my paper recycling bin.  Very satisyfing!!

At this time of year we really have to make the most of our 'spare' time as it will soon start to disappear again once kidding starts.  At the moment we finish relatively early in the evening (around 7.30pm) as there are not many goats to be milked and it all seems a pretty leisurely affair!

Tonight, Maggie decided that she wanted to come into the parlour via the ramp and back door.  Unfortunately for Maggie, the door was closed and so she decided to stick her head through the gap to let us know that she was there:

Meanwhile, Fremlin was getting into the swing of things and was waiting patiently by the gate with the other milkers:

He has obviously made a New Year resolution to be more assertive and so he came straight in, up the ramp and into the stalls with only slight hesitation.  What a brave boy he is!

It does tickle me though, seeing the big males come into the parlour! 

And talking of big males .... Several years ago, one of Daphne's sons went to live with a friend of ours as part of his small herd of goats.  Originally destined as a meat kid, Winnie endeared himself to our friends who decided to keep him as a working boy instead.  So, he grew into a fine figure of a man.  Winnie's most striking feature is his incredible set of horns - take a look at these!