Students and birthdays

Well, the students continue to come and go.  Last week we had the pleasure of the company of a returning work experience student, Beth, who worked with us for a week last summer. 

She has managed to secure herself a place at Bristol Uni to study veterinary medecine and will be starting there in October.  Obviously she has to get good grades in her exams but as she is a clever stick, I very much doubt that will be a problem!

She was busy helping with babies all week and was hoping to be present for a birth but as things have quietened down a bit at the moment, she didn't manage to see one.  Persi almost obliged on Friday and Beth hung around for a few hours just in case.  Needless to say, Persi waited until she had gone home and then produced a bouncing baby boy!

This week it is the turn of Lizzie, another work experience student hoping to become a vet:

and our lovely Jo, who just can't stay away!

She is currently working at our veterinary practice for a couple of weeks doing some clinical work experience as part of her degree but is also helping out with milking and feeding babies when she comes home in the evening.

And what of the goaties?  Well, last week was cold and snowy and horrible and the days were mostly spent lying around in the barn.  However, in the blizzard that arrived mid-week, quite a number of the girls were to be seen wandering around the field completely oblivious to the hideous weather.

Unsurprisingly, there were many more outside in the sunshine today!

And the older babies were all lying around in their house, catching some sunshine as well:

Valerie was in a comfy spot with her little men (there's a surprise):

But they decided to have a bit of a skip around outside to see what David was up to with the tractor.  And they decided that it was far more fun climbing around out there than it was lying in the barn with mum!

The girls are producing vast amounts of milk and we are very busy making cheese as well as sending tanker loads of lovely goatie milk off to Jane the Cheese.  David and I continue to be amazed at the amount of milk - we have never had so much!  I just had to take a picture a couple of days ago as the bulk tank was virtually full!

 
That's around 1200 litres in there .. And this morning as we pumped it into our tanker, we saw the milk virtually fill it:

Unbelievable! 

And, at some point last week, it was also my birthday, although it largely passed without ceremony.  However, I did receive a rather nice cake or two:

And I have decided that it's finally time to start lying about my age as  I have rather a significant birthday next year. Henceforth, I shall always be 'mid 40s'  !!