frugal fashionable farmer: What A Day! Barn Cleaning & Brand New Babies!!!

The day started bright and early with plans to clean the coop and the barn. But before I made it out the door, I had decided to go ahead and look into getting a stanchion for Ellie so that I could better milk her. She is gentle and willing to let me milk, but it will make things MUCH easier....I found a lady that builds them (stanchions aka milking stands), and sent her an email.

I get out to the farm and Lauren is waiting and ready to get dirty and do some cleaning - time to get started! Lauren tackles the coop and I start on the barn.

We unload the chicken poop into the compost bin and have about 5 wheel barrow loads of goat and sheep poop along with the barn [dirt] floor scrapings to go directly into the garden beds - prime fertilizer!!

After the cleaning I got a call from the person with the stanchion - we made plans for me to come over later in the evening. I decide to spend a little more time in the garden fertilizing the veggies then put up hooks in the barn for the solar lanterns to hang at night for Misty and Milly. I also hang one in the field for Eli, Ellie, & Ellen as well as Speckles and Forest. Done until I get back from Double Durango Farm with my new milking stanchion!!!

I get out there and Diane walks me around her farm and shows me all the  playgrounds she has built for her babies - which are all Nigerian Dwarfs  -  she is quite the carpenter and I am so jealous and amazed by all the  cool toys her goats have....I am going to have to get more  inventive...while we are out in the field, one of her mama goats is  starting to go into labor!

I missed little Ellen's birth, so I am kinda wishing I might catch this one. I wait around a little while and the poor mama is just so uncomfortable, pacing and moaning...poor thing. We walk out to load up my new stand and Diane's husband shouts that the babies are coming! We run to the barn and this is what I was able to see:

The first one that came, I missed, but got pictures of right after - it was a boy with blue eyes.

The second one was a girl with the most beautiful markings and brown  eyes. It was so beautiful and amazing to be there for that! I went to  the Double Durango Farm for a milking stand and got so much more!

My signature act as the goat playground....I just can't resist!

This is Dot - the Border Collie - she was a sweetheart also!

  Diane knows her stuff when it comes to goats, so I have a feeling I  will be keeping in touch with her. Here is the stand I got tonight:

While walking around the 'acre' tonight, I noticed the apple trees  are looking good - looks like it will be a good year for apples! Whew! I  am pooped and ready to hit the hay. Til next time.....