You've probably guessed how busy it is around here. We are slam in the middle of the inbetween season. Lots of snow and ice, intercepted by runny mud in the afternoon and frozen mud in the early morning. Snowmachines are parked because the turnarounds are melted out, and 4-wheelers are back in use. Yippee.
I sold all the boys born up til now except for two LaManchas. In the next week or so, I need to decide whether to wether Thaifood. He's two and a half months old already. I'm leaning toward using Nibs, a PB with great milking genetics, for August-September breedings.
There are 6 doelings left, of which I plan to keep at least 4... and we're about to start kidding again. I have 7 or 8 does that will kid before May 10th. Babies, babies everywhere, and a huge milk surplus.
I made cajeta for the first time this week... a scrumptiously delicious carmelized milk that is suitable for ice cream toppings, or maybe poured over sticky buns or somesuch. Yum. Looking forward to ice cream season too.
Ben is gone to the Coast for our spring bear hunts. He'll be away until early-mid June and we miss him. My Mom is back full time though after a few months spent visiting her siblings and her Dad down in the States. We're so glad she has made Alaska her home, and that she's our closest neighbor.
On other fronts, I sold half of my flock and returned some of my sanity. 100 birds seems to be a pretty healthy number for me. The amount of feed and poop is much more manageable. Since fish meal prices have gone sky high, I've raised my eggs to $8 a dozen. The world is getting to be a crazy place.
Well, I better get back to the cheesehouse and finish today's Gruyere. Then it's out to the yard, to continue picking up after winter. Cheers!