Tuesday, October 25th - can we really be that close to halloween?

Another eventful week during my first full week of retirement.  I'm finding it a little difficult to establish a routine for myself but I know that will come with time.

There are lots of jobs that I can do around the place and I've been working on them a little at a time. I made a list and it's a nice feeling to be able to actually cross some of the things off said list!

One of many lovely fall days

We had some lovely warm sunny weather last week so I spent a number of days splitting and stacking wood. Lloyd has finally blocked that last bit and it's just waiting to be split. I'm optimistic I can get some of it done on Thursday as the weather should be sunny, albeit a bit cooler.

I had to go into town one day last week to finish off the items needed to complete the inspection on my Miata and I couldn't wait to get back home. Now it's all ready to go as soon as spring comes round again.  I can't say I miss driving into town every day.  If I need something from the grocery store I just let Lloyd know before he leaves work and he can pick it up on his way home in the morning. It will be a little more difficult if he goes on afternoon shift at the end of the month. This will probably be until Christmas. But that leaves my afternoon and evenings free to work in the craft room. I have a few projects I'd like to complete for Christmas.

My first batch of cheese

Our friends Charles and Laura came over for lunch on Sunday and we had a lovely time. They brought out a bottle of champagne to celebrate my "retirement" so that was really nice. We served spinach and ricotta  ravioli for the first course and roast goat ( not one of ours) for our main course. I then made a chocolate panna cotta from goat milk for dessert. Another successful meal, I think. Or else our friends are just really polite!!! I had learned how to make ricotta earlier in the week so it was nice to share it with our friends.


The barn is coming along really well now. Lloyd has spent the most of the weekend working on the floor in the area that will house the milking apparatus.  It will make things so much easier when the cold snowy weather comes and I can do all the milking and feeding in the barn. The next couple of days should see that part of things finished, at least enough that it can be used..

Of course, the building took place yesterday in between monitoring the smoking of the bacon. The hams should take place later today.

I spent the better part of the day yesterday peeling apples. Our neighbour, Margie, dropped in on Sunday morning for tea. She asked if I could use any apples as she had an over abundance on her tree. I went over for coffee yesterday morning and came home with three grocery bags full. All I can say is thank heavens for whomever invented the apple peeling device. It's really a work saver when you have lots and lots of apples to peel and core. I prepped two of the bags and made a large batch of apple sauce. I sweetened it ever so slightly with some of our honey - just because I could! Then I put it into jars and processed them in the canner. Now we have lovely jars of apple sauce.  Does it really get any better?  I think not.









Poor Meg has had a tough week. Patti was on her way home from the airport last Monday when she received a call from the school. Apparently Meghan had fallen during gym class and hit her head. They suspected she might have a concussion and after a trip and lengthy wait at emergency, it was confirmed. So she missed a few days of school until she could sit up without felling nauseous, and the massive headache was somewhat subsided. Apparently she's feeling a little better now.

And finally, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS PATTI?

This past weekend she was in Istanbul, Turkey, for what she says will be her last trip there until spring. I don't have any photos from this week but I did get some from London's trip last week. Her visit to the hospital with Meg kind of delayed her sending last weeks photos!  Looks like it was much lovelier weather but they are also getting into the Christmas spirit way too soon!

Just a glimpse of things to come, I suppose.


And finally, I lost the small camera I use all the time quite some time ago. I had a really cute picture of Eddie to share but couldn't find the camera. Lo and behold, it turned up behind the spare wood stove in the wood shed. Lloyd was moving it out of the way on Saturday and there was the camera. It would have been there for eternity if he hadn't decided to move the stove...

.. so here's Eddie, wearing his water bucket.  What all the best dressed goats are wearing this year, or so he thinks!