turning the january page

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster, has January. Ups and downs, with a lot of snow, torrential rains and flooding, extremely cold weather, and occasional bright days when I have gratefully taken hundreds of photographs.

My workaday world has been one of entirely treacherous footing, which changes nothing about the daily chores except that they take longer. It's a relief when there is snow to walk on instead of ice! I think Moxie agrees, as it makes her commute to the barn much more pleasant:

Piper has been spending a lot of time in recent weeks sensibly snoozing on her couch. She usually accompanies me on the short penguin-walk to the letterbox, but must wait for reasonably safe conditions before we go walking in the woods. We've made the most of it whenever possible!

The biggest January news in Goat World - apart from the ongoing hoof-trimming which always results in heating pads and icepacks for the trimmer - is that the handsome buck returned for a brief visit on Sunday. Now both Vinca AND Azalea may become mamagoats in June! I haven't gotten a good picture of either one this month, so here instead to represent the entire Cloud Harvest Cashmere herd is a January portrait of LeShodu, my Matriarch doe who turned 13 last May:

"And STILL the Boss!"

What I've really wanted to write about all through January - and in December, actually - is the wrapping up of the final "mystery" phase of the 3-part construction project. But I haven't, because it isn't. Wrapped up. In fact, there has been a series of absurd delays - not caused by me or by the carpenter, I hasten to say - beginning in November. November! And I don't want to say anything more about it, partly because it might give away the "mystery" and partly because my head might explode. So...

...moving on to a very different project, my Daily Markmaking effort of 2018 has progressed nicely. I've drawn or painted a little sketch every night in January. Here are a couple you haven't seen:

Something I really enjoy about watercolor is the way it looks close up. For example, here is a "detail" view of the above:

(I just enjoy this.)

~~~

It snowed again last night, so February is starting off as February often does.

And on we go!

~~~~~

this week in goat world

All the ice and extremely cold weather has been causing a bit of hoof trouble, and I've been keeping a close eye on several goats. Now that there is a break in the cold - it has been raining non-stop all day and is predicted to go on straight through tomorrow morning - it was the perfect time for a hoof treatment for Campion (my Champion).

Being such an experienced goatherd and all, I carefully prepared and arranged everything needed. Each step was taken slowly and calmly: cleaning hooves, soaking, drying, trimming. Throughout the process, many well-timed apple slices were offered and accepted. Finally, the BluKote: a liquid hoof dressing that must be handled carefully because it stains everything it comes in contact with. There are usually a couple of little splatters, like this one on the leg of my dungarees:

But because I was being So Very Careful,

there was no staining of Campion's coat or my hands.

At first.

Then this happened:

Oh, Campion (my Scampion)! Such a prankster.

He waited til I was opening the full bottle of BluKote,

then jerked his hoof out of my hand and did a little spin.

Both hands. Front and back.

I wonder how many days it will take to wear off?

Place your bets!

~~~

In happier - and less purple - goat news,

Cloud Harvest Cashmere had a visitor on Tuesday:

Start the countdown for Kidwatch 2018!

Vinca may become a mamagoat around the 8th of June.

~~~~~