rather random rambling

 Just about every day after morning chores, I comb cashmere.

Sometimes one goat, sometimes two.

Occasionally, three.

It depends on how much each goat has shed since the last combing.

The goats generally don't drop all the cashmere at once, and my thought is that several light combings will pick up more fiber - and cleaner fiber - than waiting till clumps are hanging off the goats and then trying to get all of it that's left in one huge session.

Of course it's even more labor-intensive to do it this way. But I've got a herd of animals that produce lovely fiber in tiny quantities. I don't want to lose more than can be helped.

~~~

Either my internet service or laptop has been failing to function properly; possibly both. I haven't been able to watch even tiny videoclips from peoples' blogs. YouTube and Livecams have been nearly impossible. And it's bad timing, because those baby owls grow by the hour!

Here's a screenshot from the 6th:

See the babies?

(Left-click pictures to embiggen.)

Here they are today:

Fortunately, people have been posting screenshots on twitter, as I mentioned in an earlier post. I also try the livecam link a couple of times each day, just in case. Last night it worked, briefly. Maybe my tech issues are healing themselves. Fingers crossed!

~~~

Yesterday afternoon my errands took me through several weather events. We had snow when I drove to the Post Office and library. When I came out of the library, the sun has returned. By the time I got to the grocery store, there was a harsh wind. When I came out of the store, it was hailing and Piper said, "Thank you, no," when I asked later if she wanted to walk in the woods. Today has been sunny but so cold that yesterday's hail is still on the ground.

I blame myself: early yesterday morning I dismantled one of the bucket de-icers to clean and repair it, and decided not to put it back out.

Thus guaranteeing the return of freezing weather.

Sorry, New England.

~~~

Speaking of going to the library...something I love:

InterLibrary Loan.

Central and Western Massachusetts has a wonderful regional library system. Which is nice for everyone, but especially for the thousands of people who live in villages and small towns where the Library was probably built in the 1800s and is very limited in size.

Isn't it a special luxury to have access to books without having to buy them? I love a brand-new book as much as anyone does, but I've reached a point where I don't have the urge to own them all. And probably 95% of my "reading" is audiobooks, which I download online from the same library system and listen to when I'm cooking or knitting or trying to get to sleep. When I first tried audiobooks, years ago, it actually took me a little while to learn how to listen - after all, I'd not been regularly "read to" since childhood. But now, hardly a day goes by that I don't listen to a chapter or two. Or ten.

How about you?

Do you use your local library?

Are you a book collector?

Do you enjoy audiobooks?

~~~~~

goat coats

What shall I do today after morning chores?

Hmmmm.

Oh, I know!

I'll comb goats again.

These are three of my rake-style combs, which I brought in and washed last night. I use an assortment of combs and brushes, usually three or four per goat, per session. This year I've been using two slickers, four rakes, and two combs.

(I own one hairbrush, by the way.)

Someone recently asked about the length of topcoat on cashmere goats. Very variable! For example, these boys are full brothers, and yet are at two ends of a spectrum.

Betula has an incredibly long topcoat. I call it "Hollywood Hair" because when he runs his coat flows and it looks like he's moving in slow-motion. Betula produces very white cashmere. It is not easy to comb it out from under all that long topcoat:

By contrast, brother Acer has a very short, dense topcoat, much like a plush toy. He produces grey/taupe cashmere:

Some cashmere breeders have a color preference, but I enjoy all the variation in my little gang's fiber. I've been told even the darker cashmere takes dye beautifully; maybe one day I will experiment.

Meanwhile, a challenge awaits.

This is going to be a two-pockets-full-of-carrot-pennies operation.

~~~~~

sleety saturday

Every day for the past week, I've been combing goats for at least an hour and a half in the morning, and usually another hour or more in the afternoon. The weather has been ideal - the exact opposite of last year! - so I have to strike while the iron is hot. Or make hay while the sun shines. I'd do more every day if my back and hands could take it. As it is, I just have to be patient and do as much as I can, as often as I can. I break it up into a few sessions. It's slow, but it's coming along nicely.

Today was an unplanned day off from combing, due to a change in the weather. It was alternating freezing rain and sleet all day - even goats who chose to spend the whole day in the barn felt slightly damp. Just on their outer coats, that is; they are perfectly warm and cozy! But they can't be combed when they are damp. Just fed and watered and visited.

Piper helped with chores tonight, as usual.

She's a trouper!

We were both soaked to the skin when we came in.

Piper was toweled off right away and has since been napping,

but soon she'll be yawning and stretching

and wondering what happened to supper.

Must be my turn to cook?

Guess I'd better get to it.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

~~~~~