This week marked the third anniversary of the barn fire in which I lost my first herd of dairy goats.
This week we also began cutting the lumber for the new goat shed to replace the barn. It will be much smaller, but my herd is smaller also. While the lean-to shed I've been using has provided adequate shelter, the new building will have space to separate kids from does overnight, and an indoor milking area. No more milking in the rain - that will be nice!
Treasure, one of the does in my first herd.
Our power transformer failed and we lost our electricity on a really cold day this week. One of the men from the electric company who came to fix it said he was here the day the barn burned to remove the service and meter from the building. In fact, he told me he lost his wedding ring in our yard that day, and he and the county sheriff dug around and found it. So many people came to help that day, and I recognized so few of them - I didn't know until he told me that the county sheriff was here. Now I know many of them, including the sheriff, from other areas of life and I'm surprised when I find out they were here. I'm afraid they didn't meet me on my best day, but they've looked past that and I'm thankful.
Another of the men went up the road a bit to fix another problem they'd noticed; when he came back he said he'd seen a mountain lion, the first he'd ever seen, less than a quarter of a mile from our house. We've seen a cat three times within a mile of our house - once in our own hayfield - and one summer a neighbor had a bit of a close encounter with one. Mountain lions range over a territory varying in size from ten square miles to around 370 square miles according to Defenders of Wildlife, with males having a larger territory than females. They are rare in Oklahoma - state authorities even deny their existence here.
-- This week's posts: Recordkeeping on the Homestead, 2014 in Review, and Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from my Month of Soups series.
-- What I've found: How to Make Oil of Oregano by Homegrown and Healthy. I noticed the other day that my two oregano plants on the windowsill could use a little haircut!
Wooohoohoo! Exciting about the kitty sighting! My uncle saw one close to my grandparent's land when I was a kid (Ponca City area). They are definitely here, however rare!
It's got to be so hard to remember that fire and your first herd. (((HUGS))) I hope the new shed/barn sees much life and joy!
Thank you, Rose. It was much easier this year to mark the day, but yes, it's still a solemn time.