Day "off"...

 Today is one of those lovely ones where nothing pressing is on my calendar. I got up early, milked the goats, did all the animal chores, then came in and puttered in the kitchen. I drained and chilled the milk, tidied up the refrigerator, took out the compost, and made myself some peanut butter toast. Then I made a batch of Chevre (goat cheese.) It's been a few years since I've made any, and it was fun to find a likely-looking recipe and get to it. It's easy enough to make. I gently heated a quart of fresh milk until it was 180 degrees. Then I added some lemon juice and white vinegar. The chemical reaction is instant; the milk solids separate from the liquid whey, forming soft curds. After letting it sit for an hour or so, I poured it into my special cheese bag, and all the whey dripped out into a waiting bowl. An hour later, I mixed the remaining solids with minced garlic and formed it into a rounded shape. I poured a little good olive oil over it, put some fresh basil around it, and tucked it into the fridge. It should be tasty tonight with crackers and a glass of wine. 

Even though my new little Nigerian Dwarf goats produce a fraction of the milk the big Saanen girls used to, it's still more than enough for me to make delicious yogurt, cheese and have milk for recipes and table use. I am delighted with these new girls! 

Two tiny pumpkin leaves sprouted in the middle of the backyard lawn two weeks ago. It was brave of them to struggle through the sod, right in the mowing path. Chris and I both admired their gumption and left them. Chris wondered if it could set fruit and have it ripen this late in the season. He was astonished to see how fast it grew. It is rapidly taking over the yard. 

We hoped it would be some fun variety, and we check to see what is happening under those broad leaves daily. 

Here is a withering blossom with a tiny fruit attached. 

Today I was tickled to find a little white pumpkin nestled in the grass. I hope we get a bumper crop to decorate with this fall. 

The morning was cool and lovely, perfect for cleaning animal houses. I got them all clean and swept and bedded with bright shavings. That always feels good. 

The coop could use a fresh coat of whitewash, but that is a project for another day. 

Last week was a little tiring... I had a horrible cold, and work was tricky. This quiet, blank-slate Saturday morning was just what I needed to recharge. I love a day off. 

Simple pleasures...

 In the dead of winter, when the snow is piled high, I often yearn for summer evenings in the back yard. It seems a simple pleasure, grilling something,  then sitting around the fire ring and listening to the evening sounds. The chickens crooning, wild birds calling, goats muttering to themselves. It's a peaceful time and Chris and I enjoy the calm quiet of these evenings to a ridiculous degree. 

Yesterday Rachel messaged me picture of some funky vintage outside chairs she found at an antique sale. It was love at first site. Now those chairs are snuggled up to the fire ring. I enjoyed rocking in one tonight, and now I will add longing for them to my winter dreams. 

We have delightful guests. Angel and Fields, (mother and daughter) who were once neighbors in Memphis. They are the kind of company that make themselves at home, and go over and above when it comes to being helpful. I feel like I have kitchen fairies doing my dishes and helping with meals. Fields even helped milk a goat. Angel oh so kindly chipped in on the fabulous new yard chairs. 

We also have a pug visiting while her family is at the beach. We are having a heat wave and Pugs struggle in hot weather. This Pug has a plan for how to cope. 

We have been casting about for a name for the new little Cochin rooster. Chris suggested one I rather like. 

Introducing... "TheDonald!" The pullets will be dubbed, "The Donnett's." Here is one, with a shoe for comparison of size. These are tiny birds. 

We took the Owlett for a swim this week. Her parents ordered her a wonderful float that she took to immediately. We all bobbed about in the water for a relaxing time as the sun went down. 

Later there was fresh local lobster and corn on the cob. A feast. The Owlett made an excellent centerpiece. 

Memories made in the back yard in the summer, maybe they are not so "simple" after all. 

Live like...

 My sister sent me a cute sign that says, "Live like someone left the gate open." Bliss loves this slogan. She is always the first to try to get out the gate and cause as much havoc as possible.   

 Last night Marion and I busted out an open gate and had girl's night out to supper to celebrate her birthday. We dined overlooking a local harbor and chatted as the sun went down. 

Today I had a few hours to myself to putter. I cut fresh flowers from the garden, watered plants, tidied our house, and cleaned all the animal houses. I had helpers for the last part. All of the goats got in my way, making everything more difficult. Glory was the most "helpful," hopping in and out of the barrow while I worked. She is a funny little thing, wickedly smart, and getting more friendly daily.

While mucking out the animals, Chris invited me to accompany him to the "dump" (the real name is the Transfer Station.) How could I resist such a romantic offer? He handily took care of the week's refuse and recycling. On the way out of the dump, I had to stop and take a picture of this great sign. It appears to be guarding a healthy pumpkin patch. This clever angel must be helping things grow so well. 

Next, we stopped at the feed store for chicken and goat chow and shavings. The icing on the cake was a stop at the ice cream shop for a couple of delicious scoops. Ice cream always delights me. 

I am very much enjoying the recent "facelift" in our kitchen. It was fun to mess about in there this morning, plotting little tweaks to make it even better. The new knobs were installed (thank you for helping, Rachel!), and they were a fine choice. It's great having a niece that is a big deal interior designer to help me figure out what I need. (Thank you, Elyse!) 

I made a batch of goat milk yogurt while I working. Although our new goats are miniature and produce far less milk than the Saanens, it is more than enough for us. I will try making some cheese next week. 

The new tiny bantam cochin's are maturing beautifully. The little rooster is quite a character. Chris has dubbed him "The Donald." He is tiny in comparison to our big roo. 

Here he is lounging in the grass with two of his ladies. 

They are such pretty birds and live like the gate is open every day.  

Smitten...

 Our neighbor Joyce stopped by the other day. She always brightens our life when she visits, and she upped the ante this time by bringing us gifts!  She said, "When I read about you and Chris on Facebook, it is clear that you are smitten with each other, so I made you a "Smitten!" I look forward to using this when we walk hand in hand (like we do!) in the cold months. How cute is that?  She also gave us terrifically useful hand-crocheted dish scrubbies. As someone who spends a large portion of my life at the kitchen sink making clean what was once dirty, I know these will surely come in handy. Thank you, Joyce! 

The kitchen had sunny yellow walls and white cabinets when we moved into this house. The countertops are white tile with a white and cobalt blue tile backsplash. The knobs on the drawers and cabinets were pretty blue glass knobs. A few years back, I painted the walls a creamy white and gave a long thought to painting the cabinets. They were worn and grubby looking, despite frequent cleaning. The project seemed daunting, so I never tackled it.  Last spring, my painter pal was here repairing a ceiling that had suffered some water damage, and I asked him if he would give me an estimate for the kitchen. He looked at it and made a face as if he had tasted something unpleasant. He gave me the estimate and told me that if he did it, I would have to spend a lot of time degreasing the cabinets first. I happily agreed, but his demeanor didn't give me much hope that he'd be calling me if he had time in his busy schedule. Then last Saturday, I got a text message from him, "Want me to paint your kitchen next week?" It took me less than a nanosecond to respond, "YES!" I got to work using TSP to clean the cabinets, scrubbing until my shoulder ached, but they were still pretty grim. We cook a lot, and grease had built up on the old paint, leaving it sticky in spots. 

My poor paint guy ended up being here during the hottest week of the summer so far, and he patiently sanded and prepped, then painted and painted some more. It took him 4 long, sticky days, but now my kitchen cabinets look pristine. I ordered replacement knobs to tie in with the metal handles on our new refrigerator (champagne bronze!) and will post a picture when installed. But meanwhile, any time one project happens, it tends to spill over into other projects. As I sat in the front room gazing at the fresh, bright kitchen, I decided that my beloved vintage baking cabinet looked dingy and that the chair I had for guests to land in was more shabby than chic. And it occurred to me that I would like to incorporate some pink into the space. Pink, of all things! My creative wheels got turning, and before you could blink twice, I put the chair up for sale on Facebook Marketplace, and it was gone in an instant. The former blue glass knobs also found a new home via the same venue. That was so quick and easy that I am now casting an eye about wondering what else I can live without around here.

 I used my proceeds to buy paint and brushes and got to work. A gifted chair languishing in the garage under a pile of hay bits and old boxes was given a good bath and brought inside. The look on Chris's face when he saw what I was up to was priceless. "That's not white,"  he uttered before shaking his head and walking away. I paint everything white.

I have a genetic defect (I know it's genetic because my sister has the same problem) that involves being a terrible painter. I get more paint on me than the object I am trying to beautify and end up having to do a whole lot of scraping and wiping of spatters and messes when I'm done. I enjoy the process, but really, no one should allow me to have access to a brush. Still and all, I am delighted with the end results. 

The cabinet, once a beigey shade with seafoam knobs, is now bright white with pale pink pulls. And the old chair and vintage step stool are also pink. It's a Benjamin Moore shade dubbed "Baby Dreams," and I like it a lot. My son in love gave it a wry glance and stated, "Bold choice!" I thought that was kind. Chris can't believe I painted anything an actual color. It matters not; Bravo is satisfied with the makeover, happy in his favorite "cave," and I can't get enough of staring at all this light loveliness. 

While I was changing things up, I moved a tall cabinet from the kitchen to the front room and put a cherished bench into its place. I added some containers to keep toys for the Owlet in now that she is getting to the age where toys are entertaining. I anticipate happy times with her playing in the kitchen on a soft, old quilt while I putter and cook. 

I'm smitten with this entire project and will enjoy my kitchen time even more than usual now that everything looks so lovely. 

Height of summer...

 Today was hot, as it often is during the height of summer. 

There are flowers everywhere I look, birds singing, and crickets chirping. 

Our hay for the season is in. This is something that always makes me feel good. The goats will have plenty of food to eat all winter. 

Today our friends John and Susan oh-so-kindly invited us out on their boat, "weather permitting." The weather permitted, and we were overjoyed to join them. On the way out of the harbor, a group of Canada geese formed a flotilla among the moored boats. Later we saw osprey, cormorants, gulls, terns, a dolphin, and even a glossy seal. 

The sun shone hotly, but a breeze kept us cool.  Two standard poodles accompanied us, perfectly well behaved and a delight to be near. I met these friends many years ago when I groomed one of their dogs. This fact makes me happily recall just how many gifts pet grooming has given me. 

We had a delicious picnic on the boat near an island, admiring unparalleled scenery. 

The days are long, but the months are short. Summer is fleeting, much like this raindrop on a lupine in my garden. Here one moment, gone the next. I need to get busy embracing the precious summer hours. Today was an excellent start. 

Plants and critters...

 When we first moved here, there were a few sad Hosta plants along the front of the house. It's a western exposure, and the poor plants would make a brave start in the spring, then be burnt to a crisp by July. I dug them up and planted them around the crabapple tree in the front yard. They were a little straggly and pathetic the first year, but they rallied.  Now I get many compliments on the arrangement. 

My friend Brenda gifted me some Stella d'oro daylilies a few years ago. They like it here, too, and bloom for weeks on end. I know some gardeners sniff at them, thinking they are a little ordinary, but I love them and their sunny yellow blossoms. 

Meanwhile, the broiler chicks are ridiculously large. They are not particularly agile, but one managed to hop up on the rim of this bucket full of feed while we were tending them. 

I have been looking for a dog crate to let the baby goat bunk in at night. She is still nursing, so I separate her from her dam at night, so there is some milk for us in the morning. I milk Grace, then let baby Glory hang with the herd for the rest of the day, nursing at will. Rachel and I were headed somewhere last week, and I saw the type of crate I needed by the side of the road. It wasn't so close that I was sure it was up for grabs, and we were in a hurry, so Chris and I went back later. Sure enough, the crate was still there, and there was a man in the yard. I hopped out and asked if the crate was available. To my delight, it was. It was much bigger than I needed, but the price was right. He helped me load it up, and I was delighted to come home with my treasure. I wiped it out, and we moved it to the goat cozy. To my surprise, all the goats like it. Even Bliss, our biggest girl, gets inside for a snooze at least once daily. The little goats like to lounge on the roof, too. It's been a hit! 

The new goats and the previous residents are still getting along well. There are occasional head butts, but they're all quite gentle with no malice. And it's pretty cute. 

Things are growing at FairWinds, and I am having a bloomin' good time with all of it. 

Independence Day...

Several significant events have occurred in our family on Independence Day weekend, quite serendipitously.  Here is the list: 

• Chris and I met each other 39 years ago this weekend. 
• We discovered we were pregnant 34 years ago this weekend. 
• We moved from Massachusetts to our first house in Memphis 33 years ago this weekend. 
• We moved from Memphis to Maine 19 years ago this weekend (best decision EVER!)

We don't do anything special to celebrate, but we note the occasion and think fondly back at all these major life happenings that coincided with fireworks. Today we spent quietly, working side by side and enjoying some time in the yard by the fire ring, being peaceful. It was good. 

I did a little puttering in the garden, planting some annuals that I had put off getting in the ground. Chris and his trusty chain saw cut down 105 small pine trees, making a dent in that big project. 

Clack took a snooze in the bird bath, making me grin.  

I am enjoying the new Nigerian Dwarf goats so much. They are friendly and cute, and their milk is delicious. Today, they were brave enough to venture through the gate into the upper pasture for the first time. There they found all kinds of delicacies to nibble on. They didn't stay long, but I imagine they will explore a bit more as the days go by. 

An industrious pair of Bluebirds are nesting in one of the houses we put out for them. Watching them swoop in carrying beaks full of bugs to feed their nestlings is a joy. 

Last night the Owlet had a sleepover here. She snuggled in contentedly and never cried. I didn't sleep much, constantly checking on her, listening to her breathe, watching her move as she slumbered. Sometimes she smiles in her sleep, and once, she even laughed. She woke up happy, enjoyed a breakfast cooked by her Pop-Pop, and had a splashy bath. Then she was off with her mama for a busy day, leaving me feeling endlessly fortunate as I always do, especially on this Independence Day weekend.