Goat Farmers

Jake & Joyce have started up a home business recently -- a goat farm!
They invited us to come & visit on Saturday -- what a special day
it was! It was great to spend time with this dear family again,
and it was fascinating to tour their farm.
About 125 female goats are expecting kids this spring;
and as of Saturday, 30 kids had been born in less than a week!



These adorable little kids just love Rebecca , & she loves them
right back! Rachel was a little wary near them as you can see, but enjoyed herself very much, of course. :)
A kute kid kissing KarenMaria was not quite sure how to hold them!
These 4 friends get along so well -- even cooped up in the little warming pen where the newest kids stay. :)
Skating on their pond
A couple of their bucks, in another barn

And this barn holds all the nanny goats. The ones in
the pen close by are the ones that have already kidded,
so they the ones getting milked.
It is quite a job for Jake & Joyce to teach these new mamas!
The stairs are one of the trickiest parts, whether climbing up...
...or getting down again afterwards!
It was really neat to see them working together as a family.


Hurry up, we're hungry!...that's better!
We just missed the birth of this kid -- it was born
when we were having our own supper.

But just before we left, we were glad to be able
to see the (rather difficult) birth of another kid.
All in all, it was a very fun & educational
day for all of us -- a real privilege!
Thanks so much for having us over, Jake & Joyce!

Spring is coming!

Still from Valentines' Day --
we've been enjoying these blooms all week!

While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22

Lunar Eclipse Tonight

As you may be aware, tonight there will be the "last visible total eclipse of the moon in North America until 2010."
You can watch an animation of it, but make sure you see the real thing too! (beginning at 8:43 p.m.)

"O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
...When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?"
Psalm 8: 1,3-4

I took this picture at 9 p.m.

These 2 were taken around 11
...and this last one at midnight, near the end.

More Snow!

What a splendid winter!
Here's our deck after another snowfall yesterday....





The sparkle and beauty of each snowflake testifies
to the infinite wisdom & creativity of our King!

"Ah Da"

Today Bethany said her very first words! :)
They were "Ah da!" (meaning "All done!") when she was finished eating. And she did it a number of times throughout the day,
at the end of her meals... not that she is eating much solids yet,
just a little fruit or vegetables at lunch & at supper.