New Arrival....

...No not another "kid".

We are still waiting for our last pregnant doe to kid.  I did not get her breeding date wrote down,  just her month.  She is due sometimes in February.  She's gotten rather large but still doesn't look bagged up as much as she has in the past.  We are expecting severe thunderstorms and flash flood warnings for the next several days so I am just about 99% sure it will be during one of these days!

We have wanted another Nubian buck and I had just about given up finding one in our area and had not even checked Craig's list in months.  This past weekend I decided to look again and lo and behold there was a young buck listed.  With crossed fingers and toes I emailed to inquire if the young buck was available.  I received a very nice email back from Lynette, the Nubians owner, telling me all about him and best of all he is still available!

After exchanging several emails we decided Tuesday would be a good day for Papa Bear and I to go and fetch our new boy.  I still did not have a transporter for small livestock.  I've been searching for one of those too.  I had just about decided to take the Marines van and secure him in the back behind the bench seat but Lynette warned me he had been in rut and was very fragrant.  I was not sure if Freebreeze would get the scent out of the van.   I had a dental appointment Monday so I checked several places on my way back home to see if I could find a transported but with no luck.

When I got back home Monday afternoon Papa Bear said let's build one and we did.  Here it is after it's use.  Papa Bear set it up on a pallet for now until we can fit it in the pole barn as it is not pressure treated wood.  I guess I could paint it.  We loaded it into the back of the truck early Tuesday morning to go fetch our new boy.  It was almost a two hour drive.  We met Lynette and all of her other critters.  She has two new kids, chickens, turkeys and bees!  Lynette is a wonderful lady, I wished we lived closer.  I would be harassing her everyday to teach me to quilt.  Lynette also writes a blog Invited to the Kings table .  Check it out when you get the chance.

Meet Rudy...He is hamming it up for the girls who are out browsing today.  We take turns letting the boys and girls out to browse the woods.  The girls have gotten two days in a row out until Rudy gets used to everyone.

One of the little Boer/Nubian does was teasing the bucks unmercifully.  I told her "not yet" she should be a good breeding weight this fall.

Rudy has fit in with the rest of the gang just fine.  That's Max and Freckles with him.  I think they are about 6 months old.

We had a really good laugh bringing Rudy home.  We stopped at a convenience store for coffee and while we were inside I could here Rudy voicing his opinion for being left alone in the back of the truck.  Everyone who was inside the store was running out of the store and then I heard someone say...It's just a goat.  Seems like everyone thought someone was out in the parking lot yelling "help".  One lady said she didn't know if she should go outside to "help" or stay inside where it was safe!  Too funny!

Other happenings this week on the homestead is our first attempt at making our own bee hives.  With the price of wood going up and the cost to ship such heavy items, Papa Bear and I decided to try it.   I will continue to order the frames and foundation for now.  Here is a telescoping top all put together and ready for the tin top.

I got three of them completed except for painting.  Papa Bear cut them out and I put them together.  I think they look as good if not better than some I have ordered.

Papa Bear has a stack of the telescoping tops and the inner boards ready for me to put together.  We will work on the bottom boards next and then the brood boxes and honey supers.

I got two more swarm traps hung on each end of the pond.  That makes a total of six.  I don't think I should hang anymore until I get more hives built...just in case I get lucky.

 Papa Bear just brought in the mail...Look what I won from Jacked Up Glock Mom's blog Tales from the Clothesline

They are too pretty to write in...I may frame them or you are going to have to  be very special to get one of these cards.  They are beautiful.  Thanks so much Glock Mom!