barn notes: the luck of the irish

Out of all the animals on my parents' farm, I've found myself feeling empathy for one in particular: a goat who goes by the name of Irish Cream. 

Irish was born in the spring of 08' and since her introduction to our barnyard has been one bundle of trouble. We like to say she has the curiosity of a cat, but not the luck of the Irish. 

For instance, which animal do you suppose got her head stuck in the hay feeder three times last summer, culminating in my father's use of a bolt cutter and a few missing fence panels? None other than Irish. Which goat seems to always be getting chased by all of the other goats and the sheep? None other than Irish. 

Who got her head caught in something (we don't know what) a few days ago and broke her horn off? None other than Irish. 

So now Irish has only one horn. I'm hoping this actually works in her favor, and she'll be able to stick her head wherever she wants in the future and not get into trouble. I went to visit her in the barn this morning and found her in good spirits at the hay feeder. Of course she wasn't standing docilely like the other animals chewing her cud, she was up on her hindquarters searching for tidbits in the all the hard-to-reach places. 

Now you've got to admire that.

Simpatico

Like peanut butter and jelly and Batman and Robin, some things just go well together. They compliment each other. One, combined with the other, brings out the best aspects of both mediums. . .or personalities.

In this instance, I'm talking about the combination of mohair from our angora goats and fiber from our CVM romeldale sheep. Above is a bowl of washed mohair locks. Sometimes our goats look pretty scary. It's hard to believe that some hot water and a dash of soap can have such results on mohair fiber, but it works. 

Here's a basket of blended romeldale and mohair fiber. I worked them together on my mother's drum carder a few weeks ago. The resulting combination is soft and pliant. The mohair adds a silky texture and a gloss to the finished product. I'm going to spin something special out of this. 

Away in a...plastic barrel

We've had our share of excitement here on the farm this spring, but this event crowns our birthing season. All of our mothers have delivered and my mother can finally get some sleep at night. 

The most recent addition to our barn is a trio of kids (baby goats) born to our angora goat, Bailey. Two boys and a little girl. The boys are fawn and white in color and the girl is a velvet black. Their squeaks add a different tone to the lamb's cries that already reverberate through the barn. 

This photo shows the snug little bed my father built for them. Despite their silky coats, baby goats tend to get chilled easily. The golden light comes from a heat lamp fixed to the top of the plastic barrel. I like the way the light glows through the sides of the plastic and down on the animals. It looks hi-tech, but it is the exact opposite.

If I were a kid myself I think I'd want to curl up next to them.