Great Weekend...

My cousin and her husband retired about two years ago. They went and bought 100 acres of sticks, literally. No real grass, nothing. The whole lot had just been cut down for lumber. It is nothing but stumps, twigs and dirt. They have a vision, patience and lots of knowledge. They want a working farm. Last year spring break, we went for a visit. They had three dogs and two cats. One of the cats had kittens the night we were there. This year spring break, we go for a visit. They have one dog ( two were killed by cars while hunting), five cats, 15 hens, three roosters, 20 broiler chickens, two rabbit hounds, four pet goats and five wild goats. One goat had a kid right before we left. Its momma was white and he is different shades of brown. Today less than 24 hours after we left another goat had twins. Wow, what a change in one year. The pet goats and kids were adorable and playful. I was sitting on the ground holding a cat when one of the kids got jealous and decided he needed to be held. What I learned about the baby goat was when they want to be held they just walk up on your lap and get in your arms. No coaxing, nothing. They also like for you to lay on the ground on your hands and knees so they can jump on your back and play. They play king of the mountain by butting each other off your back. Then the one that wins jumps off and tries to flip around in the air. It is so funny to watch. Then they love to head butt each other for play. I could have watched them all day. The wild goats are fenced in a portable fence. Their first purpose is to eat the twigs and other things on the grounds. They are moved every few days. At some point they wil be sold for their meat at a great rate. They are extremely popular in the Musiim community but for now their purpose is to eat the ground down. I did have a new experience. This was eating fresh chicken from the farm. The broiler chickens are raised for that purpose. This chicken was smaller than grocery store chicken but it was tastier. It was hard though to sit in the barn having a bbq chicken dinner while the new broilers were right out the door eating to get plump for my cousins third round of organic free range chickens. My sister and I kept telling them to stop eating the feed so they wouldnt get eaten but they woudnt listen. The hens are being raised for the purpose of eggs. The two days we were there they laid amost two dozen. We took them home. My cousin sells these on weekends for $3 a dozen because they are natural grain fed. She always sells out. I learned that fresh eggs from the hens do not need to be refrigerated for two months if they have never been washed. There is a protective covering on the eggs that keep them fresh. Once the egg is washed , the coating is removed and they must be refrigerated immediately. I never knew that. We ate in the barn because their house is not built yet. They live in a second-hand FEMA trailer.We stayed in a local hotel. GOd Bless the people who had to live in those. Extremely tight quarters. They have lived in one for over a year, Bless their hearts. Last night winds were in excess of 50 MPH and a tornado warning was issued. They had to sleep in the barn for safety. The local Amish housebuilder came today and staked out their house. They hope by August to be in their new house. I am a city girl. It was a good weekend to visit but I found out I LOVE the city.