Life in the fast lane...

I wanted to take a minute to post, knowing that it very well could be the last one I have time for before we move. No decisions have been finalized, but we have many home improvements to make before the house goes on the market at the end of August. The line-up of projects run continuously (and sometime simultaneously) back to back from now until then. We are scheduled to go on vacation the 22nd, and my hope is to be completed with everything, and have the floors refinished while we are gone. As always, more hours in the day, or more days in the week are needed. My life seems to be driven by tyrrany of the urgent, and this is no exception.
Although I am not looking forward to being a 'single parent', the idea is not near so overwhelming as long as we complete all our projects before that day arrives. Too bad we aren't in a position to move out before we sell. That would be much less stressful!
I decided to tackle the most hated task first, so a yard/moving sale is slated for this Saturday. I love to *go* to yard sales, but despise having them. It never seems like it is worth the effort. However, if we can sell a few things off, it is less to pack, and less to keep cleaned up. Hopefully we can make a few dollars. Either way, it is motivating us to de-clutter, which is a necessary task. We have a 65 Chevy truck, ready for restoring, that I would LOVE to sell this weekend. We also have a 12 passenger van that needs to find a home. Moving them out of the yard will make a huge difference in my opinion. I am 'remodeling' the yard with new flowers, and hopefully will get a dump truck load full of mulch soon to dress up the flower beds. I am going to really hate leaving it after putting in so much work. I am told landscaping will sell a house sooner than the interior will. I am trusting that God is going to sell it for us, since he provided the job.

His timing is always perfect.
Even when it feels like your world is spinning too fast to keep up.

JC - the Ober buck we have for sale

These are pictures of Eidwynn - the only daughter we have of JC that has freshened. She was actually sold, and came back to us (much to our delight) last week. He clipped her right before he brought her back so there is still some of the gray underhairs showing up across her back. She is almost dry, but is probably one of the easiest milkers on the property. She is NOT for sale - but is posted as an example of one of JC's daughters. I didn't take pictures of the doeling we kept from this year, but will try to do that and post them later.

JC - he was being uncooperative, and wouldn't set up very well. You can get an idea of his coloring. He actually darkens in the winter, which is backwards for most Obers. His light color is definitely his biggest fault. He is very level (when set up), wide, and deep. All of his kids have been dark, except one and the doe he was bred to was also light. He has champions all throughout his bloodlines. If we weren't moving, I wouldn't be selling any of these animals. I am hoping to breed JC to my Obers from Arizona before he leaves. I have a buck waiting to be shipped from Sir Echo after we move to breed my other two JC daughters to.

Melody and her doelings

Melody's udder - empty. Her two kids are almost 2 months old, and keep her pretty milked out.
She is a dream to milk though. She has great attachment, and a beautiful udder, with the only fault being not quite enough rear height. We have never let her fill up for more than 12 hours, so I don't know if that would correct itself when she is full. The other pictures are candid ones of her and the doelings in the pasture. One doeling is already sold. If the other sells we will keep Melody. If Melody sells, we'll keep the the other doeling.

Button - Fizz's doeling from this year

Button is our first Ober colored cross. She is the result of an accidental breeding when JC got into the pen.

and more goat pictures -Fizz and Trixie

Fizz is dam raising so we rarely get to see her udder full. Because we'd like to see her grow some more we have not been milking her, although her kid is still in the pasture with her. When we were milking we were getting approximately an extra quart per day. Below her pictures are pictures of her full sister from this year, Trixie (who is also for sale.) These does are typical of what Orion produces. I am planning to wait as long as possible to rebreed Fizz in hopes that she will get a little more size on her.

Here the most recent pictures.

Now the Goats....

For those of you not 'into goats' you can just skip this post. I am having to post pictures here because I have not had the time to figure out how to update our farm website www.geocities.com/ayrsmoss We are reducing the herd in preparation for our move. We have 4 LaMancha milkers and will only be keeping two. I have taken updated pictures, but alas, the cord to connect the camera to the computer is hiding under piles of papers, or otherwise unlocatable (if that is a word). We also have three doelings for sale, and an Oberhasli buck. Expect another goat related post soon with those pictures. Email me at codeoflife@bellsouth.net if you are interested in any of our goats. Thanks for taking the time to look.

Fizz as an intermediate kid. She is very long, level, and wide. She is also an Orion daughter. She has matured alot, but didn't grow as much as I would have liked. She freshened as a yearling with an accidental breeding. Her buck and doe kid were Ober experimentals. Button, her doe kid, is also for sale. Her registered name is Ayrsmoss OFN Apricot Fizz.

Melody - also an Orion daughter, as a senior kid in her winter coat. See below pictures of other Orion daughters for an example of what her udder looks like. As soon as I find the cable to connect the camera to the laptop I will upload the newer pictures.

Bronwyn in showmanship with Michael. She is conformationally very correct with her main weakness being rear udder height. We have tried unsuccessfully to get a doe out of her three years running. Her buck kids are always the nicest of the kid crop, but because she is registered as a recorded grade they have never seen a showring. I am hoping to breed her back to Orion before he is sold. She kidded in January and is still in milk. We'll start drying her off as soon as she is bred.

Orion as a two year old. He improves toplines and udders. His kids are a bit slow to mature. He is much deeper now, but scruffy. He throws predominantly cream/apricot colored kids but we have gotten two black bucklings and some gray moon spots. He has incredible bloodlines. His registered name is Devonshire SX Orion if you want to search ADGA.org

Above is a picture of Belle's udder - a 2 year old, first freshener out of Orion. These are typical of Orion's daughters.

Below is an udder pic of Celeste, a yearling daughter of Orion's.

This is Cordial last year. Her udder was much nicer this year, but a bout with mastitis caused one side to dry up completely. She has freshed twice, last year with a buck and a doe, and this year with twin experimental bucks. If her udder recovers with her next freshing she will be a nice show doe. Otherwise, she would still make an exceptional brood doe. Before we started drying her off she was giving a gallon of milk per day, just on one side. Her registered name is Ayrsmoss Strawberry Cordial.

Pictures as promised....first the house

The kitchen area - which is connected to the dining/great room.

A picture of the great room from the top of the stairs.
The cathedral ceiling and loft.

A truly southern home complete with a wrap around porch and swing. French doors that enter into the master bedroom are around the corner. We dreamed of a jacuzzi on that end after the kids were all grown. The view from the master bedroom is beautiful. We left trees right up agains the house on that side.

The barn, chicken coop, and dog runs. Interior of barn and fenced areas sit on concrete. It is wired for electricity, but not connected. Open barn area could easily house 3 or 4 horse stalls.

There is an 8 x 16 loafing shed connecting the back pasture to the side pasture that is wired with lights and an outlet for fans, and the charger for the electric fence.

A view from the front. We have added Forsythia bushes and extended the flower beds. Lots of Irises and Daffodils. I am going to miss springtime in Georgia. There are also azaleas at the top of the yard.

These are pictures from last year. We have made some upgrades since they were taken, and are currently working on some more. If you are interested in a ten acre farmette (about 3 acres fenced) in the country but only minutes to convenience and less than an hour from Atlanta let me know. I wish we could pick it up and move it with us, but we can't. I am trusting that the Lord will send a buyer quickly. I am not relishing the idea of being a single parent. Clay hasn't accepted a job yet, but we are planning in that directon. We have several offers on the table.