Tilly headed over to Port Angeles for fun times with her 8-week-old puppy friend and her great big energetic lab friend and the most wonderful dog expert caretaker for all three of them.
The chickens and goats have Nancy and Carlee looking after them. Grandpa is making plans with his friends and for family visitors.
Tim headed up to Naknek to settle in to Bristol Bay and get an early start on all the boat work, plus some sight-seeing.
Tim's connex-top porch and picnic structure with retractable walls.
Ariel headed to Juneau for some family time.
(Flat level straight wide) hikes with parents:
Flower strolls with Alice:
Dad's birthday:
Celebration:
And then it was time for everyone to converge on Bristol Bay.
Mini-Esther (*Maggie) and mini-Petunia (Josie) showing how three little goats at a time can now jump onto the high shelf where the milking things used to be kept. What good little climbers!
Things sound like they are going well on the farm without us as Tim and Ariel head off for fishing season. Nancy is milking Esther and Petunia in the mornings and trying her hand at cheese-making, Carlee is putting the babies away at night, and Grandpa is watering the gardens.
The potato bin doing well with Grandpa's watering and mounding-up.
Our trained attack-deer is diligently patrolling the property while we are away.
Ariel has been on a stop-over in Juneau to see the family; going for hikes, going to Celebration, many hands of cribbage, and a slow death at Solarquest.
Tim, meanwhile, is busy in Bristol Bay getting the boat ready for the season, plus some site-seeing excursions, listening to live music out at the bar, and hanging out on the beach around the camp fire.
Ten minute morning milking with Tim, Ariel, Esther, Petunia, and the babies:
Be sure to watch with the CC on!
Cleaning the milking machine:
Be sure to watch with the CC on!
Cheese recipes:
Chevre - In the morning (warm), heat one gallon of milk to 85f, add cultures, cover and set aside. In the evening (cool), pour through cheesecloth and hang with a bowl under to catch drippings. The following morning, mix in salt and put in a jar in the fridge.
Paneer - Heat two gallons of milk to 185f. Turn off heat and let sit 10 minutes. Add three glugs (about a quarter cup) of vinegar, lemon juice, or lime juice to curdle the milk. Pour through cheesecloth and hang to drip for a few hours. Cut in cubes and freeze on a cookie sheet, then put in a zip-lock in the freezer for use in stir fries, using as you would tofu.
Gjetost - take whey, the clear liquid left over from making chevre or paneer, and boil and boil and boil and boil and boil until it is reduced to a syrup (start with at least a gallon). When the syrup is thicker and thicker, turn the heat lower and lower. When the syrup begins to change to a solid, not a syrup, remove from heat and cool. Place in a jar and refrigerate.
Build a milking gadget:
One break bleeding vacuum pump for about $25
Several feet of 1/4 inch food-grade tubing, about $0.17/ft
Two lead-free brass barbs to fit tubing, about $4 each
Two lead-free brass flare nuts to fit on barb, about $3 each
Washers to fit barbs and nuts
Thin rubber seals to fit barbs and nuts
A wide-mouth mason or Ball jar with lid
A drill with bit the same size as barb and nut to drill lid
An irrigation tip syringe large enough to easily fit teats
Assemble all pieces. Make sure tubing is long enough to set on ground and reach goat on milk stand. Make sure tubing to vacuum pump in long enough to use comfortably. Press tubing securely on to syringe. Use backing when drilling lid for cleaner edges.
