A new addition to our family (No, I'm not pregnant!)

I bought a new goat. Her name is Dandelion, and she is black like a shiny piece of obsidian. I was worried about introducing her to Quasar, my other goat, and prepared myself for the usual headbutting, dominance-asserting, shove-in-the-wall dance they do. It didn't happen. Quasar sniffed Dandelion, Dandelion sniffed Quasar, and they both turned away from each other. The only time Quasar bonks the new goat's head is when she gets too close to the prized alfalfa hay. Who would've thunk it could be so easy?

I make sure they both get lots of attention.  My five-year-old fashion queen and helper in the barn assists me in that department.  Ever concerned about the right outfit and colors (where did she get that gene from?) she tried to dress up Dandelion with her Hello Kitty headband.  When Dandy didn't oblige her, she put it on Quasar.  Who knows, dressed in pretty accessories might help with milk production.

When we are not busy paying lavish attention to our goats, you find us in the garden.  Take my twelve-year old son Kai, for example.  He wanders out to the potato patch early in the morning to harvest taters for breakfast.  He does the harvesting and the cooking, because if that boy wants hashbrowns for breakfast, he better do it himself.  So he does.  Assisted, as always, by Eva (dressed in her Hello Kitty headband).

That garden sure feeds us well.  Many days, we eat homemade bread, fresh sauerkraut made with cabbage from the garden, carrots, pickled beets and cucs from last year, tomatoes from our prolific greenhouse, lettuce, and maybe a basil leaf or two tucked into the sandwich.  My goat cheese rounds it all out nicely.  I also made pesto with garlic scapes I cut off so the garlic can concentrate its growth into the roots. 

The brutal heat and drought persist.  Temperatures have been hovering in the 90's for weeks.  It's so very unusual for our place to get so parched.  People are worried about wild fires, plants are drooping, and we spend hours by the river.  Our bees are hating this weather, clustering on the outside of their hive, and I hope they are not getting it into their little heads to swarm...

Another great way to find relief from the heat is walking in the woods.  The towering cedars create nice shade, and nearby creeks, rivers and streams (albeit with much less water than usual) help with the cooling effect.

I will leave you with random pictures from this week:

Steve teaching a bow making class at our homestead,

my raw cacao truffles I make every single week (and eat them all myself),

and more beauty in the garden...

Where are you finding beauty these days?