More Goings On

This is a BUSY season.  Fall/winter planting is on-going.  Still milking Helen 3 times a day.  A batch of meat birds is growing well.  Turkeys are learning to cooperate.  The dog ate the best functioning goat nipple (not one attached to a goat, thankfully) and so bottle feeding little Willy takes twice as long.  Its not an issue except when we're late on the evening feeding and we're doing it after the little farm girl is in bed.  She doesn't mind if it takes longer to feed him.  We're also debating over siring issues.  We have Willy listed on Craig's list but have had no calls on him.  We're also thinking about getting rid of Copper... only because he's already trying to mount Helen and we definitely don't want her pregnant right away again.  That's way too hard on her body.  We're expecting Dulci's kid to be a buck and so we'll likely keep him instead.  It would give us plenty of time to construct our "bachelor pad" before unwanted pregnancies would be an issue.  But I also don't want to see Copper go for meat.  Not that I'm opposed to eating animals, but he's such a great buck.  There are plenty of do-do's out there that can be eaten instead.  Who would eat a 5 year old registered blue-eyed dwarf buck with a fabulous temperament?  Someone really hungry I suppose.

Anyway, for anyone who missed the "Here Comes the Sun" energy expo in New Smyrna Beach, you missed a GREAT event!  I was highly impressed!  We came away with a lot of info we knew nothing about previously.  On the specific energy side, 2 things stood out to us- this dohicky thing that recaptures energy generated by a running motor and allows it to be used before tapping into metered electricity.  For high energy users it seems like a great device.  About $400 outlay which they guarantee to pay for itself within 36 months.  The company, KVAR Energy Controller, has been in business 18 years and their units are still going strong all these 18 years.  We were thinking very seriously about planning for this investment but in crunching the numbers, we really don't use enough electricity to make it worth it.  Particularly when considering other plans we have to use even less electricity in the coming years.  But for others, I'd highly recommend it! 

The second highlight is a geothermal AC company, GeoFlow.  They design, sell and install geothermal AC/heat units which use the groundwater (a nice 72 degrees) to heat or cool your home.  It's a genius system!  They estimate that most systems have a payback time of 5 years.  You can also use its residual heat to supplement your hot water heater saving energy in that area as well.  We got dreaming about having it discharge into a tilapia pool, into our banana tree patch or sprayed over the pasture and they said it was all doable... cost effective, maybe not, but we'll see.  We'll have them come out and come up with a plan and we'll start saving to put it in.  I doubt it would be anything that happens in the next couple years or anything.  Something like this is bound to have a big outlay and so will take a good long time to save it up, but we'd at least know what the goal is.

So... are you sorry you missed it???  Well, don't worry.  There are LOTS of other great events coming up.

1) 10/29- Husbandman takes his engineering licensing exam.  Pray for him, please!!!  :->

2) 11/6&7- Fall Jamboree at the Pioneer Art Settlement in Barberville, FL.  I've never gone to this but we're really looking forward to it.  Should be a great time... and little farm girl gets to wear her bonnet!

3) 11/4-14: Volusia County Fair.  We're planning on taking in the rabbit shows and fun events this year.  Every year we enjoy this more and more... and we never go on the rides!  Total nerds like us would rather be learning and looking at plants, animals and other displays.  And I'm planning on shooting for Homemaker of the Year next year.  I was thinking about doing it this year... then I came to my senses.  This homemaker has too much housekeeping to do to have things ready by then.  :-<

4) 11/20- PURPLE COW FESTIVAL!  This is a MUST!  We loved it so much last year and it was only their first time putting it on.  We learned so much and are ready for more! I just hope we can stay the whole time as we did before.  The littlest slept in the sling and the older 2 held out ok.  This year, wee one is much too big and alert to be sleeping in a sling yet still really needs naps.  If you see 2 engrossed parents and 3 screaming kids at the end of a long day... that'd be us.  :->

Time for bed.  And remembering how thankful I am that our dog, Angel, stays on alert and barks away any creatures lurking in the woods.  Especially when she strewed laundry all over the yard last night and ran off with my shoes this morning.  Milking tonight, it was dark and late and she was barking and pacing the edge of the woods... but I felt totally safe.  Not that she would protect me.  No, but she certainly sounds tough.  And that's enough for us here.  Good night, all.