Tuesday, August 23, 2011

What Happened??

My poor gander is all alone now. His mate was brutally killed by a predator, as were all my poultry. A coon is the prime suspect. Fox is a suspect in the killing of a Bronze hen turkey, found across the road in my neighbors lane with her head off. Fifteen ducks, thirty-three chickens, the hen turkey and the goose, a hard economic loss for an operation my size. There is now an electric top and bottom wire on our perimeter fence. I can only hope............


A bright spot to help recover our poultry losses turned out to be Angora goats. These curious creatures are 4 months old and covered in lusterous curls. Goats have odd looking pupils, horizontal bars instead of the round type found in humans, cows, and dogs. In October the fleece is shorn to be spun into luxurious Mohair. Kid mohair, has an extremely fine micron count.



This is the doe, Beauty. Her face is serious, not sugary cute. She carries a colored gene. Colored angoras come in shades of silver, black, cocoaKnown as Red and spotted. Her sire has magnificent fleece, so I have high hopes for her fiber.



These two seem to be having a convo on their new surroundings. "Well what do you think of this place"? Haha



One of the wethers, Miridian. He is very bossy!



Red Gold potatoes, a superb golden flesh that needs no butter.



Northwest side of garden. Finallly after all these years of no water we have access to a hydrant 300' away!



Beaver Dam hot pepper, excellent for stuffing with cheese or meat.



Jaunne Flame and Arbason tomatoes. I have never grown hybrid tomatoes, but this year decided to try Arbason, an organic seed. WAY expensive and way tasty too, I might have to grow this one again.



Belstar Broccoli has set heads despite terrible weather conditions.



Beatrice eggplant, a real beauty that has set lovely fruit this season.



Wooly weeds in the smaller plot. Ah well there is always next year to have the perfect garden.