No sooner had we hit the publish button on last weeks missive, did things start to get a bit exciting on the Homestead.

Celebrations for the arrival of little Qwyneesha – who, by the way, can totally rock that name-with-attitude in both looks and personality- had barely reduced to a dull roar when tell-tale noises started emanating from the new goat enclosure. Ms Leia has never been one for the limelight, which is a good thing when you consider the two narcissists she has shared her space with over the years. She’s always been the goat you can count on to wait nicely for the food to be distributed to the bowls, the girl who alerts you to the opened gate rather than sneaking out it, the one animal on the Homestead who senses when you’re a bit down and just need a bit of goatie TLC. In keeping with this she very matter of factly and without fanfare or fainting produced her little brood and then, once they were cleaned and fed, stood back to let us admire them.

There was plenty to admire. The two boys (white and “apricot”) have remained unnamed; the little brown girl is called Sandra. Farm Girl informs us it means ‘the protector of mankind’. That’s nothing to be sniffed at…and besides we’re all pretty enamored of another bearing the name.

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With our soppy attention divided between the two new families we nearly overlooked Ivy’s nest-building in the back paddock.

Baby animals are wonderful time wasters so lately we’ve been spending way too much time leaning on fences, smiling, and playing the ‘Are They or Aren’t They ‘ game with Froda and Marilyn.

As usual, time will tell and it wouldn’t be the Homestead if we weren’t utterly befuddled about this life we’ve chosen. But there is one thing we are sure about, 100%.