This week has left us with absolutely no doubt; Winter is on it’s way.
Cold nights, icy mornings, lots of leaves for the compost bin.
There’s snow on the mountains and I’ve dug out my farm mitts.
It’s reached that time again; time for the traditional pastime of the worrying about the older members of the menagerie. Especially one of them.
Miss Leia came to live with us 27 August 2013 and winter is now becoming a bit of a drag for her. Last year, when the temperatures finally began to climb again, she was a skinny, bony ladygoat so this summer we’ve worked hard at getting her winter ready. The houses are now lined with pea-straw rather than less-insulating hay and she has been fair slurping up her weekly powershakes (mineral salts and molasses in warm water) and her surreptitious extra rations. She’s looking pretty good actually, but I still worry. Should I perhaps get her a coat? Attempting to wrestle her into an approximation of one recently convinced me she really wasn’t on board. Shelve that plan.
It would be easier if she was a little more pushy, especially around mealtimes, but she’s more of a “Go on, dear, you go first,” kinda girl and her daughter and granddaughters are not ones to look gift horses, or goats for that matter, in the mouth. There’s only one thing that she’s pretty particular about.
That place in the sun, out of the wind, right in front of the feed shed door – that’s Leia’s spot.
Non-negotiable. You can keep your stand-over tactics!
I’m worrying a little less now.
Union Homestead 
Hi. How severe are winters in your area, generally?
They’re pretty tame in the big scheme of things. Where we are a -4 Celcius frost like this morning’s feature on the news as do any snow falls. Animals live in the paddocks all year round.
What a lovely old lady! I hope winter is kind to her and gives her plenty of sunshine.
Oh, me too!
‘There’s snow on the mountains’ is not a sentence I will be typing anytime soon unless I relocate to Victoria’s alpine region. Even there, snow doesn’t fall until about June. As for -4 Celcius frosts, Campbells Creek is more likely to experience those but, it is a little early yet. We’ve been lolling about in glorious autumn sunshine but that looks like turning soon. (Sigh) As for Miss Leia, heat pad? Separate feeding station? I’m glad you’ve fattened her up for the chilly weather ahead.
We’ve been getting lots of sunshine but it comes along with frosty mornings. At the moment, Leia appears to be managing the change of season well…well take it one step at a time 😁
You seem to have done everything that you should though I would have liked action shots of goat coat wrestling.
She was adamant there was no way she was having anything to do with that fashion abomination😊