I got on the scale to weigh Umbra the other day (48 lbs, oof!) & for the first time since I first got preggers with DD, I weigh in under 140 lbs. 137 to be exact! WOO HOO!!
The shade cloth is indeed dropping the temp both inside the house & for the rabbits. DH is now insisting that we do the front.
We are planning a trip this weekend to my MIL's place. I love going there, but this time I am worried, anxious, whatever. I'm all aflutter! I didn't fret this much when I left my first born for the first time!
I've got the instructions all typed out, the girls have come over to practice several times. They seem to have caught on and the goats like them. My best friend will be staying at our house to housesit while we are gone, so there shouldn't be any problems but...
We got the lumber for the new goat shed, erected the corner posts & framed it in. All we have to do is slap the siding on & the roof and the goats will have a comfy place all of their own. They've been lounging under the rabbit tarp when we let them closer to the house to clean up the grasses, and we had a shelter of sorts hung up in the field to keep off the rain & sun, but it will be nice for sure to have their own place. We will finish it tonight & tomorrow and hopefully the goats will be somewhat used to it when we return. Once we get back, we'll move the hay feeder & water bucket in there & feed storage as well.
The runty baby rabbit has caught up with his/her siblings, so apparently no need to cull. I think it may have just missed a few feedings in the beginning, I did find it rather lost in the bedding a few times, away from the others. I just kept putting her back every time and now I can't even tell which one it was. We won't be breeding him/her anyways, I'm just glad its not sick. The little buggers are jumping in & out of the nesting box & are fully furred with open eyes. They are starting to mouth mama's feed & nose the waterer too.
The first litter is just about ready to pull from mama & begin putting them on pasture. I still need to do a few mods to the tractor before turning them out tho.
Dixie continues to give 3/4 of a gallon daily, with ocassional gallon days, which is now not enough to keep us in milk with any hope of a surplus. I'm glad I bought Umbra now and can't wait until this fall when I will hopefully breed her & Dixie. I hope to find a pygmy breeder with a good looking place. Failing that, I will get with their former owner to breed her there. She keeps two intact bucks of good milkers, just so she doesn't worry about inbreeding. They can both be bred to her newer buck, who is a completely separate line than either of them, but still comes from a good line.
Lucky still delights in stepping on my feet and his horn caught my arm the other day. I'm eyeing him more & more for the freezer... Seriously, I look at him and think "Mmmm, you'd make a mean curry."
The chickens are doing great, ranging all over the fenced in field with an ocassional escapee. No eggs yet, bah. Probably start laying while we are gone.
) And congrats on the svelte figure....need a pic of that, too. Imagine that....weight management on fatty whole dairy products....hmmph! 
<<<cheesy smile!
delicious sweet, fresh goat's milk. And real, honest to goodness butter (storebought, but still). And eggs when I can trade for them, straight out of a chicken's butt! Oh, and let's not forget the bacon grease! Mmmmm, okay, thanks, you got me thinking about fat, which got me thinking about food and now I'm hungry... 
