Snow, snow go away I am not ready for you today, or yesterday.

Poppie and I got alot of the outside burning done.  Moved the stanchion and the refrigerators that will be smoke houses.  Poppie has a cold smoke house that is actually a building and his grill/smoker but we have two old refrigerator specifically gotten for smokers.  One is one of the wonderful ones with the motor on top from the 30's, the other from the 50's both will make ideal smokers.  One for hot smoking and one maybe for cheese or who knows what.  I made my first goat corned beef this week and it turned out really good, I guess it did, no one could tell it wasn't regular corned beef and had no idea it was goat.  I am making one of pork with the extra brine to see if we like the pork as well as the goat and beef.  The sauerkraut is coming along well too, it is still not to full fermentation but I used it and the corned beef to make Reuben's for potluck. 

We are hoping to get the goat pens situated for winter.  We have two in the barn/shop.  One will be smaller and one bigger, I think we are going to put the older does and the two youngest one, and maybe the three sisters, in the big one and the others in the smaller one.  I am not sure we will let the older ones and the little ones out daily they may just be stalled up for the winter.  The others benefit from being out and about, but the olders and the youngers might just be better off in the confinement.  The angora, Cinnamon, that we got earlier in the year is showing signs of being really really old and I am not sure he will make it throw the winter, when Poppie was burning yesterday he kept getting close to the fire, seemingly for heat.  I may put him in the with the old does but they are not all that fond of him or maybe they know he is weak and will take advantage of him.  I do know that goat really don't abide the weak, they will protect a small goat sometimes, that isn't their but not the weak, small is not always weak.  We will see how it works out.  I have to help Poppie make gates for them this morning.  Well after Cubbie's pre-school time, she didn't get to have it last week with us all being sick didn't want to spread it needlessly. 

The burning was going well when the first little flakes started to float down around us, before the evening was out there was no visibility to the barn, and the old does had hid themselves under a tarp.  The snow came down in a mass of white for hours upon hours, the winter wonderland is everywhere this morning.  It is supposed to snow again today, it was like this a couple years ago early snow and then a black thanksgiving and Christmas, so I hope it is the same this year.  Though that year we had heavy snow in the woods so a win win, snow to quench the draught and for people to play in if they sought it out but none, to speak of, in the valleys or to have to drive in.  I like when the snow is not on the roads, it can be in the lawns, woods or fields but not on the road.  It always amazes me that Montana's seem to forget how to drive in the snow until they navigate the first new snow of the year, invariable the first snow brings a plethora of cars in the ditch, that won't be there a few short weeks later with much more snow on the roads.... so silly.  Well, maybe it isn't the Montanans in the ditch but just the Washingtonians that forget we actually have a speed limit here and they should adhere to it... I digress.  Snow, snow go away I have to much to do today.... tomorrow.