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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

Early this morning eldest daughter went to check the preggo goat and sure 
enough this is what she found:

www.geocities.com/one7thfarmer/cookie2.jpg

She's a LaMancha and although the sire is a Nubian, the kids are all 
LaMancha, in fact, they are nearly clones of their mother.  One billy and one 
nanny 
(no, don't bother telling me that they are properly called 'buck' and 'doe', 
that is for capro-snoots and not for the hardscrabble homesteader focussed on 
putting cabrito and feta on the table.)  We will keep the nanny for a 
replacement 
milker and the billy will either be bartered or become cabrito.

LaManchas have those abriviated ears called by fanciers 'cookie ears', hence 
the mother's name is Cookie and all the kids she's had have had he names of 
Crumbs, Ginger Snap, Sugar, and these two are Oat Meal and Choclate Chip.  We 
wouldn't have chosen a LaMancha, but this goat was a gift and has proven to 
be 
quite an asset.  When the untutored see a LaMancha, they often remark "What 
happened to her ears!?"   In a deadpan we say, "Oh, didn't you know?  Goat 
ears 
are a delicacy.  We often remove the ears for fried goat ear sandwiches!"  At 
this point the children say 'Mmmmm' and give each other knowing looks.  Get's 
'em every time!

-----------------------------------

So this afternoon I'm in a bit of a busy when #2 daughter comes in and grabs 
the mushroom field guide and says, "I just saw the strangest mushroom, want 
to 
come identify it with me?"  I very much enjoy the 11 yo's botany, zoology, 
entomology, and such and I was about to feel bad about turning her down until 
she added,  "It looks like a big raisin on a stalk."

Indeed!  And sure enough she led me to a big flush of morels!

www.geocities.com/one7thfarmer/morel.jpg

I'm not sure the geographic range of these fungi but they are a real treat.   
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