Temporary Straw Bale Kid Shelter

Last week the weather man started warning us viewers that it is going to be cold this week, really really cold.  I knew it would eventually happen I just did not think it would happen so early.  It is hard to think about temperatures in the 20’s while wearing a short sleeve shirt.   Personally, I am always prepared for cold weather.  But I now have animals to care for and it is whom I immediately thought of as I viewed the weather report.  The cats would be fine and so would the big goats.  The only thing left to do concerning the goat shelter is a little trim and a coat of paint.  The big goats are all wearing a nice thick winter coat so I knew they would be able to handle whatever the weather brings.  It is the younger goats I was concerned about. 

First, Sport has some special needs.  We have known since he was ten weeks old he is a little off.  He doesn’t see as well as other goats and has some neurological deficits.  What concerned me the most is he might be cold natured.  While the other goats spent the summer lying in the shade, Sport chose to be in the sun.  While most goats have no problems with very cold weather, some do get cold.  I was concerned that Sport might not handle the cold as well as the other goats do. 

My second concern was that Sport and the twins are currently living in the vegetable garden.  Sport used to sleep in the dog igloo but a few months ago we stopped seeing evidence that he was still sleeping in it.  I had cleaned out the old straw and put some new straw inside the igloo and the new straw did not get packed down like a goat had been in there.  Since there are no trees or any type of natural shelter available in the garden, I was concerned.  Before that cold front arrived we needed to get something built for the kids.

A month or so ago I learned about straw bale gardening and want to try it out this spring.  So whenever it is convenient I have been picking up some straw bales.  It occurred to me I could use those straw bales to create a temporary shelter for the kids.  Last Friday I made a trip out to my source for straw bales and picked up six more bales.  I then came home and got to work on a temporary straw bale kid shelter.

My little helpers Sport, Zorro, and Boots.

 Straw apparently is yummy tasting.

I stacked the straw bales widest part on the ground for more stability.

Goats like to be as high up as possible.

Checking out their new shelter.

 

 

As expected an arctic cold front came through Sunday evening.  Monday was cold but the temperature did stay above freezing, barely.  That was not the case Tuesday and Wednesday morning when the temperature dropped to 29f here.  I received reports from others in the county of the temperature dropping to 20f.  So it was pretty cold for a few days.  Thankfully it has started warming up to more normal temperatures for December.  As for the kids, I know they love the roof of their new shelter and I have seen evidence that they are going in there at night to sleep.  

November Was Busy

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  Rick’s son brought his family up for the holiday and it was wonderful visiting with everyone.  Rick’s grandchildren are in the 7^th and 9^th grades and they loved feeding and playing with the kids (baby goats).  For safety reasons we did not allow anyone in with the older goats.  Rick’s grandson had fun chopping up a huge pumpkin for the goats, all of whom enjoyed eating it.   These are city teenagers so this was an experience they will long remember.  I am sure they will be out here again soon.
    

The week following Thanksgiving was not so wonderful.  First, Rick came down with a bad cold and with the damp chilly weather outside he was forced to stay indoors and rest.  I know that was hard on him because his to do list is very long.  Then on November 27 Rick received a phone call that he knew he would get sooner than later but hoped it would be later rather than sooner.   The phone call was informing him that Abi had died.  Rick has once been married to Abi’s sister and had been friends with her off and on for 40 years.  Abi has been living in Rick’s house.   Abi’s death was not a shock but it is a sad affair.  Her death also meant Rick needed to go back to San Antonio and clean her stuff out the house and deal with other issues since Abi has no family in town.  We are hoping he will be able to return to the ranch later this week.

    

Before Thanksgiving Rick helped a local elderly man with some plumbing repairs on a rental house.  Rick has had several opportunities to help people in town with maintenance problems.  His ability as a handyman has opened up ministry opportunities to local residents.  Though time does limit what he can do for others.  He has a very busy schedule here at the ranch with a very long to do list.  Really more than any human being can accomplish alone.  Anyone wanting to spend a day or two out in the country is welcome here in exchanged for little help with some of these projects.  

    

Rick also was given the opportunity to preach one Sunday night.  Those who heard him all said he did a great job.  Rick has pastured a church before and preached in non-traditional locations.  So I am sure he will get more opportunities to preach out here in the future.

    

I have been very busy too.  There are also goats to be fed and other chores to accomplish around the ranch.  When the weather makes going outside undesirable, both Rick and I spend our time studying different subjects.  Thanks to the Internet we can access information quickly online and in books and magazines.  We both have a lot to learn so we can accomplish the tasks that God has called us to do.

    

It has been a very busy month overall.  No matter how much work we get done there is still so much more to do both inside and outside the house.  The holiday, followed by Rick getting sick, and then having to leave for San Antonio, has put us behind in our work schedule.  With him gone caring for the animals is left totally up to me.

   
I do have one praise to share.  Back in May we received our first kid.  He was a 2 week old Spanish buck we named Midnight.  I was in the process of weaning Midnight when I got a call asking me if I would like another kid.  Sport, Boer buck, was only hours old when he arrived.  I spent several weeks bottle feeding both boys until finally Midnight was completely weaned.  Then before we could wean Sport, a rancher called us asking us if we would like twins.  Bottle feeding twins was a lot of work and after a few months we started craving a break.  I informed God I did not want to spend the winter having to go outside to give a kid a bottle in the cold.  I wanted a break.  Rick wanted one too as bottle feeding kids really ties us down.  Well, Saturday night we gave the twins their last bottle.  We expected to bottle feed them longer but a few weeks ago they finally started eating grain and suddenly they could care less about that bottle.  So we decided to speed up the weaning process and now we have no kids that need to be bottle fed.  After six months of daily having to go mix goat milk replacer, then prepare bottles multiple times a day and go outside in all kinds of weather to stand bent over feeding kids, we now have a break.  If God wants to give us some free kids in the spring (does please as we have enough boys) then I will freely take them.  But for now I am glad to have a break from that task. 

In closing, last Friday a friend came over and decorated a Mountain Cedar tree at the corner of the driveway and road.  Traffic is very light on that road but for the few cars that pass by they are blessed by Christmas decorations.  This same friend helped decorate the same tree last year and we had fun doing it.  The tree is too far from electricity so we use solar lights.  Instead of garland, this year I decided to go as natural as possible and string popcorn.  It was fun and I am sure the birds will enjoy it.

Installing Electricity

Last August I promised to share photos from the day Pedernales showed up and installed our electricity.  Then a few days later we were hit with microburst straight line winds and well, life took a turn and I just never got back to it.  We have been extremely busy and it has been hard for me to find time to get to it, but I decided I better do it or it will never get done. 
  

Pedernales showed up before 9am and didn’t leave until after 1pm.  Watching the crew work was interesting.  Everyone had their job and didn’t need to be told what to do.  They drove onto the property and immediately got to work.  It was sort of like watching a ballet.  While one used the auger to dig 3 separate holes in rock, others would be preparing a pole, while others would be preparing the wire or working on a different pole or doing something else.  No one took breaks.  No one stood around doing nothing.  Everyone on the crew worked hard that day.  What these guys do every day is physically difficult dangerous work that most of us never think about.  But thanks to them and men like them we have electricity. 

 

Part 1

 

 

 Part 2

   

 

Part 3

 

 

Twins

Typical fall weather has finally arrived.  This morning I folded a load of jeans, both long and short, while wearing a sweat shirt.  It is cold outside.  Two days ago it was shorts weather but overnight that all changed when a cold front came through dropping temps significantly.  It seems every fall and spring I find myself washing summer clothes while wearing winter clothes and vice versa.  Due to the biting wind and chilly weather, no outside work was accomplished yesterday.  Once again this morning the cold weather kept us inside.  But thankfully the sun has finally come out and Rick is outside working.

       

Looking over the last few posts I noticed I have not shared the addition of our twins.  It was September 6 that I received a phone call asking me if I would like the twins.  It is pretty hard to make a living just raising livestock; so many ranchers also run a business.  This particular rancher had been involved in replacing my roof.  During his visit he learned how I had gotten into the goat business and so when he realized one of his doe’s had abandoned her twins, he thought of me.   Some ranchers do have the time to bottle feed their livestock, but many do not and this rancher just didn’t have the time.  We made arrangements to meet him in Rocksprings where he handed over the boys to us.  Their mother clearly had cared for them the day they were born but a day or two later decided to stop mothering them.
  
Carrying for Caprine kids is not nearly as much work as human kids but it still is a big time commitment, which is why some ranchers will give the kid away to anyone wanting a free goat. The first day or two is spent with the kid learning how to suck on the bottle.  Once that is mastered, they are fed four times a day until they are two weeks old.  Then they need to be fed three times a day until they are two months old.  Then they get a bottle twice a day for a month and then just once a day until they are four months old.  Fortunately we have a neighbor willing to come over and feed the kids when we have to be gone during the day.    We are currently weaning the twins off the middle of the day feeding.
  
Right outside the dining room window we have a large dog kennel set up where we keep the kids donated to us.  The twins keep us entertained; they are so funny to watch.  Sometimes they love to run around the kennel, jumping off of cement blocks and playing with each other.  Other times they nap or graze on the alfalfa or grass we provide them.  They are also our alarm clock.  Boots is loud.  He makes a sound like a siren and lets us know when it is time for their next meal.  Sometimes he is a bit early but he always lets us know when they are getting hungry.
  

Boots

Zorro

The twins arrival increased our little goat herd to six.  We now have 2 does, 3 bucks, and a wether.  Our does are Lawn Mower (Boer-meat breed) and Bambi (Nubian/Alpine/something small-dairy breeds).  Our bucks are Midnight (Spanish-meat) and the twins (Boots and Zorro).  The fourth goat we were given turned out to have some genetic issues.  He has vision and some neurological issues.  Many ranchers around here think a goat like Sport should just be sold off for meat but he is such a sweet little boy and having raised him since he was hours old, we did not like that idea.  So he was castrated, thus he is a wether.  I am hopeful with some training that one day Sport will be a working goat.  I am already trying to teach Sport to walk on a lease.  He needs to be about a year old before he will be big enough to start carrying packs and/or pulling a cart. 
 

Sport

Sadly, we cannot keep all three bucks since we only have two does.  The bucks will fight each other and I have read of the looser in such fights literally dying of depression.  So eventually two of them will have to be sold or traded for a doe.  Bottle feeding a kid, at least for us, causes instant attachment and love of the goat, so that will be a sad day for us when it arrives.
  

 

Building Projects, Fairs, and Worms

Time sure flies when you are having fun, or in our case working hard.  Rick and I have been very busy this past month and do not see any relief for some time. 
  

First, we have been busy rebuilding the well house and goat shelter.  The goat shelter still has some work to be done but at least the goats can get out of the rain when necessary.  Rick used what he could of the old shelter but mostly the materials are new.  This new shelter is also well anchored.  The old shelter was attached to the ground but after what happened to the last shelter it became clear we need to build everything for the worst storm possible.  Rick also made some adjustments over the old shelter, one being too off center the doors to help prevent rain from entering the shelter during storms.

    

Facing East

Facing South

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Well House in upside down and
behind the new well house.

As for the well house, we decided to have a little fun.  We could have saved money by buying cheap plywood, but when I spotted the camouflage plywood clearly meant for building deer blinds, I wanted it.  My only other request was to make the well house big enough to function in.  The fact is from time to time wells break.  It may be as simple as an ant sort circuiting the electrical system or a part could break.  The old well house was so small we could barely move around in it.  Also it was so short that we had no choice but to crawl on our hands and knees (a painful activity) to get inside.   Our new well house is much bigger and more expensive than necessary, but it is much nicer to look at and will be more pleasant to have to go inside to fix the well.

   

We had loaned the welder out but it has now been returned, which is good as we still have some fence repair to do.  The fence was knocked over in the storm.  We fixed most of the fence but the gate and supporting posts need to be re-cemented and welded again.  Hopefully next week Rick will be able to get that job done too.

    

September 29 Rick and I traveled to Fredericksburg to attend the annual Renewable Roundup and Green Living Fair.  We were able to attend and listen to a number of excellent and several not-so-good speakers.   Two speakers did stand out.

   
Marjory Wildcraft spoke on “How to Grow Your OwnGroceries”.  Marjory, in the space of most people’s yards, grows most of what she and her family eat.  She gave us lots of helpful information and renewed hope that even though this land is made up of very rocky soil, we can grow a lot of the food we and the future residents will need.  Marjory energized us to start preparing for next year’s garden.  For those who are interested, Marjory advised us to purchase the book, How To Grow More Vegetables, by John Jeavons.  She claims that this is the best book on the subject and is invaluable.  I have purchased but not read the book, yet.
  

Kindra Welch spoke on Natural Building.  I was familiar with many of the natural building technologies she shared with us but this was all new to Rick.  He was very surprised to learn how beautiful these buildings are, in addition to how fire resistant and energy efficient they are.  After arriving home I emailed Kindra and asked about caliche as a building material.  Both Cob and Adobe use clay as one of the ingredients.  Kindra wrote back that caliche is one of her favorite clay materials to use, which is good news because caliche is plentiful around here.

      

Rick and I are now studying the different natural building techniques and preparing for the future.  But there is still one building project that must be completed before we can get started on anything new.  When I purchased the property there was a partial foundation built but not being used.  Materials have already been purchased to utilize that foundation by building a shed on top of it.  We need a place to store the many power tools we have purchased, along with other items and this shed will be perfect. 

     

Rick drilled holes in the bottom allowing
worm juice to seep out into the blue bucket.

Another project we have started is a worm compost.  Looking for a quicker way to compost and Rick likes to fish.  Composting with worms just seemed to make since.  We almost purchased a worm composter but one person wrote a review complaining that during a hot spell all his worms died.  So we looked for a different method and found a YouTube video that provided for hopefully a perfect worm composter for out hot climate.
      

Finally, we had company in September.  Friends came out for a couple days to help repair the cabin/kitty condo's roof and take a mini vacation.  Now the roof will not leak during storms.  This couple has been going through marital issues and not only did they help us but we were able to minister to them too.

   

There is plenty of work to be done, so much in fact that we welcome anyone coming out here who would like to spend a few days volunteering and enjoying the countryside.  Just let us know if this would interest you.

 

The Storm

Every once in awhile life throws bumps in our way.  We are going along our merrily way and then bam—a bump.  That just happened here at The Ranch.  As I shared Saturday afternoon we had spent all week working towards and achieving electricity for the future cabins that will be built.  We had our plans all laid out, at least for the next few days.  Rick needed to address some issues in San Antonio and so the plan was for him to go spend a few days there.  Then-bump.  It took less than one minute for all our plans to change. 

The bump occurred Saturday evening.  No one could have predicted it, hopefully a once in a lifetime storm.  I made a slideshow movie to share what happened.  It might have been a huge bump, but it was just a bump.  We will recover and move on.  It is now two days since the bump occurred and I am not sad.  Rick is not sad.  Instead we praise God for protecting us and the animals.  He is good.  The bump was really a blessing.  When the cabins are built they will be stronger and safer because of Saturday’s bump.

Getting Electricity, Continued

This has been a very busy and exciting week.  As I shared last time we have spent the past few months working towards installing electricity for the cabins we intend to build.  Step one was to clear the area, not an easy task as it was full of large rocks and Mountain Cedar trees.  But working together that task was completed in a couple of weeks.  Then PedernalesElectric Coop came out with their surveying equipment and marked off the area.  Next Rick spent a week building the rack, which in itself was not an easy task.     
    

This part of Texas is rocky.  There are rocks of every size on this property.  I am currently digging a trench so I can build a raised garden bed and I am picking out tiny pieces of gravel and small rocks out of the few inches of top soil I am clearing away.  Under that few inches of top soil I am finding larger chucks of rocks and then bedrock.  The garden is on the South side of the property.  There is a slight downward slope to the land, the North side being a bit higher in elevation then the South side.  The cabins will be built on the North side which is solid rock.  The area where the power pole and cabins will be built is solid rock, there is no top soil.  Around here I like to joke that we take the Bible literally. These cabins are being built on solid rock, no sand for us.

    

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock.  And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded on a rock.  And everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them shall be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the wind blew and beat on that house. And it fell, and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27) 

   

Obviously, one does not dig a hole using a shovel when dealing with solid rock.  Rick used a hammer drill with a one inch chisel to make the holes to put the two steel pipes needed to support the electrical rack.  Then he used cement to secure the pipes in the holes.  That task alone took him two days of hard physical labor.  He would then spend several days building the rack and wiring it.   He also was required to build the weatherhead (the long metal pole with wiring inside that is attached to an electrical pole and covered to protect the wires from rain).  In the city the power company and an electrical contractor would build and install the weather head and rack, but out in the country the home owner is required to complete this job.  Since we are installing a lot more power than a single family dwelling would use, bigger wire was needed.  Minimum code called for 3 strands of copper wire 1 inch (2.54cm) thick.  Each strand was 30 feet (9.14 meters) long.  Not only was this wire heavy but to fit in the weather head it had to be bent, a very difficult task that required my help. 

     

Most of what Rick was required to do would have been done by a licensed electrician if we were in the city.  Out here in the country there are only a few licensed electricians within a hundred mile radius willing to come out this far.  Thankfully Rick has enough electrical experience that with a little guidance from folks at the Electrical Supply Store he was able to accomplish this very difficult task.  If I had been forced to hire a licensed electrician, this project would have cost several thousand dollars more.  As it was the cost of materials to build that rack and weather head were well over $2000 and I had to pay Pedernales Electric Coop over $4000 for their part of the job.

    

Getting that rack built required several trips to both Rocksprings and Kerrville in search of needed items.  Last week we basically made 5 trips in 6 days as Rick faced one challenge after another.  Since we had no way of knowing when Pedernales would come out to install the power poles, Rick had to work fast.  I prayed that he would be totally finished before they arrived.  He finally finished his part of the job on Wednesday, then moved some very large rocks (maybe 100 pounds/46 kg or more each) out of the way for the trucks.  Then in answer to prayer Pedernales arrived Thursday morning.  God answers prayer perfectly.

     

It took Pedernales five large trucks, a crew of men, and 3 ½ hours to complete the job.  Fortunately they arrived in Thursday morning when both of us were home and it was relativity cool.  The morning low that day was 76 (25c) and very humid.  Most mornings we average in the low 70’s (21+c).  We have been hitting 100f (38c) or above most days for several weeks now.  By noon (often 11am for me) it is usually to hot and sunny for either of us to be outside working.  God knew I wanted to take lots of pictures and He arranged for Pedernales to come in the morning so I could do just that.  I am not sure I would have been able to stay out in that sun if they had arrived in the afternoon.  God is good. 

     

I took over 450 pictures and so it is going to take me some time to sift through them.  As soon as I am done I will share more of that day with you all.

    

Getting Electricity

As I sit here I can look out the window at my now four week old tail wagging kid lying in the sun chewing the cud.  He looks so content.  Maybe because he never got his mother’s colostrum, he has seemed to lag behind Midnight (who I got at age two weeks) in development.  Sport has only been enthusiastically eating weeds for the past week and a half and whereas he should have been switched to three bottles a day at week two, it took tell week three to fully make the change.  But he now seems to be doing well and is growing nicely.  He clearly has little horns poking out from the top of his little head.  You just have to look closely.

Since it is currently the hottest part of the day the other goats are no doubt resting in a grove of Mountain Cedar trees that provide a blanket of nettles to lie on and a canopy of shade from above to keep them cool.

The cats are off hiding under the house or in the cabin or who knows where, taking their afternoon siesta.  This time of day I never see them.

Rick and I spend most mornings outside working but around noon both of us have to come inside to eat, rest, and do indoor type work.  It is just too hot to be outside in the middle of the afternoon.  This summer has not been as brutal as last summer, but we have had our share of 100 degree days (38c and above). 

Though the animals need to be tended to every day, they are not our primary focus.  Even when we were busy building the goat enclosure, in the back of our minds was our primary mission—people.  In recent weeks more of our attention has been turned to that mission.

The primary reason this land was purchased has always been to provide a place for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities to live.  For the past few months we have been in the planning stage of building one room cabins.  These cabins will come equipped with a kitchenette and a bathroom will be shared between two cabins.  The cabins will not be luxurious, but will be a roof over someone’s head.  They will also have electricity.

Electricity does not just happen.  It takes a lot of work and a lot of money.  About a month ago Rick and I drove to Junction, about 50 miles (80.47km) north of here, to talk to someone at the Pedernales Electric Coop. office.  

In the 1930’s most of rural America did not have access to electricity.  It took an act of the federal government to change that.  By providing federal assistance, electric coops could be formed whose sole purpose is to construct power lines and provide electricity to ranches and farms across the nation.  Pedernales is one of those coops. 

When I first moved to this property Pedernales had already installed a power pole and electricity to the house.  All I had to do was join the coop for a small fee.  Unlike for-profit electric companies that most people in the US get their electricity from, Pedernales is a not-for-profit cooperative, which means I am not just a customer, I am a member of Pedernales cooperative. As a member I vote in elections for board members, have a vote in changing any and all governing documents, and I have a say in what goes on. 

Though there is a power pole on the property, it feeds the house and the bill is in my name.  It just made since to have another pole installed in the ministries name and located where the cabins will be built.  So Rick and I drove to the Pedernales office in Junction, TX to learn what it will take to have a separate power pole installed.  The short answer is a lot of work and money.

The day after we visited the Pedernales office two engineers came out to the property to take a good look at what we wanted.  With clear instructions of the process we then got to work.

Step one:  Clear the land.  We spent several weeks cutting down Mountain Cedar trees and hauling the branches away.  There were also huge rocks that had to be removed.  Pedernales requires a 20 foot (6.10meters) wide easement for their power poles and rocks and stumps have to be no higher than 3 inches (6.72cm) for their trucks to safely pass over.  Since the power pole will be installed close to the property line, we were fortunate that Pedernales only required us to clear out a 10 foot (3.5meters) wide path.  Even that was a lot of hard backbreaking work.  But we got it done.

Step two:  Survey.  Once the land was cleared the two Pedernales engineers returned to survey the area and place markers where the poles and other equipment would go.  This task was accomplished last week. 

Step Three:  Payment.  We were told it would take a week to get the paperwork completed and the actual cost to be calculated.  Yesterday Rick and I drove back to the Pedernales office in Junction so that I could sign the paperwork and make the necessary payments.  Pedernales demands payment up front, which I can fully understand.  The total cost to them came out to $4256.77.  This total includes the cost of making the ministry a member of Pedernales, but by doing so we avoid taxes.  It will also make it much easier to know how much electricity each cabin is using.

Step Four:  Building the rack:  Before Pedernales will come out to install the power pole, we have to build a rack for the electrical boxes.   So as soon as we were done at the Pedernales office, we drove another 50+ miles (81+km) to Kerrville, where we stopped at the Electrical Supply store.  The materials to build that rack came to $2095.94. 

This morning Rick started the process of building the rack.  This is not an easy job as he must put two metal pipes a minimum of 24 inches (60.96cm) into the ground.  Jesus said a wise man builds his house on rock and not sand.  Well, these cabins are being built on solid rock.  Rick has to dig two 24 inch holes into solid rock.  Not an easy job.

Step Five:  Once Rick finishes building the rack Pedernales will come out and install the power pole and hook up the electricity.

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock.  And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded on a rock. And everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them shall be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the wind blew and beat on that house. And it fell, and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27) 

(Please remember Alpha Omega Christian Communities For The Chemically Injured is a not-for-profit Christian ministry.  We are dependent on the generous contributions of God’s people.) 

Tale Wagging Dinner Time

Sport was born on June 29, only 9 days ago.  It has been fun watching him grow right in front of our eyes. He is so funny when he gets his bottle we just had to share.

The Lord Keeps On Giving

Life with the goats has become routine now that their home is basically finished.  Unlike the garden where they were hanging out, their new enclosure has plenty of weeds for grazing (and I planted some Bermuda grass) so I no longer have to buy hay for them anymore.   I also have been counting the days tell Midnight, my little Black Spanish buck is weaned.
     

We still have a few tasks to do but since the main purpose of AOCCCI is people, not ranching, our focus has changed to other urgent tasks.  This week we have been clearing land of Cedar trees so an electric pole can be installed for the cabins that eventually will be built.   We spend our mornings out working in the heat and our afternoons inside working and resting where it is cool. 

   

We were in the middle of our lunch, looking forward to resting from the exhausting work, when the phone call came.  When I answered the phone my friend simply said, “Do you want another kid?”  I looked across the table and asked Rick, “He wants to know if we want another kid?”  Rick jokingly asked me “whose kid?”  Rick’s attitude was “If God is going to supply we should accept”.  So I told our friend yes, and an hour later he arrived with the newest addition to our little goat family.   One look and I knew we had a Boar goat.  Upon further investigation it appears we have another boy, a buck.  Rick wants to name him Spot because it appears he has some spots on him, and it will confuse people since Spot is usually a dog’s name. 

His first feeding.

He was born this morning.

Feeding Time

New Digs

Today marks a mile stone here at The Ranch.  Today the goats were moved into their new digs.  There is still some work left to do such as painting the fence posts, finishing up the loafing shelter for the goats and building them some toys to climb and play on.  But the fence is complete and so this morning we moved their things into the new goat enclosure.  I can already tell the goats are much happier in their new digs.  They went from the garden which has no shade and nothing left to eat in it to a quarter acre enclosure with trees for shade, plenty of weeds and grass to munch on, room to run around in, and space to just be by one self if desired. 

God Thinks Of Everything

I admit it, I am basically lazy.  I hate house cleaning; I hate weeding; in fact I hate doing a lot of things that just must be done.  So last year as I looked out in my vegetable garden at all the weeds and dying vegetable plants, I dreaded the chore a head.  But heck, this is goat country.  There are thousands of goats, along with sheep and cows that live in the area.  Why not borrow a few goats and let them do all the work.  That is when I started fantasying on borrowing a few goats and looking for an opportunity.  God though had a totally different plan. 
    
It was the middle of November that a Boer doe wandered into my yard.  Shocked, I ran out and led her into the garden to start doing that dreaded chore for me.  After failing to find her owner, I prayed and sensed the Lord telling me she is mine.  At the urging of a friend I decided to name her Lawn Mower.

   

I grew up with cats and dogs, and even a parakeet, but never goats.  So I started talking to the ranchers at church, found a vet and asked questions.  I also found a great site, The Goat Spot, where I could ask questions and read others posts.  One of the first things I was told is it would be good to get her a companion.  Goats are social animals and do better in groups.  So I started praying for a friend for Lawn Mower.

       

I will admit I was jealous when I learned a friend from church had found a baby goat in the middle of the road while driving home one evening.  There were no other goats in the area and guessing the little girl was only days old, my friend put her on the passenger side seat and took her home.  My friend’s teenage daughter named her Bambi and made it very clear she fully intended to keep the goat.

   

That was back in February.  This same family was given another newborn goat two months later in April.  The daughter was delighted but her father was not.  The daughter talked about showing one or both of the goats in 4-H shows, but was never home to provide any care for either of the goats.  Her father, who is retired, was forced to bottle feed both goats as no one else was ever home to do it.  

   

The second goat was just a little over 2 weeks old when I got the call.  The daughter finally agreed to give the little guy up.  I hopped into the car and drove the 16 miles to their home to get him.  A solid black Spanish buck greeted me in the yard. 

   

It was the end of April when I brought him home and named him Midnight. About a month later, nearing the end of May I got the second call. The father was fed up and I could have Bambi too. Once again I hopped into my car and drove the 16 miles to pick her up. Now my goat family was complete.

One look at Lawn Mower and everyone knew she is a Boer goat.  No question what so ever. All I had to do was describe her to folks and they would say she sounded like a Boer.  When I brought Midnight home a neighbor rancher was picking up his mail so I stopped and showed him my new goat.  He told me I had a little Spanish boy, after checking to see the gender.  But Bambi was a mystery.  My friends were clueless as to what kind of goat she is.  The few people who came by and looked at her also did not know.  I did not know either.  So I took some pictures, went over to The Goat Spot, and asked other goat experts.  That is when I found out Bambi is Nubian/Alpine/ and ???.  Basically she is a dairy goat.  Boer and Spanish goats are raised for meat.  Nubian and Alpine’s are dairy goats. 
   

I am learning other things about these breeds too.  Boer goats are popular meat goats and any kid with Boer in it is worth a lot of money.  They are big strong goats that were developed in South Africa.  My Boer is a doe (female). 

  

A friend told me Boer bucks (male) can be mean, even cruel towards does even if they are still nursing kids (baby goats).  She told me they use to have a Boer buck and he would force the does to the ground, forcefully breed, endangering her kids.  She made her husband get rid of the Boer buck and replace him with a Spanish buck.  My little buck is a Spanish goat.  Spanish goats are also meat goats.

   

Nubians and Alpines produce a lot of milk.  Of course only does produce the milk and I have a doe.  I guess I better purchase a book on Dairy goats and get ready to start learning how to milk a goat come spring or summer.

   

God just thinks of everything.  He provided AOCCCI with meat goats to raise and sell more meat goats.  He provided AOCCCI with a dairy goat so we could have goat’s milk and raise more dairy goats.  If you would have told me eight months ago I would soon be in the goat business I would not have believed you.  But here I am caring for free three goats and marveling at what God has provided.  He does think of everything.

Who is Rick Sanchez and Midnight?

Recently it occurred to me that I should share a little about Rick Sanchez since he is now living at The Ranch.  Rick was born in 1947 and spent his childhood in San Antonio, TX.  He attended Catholic school through the fifth grade and then attended public school.  He came of age during the Vietnam War, and since he didn’t know any Vietnamese decided he was not interested in going over to Vietnam to fight.  So he joined the Coast Guard where he served for four years.   On March 4, 1973 for the first time Rick heard and understood the gospel and turned his life over to Jesus.  His life has never been the same since.

         

During his lifetime Rick has worked in a variety of fields, everything from Commodities Trading, selling door to door, engineering, Real Estate sales, to construction.  He was ordained into the ministry in 1975 and served a senior chaplain in the jail system of Omaha Nebraska till 1983.  During that time he also pastured two churches.  After leaving Omaha he continued in ministry by preaching at parole offices, homeless missions, nursing homes, and anywhere the Lord opened up.
      

During the late 80’s Rick began working in situations that required him to travel to Mexico.  It was then that he first learned Spanish which has served him well ever since.  Around 1989 he moved to Mexico where he worked as a consultant helping many big companies solve their engineering problems.  It was with much remorse that he had to leave this very lucrative work, but a phone call from his father asking him to return to San Antonio to take care of ailing parents led Rick to do just that.  He would spend ten years of his life caring for his parents full time and working for himself as a handyman and remodeling contractor.  Rick’s mother passed away in 2006 and his father in 2011 at age 96.  Rick has three sons from different marriages, but no daughters.

      

I first met Rick at church in San Antonio.  At first he was just another person in my Sunday School class but circumstances caused us to start sitting together in church.  Slowly we got to know each other and soon were good friends.  Back in 2010 he helped me move all my belongings out here, driving the U-Hall truck and making several trips with me.  I will always be indebted for the help I received my first few months moving out here as he was able to help me with a number of problems I encountered such as water well repairs, turning on the electricity and propane tank, and a number of minor maintenance issues.  Several months after I moved out here his father’s health took a turn for the worst and Rick was unable to leave San Antonio again until after his father’s passing.

     

It was a Friday evening in November (2011) that I looked out my kitchen window and saw a goat.  That December Rick volunteered to come out and build me a goat enclosure.  Little did he know the job would be much tougher then he could imagine.  He has built lots of fences in San Antonio, all in soil.  There is very little soil here but lots of rock.  Rick assumed building me a fence would be a quick job until he got out here and started working.  Multiple trips out here later, Rick began feeling God was calling him to relocate to The Ranch and serve Him by helping me with a number of projects and ministering to others in Rocksprings.

        

Rick though is not the only new resident here.  Soon after I knew I was suppose to keep the goat that showed up in my yard last November, I named her Lawn Mower and started educating myself about goats and their care.  One of the first things I learned is they are herd animals and do best with other goats.  It didn’t take to many months before I knew Lawn Mower needed a friend.  God gave me one free goat; He could easily give me second goat for free, especially since this is goat country.  So Rick and I started praying for a second goat. 
     

Most ranchers breed their goats and sheep so they give birth sometime in the spring (February through April).  At times it has been tough to wait on God, especially as I have seen kids and lambs with their mother’s grazing in the fields and knew time was running out to find or be given an orphaned kid.  One day in mid April it occurred to me if I was to get a kid that very day I would have nothing to feed it.  So Rick and I drove to Kerrville and bought needed supplies at a Livestock feed store.  The Bible says faith without action is dead.  I had now put into action my faith that God would provide me a playmate for Lawn Mower. 

        
Not long after that trip a friend was given a 2 day old black Spanish-mix kid.  I will admit I was jealous.  This friend already had a kid that they had found wandering in the road and now they had two.  All I could do was pray.  If God meant one of these kids to come live here it would happen.  If not, I knew at the right time the right kid would show up.  I just had to keep believing God would answer my prayer for another goat.  Last Monday, April 30, God answered that prayer when my friend  called me and said the family had made a decision and if I still wanted a goat I could have their little black kid.  I immediately jumped into my car and went picked him up.  The kid did not officially have a name yet, but one of the names he was being called was “Midnight”, which Rick and I both liked and decided to officially name him.  Today Midnight turned 3 weeks old.

   

So now The Ranch is home to six: Rick and I, Little Bit and Tiger (cats), and Lawn Mower and Midnight (goats).

Work Continues On The Goat Enclosure

According to the calendar it is still spring, but it already feels like summer.  Last week we finally gave up working in the afternoon due to the heat.  In case you missed the past few posts, we include Rick Sanchez and me.  After much prayer Rick decided God was leading him to move out here to help me with the many building projects that need to be accomplished and to minister to others in a variety of ways. 

        

Rick has been working on this first project for months now.  At first he thought installing a goat fence would be easy until he came out here and discovered soil is scarce but rock (including bedrock) is plentiful.  But after many months of work, talking to others in the area about local fence building techniques, and purchasing a lot of new tools, this week Rick finally dug his last hole.  He still has a few more support posts to weld and then he will be done with stage one of installing a fence for a goat enclosure. 

    

Up until this past week we were able to work outside most of the day, but our afternoon highs are now reaching into the 90’sF (32C and higher).  So starting this past week we have had to resort to indoor activities during the hot afternoons.  So our pattern has been to work all morning, come in for lunch and then rest and work inside until supper.  After supper the sun is no longer overhead and therefore not beating down on us, so we can resume working outdoors until dusk.

     

While Rick has been digging holes and then pouring concrete around pipe and t-posts, I have been scraping dirt off a slab of rock which will form the foundation of a goat shelter.  Once again this job proved easier said than done.  I purchased a flat shovel for scrapping up the dirt.  I would use a hoe to break up the dirt and then by hand push the dirt onto the shovel as roots and rocks often prevented me from sliding the shovel under all the dirt.  Due to abundance of rocks around here, roots are often very shallow and therefore make the project more difficult.  I also had to pick out anywhere from 10 to 30 rocks per each shovel-full of dirt.  That is no exaggeration.  The rocks ranged from large (requiring two hands to pick them up) to the size of a green pea.  Sometimes it feels like for every rock I picked out of the wheelbarrow, five more would spontaneously form.  

    

Stage one of building a goat shelter is to remove the dirt down to the bedrock and I too am nearing the completion of this stage.   I have a little over a foot more to go and then I too will be done with stage one.  Then Rick will anchor three 4 by 4’s to the bedrock.  Once he is done I will start hauling caliche to form the floor of the shelter as the floor must be elevated so when it rains the shelter will not flood. Goats do not like to get their hooves wet.  At first I thought about pouring cement to even out and raise the floor, but upon further study learned that cement is hard on goat hooves.  Caliche is dirt and rock made up of sodium nitrate and/or calcium-carbonate which occurs naturally in this part of the country and South America.  It packs down hard and is often used for shelter floors, dirt roads, and many other tasks.  For instance it was used to cover all the plumbing pipes to prevent freezes since it is impossible to bury pipes underground. 

    

We both are excited to see the completion of stage one of building a goat enclosure.  Stage one of both projects is the most time consuming part of the job.  The next stages should go much faster and in no time there should be a completed quarter acre goat enclosure for Lawn Mower to roam around in.  Once she is out of the garden, the plan is to head for Kerrville and buy vegetable plants.  If it was not for the goat I would have had a vegetable garden planted by March at the latest.  So I am eager to get one in the ground.

   

We may be spending a lot of our time outside working on the goat enclosure, feeding and taking care of the animals and other related tasks, but there is plenty to do inside during those hot afternoons that are now upon us.  Both Rick and I are busy studying various topics and preparing for the future.  We also have had lots of conversations concerning the future.  Alpha Omega Christian Communities For The Chemically Sensitive (AOCCCI) is about helping people, especially chronically ill homeless people.  In order to fulfill our purpose we need to build cabins and other structures; so many of our topics of conversation center on those topics.  This is a Christian ministry, so many of our topics of conversation center on God.  We have also been watching videos in the evening dealing with the topics of the brain, mind/body/spirit connection, and the occasional Christian movie.  We also read.  I just finished The Meat Goat Handbook; Raising goats for food, profit, and fun, by Yvonne Zweede-Tucker.  I enjoyed the book, especially the photos.  I did learn a lot about raising goats and can recommend this book to any novice interested in the topic.  I have another book on the topic of meat goats to read, but I think the next book I will read will be a Christian book.

      

This past week a potted  cactus and a prickly pear blessed us with beautiful flowers: