Baby Goats

Yesterday, March the 28th, our nanny goat Rosebud, gave birth to three babies. Thankfully, all are well, despite their being born while we were gone, and in the rain.

Biltong

Last year some friends introduced me to the enjoyment of South African jerky, called biltong, I was immediately hooked. After spending a good amount of money buying it, I decided that there had to be a way of making it myself. After some internet searching I found a site called biltongbox.com and there was my answer. It is a website for people who, most likely, grew up in South Africa eating the stuff, but no longer live there and miss the taste.

So, I employed our friend Paul Trimble, who does a lot of handyman work for us, and gave him the plans for the box. He had it finished in less than a day and by the next day I had meat dying. It is very simple; beef, salt, vinegar, pepper and coriander, dry and cut. It all takes 2-3 days to process and dry, and about one day to eat. Most of us here on the farm like it, I do know some people who don't like, and that can't be understood.

Family Ski Trip

Ober Gatlinburg resort. Robert is the lone skier on the slope.

Smokey Mountain National Park

Gatlinburg, view from tram.

This week we took the kids skiing for their first time. We went to Gatlinburg TN, a resort in the Smokey Mountains of TN, we all had a great time.

We all went to the ski school before hitting the slopes, and Jeff and the kids did great. They moved from the lesson slope to the next level very quickly, and by day two, Jeff and Maria were ready for the black diamonds. I on the other hand had to spend all of the first day, and half of the second day on the lesson slope. I eventually figured it out and we all enjoyed riding the lifts and skiing together. It was a great trip and a lot of fun for all.

We also went ice skating at the ski resort and everyone did well. It had been years since any of us had been skating and Helena and Robert had never been before.

Gatlinburg has a new aquarium and it was very nice. We had never been to an aquarium where you walk under the tank and the fish swim on three sides of the walkway.

We rented a cabin that has a hot tub and we all sat in the hot tub at the end of the day. It was difficult stepping outside in your swimsuit when it was 33 and snowing, but the water felt so good.