It really is difficult to believe that yet another year is drawing to a close. Some days we’re convinced the farm has slipped into a time vortex. One minute it’s February, we blink, and we’ve been instantly transported to the end of December.

Just born – Minnie with baby Bella in March

Unfortunately, we have yet to figure out how to make this time vortex work in reverse. The laws of physics, and space-time, simply don’t apply on the farm any more.

Minnie’s daughter, Bella, in December, sporting her first set of holiday antlers

Part of the reason for this year’s time-slip is that, even though the gardens were left fallow due to our endless drought, we had more than enough to keep us occupied elsewhere on, and off, the farm. That’s why blogging has been scarce this year. If we’re honest, we had so much going on this year, that we’re not sure we would have had much time for a garden, even if we’d planted one. If our recent rains persist though, we’re hoping to revamp our neglected kitchen garden in the spring, and maybe squeeze in a few more blog posts, too.

Bella, with her BFF, Neve

In the meantime it’s fair to say that the farm is now very much centered around the goats. Of course.

“Silly human. Did you really think we wouldn’t become the center of attention?”

Every day, rain (thank goodness we’ve finally had some REAL rain), or shine, every single day is significantly preoccupied with all…things…goat.

“How could anyone resist us?”

It seems like just yesterday that Lotus and Minnie moved into their brand new barn. Now the barn no longer belongs to just the two of them. A few short years later, and (perhaps somewhat to Minnie’s chagrin) there are so many new faces in the Curbstone Valley herd.

“…and some of those faces are rather handsome, don’t you think?”

Thanks to Darby, Magnum, and Zedo…there are many more new faces on the way!

Recent ultrasounds of the goats show that we’ll be busy this next spring too! (click photo to enlarge)

I’m all but certain that the entire neighborhood now only seems to know me as the ‘goat lady’…hopefully sans the ‘crazy’ part, but maybe that’s too much to hope for. Our small herd is always on the list of things to see for visiting friends, family, and neighbors, and we seem to have become the local neighborhood attraction.

“Who wouldn’t want to see us? We’re much better looking than the chickens”

So much so, that sometimes I wonder if anyone notices me at all, but can you blame them? Everyone that meets the goats is entirely enamoured with them, and so are we.

“Being adorable is part of our cunning plan…”

Despite hectic spring kidding seasons, milking each doe twice a day, every day, in all weather, the drive-all-over-the-place pack-the-truck-unpack-the-truck craziness of show season, and the be-prepared-to-drop-everything-to arrange-a-date unpredictability of breeding season, I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. I used to sit in an office, day in, day out, wearing a suit, and high heels.

I traded my heels for well-worn boots some years ago

You couldn’t drag me back to that life, though, for all the stock options, and matching 401(k)’s in the world.

This office is much more fun than an office in the City!

However, I have to admit, that at the moment I’m grateful the year is drawing to a close. After running full steam ahead all year, this is the time of year where we can finally catch our breath, at least a little, before the kids start hitting the straw again in February.

“Wait, I’m gonna have to share MY barn with MORE goats?!”

We finally have a few weeks to catch up on other important farm projects before the predictable sleepless nights, endless hours of bottle feeding babies, and the inevitable myriad of distractions that spring will bring, that lie ahead.

So, while we pause, recharge, and plan our new year ahead, we hope that you can also find some time to do the same.

Don’t forget to leave some hay out for Santa

We’d like to thank all of our friends, family, neighbors, and especially our customers, for all their support this year.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Curbstone Valley Farm

We appreciate each and every one of you, and we are greatly looking forward to seeing what the year ahead will bring for the farm.

In the meantime, we wish you, whether near or far, all the peace, love, and joy of the holiday season, and throughout the coming New Year!