Every year we have a number of goat babies.  Because our land space and feed bill are limited, we sell  babies in the fall.  In December, I found a home for the final five kids.  We also asked the land owner to take Esther and Abby.   We reviewed his space and lodgings and were satisfied with the security.  Victor Rogers wanted to use goats for grazing.  We thought it was the best home possible. Victor's place was in Penbrooke Township and  he owns 20 acres of brush.  

What we did not contemplate was that rural areas have strong predators.  Victor already had five goats and placed our seven in a separate shed and enclosure.   The fence appeared strong;  however there were barrels near the fence.  When large dogs run in packs, they are vicious predators.  Our hearts were broken when Roger reported at the new year a pack jumped the fence and killed Abby and a baby.  They maimed Esther and bit two others.  We know that Esther has always been wary of dogs and definitely put up a fight. Then they entered Victor's other area and killed three of his five.  Esther was bitten on both front legs, and her care was complicated.  Victor has since set security measures in place. 

We arrived home from holiday break on Thursday January 9, with obligations and weather problems.  We picked up the five goats from the breeders at Manitowac Wisconsin on Friday. The timing was to pickup before snow/rain storm that was going to hit the area and we arrived home as the storm begin.  It brought other problems that required attention with a sudden sewer problem flooding the basement during the weekend.

It was not until Monday  January 13 we fetched  Esther from Penbrooke Township.  Her care by Victor Rogers was going to be very difficult and long. She was completely off her feet, stumbling on her knees and of course uncooperative.  We carried all 155 pounds of her to the van and drove home arriving at dark.  I had communicated with Dr. Vigil over the weekend.  He waited for us and was at the house by 5 pm.  He had received help from a local vet hospital for triage materials.  She had been deeply bitten on her back flank, her right front  leg and three times on her left front leg.  Her left shoulder (or in goat anatomy her elbow)  was swollen full of pus.  Dr. Vigil and I worked in the dark to clean her up.   She had wild look when we put her in our van;  however she knew she was home and tried to use her legs to jump out.  

In these two weeks,  her least damaged leg is better. Because she had not previously  received quality care, there was a lot of infection.  We still clean out infection daily.  I am not certain of her quality of life prospects.  She is  a strong goat, and has begun to stand on the least affected leg.  Yet the other leg has three wounds on it.  Her flank bite has healed into a heart shaped scar.  If she can manage the two block trip to the Waller Street Field, she will be okay.  This will be her retirement space.  Sometimes there is no place like home. 

Even the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has an interesting article on raw unpasteurized milk.  Perhaps it might be useful for all our customers with questions.

We were incredibly grateful for the amazing miracles that seemed to appear each day that we are worked on Rick Thomas' Ramp. Eelco Grodjes, from the Netherlands, arrived on October 31.  The next day he created a proportional  cardboard design.  Saturday we reviewed materials at lumber yards and hardware stores in the suburbs.  Eelco evaluated the materials that could be salvaged from the ancient ramp.  Previously we began our GoFundMe campaign on October 19. 

The first week of November,  daily miracles began to happen.  Monday Luke mentioned the boards we moved from Rice Street, and we paid a neighbor $100.00 for this pile of old 2x4 planks.  Eelco and Josh dismantled the back porch and old ramp.  We began to receive funding on Tuesday.  It was amazing every day this week, something happened to provide either materials or funding to pay for the ramp. Tuesday we received free paint from Paulson's Paint Store in Forest Park.  Wednesday McQuire-Western Lumber Company in Chicago gave us a deep discount for deck boards to cover the sloping ramp structure.  The next day another neighbor offered exactly the needed wood 4x4 posts to complete the structure.

The weather continued to mock us with how cold the season could be with snow and frigid temperatures.  Josh, Luke and Eelco developed the four part ramp at the back of the house.  Every day I chatted with Rick and was encouraged by the beginning of smiles on his face.  The ramp finished just before Thanksgiving.  An amazing effort with more than 20 neighbors participating and two businesses. 

Because Luke came, I could write.  Luke took over milking responsibilities for me last August, done seven days a week twice a day.  Recently Luke began cooking for us at night, which allows me to finish my posts for Facebook , and the newsletter.  He is a volunteer from World Wide Opportunity for Organic Farming (WWOOF) Luke is staying with us for these months he establishes himself in the city of Chicago as a chef and actor.  Luke and his brothers worked in poultry urban farming in Rockford.  We benefit from his knowledge and background as he has a place to live in Chicago.  I personally now have breathing room to reflect God's grace to us this summer through amazing people in our lives.

Our farm was full of activities this last year because we benefited from many volunteers, both local and international, short term and long term. Volunteers and workers have allowed us to accomplish  plans that were dreams now reality.  Danielle Rosen set up our pollinator garden, and worked with us to organize our test cover crops.  Sam Ulmstead happily weeded and weeded anything we put her to do, including our tomatoes and test area.  She also entered milk data into our excel files.  Taylor came through for three days and helped with daily chores.  Her background in community gardens was very useful for changes. Stephanie cleaned up my sales invoices for July and enjoyed goat herding.  Ali, a PHD student who helps on Saturdays, had put up fences and taken down fences as well as cleaned the garage (barn) and planted our test crops. Robin our German WWOOFer came for 10 days to clear out our fields mowing areas that in years' past we had no time to clean.  Joshua came and began to work with dreams of 2020 for managing Waller Street land.     We are very grateful for the changes and the burdens lifted as well as dreams organized for 2020.