My first goat milking lesson

My friend Tracy and her family are going out of town for two weeks. While I'll be caring for my own animals, I'll also be feeding her menagerie once a day, which my friend Joleen and I will share responsibility.

BUT ... Tracy has some high maintenance critters at present and they are going to hang out here at Hoppy Hollow in the interim. For one, there is "Lamby," who needs to be bottle fed three times a day. Now there is nothing cuter than a baby lamb and she follows me all over the place when she's not in her pen on the deck. Then there's Fannie the goat, who needs milking twice a day. Fannie is also joined by two other goats for company.

While Hayes is an experienced goat milker, having helped Tracy with farm chores during the times she's stayed there, I needed a lesson because Hayes will be gone for a few days and I'll be on my own.

Here is Tracy giving me a lesson: It was a little weird milking and remembering it wasn't that long ago I was nursing Chooj and, well, I just won't go there. TMI.
I got the hang of it pretty quickly ...

then Tracy stepped in to show me I wasn't being aggressive enough with my milking.

( I have a friend who just loves that I don't dye my hair, but I tell you after seeing this picture, I'm just vain enough to be about over it.)

While much of the milk will go for Lamby, I also intend to store some for the crockpot yogurt and soft cheeses I make.