Barn Building 2013: Video

Here it is, the video of all the barn building work that happened at the homestead over the summer.



You know our philosophy of only building as we can afford to, of not putting ourselves into debt. Well, I confess we adapted- just a bitsy. We did end up needing a small loan to finish our work for the year. And, there are Pros and Cons to this. On the Pro side: we are living like it is 2016, the barn is soooo ahead of schedule. This frees our time and minds to work on smaller projects, no less important; like expanding the turkey yard and getting the gardens put to bed for the winter, ready for the new Spring. I love driving into the yard and seeing that "Big 'Ole Barn" waiting for me, knowing all the goats have good shelter for the winter to come. I imagine the loft filled with sweet smelling hay. In the Con column: we have an outstanding loan and owe nearly $2,000 for barn materials. Over the last 2 years, we built a solid 20x30, two-story, metal roofed barn, all told, for about $5,000. Could we have done it for less? Of course. But, doing so would have taken a couple more years for us to find all the dirt cheap or donated supplies we needed. Consider the time involved finding and obtaining those supplies and the work involved making them ready for use. Consider the yard space needed to store the supplies until we had enough on hand to continue the work. In the meantime, the barn would have been usable, but it would have leaked some, not be nearly as nice to gaze upon and it probably would not have been so solidly put together. I think we made the right choice. We reused everything we could, accepted donations of windows (Thank you, Ryan & Kimmy and Brad & Debbie!) and Typar (Thanks, Dad!) and purchased new where we needed.

We still need to finish building the doors between the stalls and pasture and upstairs in the hay loft. We need to finish wrapping in Typar to protect the OSB from the weather. And, those things will be done this year.

Next year, when the weather breaks, we'll begin the work of siding the barn permanently and painting it. Barn Red, of course.

I have to say how appreciative we are for our family's support and help and that of our friends. Daddy Dale was here most days working on the barn, with Sean or I, or alone. Momma Twombly made some fantastic meals for us, took on shipping out the jewelry ordered from out-of-state this summer, and helped me at the Belfast Art Market each Friday. Justin and Caitlin pitched in to lend a hand on projects or around the homestead. Kristen and Meaghan helped with keeping the house tidy. Sonja's Dad, John donated the Typar to finish wrapping the barn. Ryan and Kimmy donated the new windows for the kidding stall area. Brad and Debbie donated the new upstairs windows. Keith and Nancy loaned us their ladders. Uncle Alan loaned us his nail gun. The list is pretty extensive and I apologize if I have overlooked anyone. We appreciate all of your kindness and support. ♥

Thanks for visiting today, friends. See you soon!
Sonja ♥

Naomi Joins the Herd

One of the services Sean and I provide is that of a "goat school" for some of our neighbors, newer to keeping goats and full of the same questions Sean and I had when we began. For a flat fee (based on the number of goats in the herd) Sean and I call on our students at their homesteads at the beginning of each month. During our visit, we show our students how to check over their goats for potential issues. We look at the goat's weight, posture, postern, hooves, eyelid color, coat, etc. We discuss things like; how much and what kind of feed to provide, how often to worm, and how and when to trim hooves. We help our students to get used to keeping good records about the health of their herd. Depending on what topic is of interest during the visit, we print out reference sheets from reputable internet sources for our students to add to their "farm binder".

Our goal is for our students to feel more comfortable in providing routine care for their herd, which can mean a healthier herd. Of course, since neither Sean nor I are veterinary doctors and do not pretend to know everything there is to know about goats, we always refer our students to a licensed, reputable Vet if a medical need arises. But, the reality is many homesteaders and hobby farmers treat routine issues without calling on the services of their Vet: things like, worming, trimming hooves, treating mild cases of scouring, kidding, and the like. We learned from trial and error, asking advice from other goat keepers, and lots and lots of research when things cropped up over the years. I remember vividly the panic I felt the first time Leah began scouring and I didn't know what to do. Scouring is still a serious concern to be addressed, but how much more comfortable I am in my knowledge of how to treat it now!

It was on such a visit earlier this month that we met the little Nigerian Dwarf doe that would come home with us for Zacchaeus (when he gets bigger). Originally, our only plan for Zacchaeus was to employ him as our farm's embassador, as cute, good-natured and small as he is. But, after looking over our student's newly acquired (and soon to be sold) herd of 6 Nigerian Dwarf goats, I had an epiphany: the lovely red doe was 2 years old and was supposed to be about 2 1/2 months pregnant. Neither she nor any potential doelings would be related to Zacchaeus. Best case scenario, little red would have at least one doe kid which would give us two Nigerian Dwarf does available for breeding in coming years. Worst case scenario, little red was not pregnant, but she could be bred to Zacchaeus next year and we'd have additional milk and kids to sell. With these thoughts in mind, we made an offer for her.

Now, you may be wondering why someone would acquire goats and then immediately sell them. Basically, our student had it in mind to keep Nigerian Dwarfs. The breed is popular for many reasons, among them: they remain small, eat less than full sized breeds, have delicious milk, and are often good tempered. This group of Nigerians were lovely, small, and probably would have delicious milk, but they were not friendly with other goats. In fact, though nearly half the size of their full-sized compatriots, these Nigerian Dwarfs had no problem violently ramming the others often and without provocation. After a week of this and in fear of damage to their other goats, our student found them a new home without any other goats to bother. 

And now, you may be wondering, why on Earth would you want one of these goats in our herd of docile and loveable goats. Well, here was my thinking on that. Adding a single goat to a herd is not usually recommended. Herds have a dominance order, like most animals and they establish this order with verbal cues and by feigning head butting and if that doesn't get the message across, actual ramming. It is usually better to add new goats in pairs because many people (us included) believe that the newer goats get accepted better into the herd that way. No one goat is being picked on overmuch when there are two new ones added and the new goats have each other to hang with and snuggle at night. Adding a single goat who thinks she is dominant into a herd of goats who have a differing opinion can go one of two ways. Either the dominant thinking goat is right and she shows all the other goats that immediately and they usually settle in. Or, the dominant thinking goat is wrong and she finds out that the rest of the herd won't stand for the bad behavior. In either of these cases, the new doe is accepted into the herd within a little time. Now, sometimes, the dominant goat never learns and actual fighting breaks out within the herd. In cases like this, we feel it is best to remove the aggressive doe for everyone's safety. Since our student was not selling the other Nigerians until the end of the week, we took the red home on a trial basis, hopeful that she would settle in.

 

And, that is what happened. We named little red, "Naomi."



Naomi (2 years old and full grown) with Keren (born March 2013)
They are very nearly the same size.

The first night, we decided to introduce Naomi to the doe kids because they were currently the same size and in our experience kids seem to be more accepting of new additions and changes to their routine. A little sniffing of each other, a feigned head butting from Naomi and everyone went back to their resting places to chew their cud and/or sleep. It was quite uneventful, really.

In the morning, after we milked the does and fed everyone, we let the kids and Miss Naomi into the main pasture. The older does nosed about the new addition. Some of them went on alert with their tails straight up, but within a few minutes, it was business as usual in the yard. Sean left for work and I kept watch on the does for a while, but other than their normal romping, eating, and playing, there was nothing to be concerned about.



Naomi sunning herself in the front pasture. The fencing to the wooded back
pasture is open, but the goats generally remain in the front in the morning and
then, in the heat of the afternoon, retire to browse the shrubs and trees.

And, so Naomi has joined us at the farm. It is difficult for us to tell if she is pregnant or not, but we'll start looking for the signs of kidding in November. I prefer to kid in the spring, but I am not entirely displeased at the thought of a new 2 pound baby to love. ♥

Thanks for visiting today, Friends. I am sure glad you came.
Sonja ♥

Barn Building: Part 6 The 2nd Story and Roof!

Wow. Someone is building a Big Ole' Barn. And, it is just that. Big. Wonderfully large and roomy with stalls for the critters, a milking room for me, and wood storage for Sean. I preparation for this post, I took a little time to review the progress we are making and all I can say is, "Wow."

Part One April 2012
Part Two April 2012
Part Three October 2012
Part Four October 2012
Part Five November 2012

Leveling the barn in the fall of 2012. Can you spot Ellie? 

Jedi checking the work.

Before we could continue building the 2nd story of the barn, our foundation had settled over the winter and needed leveling again, badly. Gravel was delivered and Sean and Daddy Dale began the delicate balancing act of raising the front wall about 8 inches. Jacking the barn into position was time consuming, especially when you add a nosey buck into the mix. Jedi kept a close eye on what was happening- ready to step in should the need arise.

Once the first floor was properly level, new 2x6 floor supports were installed and CDX laid. Then, it was time to frame the 4 foot kick wall.

 

After Daddy Dale installed the kick wall, Sean and he began assembling the gambrel roof trusses. Our plans called for securing the trusses together at the proper angle with gussets. That was the easy part. Attaching them to the ridge board became a 5 person job. Caitlin, Justin and I all pitched in to help steady and hold beams in place as Daddy Dale directed things while he and Sean nailed it all together.

 

 Since the roof is 16 feet above the second story floor, the step ladder did not cut it. Undeterred, Daddy Dale came up with a creative solution. He screwed two 8 foot pallets together top and bottom into a make-shift ladder, dubbed "The Widow Maker."

The first section of the ridge beam and trusses in place.

A quick break for a cool drink and it is back to work. Justin and Sean hold the beam in place at both ends while Daddy Dale uses the nail gun to secure each 2x6.

 When we framed, sheathed, and temporarily roofed the barn for winter last year, we used screws to fasten everything. It was much faster than the alternative of hammering nails. What a blessing it is to have borrowed Uncle Alan's nail gun for this phase of the building. I confess, I was a little worried about someone getting a nail shot where it shouldn't. That fear aside, using the nail gun saved us sooooo much time.

Thank you, Uncle Alan!

It took a little longer than the men hoped it would to complete the roof truss installation, but by the end of the week, they were all in place and ready for the 2x4 strapping that would support the brand new metal roof. And, that is the next step.

Daddy Dale and I ordered the metal roofing material from Crescent Lumber yesterday. Not only did they have the best price, but they are a local, family-owned lumber company. They create the metal roofing themselves in 16 colors and deliver for free! Can't go wrong with that.

I cannot express how happy I am to have the roofing scheduled to be completed this weekend. I know the goats and Jasmine will appreciate it, too. With the  protective tarp removed while we frame, the stalls are getting more wet than is comfortable for any of us any time it rains.

I have been trying to catch up on this summer's happenings, but it has been slow going on the writing end. I have some upcoming posts about more ducklings hatching, getting our guinea fowl, updates on our turkeys, and more goat happenings. Thank you for your patience as I sort through all of the video and pictures. :) I appreciate it.

I am glad you stopped in for a visit with us. We love your company and comments.
Sonja ♥

Our Anniversary Gift ♥

For our 5th wedding anniversary at the beginning of August, Sean and I discussed how we wanted to celebrate. We tossed about going to the Highland Games in NH for the weekend. (I am Scots <clan Murray> and in previous years (17 of them) the games had been almost a pilgrimage of sorts, so this idea had much appeal). Reason prevailed though. With our barn in mid-construction mode and Sean's Daddy only here a few more weeks, an overnight trip was out of the question. The games would be a miss this year. So, that left us the usual options of (1) dinner and a movie or (2) a nice day trip somewhere. . . The day trip won out when we found an ad in the Uncle Henry's for ADGA Lamancha doelings living in Littleton, Maine (about 3 hours north of us).

Honey (in front)  and Delilah (in back)

Jackpot, their sire sports a
magnificent beard.

At their small and growing family farm, Udderly Blessed Goat Dairy & Homestead, we met Carla Hamilton and her family, and fell in love with her sweet herd of well cared for, friendly Lamancha goats. We met and played with all the doe kids birthed on the farm and then, met the does that birthed them and Jackpot, Carla's Lamancha buck. Many factors were involved in our decision, but meeting the sire and dams of the kids sealed it for us. Delilah and Honey were to be ours. I am very excited about adding these particular does to our herd. Friendliness counts for a lot, but so does production and breeding. If these doelings produce anywhere near the 5-7 pounds of milk their Mommas do, we will be swimming in fresh milk before too long. Side note: Sean nor I had never seen does with udders the size of these! These ladies made Ellie look small and she is a solid lass. I cannot wait to see how their kids do when their time comes for breeding and milking. ♥

The trip home was uneventful. We settled the doelings into a clean and empty stall and spent some time watching them investigate their new home.

Delilah has fuzzy pants! How cute is that?

We always recommend quarantine for new animals added to a farm and we follow that rule ourselves, usually. Despite that, we decided to introduce the doelings to our kids the next morning. To be candid, it was easier to have all the littles in one place. But, more importantly to our convenience, we were satisfied that these doelings came from a clean, closed herd recently tested negative of Johne's Disease, Caprine arthritic Encephelitis (CAE), and Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL). We introduced Honey and Delilah to our herd in the woods. After dropping a bunch of tall branches full of green leaves, we coaxed the doelings to follow us into the woods to meet the rest of the herd. Everyone was too busy munching on leaves to pay the newcomers much heed.

"Hey! Who is THAT?"

Honey ♥

Honey and Delilah are quite people friendly, but this "meeting new goats thing" was a whole new situation, so they mainly stayed with Sean and I, keeping an interested eye on the others. And, that was that. The kids born on the farm accepted the new does with a sniff and some playful romping. That night, they all piled together and slept in the kidding stall without complaint. The older does, protective of their young, will occasionally dole out a token push, but the doelings move out of their way, good naturedly. Delilah follows me around and either stands between my feet or with her head leaned on the back of my thigh. Honey is Sean's girl. She is a little skittish of the petting and loves, but she wants to be right with you- wherever you are and under your feet, if that can be managed.

We are so happy with this addition to our growing farm and have big plans for the future. This fall/winter breeding season is all about the Lamanchas. We plan on finding the perfect fella to breed Ellie for her final year. After this, Ellie will be retired and live out the rest of her days on our farm. We'll keep one of Ellie's doe kids (if she has a doe) to take her place in the milk room. Ellie's daughter, Abigail, now 18 months old, will be bred this year for the first time and we are hopeful for some fantastic kids from her. Joining Ellie and Abigail in breeding this year are Leah and Jane. Leah is scheduled for breeding again this year because we need to get her on the right breeding cycle.

Next year, it will be all about the Oberhausli line. Ruby, Salome, Hadassah, Keren, and Rachel will all be bred. Our goal is to have 6 goat does in milk each year; one year Lamanchas, the next Oberhauslis. We are on our way!

Thanks for visiting today, Friends. I am glad you stopped by.
Sonja ♥

Also shared with Farm Chit Chat

Zacchaeus and Expanded Field Fencing

I woke this morning with more energy than I have felt (and faked) these past months. By 7am, the milking had been finished, the milk strained and its weigh recorded, and all the equipment sterilized and ready for tomorrow. My brain has been simultaneously processing many lists of things needing to be accomplished in the next few days; preparing new jewelry pieces for the Belfast Art Market on Friday, deep cleaning this disaster of a home, ordering lumber and supplies for the barn leveling and 2nd floor construction, clearing the debris from the yard, catching up on writing about the happenings... On that note, I have been capturing video and images of life on the homestead, even though I hadn't the time to actually edit or post any of them.


Zacchaeus 2 days old 2013

Starting today, I will write and post some "catch up" images and video. And, as things happen around here, I'll record those for you, too. It is not my intention to give you all whiplash, but I did take the time to capture images, it seems wasteful to keep them to myself.

Today's installment is mainly about Zacchaeus. Remember him? He is developing into a sweet, sweet lad; very friendly, Zac always comes running to me when I enter the field for some snuggles. Well, I want snuggles. I suspect he wants the grain and/or treats I usually carry on my person.

It is difficult to video or photograph our goat herd because they do not respect personal space. The minute I drop to a knee to snap a shot, their interest is piqued and en masse they run towards me. Then it becomes a matter of maintaining my balance while multiple inquisitive goaty noses are thrust into the crock of my arm, the nape of my neck, or some other random spot on my person. That being said, this video was captured at the end of July after Sean, Justin and I fenced in part of the woods to double the size of the doe pasturage.



Thanks for visiting, Friends. See you tomorrow. ♥

A Change in the Wind

The house is quiet, excepting the hum of the overhead fan, the rain dropping softly on the roof, and the regular peeping from the seven chicks living in our piano room. The girls are all still in bed. I considered waking them, but having just returned from a busy five nights at Nana's house and in view of the work I want help with today, I am letting them sleep in a little longer. Besides, I am quite enjoying the peace of the day.

Sitting in front of me is a table strewn with the makings of my new career; newly printed labels and empty boxes awaiting finished pieces of jewelry... watercolor paint tubes and paint brushes sitting impatiently ready to work... wooden forms cut, painstakingly mosaicked and ready for the magic of color... and a pineapple, the mail, my cell phone, a slinky... I have got to get this space into order! And, I will.

Our family has been working towards this goal of my being home with our girls through these last high school years and after 3 years of planning and laboring, yesterday was my first day home in my "retirement". Not retirement so much as a change in vocation. Working from home, tending our herds and flocks and the girls full time. Now that the goal has been realized, I realize I am scared. No. Not so much scared, really as TERRIFIED. Where were these fears when I was working two full time jobs determined to make this a reality? Perhaps they had not time to surface between the work and the seemingly unending task of fending off the well-intentioned opinions of, "You're crazy. That will never work." and "In today's world, you can't farm and make a decent living." or "You have a good job. Why leave that?" and my personal favorite, "You can't make any money if you refuse to cull unproductive animals!" Maybe we can't.

But maybe, we can. The farm has paid for itself this entire year. I guess it is time to see where the chips fall. Place your bets, folks.

Sonja ♥

Homestead Updates

It's 10 o'clock- much later than I want it to be and me awake, writing. I should be asleep, but I am not. I am too tired to sleep. I have begun this post, erased, and started again many times over the past month. It is not that there is nothing to share, but I am tired, my feet are swollen and my back and shoulders ache from the other pressing needs of the day that keep me away from writing. Finally, I have a minute to do so and just enough concentration to make a stab at it. I know that many of you are fighting through your own physically demanding, emotionally turbulent, and mentally exhausting days. In the unavoidable way of water seeking its own level, it is a comfort to know that you are all out there... somewhere.

Now that I am here, can you believe I don't know where to begin? The simplest way to order my mind is to just focus on some homestead updates. Let's see where that takes us...

Homestead Updates:

Zacchaeus.
First of all, I want to share the news of a new arrival. Last Sunday passed, Sean raced into the house, called, "We have a baby! Come quick! I need you!" before returning to the barn. I threw my feet into my boots and followed him outside. My brain was thinking, "Finally! The ducks are hatching!! But, what is the urgency???"

The urgency was that Jane had surprised us with the birth of twin kids. One was stillborn and the other was so small I feared for it's life. The new kid weighed in at just over 2 pounds; our smallest kid born was in the 6 pound range, previously. We moved Jane and the kid to our birthing stall and assisted Jane's efforts to clean our newest addition, gave her some extra grain, molasses-laced water, and cleaned away all the soiled hay from the other stall. This was not Jane's first delivery and though she was disinclined to nurse the kid, she was taking an interest in her offspring, the weather was warm and clear, and there was nothing we could add to the situation, so Sean and I left them to get acquainted.

By morning, the kid looked much livelier, though she was still smaller than we would have ever imagined. Jane had a healthy appetite and we saw her kid, which we named, Naomi, nurse lustily. As the days passed, Naomi grew more and more used to us and our routine. Since she was so tiny and Jane did not mind, I often slipped Naomi inside a baby sling and kept her close to my heart while I completed my outside chores. At nearly a month old and weighing a whopping 6 pounds, the sling is used less these days...



Another interesting development happened about a week after her birth. Sean called me at lunch with an update that he had good news and bad news. The good news was that he had caught Naomi urinating... finally. (When doe Mommas nurse their young, it never seems like they stand still for long. This always worries me a little. But, if there is good output, then it stands to reason, that there is good input. Sometimes, that is the only way to know for sure that a kid is getting enough milk.) His bad news was that Naomi is, in fact, a lad. We decided to name him Zacchaeus. That makes, 3 does and 2 bucks born at Lally Broch Farm this year.

Almost finished in this picture.

Garden Beds: One of the largest projects this year was building our raised beds in both the front and back yards. Having sold 4 CSA shares, the pressure was on to get all the seedlings we'd begun in the ground and transplanted. A really fantastic friend of ours offered us some soil to help fill the beds, which we gladly accepted. To date, we have taken 9 trips with the pickup and will have to make at least 3 more this season, in addition to what we had brought in from the garden supply store. It has been hard on the lower back for sure. We are very grateful that Sean's father is here, though. Daddy Dale and I have been able to load dirt and take some trips while Sean has been working during the day, freeing him to tackle other projects in the evening hours between work and bedtime... like adding a new permanent pasture for the does under the trees.

New Pasturage: Keeping our nine does together in the pasture from last year worked for only a few weeks until they ate themselves out of field and we began supplementing with hay- not ideal considering the expense. Having the ability to let them graze supervised in the back yard most days, helped offset the expense, but also increased the amount of time we had to spend keeping them from eating the garlic bed, my hostas, and pretty much anything else they took a fancy to try. We knew that adding another large area of pasturage was going to happen this year, we did not anticipate how quickly it was going to be a necessity. Good fences make happy goat owners and this was no exception. It took Sean and I and our son-in-law, Justin about 10 hours to complete this project. I am very happy to check this one off the "to do" list.

Ducklings Hatching: One of the happy events of the last month has been the steady trickle of baby ducklings hatching. We are up to a total of 8 new ones born. Four of them have gone to a great new home at a neighbor's house just down the street. The other four have taken up residence in the front yard with the geese. We are hoping that they will all be hens since I want to add to our ranks of duck's for egg laying next year.



Sean at the Belfast Art Market with me last Friday morning.

Belfast Art Market: We have begun to participate in the Belfast Art Market each Friday from 9am-1pm. It has been such fun to meet so many talented artisans and crafters. Of course, it is especially nice to meet the folks who purchase my jewelry, soaps, scents, and other farm items offered there. Seeing someone love a piece that I loved creating means so much to me. Last week, a woman came by the market and spent some time trying on pieces for fun. The glow of her face when she tried on each new piece touched my heart so much that I gifted her a pair of earrings. Can you imagine how pleasant the surprise for me to see her again this week, wearing the earrings and loving them still? And, if that wasn't enough, she confided that having been diagnosed with Lyme Disease a while ago, she gave away all her earrings because they caused her such pain to wear, but she has been able to wear our earrings without discomfort. We both got a little teary!

If you are local and in the area, please, stop by to visit with me. I truly enjoy meeting future friends. ♥

Bangor Chicken Swap: Our friend and neighbor hosts the local Tractor Supply Company "Chicken Swap" which is open to anything farm related. There are vendors with chicks, hens, roosters, ducklings, turkey poults, seedlings, plantings, soaps, bunnies, you name it- and we're there, too- when we can make it. At the last swap, we found good homes for 2 of the 4 roosters we brought with us, sold several pieces of jewelry, and received a special order for some initial pendants. The sun stayed with us until the afternoon, which was surprising as it has rained hard at most of the other events. That hasn't prevented other vendors from coming and visiting with each other, trading livestock and stories. The Bangor Chicken Swap is open the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month at the Bangor Tractor Supply Company store on Broadway. You can find them on facebook, too.

To be completely candid, this month has not all been rainbows and butterflies. We had our first (and hopefully last) fox casualties and are missing 3 chickens from our flock. While washing dishes, our eldest daughter, Caitlin spied what she thought was our little Buster dog in the back yard. Realizing the creature in question was bigger than Buster should be, she called me over with, "I think that is a fox!" I didn't believe it, but she was right. We raced outside to chase him off, but the door to one of the chicken tractors had already been ripped off and the chickens were loose in the yard. Cait and I gathered them up and settled them in the main pen. Then, to be safe, we removed the other hens from the other tractor, too. He hasn't been seen again and we are hopeful that he has moved on. To be safe, until the chicken tractors are made more secure, all our chickens are residing in the main coop and yard for now.

Upcoming Events: With Daddy Dale and Momma Twombly visiting until the end of September, Sean and I are planning on leveling the first floor of the barn we framed and sheathed last summer/fall. Additionally, we'll all be working hard to finish the 2nd story and get the roof on. In my dreams, I can see the barn sided, painted a lovely red with cream trim and sage green doors. The reality is that making the barn pretty will probably be a project for 2014. But, we are gaining and if we can finish the upstairs and fill that with hay in anticipation for winter, this homesteading family will be thrilled.

Finally, I am counting down the days until August 13th, when I will resign from the fantastic job I have held these past 7 years in anticipation of home-schooling these teens through the end of high school and farming full time. Meanwhile, I am working more than usual at that job and consequently, have very little time left to catch you all up. I hope you will please, please bear with me as we transition. I am capturing pictures of all the goings on and will be very happy to share them with you as I can find the time to do so. ♥

Thanks for visiting with us today, friends. We are sure glad you stopped in.
Sean and Sonja ♥