Hello, September!

    As some of you may know, I celebrated my birthday September 3rd. My birthday is a welcome day for me, not just because it's my birthday, but because it also signals the end of Summer. How fitting for me, the lover of all things Autumn, to be born at the beginning of my favorite season! The air has held a slight chill during the evenings and mornings, and even on a few rainy days lately. The skies have been overcast more often. The temperature and humidity have markedly dropped. The first leaves have also started to turn, as well as soybeans and cotton. It's glorious! 
    Another thing that my birthday comes along with the beginning of is school. Children - both home schooled as I was and the public and private school attenders - are once again turning their minds to their studies. "In fourteen hundred-ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." College kids like myself have also begun the semester. My classes keep me fairly busy, even though one was canceled too late for me to find a replacement for it (Summer classes are in my future...oh, great!). I live in fear this time of year that some emergency on my "farm" will make me miss one of my once-a-week night classes. It's not as big of a problem for the classes that meet more often and longer, but if I missed one of the seven week classes, I could fail if my professor was unforgiving. Here's hoping none of the goats choose one of those nights to kid! Yikes! I should probably rethink seven week courses the next time I have does due to kid, but I do love only have seven - albeit very long - classes. 
    In other news, no one has kidded yet. Clara has been developing an udder for a while now, so I am thinking that she will be going first. Pictures will be posted within 24 hours of any births! I can't wait. I also received a metal milking stand for my birthday - pictures will be posted soon. IT is so helpful with things like trimming hooves! Yesterday my mother and I shucked, blanched, creamed, and froze 5 and 1/2 dozen ears of corn straight from Wisconsin. The ears were beautiful and delicious, and not a single one was skippy! I hope we have an opportunity to buy some Wisconsin corn next year. The South may be known for farming, but I have to admit that the North has us beat as far as Sweet Corn goes. There is one more bit of exciting news. I also received a new buckling for my birthday! I was planning on bringing home an adult, but I fell in love with "Trouble's" dam, and Trouble himself. Introducing Chinook Winds Wild America (name pending). 

    The pictures below are of my birthday dinner and the corn. On my birthday, my grandparents, parents, Sarah, and I had Indian food for the first time. It was SO delicious! Afterwards, we had ice cream cake at my grandmother's.

 -Rach in Wonderland