Just another day on the funny farm

It was a life threatening day for me today! For the first time, Brandon took me for a drive to run errands. He just got his instructional permit. In order to "qualify" for taking his test he had to memorize the entire book of James. He quoted the whole book for Mike, from beginning to end, with only a couple mistakes! (He worked on it for a number of months.) Before we left for our drive today, I said good-bye to the children, told them how much I loved them, and told them what wonderful children they have been. :) Then we pretended to cry. Brandon just rolled his eyes. :) He is actually a very good driver and I wasn't nervous at all......at first. I got more nervous as we drove, only because I thought he was nervous. I drive a big bus--an Excursion, so it takes a little getting used to. Especially when he has been driving in a little tin can with his instructor. We ran some errands and had coffee together (our weekly "date"), and then he brought me home, safe and sound. :)

Mike was working in Granite Falls today. We just hate when he has to be gone. Having him working from home has spoiled us all! While he was gone Brandon cooked down 40-50 gallons of sap. It snowed on and off, and was very windy, but he managed to keep the fire hot enough to boil the sap. Mike is finishing off the syrup on the stove as I type. We'll fill the jars and add them to the collection in the root cellar. We tried to collect sap today, but it was all frozen solid in the buckets. So we brought some of the really full ones in to thaw out. One of the buckets had a strange grey object frozen in the middle of it. Benjamin chopped away at the ice until he got it out--a mouse! Mmmm, mouse flavored syrup....doesn't that sound good? :)

Milking was much better tonight. Everything is always better when Mike is here. :) It only took us about ten minutes to milk her, and she was almost perfect. She is giving about a gallon a day, but it is not enough for us and two kids (baby goats). Thankfully, Carl will be sold tomorrow. We had a man stop out today to pick up two kittens, and when he saw the kids he started petting them and commenting about how cute they were. So Mike asked him if he wanted one, and he said "Yes!" We had planned to sell Carl to someone else who would raise him for meat, but the children were very excited to sell him to someone who wants him for a pet.