Open and Shut

The temperature, rising and falling as it does this time of year, is on the upswing.  The last windows washed and the last curtains rehung at last, now I'm going around opening windows again.  (Being the exercise fanatic that I am, that would be the Farview version of push-ups.)  The laundry dancing on the line was a mix of tank tops and turtlenecks.  I'd compromised with a denim work shirt, but easily could have gone sleeveless, it was that warm.

Tree Guy and Sons One and Two split a mountain of firewood yesterday from rounds of old wood under the front oak, but they are figuratively still in the foothills of the firewood Himalayas.  With all the splitting already done, there are still huge piles of rounds down in the goat pen, and they haven't yet approached the piles from the last downed tree.  And there is more old wood, too.  I believe TG's plan for today is to burn the enormous piles of brush down in the new section of pen.  That's going to be some big bonfire!  Were he not a professional firefighter, I'd be worried.

Another reason to keep the goats confined in the old pen for awhile is to let the grass get higher in the new pen, alternating their grazing ground.  The girls aren't going to care for that program, as they now daily stand in a cluster waiting for me to open the gate after the last milker gets off the stand.  They truly dislike any disruption in their routine.

After catching up on undone chores from the day before, I decided to try a new recipe for a warm grape cake last night.  It smelled wonderful coming out of the oven, but I felt it was important to try a slice to be sure...I certainly wouldn't want to serve Dolly something sub par today.  The cake is golden and tender, studded with amethyst bursts of flavor.  Surely she won't miss that one slice.