Insurance

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket."  The same principle applies to milk.  With just three aging milkers, I could easily use one bucket for all, but working with goats has taught me that's not a good idea.  Two buckets are insurance against what happened yesterday.  Inga came in, got milked, and I put that bucket up on the shelf, getting the other one ready for Sheila.  As sweet as she is, Sheila can be my troublemaker.  She is a very easy milker and it takes half the time to get her empty as the others, but....  Without warning and about an inch of milk at the bottom,  Sheila stuck her foot in the bucket.  Aaargh.  All that milk wasted and I still had to milk her out.  Suffice it to say we had a one-sided discussion about certain behavior.  (When chastising a goat, it goes in one ear and out the other, but it makes me feel better.)  Next up was Tessie, and that's where the insurance paid off.  Knowing Sheila's milk would be thrown out, I pulled down the first bucket and was able to save enough in that to make up the jars for Milk Guy today.  That's another insurance policy in that I save the milk from the day before he's due, just in case lightning fast feet would strike twice in both buckets.

Another day spent in the kitchen.  One more day should do it.  Linda came by in the afternoon for a short visit and to pick up some items she'd stored here.  Rain started falling just as she was leaving, but I lucked out again when it was time to put the girls to bed.

Still black as pitch out this morning, a full-blown storm is raging with howling winds and pounding rain.  I was able to pull another wagon of firewood up to the porch yesterday, insurance against a turn in the weather.  It pays to be prepared.