Day 1 - a gouda gouda day. :)

Hey Kids,

Despite the rambling paranoia of my last post and fears of the dark and strange noises, etc, I actually slept pretty well. I got up extra early this morning to turn all the outdoor lights off so I wouldn't get scolded for wasting electricity overnight (though after spending the day working with them I doubt they would do that)... The sunrises (this morning's is below) and sunsets here are mindblowing...I'll try to get some better photos to post for you... So amazing. The second photo is looking west across the goat pen and office/bathroom/cheeseshop/freezer building (on the right) out to the mountains...there was a stunning sunset tonight. I almost forgot that following sunsets it gets really really dark... I'll try to keep it in mind so I don't get stuck out in a pasture with no headlamp. :P




First goat picture while they're waiting to be fed... not the most flattering time for anyone to be photographed. But they are really adorable...and even cuter ones will be here in a few weeks...!


I've learned today that the guard dogs really do have to be guard dogs...so I can't reassign them to be my own personal bodyguards 24-7... But I think they like me and will have my back, should I need them. There was pee on the wall next to my front door this morning...so it was either the male goat, or one of the dogs... Either way, I think that means I'm claimed, no? I'm cool with that. Unless that's a threat...dog people?- Explain!



Above is Maddy, my favorite of the guard dogs...She's new at this whole guarding thing and is more of a jealous barnacle - but she's only 7 months old...wow. Big for 7 months, eh?

Comparing the beginnings of my first and second nights here I've learned a few things about being scared and alone at night at the dairy:

1. Things are less scary when you're warm (meaning bundle up with several layers, even if I'm just walking 10 ft to the community barn for dinner).
2. Paying attention to all the normal noises during the day makes them far less alarming at night - the wind is really the wind, the goats are really just goats (not creepy ghost children), the heater makes random clicking sounds, and sometimes the boards of the hut shift for no apparent reason. It's normal, not a red flag for impending doom...
3. If I get showered while everyone's packing up and heading out for the night, the only reason I'll need to leave my hut alone and in the dark is to heat up some noodles for dinner...which means I can stay hunkered down until dawn, which is a really lovely time to have the dairy to myself it seems... Also, if I go to bed at 8, then I (generally) won't be scared at 11.

I've learned so much already. :) Aiya. :P

Anyways! The rest of the day was tiring, but great! I did chores with the farmhand, Kenny - feeding and watering the goats and pigs (2 pigs!!!! surprise! :) :) :) ) and donkeys. They're talking about maybe even getting a calf at some point, which I think would be a lovely idea. :)

After chores I had to shower to go into the creamery with Michael. First we blended several types of chevre - dill, chipotle, spicy tomato, pesto...and lots more, and packaged them in plastic containers and labeled them... Hand mixing 7 pounds of chevre is more tiring than it seems... Then we made GOUDA! :) They buy a large amount of cow's milk which they make into a bunch of cheese in addition to their goat milk from their own dairy... So I got to make gouda out of raw cow milk. Michael says in a couple months I can try it, and when I go I can take a round or two to share with friends/family. :) Prepare yourselves. :)

I met my goat namesake - Julia. She's cute. I'll try to take a pic for you soon...She's small and has "knobby knees" and Michael said the name came to him randomly one day while he was bringing her in to milk. She got into the milk room and looked at him, he led her up the ramp and she stopped halfway and turned and just looked at him, and then while he milked her she just looked at him. He doesn't typically name the goats, but for some reason she seemed like a Julia to him... Not quite sure what that means...

Cheesemaking was followed by cutting up huge slabs of mozarella curds, fishing out feta from its brine to fill a restaurant order, and lots and lots of cleaning and dishwashing. I need to get gloves - my hands are already feeling it - spending half the day soaking in bleach water, acid sanitizer water, soap water...hot water, cold water, warm water...ahhhh... I can just hear my mother's voice in my head. :P (I love you, Mom!) I almost didn't take a shower this evening because I didn't want any more water on my skin... :/ All that was followed by evening chores...followed by cleaning up and dinner...and here I am.

I've loved skyping and g-videoing with people last night and tonight...so let me know if you're interested... I'm pretty much free after 7pm mountain time....and familiar faces and voices would take some of the unsettled-ness out of my evenings.

Much love,
Julia.