I’ve been holding off on writing any posts because (a) it’s been a particularly difficult week for our family this week and (b) I’d assumed that Flora would deliver and that would be our next post. Alas, that has not happened. She is 4 days overdue and doesn’t seem to be in any hurry. Meanwhile, our grocery budget has increased dramatically what with us buying various types of organic and grass-fed milk. Purchasing raw milk, though it would certainly be preferable, just isn’t feasible for us. The cost and inconvenience of outsourcing it just isn’t worth it. Hence, we have our own goats to get our own!

Meanwhile, everything she does that’s even remotely out of character sets us on alert. This evening I heard her bleating lightly. That’s highly unusual for her – the only time I’ve ever heard her make any noise was when she went into labor last year. So, I’m going to stay up another hour and check on her again just in case. Maybe we’ll have kids on Good Friday again. Or maybe I’m just going to stay up all night for no reason. I’m starting to think that Flora knows she’s setting us off. Every time she does something weird in sight of the living room window and I run out to check, she just stands there and chews her cud, smirking at me. I’m just hoping she’s not so uncouth as to keep us up all night the next few nights only to decide to go into labor on Easter Sunday when we have plans.

Conversely, while Flora can’t actually hold off on delivering forever, it’s looking like these eggs we’re incubating just might do that. After candling them to see what was going on inside it’s evident that none are developing. If I had to guess, we used eggs that were laid too early on in the season. In rereading Raising Ducks I happened across a passage that advised not to use the first couple of eggs that are gathered once laying season commences. Duly noted, we’ll have to try again now that we’ve had a good run for a couple of weeks.

Hopefully it won’t be too much longer before we have SOMETHING to report. If not soon, then Happy Easter to all who follow us!