Can a Farner Take a Vacation?

With all of the things we have to do on our little farm how do we get away?  My daily work schedule starts at 5:30 am about the same time my wife leaves for work.  She commutes off the Island to a school in South Everett, I go up to the barn to start my daily chores.  I let the ducks, geese and chickens out, change the water for them and then milk and feed the goats.  In the afternoon, I change the bird water, collect eggs, put more feed out for the chickens and again milk and feed the goats.  Evenings after we walk our dogs, I lock up the chickens, ducks and geese.  We are lucky enough to have some neighbors that are very down to earth and have chickens and in the past raised goats.  When we travel (twice a year) we hire them to do all of the chores.  We pay them $50 per day plus they get all of the goat milk and as many eggs as they wish.  Our goats are giving me about 1.5 gallons of milk a day, and we were gone four days on this last trip.  The black market price for goat milk is $12 per gallon, and we charge $5 per dozen for our chicken eggs, so milk and eggs are worth another $80 or so.  It’s a good thing for our friends and allows us to take a break.  Our animals come first and there is no comprise there.  They give us a wonderful product and we give them the care they need to thrive.

One of the trails we hiked (this one 15 miles) in Eastern Washington

Each spring, mid-May, Pam and I travel to Eastern Washington where the chances are much greater than here in Western Washington to have sunny and warm weather.  Pam and I were both born in May and our wedding anniversary is also mid-May, and then we do a late-July family camping trip.  Pam and I love to hike in the back country.

The first evening back when I was up with the goats, waiting for Surely to finish eating, I thought vacations are nice but this is where I belong.  I really love our little farm.