So today, stuck inside with the rain driving down outside, I have spent the day in the kitchen. We started with hashbrowns made from our russet potatoes that DH dug this morning, fried in lard from our neighbor’s pig. Those were pretty dang good. Then for a late lunch we had twice-baked potatoes with smoked sausage, also from our friends, and cheddar cheese. Wow, were those good! But now, being a little burned out on the (admittedly delicious) combination of potatoes and pork, I’m making homemade pop tarts, some chocolate, some blueberry.

Here’s hoping the sun comes out tomorrow.

These are half Nubian, half Nigerian Dwarf. The Nigerians seem to be able to stay healthy and fat even in the terrible conditions of the dairy. I really wanted goats that could stay healthy without constant interventions, even here in our humid and parasite-friendly mountains, and these are looking like they may just fit the bill.

I’ll post some pictures as soon as I can take any that are worth using! I forgot how un-photogenic goats are!

*This is not an actual forecast—your mileage may vary.

In January! This isn’t the first time, though—see this post from 2007.

We all love basking this time of year!

It’s snowing this morning, and last night was a howling windy snowstorm, after a couple of days of rain and thunderstorms and hail and tornados. Weird winter weather.

This afternoon, I’ve given myself two assignments: put together my seed and potato order for our group order at Fedco, and work on a design to replace our current barn, which is coming apart in all this wind. It’s been falling apart since before we moved in, and is too rotten to save, so it’s time to figure out how we want to replace it.

It’s actually refreshing to have a snowy day—though tonight’s 13 windy degrees isn’t sounding that great!

I just made a batch of Meyer lemon pudding. DH has been working with someone who has a house in Jacksonville Florida, and has been keeping us supplied with Meyer lemons from his trees. They’re wonderful, and we have enough of them that I need to find ways to use them!

There’s a pot of lamb and lentil soup with potatoes and sweet potatoes simmering on the wood cookstove, which is all the fire we have on this mild wet day. It smells delicious and comforting.

The dogs are scattered around on towels, because they can’t go outside without getting soaked. Thank goodness they’re not particularly dog-smelling dogs!

DH is sharpening his chainsaw at the kitchen table, ED is at work at the goat dairy down the road, and Bernard is on her way home from Asheville with friends.

Altogether a cozy evening.

A back view, and a picture of Talia, who so graciously donated the wool:

Three days of dark, and then on the 25th, the sun begins its slow crawl back up the vault of the sky.