Eric shot his first deer today, gutted her and strung her up by her neck. She's huge ! So we have either ½ a venison or a whole one, depending on if he gets another or not. He took my butchering book home and we will process it together later this week.
Angie and John came over to collect their milk, and bought me a box of goodies :) and returned my cheese-making book. There was a hand made beanie and scarf that she made on her new loom. Wonder where the wool came from as it's so soft. And then the cookies - iced sugar cookies, little button ones dipped in chocolate (my favourite), ones with Hersheys' kisses (Herbies favourite) and chocolate chip cookies. Found out that Christmas cookies are Herbies' Kryptonite ! Together 8 years and I find that out now. But then I suppose I don't bake Christmas cookies. Maybe I should start.
Ellie is still alive. She's perky, poops well and eats hay with gusto, but her back legs don't work so she can't get up or walk. Tie-ing her to the gate has worked rather well. I had to go and put her upright this morning, but she's kept herself upright all day. Need to do some more research to see if I can nurse her back to health. Would not be a good life for her if she's immobile, and slinging her up in the alpaca stand won't improve her quality of life, but it may get her back into walking. She has such lovely fibre. Can't butcher her for eating until the meds work their way through her system. After processing the deer this coming week, I feel confident in doing my own butchering. Speaking to Angie today, she and John do their own butchering and it seems more in the South African way than the American way. So maybe she'll come and help so I can learn. Who would have thunk that this city woman would be handling dead deer, and processing it for our table. Only done chickens before here on the farm.
Oh boy, was I stinky today ! Dealing with the downed alpaca, milking, shovelling cow poop, helping Eric hang the dead, gutted deer, schlepping water and hay for the beasties. I could smell myself :). And it got worse when I sat down in the warm lounge. Told Herbie I was going up to have a shower and he laughed asking if I could smell myself ! Hell yes I could. I stank like the farm labourer that I am :). Can't imagine what Angie and John thought LOL.
We had a salad today, and took some salmon patties out the freezer that I made previously. Herbie asked if I was foing to be cooking again tonight. I made him some breakfast sandwiches, popping the additionals into the freezer for breakfasts on other days. He came downstairs last night and put the extractor fan on. Our house didn't used to be like that - all cooking smells go straight up to our bedroom. As we have 2 steps down into our bedroom, there's a gap under the door which I'm not sure can be effectively blocked.
I also made the koeksister syrup last night. Wow, it's thick, but they may also be because it's so cold. I put it outside overnight seeing as it's colder than the fridge. So it's koeksister making day tomorrow. A day in syrup and they should be good for Christmas lunch. I was thinking about sharing some with our herd-share owners, but have probably left it too late for Christmas. I admit it - I'm a procrastinator of note. Been a bit blue recently. The weather has been so dreary, the death we've had on the farm recently and everything seems hard going.