Daily updates

The goats have a routine when it comes to milking. There are 45 goats to milk, and we can do up to 12 at a time. The first group are the goats that are the most anxious to get to the grain they eat while they’re being milked, so they fight jostle with each other…

This morning I spent time filling out labels for cheese, over 900 of them! We had an interesting afternoon. A local back to nature organization had an event at the farm. There was a 6 piece piece band performing throughout the day, demonstrations of goat milking and honey harvesting, sampling of said milk and honey,…

I got up early this morning and dressed warmly so I could go out and watch the sunrise. There were some deer enjoying breakfast in the meadow as I walked down the road. Even though they were several hundred yards away from me, when they saw me they bounded away. Later, on my way back…

Lysanne told me about a hike that she volunteered for. It was for people in wheelchairs and there were 2 to 4 volunteers per wheelchair. They had a special kind of a cart probably similar to a mountain biking stroller. I can’t remember what those are called. And they took them on regular trails up…

After morning chores and breakfast I helped in the fromagerie again, flipping cheese. For some of the newer cheese I also wiped them with water to encourage mold to grow and create a strong rind. It was a little nerve wracking at times to make sure the stand did not tip over when I was…

Last night Mignon Deux slept on my bed, and at one point curled up next to my head, purring very loudly. It reminded me of my kitty, Ru, who was soft and fluffy just like Mignon Deux.  After my usual morning animal and milking chores, I got to help take the goats out to the…

When I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I thought a light been left on because the hallway was illuminated. Turns out it was an almost full moon shining brightly through the bathroom window. Later, when I looked out my bedroom window which faces a different direction, all I…

Sitting at the bay window in the back of the house, it’s cloudy this morning, and I saw what I thought at first were birds swooping down around the eaves of the house, but then realized they were bats finishing up their nocturnal travels. Always something new to discover here! The last couple of mornings,…

Another morning of farm chores, including milking the goats, this time with Rafael who lives with his partner, Valerie in the little cabin above the river. They just came back from a two week canoe trip on a river up north with their dog, Nori. They parked their truck at one end of the river,…

The farm I am staying at is called ‘Les Broussailles’ which means brushwood in French. It is just outside of Martinville, about 2.5 hours east and slightly north of Montréal, about 1/2 hour from the US border with Vermont and New Hampshire. It rained most of the night last night. I had my window open…