Dearest Friends, I have goat news to share with you!

After over eight years of daily milking, I have passed my beloved girls on to a lovely older cowboy and songster, Archie West. He lives just out of town in Lone Butte in the house he grew up in, surrounded by two other houses where two of his children and his grandchildren live. Out just behind the little outhouse, is a beautiful adobe brick barn and fenced yard, where the girls are now living.

This was not an easy parting for me, but it was time. (See that first picture at the top? I felt like I was watching my most favorite chidhood stuffed animal friends driving away.) We've had Autumn, the grande damme, since my now-almost-16-year old daughter was little.

Now she and her two daughters and granddaughter are living with Archie's sweet grandchildren; Clara is just about the same age as Roan was in that picture above.

"What about my business? What about the milk? What about keeping goats in your life?" you may ask. The beautiful thing is, I am still getting milk from "my" goats: Archie's son Ben brings me a gallon of their milk once a week; or I go out to Lone Butte, get a visit in, and bring milk back. "What about milking?" I definitely didn't want to give up milking altogether--just the unrelenting responsibility of it. Well, let me tell you something that you will love about Santa Fe--and even better--my part of town. Just barely a mile from where I live--right in the center of town, mind you--there is a cohousing community by the Santa Fe River that keeps three sable saanen goats (relatives of the goats at South Mountain Dairy), and they operate a goat milking co-op!! There are a dozen or so folks who take a shift a week (am or pm) to milk the goats. I have signed on as a sub for now (not ready for all that responsibility!), and I can't tell you how sweet it is.

Just this morning, I rode my bike (!) from my house to the river park, along the river bed on the bike path, right to the back gate of Tres Placitas. I had a lovely time milking and visiting with the three adorable kids,

then I loaded up the milk pail (with lid), into my backpack, and rode home! What a life! So folks, my biggest dilemma at this moment, is when I tell people about my soap at the Farmers Market . . . I am still saying "Made from milk from MY goats!" What should I say??!!! I still feel "Archie's goats" are mine, and now I have an extended goat family at Tres Placitas! Well, now you know the story. I look forward to your thoughts!