springfield

Daniel, the babies, and I went on a little road trip a few weeks ago in search of goats.  We have a goat who is a very good milker, but is also a terrible bully.  Now we can add "murderer" to her description, because she pushed our best milker off a cliff (they like to eat around the edge of a limestone quarry we have on the farm).  So off we went in search of another goat.

There are many Mennonite communities in Belize.  They vary in how conservative they are, but they all focus on agriculture (here is a little bit about another community we've visited).  We headed to a community that we have bought goats from before hoping for good luck-- this is a very conservative community, so we couldn't call ahead.  I always forget how beautiful this part of Belize is.  If it weren't so far from Daniel's job, I would work really hard to convince him we should move there. 

The way of life in this community is so appealing to me.  There is no electricity, no cars. It is just peaceful.  The stoves are wood-fired, and everything else is horse-powered, including the saw mill.  The houses are simple and spotlessly clean, with rows and rows of canned fruit and veggies and meat lining the kitchens. Porches are wide, with hammocks and swinging benches, and everyone we have met is so friendly and inviting.  Even though we interrupted their day with no warning, friends we haven't seen in over a year all gathered to chat on the porch, and invited us to stay and eat lunch. 

And yes, we did find a goat, who was very indignant at being stuffed in the trunk of my car and hauled home.  She's happy now, though... and we are keeping a close eye on our assassin goat.