It's been a busy last four days but today I had a nice relaxing day off.  Teo from Romania is here and learning the ropes and it's been fun having an all girls staff for interns/apprentices.  She will be here for a year like Erin and I.  Having someone new around as well as Eva reminds you just how much you have to learn even after you "know the ropes".  I'm glad I came at the end of summer/early fall since this is the slow period before babies start arriving and things really get busy.  Haha Eva said we think we're busy now....just wait.  

As you may have noticed I've been having a few down days and the funny part is it's all because of the dogs!  I've never really trained a dog, let alone worked with working/herding dogs and so I've been feeling so out of control.  There are a couple things I've realized about myself being here...I love to be in control, I rely on having a social life, and I don't prefer mixing my work and personal life.  Don't get me wrong it's nice having my shed to escape to but o how I envy those that have an apartment or house to go home to at the end of the day haha.  Being completely emerged in a situation can be overload but that's what beach days on your day off are for ; )   Anyways, the point I was getting to was I finally broke through to the dogs.  When I arrived I wasn't taught to really work with them...they would just come along.  Once Eva arrived, I realized I was supposed to actually work with them and be in complete control.  You can imagine how that worked out the first day when the dogs have had their freedom with me and the other interns.  Yah...we'd scold them when they did something wrong but we didn't really WORK with them.  After having a rough morning of continually giving commands and yelling after Ghira (the most hyper/youngest one) and getting nowhere I finally broke down.  Probably the most embarrassing moment or thing I could've done in front of Eva.  She was very motherly about it and calmed me down and helped me with the dogs and showed me the technique and commands to herding in the morning.  And let me tell you Ghira was an absolute angel the rest of the day staying by my side and riding in the golf cart with me to go herd.  After doing better with him the rest of the day Eva said "yes! see, it's supposed to be fun not stressful"  So that has been my latest defeat --> overcoming obstacle.  It's funny how something small like the dogs can really affect you and your work.  Who would've thought that'd be the toughest part minus hoof care in the whole farming job for me!

So what have I been up to the last four work days besides the usual milking (which is so easy now that I've done it so much and it's routine...Howie you told me so!!) and chores?  Gina (our landscaper) and I worked together on fencing...something I've been wanting to learn here.  The babies have managed to be great escape artists and jump out of their pasture in Hansi and so we had to make it higher and add on fencing.  It was really fun to work on a different sort of project.  And I really got to know Gina.  She's a true country girl.  Made me think of all my sisters at home.  She's huge into rodeos and bull rides and apparently knows all the cow boys.  Erin and I are planning on going to the cowboy bar in Makawao tomorrow night for karaoke haha.  I knew we'd be friends when I asked her if she liked the movie 8 seconds (LISA BARTZ!!) and she said thats her favorite show.  By the way I've noticed people around here call movies shows a lot....and say yea at the end of a sentence which I'm unfortunately starting to catch on to.  I've also been spending a lot of time in the orchard herding the goats there with Ghira and making sure they stay and graze.  It's so funny to watch them get up on their legs going for leaves and such.  The orchard with the hammock is super nice...especially in the evening. I put a video of the goats being funny below but I'm not sure why I'm breathing so hard in it haha maybe exhaustion from yelling commands to Ghira.  I've also learned to get all the packages ready for FedEx with Christy and send out goat cheese, etc.  Come Christmas Christy says she has FedEx nightmares because there are SO many orders.  They end up having packing stations where one persons wrapping, packing, putting on stickers....I'm curious to see how crazy it gets.  With the holidays and the new babies I think this place is gonna get pretty crazy. The other night us girls went to Lahaina for happy hour at Fleetwoods (one of the restaurants that we deliver our cheese to) which is on the water and stayed for part of their ceremony they have.  There was a native Hawaiian who did a prayer and sang and also explained the meaning of aloha and lit the torches and then they had a guy playing the bag pipes for the scottish side of the owner.  It was so beautiful being on the water.  I really love Lahaina.  It's very touristy but a fun place to go and you can't beat the views and water.  After happy hour (they have amazing drinks too, I got a black pepper grapefruit drink and margarita with wine on top) we did some window shopping, checked out Lush (a homemade cosmetics store) and a Vladimir Kush art gallery.  There's also a HUGE banyan tree which was amazing.  I've never seen anything like it.  It has these super long thick branches that seem to go on forever.  Yesterday was my inside/delivery day.  I spent a majority of the day delivering in Wailea and Kihei and then worked in the dairy with Cody.  Below he's making a Tzaziki platter...yum.  

Do you see Emma the barn cat in the picture?? : ) 

My day off today was pretty uneventful.  It's just me off (which is kind of nice to have that time) and I just relaxed and filled out some paperwork.  I'm trying to volunteer at the Haku Baldwin Center in their animal therapy/education program so I gave them a call today to set up an interview.  I cant' wait to get started on that...hopefully it all works out.  I also filled out some paperwork to get my first passport for Thailand next Nov : ) I can't wait!  So much to look forward to.  Well I'm off, time to get ready for ladies night in Makawao with the girls haha.