My Favorite Things 2009

Whew, another Christmas has come and gone. A whirlwind of family, friends, and fun with a week long visit from the prodigal son. His last Christmas as a single man and his last pair of Christmas pajamas, which have over the years turned into Old Navy sleep pants. Everyone decided it would be weird for his mama to buy him a pair of Christmas pajamas after he's married.
Speaking of the son, he got me one of my favorite things....a mono pod. I love it. It really helps steady this shaky old hand. He also included rechargeable batteries and a recharger. I love this boy.


He has the good sense to marry the wonderful Goldilocks, who gave me this.....




They waited in line in Denver until very late to get this for me....and one for her too I hope.



We share a Pioneer Woman admiration. I mean really what's not to love? Food, ranch life and great photos.


This book was better than I expected. It is a cookbook but so much more. Beautiful photos and stories. A lovely tribute to her family.

One unexpected favorite is my headlamp. I asked for one because I do a lot of my chores in the dark and there will be kids this spring that may need a little more light on them. That headlamp has opened up a whole new world for me. A person can do anything at night with a headlamp. It is such a favorite that I knew right away I would need to get one for Hubby....and the son. I'm sure people have known the wonders of a headlamp for years but its been a new discovery for me. No more fumbling with a Mag light. The goats are a little scared of the one-eyed monster that feeds them at night but I expect them to get use to her real soon.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Cora Belle For "Goat Of The Year"

A picture's worth a thousand words.







Vote here

Vote For Cora Belle

.
Cora Belle has been nominated for Goat Of The Year.
Vote please.
She is really not the type that is happy just to be nominated. She wants to win.

Boots Are In This Year

Christmas Boots

Thanks Beth K.

A Christmas Photo

From the first moment I saw Reese, the little white goat, I pictured her with a big red bow around her neck for Christmas. I would take her picture and make it into a Christmas card. The trouble is that any good picture I might happen to take is purely by chance. It is a miracle if I get it off my camera and on my computer and it still looks good.
I was determined to make a Christmas card with Reese on the front.
Now Reese is nearly as wild as Notty so after cornering her and putting a big red bow around her neck with Alice and Buttons helping with the positioning, I decided to tuck the blue plastic chain she had on under the bow. You will see how well that worked.

I snapped away as she frolicked around the pen and didn't get anything I am really crazy about and apparently I s_ _ _ at Photoshop. I do hate that word but there are times that it is the only one that fits.
Here are some of the outtakes.



After all that, I have nothing. I'm hoping the fog and clouds will part this weekend so I can torture myself one more time.
Or if you are really good at Photoshop, even marginally good, please feel free to play with any of these for me. I want to cut the goat out and put her in a more Christmassy background and get rid of the blue collar.
Anyone? Please?

Koo

Whenever a new animal arrives, Koo must come over to investigate.


Are you friend or foe?

Buttons and Reese....and Alice

Buttons and Reese are starting to settle in. Buttons misses her family and since she can't have them she thinks I'll do. She follows me everywhere. I had a hard time getting a picture of her because she was always in my back pocket. If you look behind her in this picture you will see why she was still long enough for me to get away and get a picture. Everywhere Buttons goes Reese goes. If I get out of Buttons sight she cries and cries for me.
In preparation for the arrival of Buttons, I put Alice in with the big goats. It's about time she was a big goat. But they are very rude to her when the food comes out and since she doesn't have a pushy bone in her body she gets left out. It is very sad.

It brings out deep childhood memories. I can't stand it.

Tonight when I went to feed there was Alice all by herself. Even Semi-Sweet had abandoned her. Hubby said he thought I should put her back in her old pen with the new goats. I let Alice out of the big goat pen and she pulled me as fast as she could and jumped on the gate. She didn't give the new goats even a first look let alone a second, dove into her stall, and started eating. She was home.

My Boy And His Girl

Last week while in Las Vegas to attend a wedding, my son and goldilocks had an engagement photo session.
Check them out.
Holly Carlyle Photography
I love her photography. Creative and a little (maybe a lot) edgy. She captured the essence of these two. My boy and his girl.
If you love photography, check out her other photo sessions on her blog. There's a whole lot of kissin'....but some cute dog photos as well.

Goats Galore

Once again, the goatfarmer and I went over the river and through the woods to Poppy Patch goat farm to pick up Buttons. I tend to lose my mind at Poppy Patch. The goats are all so pretty and the goatfarmer and I keep Shannon hopping with all of our questions.
"Who's that Shannon?"
"What's the breeding on that cute doe?"
"Who'd ya breed that one too?"
She runs back and forth between us rattling off pedigrees. I tend to point to the same goat over and over and ask "Who's that?" Like I said, I lose my mind.

She had babies born on Thanksgiving. Here is Georgie Girl, the smallest of three and no bigger than a hamster. This picture doesn't really show how small she is. Notice my fingers (wow someone could use a bit of hand lotion). Now stick out your finger. Her legs are no bigger around than your finger. Now to see that little thing bucking and playing is a sight to see. I lost my mind.



Then I see a pretty white doe in a pen with another doe. I ask Shannon who she is. She is a doeling that I saw for sale on her website. We get her out and look her over. I ask her name...Legally Blond. I say I would call her Reese. Shannon offers me a deal I can't refuse (well I could have but I had lost my mind). I figure Buttons would do better with a friend from her herd. I bring her home along with Buttons.



Speaking of Buttons, she is a doll. The sweetest goat that ever lived...besides Alice of course. She really didn't need a buddy come to find out. She jumped out of the car and got right down to eating. She takes everything in stride.

I won't be going back to Poppy Patch for a long time. It is dangerous.
One could lose their mind.

Happy Thanksgiving From Minter Bay

Break In

Taking advantage of a break in the weather, I let all the goats out into the main pasture so they could eat fallen leaves and branches. The goats bucked and danced as they headed for the food. I, of course, left Notty in his chain link pen.
After watching The Pioneer Woman on Bonnie Hunt I headed back to put the goats back in their pen.
As I entered the pasture, my thoughts sounded like this...
"Why is Alice by herself down there?"
"Oh, there are the other goats"
"Is that Notty?"
"It is Notty" "How'd he get out of the reliable chain link?"

I walked around to Notty's pen and the gate looked like it had been attacked by a monster. Bent and twisted. I would like to say that Notty was such a he buck that he pushed his way out and had his way with the does.

But the wire was pushed in.

And Semi-Sweet has a suspicious worn spot on her head.

I may be busy 5 months from now

A Home Of Her Own

The last couple of times I've been to Drive Thru Feed they have had a cute little playhouse called the Bargain Barn. Last week when I drove up the barn was empty. All the bargains were gone. I told Jerry that I wanted the Bargain Barn. He said bake him a pie and I could have it. I told him I'd make him the best brownies ever and he agreed.
I'm always on the lookout for cute little buildings the goats can play in....and we don't have to build. I can picture baby goats flying through the windows.

But Lexi had other ideas....


When the goats first saw it they were very excited. They rushed over and shoved their way in.


They tasted the wood....


Lexi waited patiently for everyone else to lose interest...which they did.


And then claimed it for her own.


She's been waiting a long time for this.

Her only request was that I paint the trim green.

Darling I Love You But Give Me Park Avenue

Here is a picture of Max. He wanted to be in my blog even though he hates the farm and likes to taste small animals. When he visits he wears a dapper rain jacket and watches over his love, my sister-in-law. He's pretty cute and a member of our family...just don't get near his bowl.

Fall

Barn Envy

I want a barn more than anything. When I was a kid we had a barn. Not a very big one but a barn nonetheless. I spent hours in it with my animals. I have a reoccurring dream that my animals are still back in that old barn and I need to get there to feed because they haven't been fed in about.....35 years. Actually it sounds more like a nightmare.
My small farm has a few nice 3 sided sheds that we have built over the years as livestock shelters but a barn they're not. I have told my family that if they are at my funeral and I have never owned a farm with a barn then I have died unfulfilled. I'm that serious. Life has just gotten in the way of my barn. It seems like there is never enough money to build one and let's face it, Hubby doesn't really like to build things and if I had a barn I would want the doors to close.
On my walks down to the farm, I pass by many lovely barns. The neighbors like to flaunt their barns in my face.
Some very grand...



Some very traditional...


Some quaint. This small barn houses a cute pony and a miniature donkey. I love the siding with the green windows and doors...wait a minute Hubby put the siding on this little barn several years ago. They must have paid him.


Our weather is not helping my barn envy. It is raining pigs and goats. We are in the depressing season here in Washington, which usually last about 9 months. A barn would be just the thing to get me through the winter. I'd hang out in there. I'd sweep my floor and stack my hay. I'd have a radio like I did when I was a kid. I have a memory of me, in my barn, listening to the radio and singing at the top of my lungs while trimming my goat's hooves. The song on the radio...The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia (you know, the night they hung an innocent man). The year...1973.

Most of my friends have barns. One friend told me that when she got her barn she would take her breakfast out there and eat with her horses. I would do that. Even if the goats did fight me for my toast and spill my coffee. Another friend has a beautiful white vintage barn that's all barn-shaped and sits on top of a hill. I wonder if she knows how lucky she is? Talk about barn envy, not only is it a barn but a vintage barn.

I plan on remedying this one day and owning a proper barn. I don't need a big barn. Just enough room for a couple of kidding stalls, a small stack of hay, and a place for my milking stand. So far I have three green windows taken out of the white vintage barn. I love them and it's a start.

But if you come to my funeral, many years from now of course, and I've never owned a farm with a barn, shed a tear for me...I've led an unfulfilled life.

Have you hugged your barn today?

You're Welcome

In an attempt to make Notty feel at home, a couple of the girls came into heat on Sunday. Cora Belle was swishing her tail like crazy and Semi-Sweet was blubbering. I let all the goats out so they could come meet the new boy. Cora Belle wanted to go into the pen with him and although I had planned on breeding her to a buck named Cowboy, I found myself opening the gate.
Let's face it, you can't fight love.
Cora Belle marched right in, got down to business and then let it be known she wanted out. It was all so polite.
Then Semi-Sweet asked to be let in and good manners flew out the window. It was a bit X-rated. Let's just say at one point Notty flew over backwards. Semi-Sweet never once asked to be let out.
After a few minutes, Cora Belle walked up to the gate and very politely asked to be let back in. You should have seen Semi-Sweet's eyes bug out of her head when the beautiful, young, Cora Belle sauntered in and stole the attention away from her. Ignoring Semi-Sweet, Cora Belle walked over to Notty, took care of business, and then sauntered back over to the gate and politely asked to be let out. It took about 10 seconds.
I had to go in and drag Semi-Sweet out.



Leave it to my girls to help Notty get over his homesickness.

Camera Love

Like me, my new daughter-in-law loves her camera. She has started a new blog where she posts her pictures. Check it out. You know her as goldilocks.
Shutter Happy Images
She has some very cute dog pictures on it.

Notty Is Nice

Armed with a mocha and a latte, the goatfarmer and I braved the monsoon like weather to go goat shopping. I was going to look at Notty, the cute little black and white buckling, that Poppy Patch had available.
The last time we went to Poppy Patch it was raining but that doesn't matter once you get there and go into the barn and close the door. Goats galore. I about lose my mind. I saw Buttons but she isn't ready to come home yet. She enjoyed a moment of bonding and head scratching before I had to turn my attention to Notty.
Notty, the cutest little boy goat. He is cute. Very cute.
I bought him.
What else could I have done?

Named For A Nut

Filbert

Mrs. Wishy Washy

As you know, sweet Cute as a Button is coming to live with us. She has had a bit of a delay due to the need for a few more dates with the handsome Rebel Without A Cause. By the way, if I get a doeling out of this breeding I'm going to name her A Cause. Kidding? Maybe not, I kind of like it. Anyway we have been building a pen for Buttons and looking at it gets me thinking I need another goat to put in there with her. Hmmmmm there was another doe at the farm that caught my eye. She might be a nice addition as well. You see where this is going.
Then I see a darling buck on the site that is for sale. I love his coloring. He is a flashy black and white pinto. I love his sire and his pedigree blends well with my goats. I talk myself into buying him too. Even though I think I don't really want a buck. But, I tell myself, he is very nice and I probably do need my own buck. So I tell the gal I want him and will pick him up when I get Buttons.

Then it happens. The feeling that I made a mistake. This feeling usually happens about 3 in the morning. 3 a.m. is what I call my worry time. It is when everything is bigger than life. Problems seem insurmountable, bills seem unpayable. A new buck seems unnecessary and down right crazy. By 7 a.m. I've talked myself out of anything I've talked myself into.
So I got up this morning and emailed the gal and said for her not to hold him for me and that when I come get Buttons I will look at him and if I fall in love, like I did with Buttons, then I would consider getting him. I apologized for being flaky. She emails back and says she may go ahead and wether him since I am the 5th person to flake out. Yikes! That's drastic.
Feeling like I made the right decision I carry on with my day. Then I talk to the goatfarmer and explain my waffling feelings. She is no help. She loves the buck too. She loves his coloring. She loves his pedigree. She talks about breeding him to Cora Belle to get more flashy black and white goats. By the end of the conversation I want him back.
But it's getting late and I want to sleep tonight so I fight the feeling that I want to email her back and say not to wether him and I will come look at him.
Then I remember why I don't want a buck.
See why I can never be in politics? I have no idea what I stand for.


what do you think?

Love Is A Many Splendored Thing

Stormy has been hunting with my dad in North Dakota. She has been gone about 9 days. That means she has missed 2 Saturdays hunting with Hubby. Dad returned her on Sunday.
Stormy sees Hubby.....






You can't do anything around here without the goats coming to see what all the excitement is about.


They didn't get it.