Monday, August 30, 2010

What's in a Name?


Most of the time it's easy to name a goat. A name just sticks. But with one little baby, there was no name that stuck. We tried Wonder...didn't work. She was Tapenade for a while because it went with Olive. I tried Piper, Little Bit,and Star but they didn't pop into my head when I saw her. I couldn't remember what I named her.
This little one is a bottle baby because she wasn't getting enough milk. She needed a little help to survive.
So the other night when I was giving her a bottle, I thought of my friend's daughter, Zoey, that is fighting for her life in the ICU. I am thinking about Zoey and her mom a lot. It is anyone that's raising a teenager greatest fear. The call in the night that says your child has been in a terrible accident.
Zoey....It's a perfect name for this spunky little goat that takes after that spunky young woman who is not that big herself. So I named her Zoey.
And bought her an orange collar because orange is the color of the ribbons everyone is tying to their antennae.
Since I wanted to do something but really could do nothing, I did this. I made a poster of Zoey the goat and took it to the hospital one night. We had gone to dinner for my birthday in town and were right by the hospital. Knowing it was too late for visitors, I handed it to the nurse and left with the heaviest heart. I felt terrible for showing up so late and terrible for what my friend was going through.
I thought the poster was a stupid thing to do...not very mature.
But....the next day I heard through the grapevine how much that silly poster meant to her mom. She loved it and got a little bit on enjoyment in the midst of all the chaos. A baby goat gave her a smile.
So now the plan is to sneak little goat Zoey into the hospital when she gets out of ICU. And a gaggle of women want to help me.
One is practicing coughing very goat-like.


Update: I am happy to report that Zoey is out of ICU. She is talking, eating, and joking with her friends. She has a long road ahead but she survives! So if any of you have a spunky, sassy, teenager that always crosses the line and pushes your buttons, give that child an extra hug...they have what it takes to survive.

I see that trip to the hospital in one little goat's future.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

The County Fair


It's my favorite time of year. Fair time. I love the county fair. The smells, good and bad, the barns full of every kind of farm animal with the constant reminders of e-coli,

and the scones.


Goatfarmer and I went to the county fair to watch the goatjudge judge goats. It was so much fun I think I need to take a few goats there next year, although the doe that won Best Doe in Show would have been very hard to beat and her yearling daughter was very Cora Belle/Bettyish. Very pretty Nigerian classes. I want to be a part of that....plus I just got a banner with my farm name on it that needs a little attention.

There were a lot of little boys showing goats. Goat boys.




And some very cute goat girls.




There is nothing like a big purple ribbon to put a smile on your face.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

I Got Lucky

I was hoping for as many hens as I could get as duck eggs are going for $5 a dozen around these parts.
Look what I ended up with.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

My Bike


I wanted a bike for my birthday. I want to ride it back and forth to the farm. It has to have a basket to carry my eggs.
Last night we went to look at bicycles. I was excited because, like I told Hubby, I don't ever remember getting my own bike. I usually saved my requests for a new animal. That doesn't mean I didn't ride bikes, I just rode my sisters', my mother's, or even my dad's.
I saw a beautiful red and white Schwinn cruiser at one store. I had Hubby get it down, because there is never anyone to help when you need it, and threw my leg over to ride it up and down the aisles. As I started to pedal I felt like I was on a kid's bike. My knees almost hit the handlebars. I am fairly tall and apparently in the bike world one size fits all. I wobbled up and down the isles and told Hubby that it was just too small....but they didn't have any other sizes.
No one had any other sizes. As I tried out several more bikes at a different store I was horrified that I could no longer ride a bike. I told Hubby I felt all old and rickety.

He said, Ya, he thought that too when he was watching me try to ride.

I couldn't find a bike I liked. I could hardly steer any of them with my knees up into my hands. And the beach cruisers were like choppers with their handlebars all up in the air making steering difficult.

A bit discouraged we went home and decided to pull the old bike off the hangers in the garage. This bike is almost as old as I am. Hubby put air in the tires...a lot of air....and off I went. The bike fit perfect. I felt like I was twelve again riding my dad's bike to Sara's house. Ya it's a boy's bike but I'm not really sure why boys have the bar and girls don't. It hurts just the same when you land on it.

So once again I didn't get my own bike...but it leaves my present open for the new water trough I want.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Power of Prayer

Please say a prayer for my friend's beautiful daughter, Zoey. She has been in a terrible car accident and has a severe head injury along with a compound fracture of her femur.
I can't even imagine what her family is going through right now as it is every parent's nightmare. She is in surgery now and I am a firm believer of the power of prayer and positive thoughts. So please take a moment out of your day and say a few words for this wonderful spirited young woman who has so much to give to this world.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Friday, August 13, 2010

White Pony

I saw a white pony on craigslist. It had the glowing description of a perfect party pony. And he was all white. With a nice balanced body. Pictures of him being finger painted by a bunch of toddlers sealed the deal for me.
But I had told myself, after Sunny, I would never get another horse...at least until I could afford to call the high-priced horse vet out at midnight on Christmas Eve.

I emailed the link to a friend who said...when do we go look at him?

I told her we weren't because I still couldn't afford to call the high-priced horse vet out at midnight on Christmas Eve.

But I kept looking at him.

I showed him to Hubby. Hubby said he didn't want another horse. He didn't even look at the ad. I told him that for sure when I have grandkids I would get a pony to lead them around on. He didn't say a word so I took that as a good sign and looked at the pony again.
I finally emailed the owner with a few questions. I didn't hear back and the ad was taken off.
I had missed my opportunity to get the best pony in the world.

A few days later as I perused craigslist I came across an ad talking about the magnificent white pony and another that had been listed at the same time.
The ad told of going to look at these ponies and the white one bucked, kicked and reared the whole time and the other had locking stifles. They had bought the locking stifle pony without knowing. Apparently I dodged a bullet....or the children I would have put on him did.
Good thing because I still can't afford to call the high-priced horse vet out at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

How To Do Dog Agility

First you get a dog. Vest optional.



Next you walk around the course without the dog, mapping out your strategies. Don't even think about what that looks like to the outsiders.



Give your dog a pep talk to get his attention.



A massage always helps the athlete.



Then you run like crazy.



Pray.



And then run some more.



When you have jumped the last jump....



It's time to rest.

Friday, August 6, 2010

The Original Goat Girls


When I was 11, I was watching Captain Kangaroo, and Mr. Green Jeans brought in a couple of Saanen kids. I ran straight in to my mother and told her I wanted a goat. She agreed that we would find a baby goat. I told my best friend, Sara, that I was going to get a goat. She ran home and asked her parents if she could get a goat as well. They agreed.

My mom found a woman that had two doelings, Buzzin' Bee's Sweet Pea and Buzzin' Bee's Star. She also found a good 4H club (Kids Inc.) for us to join and learn about caring for goats. Thus started our lifelong love affair with anything goat.
We spent hours with our goats, running back and forth between our houses with goats in tow. Most kids were followed by a dog, we were followed by Sweet Pea and Star. Sara's dad coined us "the goat girls" and it stuck. Stuck like the hay and goat hair that clung to our goat coats.

We thrived in 4H and spent hours at the fairgrounds showing our goats. Many of you don't know this about me but I am the 1977 goat milking champion...yes me.
Oh the trouble we got in at those fairs. One of our moms would drop us off in the morning and someone would come by at 10pm to get us. This is another little known fact...the boys in the pig barn are the cutest.
Sara and I would sit on the rail of our goat pen and poll the public...Sweet Pea or Star? Which name do you like better? Star, her goat, was the most popular. I didn't get it. I thought Sweet Pea was the better name. Whimsical and sweet. Not Star...hard with that abrupt ar sound at the end.

Sara and her daughter Marisa came over yesterday so Sara could get her goat fix. She doesn't have goats anymore but that doesn't mean her love for them has ended.



When a local university brought a herd of goats in to clear the hillside, Sara, much to the dismay of her teenage daughter, whom she had told they would only be stopping for a minute, sat on the hillside and watched the goats. Watched them long enough she spied a sickly one and wouldn't rest until she called the owner of the goat renting company and got him out to look at it. Not satisfied with his answer she told him how to treat it.


We are now the old goat girls but we are the originals. So what do you think? Sweet Pea or Star?

Sunday, August 1, 2010