Our Week Beyond The Sidewalks

What a busy week it has been here beyond the sidewalks. It started on Sunday, because the week does start on Sunday, with the goatfarmer and the goatjudge coming over to draw blood for the annual CAE testing. Goatfarmer and goatgirl (me) did a good job of holding on to various parts of the goats while goatjudge did the skilled part of finding a vein in a tiny Nigerian neck. She is very skilled in this and it was much appreciated by the goatgirl who would have had to pay the vet to come take blood had it not been for the goatjudge.

I would have taken pictures but thought it rude to say, "Could you hold that position a moment longer so I can get a picture?"

So my camera stayed in it's case.

I did get a picture of the girls in their holding pen. Which is an ex-pen used for dogs. My lawnmower broke so I moved them around the yard while I waited for the goatprofessionals to get here.

We have also been working on a big project......well at least Hubby is.

We acquired half an acre from our neighbor and are in the process of incorporating it into our yard. Now this means the removal of some trees. 18 to be exact. Which is why it is Hubby's project. I am a tree hugger. I name trees. I can't be responsible for cutting trees. I am also a control freak and like to do things my way. But in my old age I have learned to let Hubby win a few. So this is his project. He wants more yard and more room to garden, which is a good thing. He tells me that it will look really bad before it looks really beautiful.

We are in the really bad stage.

I am trying not to look. I put on my blinders and walk into the house.

I did take a few pictures of the logger in the trees. Here he is in an old dead Alder. The only one I felt OK about cutting down.

I have also been busy working with Sunny. He has really taken to the clicker. It has helped us form a relationship. I am having fun with my little horse. Yesterday my friend came over to give me some ideas on things to train with the clicker. You trainers will be jealous to know that one of my best friends is a dog trainer extraordinaire. Her dogs have all the high level obedience titles like, OTCH and MACH's. And to you non-trainers that translates into a whole lot of work that the average trainer never achieves. She is also a gifted clicker trainer that always gives me good ideas. She had me teach Sunny to target, which means he touches his nose to a target stick and then eventually will follow a target stick. Sunny acted like he had done targeting before and touches his wonderful velvet nose on the target whenever I ask. We worked on heeling because I want him to heel like a dog. You should see our about turn. I promise a video when we get really good. He is backing on command and coming when called. For the first time this morning he whinnied when he saw me.

And to further your jealousy, my friend brought her tape measure to take measurements of Sunny's face for the new driving bridle she will fashion out of leather. Yes, my friend is a leather worker too. It is my job to find a mini driving bit.

Sunny still and always will have a bum rear end. There is lots of popping and crunching going on in those hips and knees. Every one of his joints in this back legs pops. For such a young guy it is a shame. But he will have a home with me, forever. He has been through at least 5 homes in 7 years. One place, where he was the longest, kept him in a dog kennel.

When I heard this, his peculiar habit of pacing around in a perfect figure 8 made sense. It is just about the size of a dog kennel and even though he is no longer in the kennel old habits die hard. He still paces.

Here is a picture of Sunny's track.

Slowly but surely we are forming a bond. He comes into my feed shed and I sit on a stool to groom him. When I bury my face in his neck he smells like a horse. He acts like a horse and I just can't get over how tiny he is. This is all the horse a person needs.

And he only eats about half a flake of hay a day.

I bred one of the does, Lexi, today so should have kids in March. This will be Lexi's first. She never appears to be in heat so when I took her to be bred in the past she never took. I just didn't want to leave her there at someone's house. Now with my own buck it is easier to get her to come in. So today was the day. A little sooner than I liked but didn't want to miss this opportunity.

Here she is today, before the big event. Little does she know.......

I finished a hat this week.

And I took many a photo...of my animals

And of fall leaves..........

A neighbor comes to visit....

And last but not least I have been tagged by Holly and Tami. Since I lost the paper that had the magic formula that Danni sent me to link my words the game will have to stop with me. I am suppose to tell you 6 quirky things about me. I don't know if I can come up with 6. I am about as normal (boring) as they come. The one sure to get picked for jury duty because there is nothing quirky about me. But I'll try.

Here goes...

1. I am not very social. Small talk can almost kill me. Parties send me running for the hills.

2. I like the cars parked right up to the garage in a neat line. Don't leave your car helter skelter in my drive.

3. I have worrying down to a science.

4. I am a homebody that would be happy not going anywhere for weeks.

5. I was, at one point, legally blind until the magic of Lasik surgery.

6. This goatgirl hates the taste of goat milk and goat cheese.

It always tastes like I'm licking my goats. That being said I probably haven't had the right goat's milk. It's been awhile since the last babies we have had around here were left on their moms and I don't milk a goat because it is next to impossible to find someone that will milk a goat for you if you want to go somewhere. I will try again with some new instructions in milk handling from the goatfarmer who has a licenced dairy.

Whew I did it. Thanks for thinking of me Holly and Tami!

The End.