Goat Club

The Key Peninsula Goat Club (where milk is the key) met at my house today for our monthly meeting. The weather did not cooperate so some members could not make it and the goat clicker training was postpone until next month. Good thing because I have another month to prepare.
We passed the time eating chili and talking about the upcoming kidding season, the first annual Peninsula Classic Goat Show, participating in the grueling 5 days of the Kitsap County Fair,

and friends we knew who were nurses.....we got sidetracked...a lot.

One of our youngest members of the kid's group, Kids Inc. colored in her goatbook and entertained me with stories about time travelers and fairies.



A good time was had by all...



especially Solomon who learned the joy of following a 4 year old who was eating tortilla chips.

Stay tuned for updates on the Peninsula Classic Goat Show that will be more than a goat show. It will be a goat extravaganza held on July 9th at the Longbranch Improvement Center.

A Tired Dog is a Good Dog

Bijou and I went to visit my friend, the dog trainer extraordinaire, yesterday and we did a little impromptu training session. Bijou is food and toy driven and loves to play the training game. Maybe she is just what I need to get back into the training game myself. My friend gives private competition obedience lessons and has offered to help me work with Bijou for experience working with toy breeds. She currently has a dog from every breed group that she is training...except the Toys. That's where Bijou comes in with her "put me in coach" attitude.
Bijou was so tired and satisfied when we got home, she slept all afternoon. In the picture she is dreaming of treats that come her way just for sitting on her bottom.

That's why my motto for living with a dog is.....a tired dog is a good dog!

The Full Picture (for Clare)

The Nose Knows

make sure you click on the picture to get the full effect.

Signs of Spring

There have been some subtle signs of spring in our area. A slight greening and growing of the grass, the peacocks are screaming, and we got our first chicken egg of the season.
I would like to think that Ramona the Brave laid it.

She's my favorite hen.


I'm going to give her credit.

But the color of it would suggest it was....


my new favorite hen, Smokey.

Curious George Gets a Home

The most darling young couple with an equally darling baby came to the farm yesterday. They have a six acre farm with a couple of llamas and were needing some goats to keep the brush down and be part of their farm attractions. They have plans to put on weddings and parties so the goats will be petted and fed treats.

Sounds like a good life for George don't you think?

George was perfectly happy staying with his momma and nursing...at 8 months old. He and his companion from Herron Hill, Jimmy Jr, who had just left his mother at 8 months old were thrown in a stall one night to bond before they left for their new home. After the initial shock of seeing a new goat the boys got along quite well. They bonded in their fear of what was going to happen.

Both were wild as only dam raised (for 8 months)kids can be. George cowered by the wall while Jimmy climbed the walls. I couldn't believe how wild George had gotten over the winter. I was worried that when the darling couple saw these wild childs they would head for home...without the boys. I was confident that they would tame down really fast but would they want to take the time?
Undaunted by their thrashing and cowering, the darling couple took the two roommates home and settled them into their new stall and pasture.
I received an email today that the goats are settling in and the darling couple is very happy with them. Jimmy is a treat lover and is taming very fast.

George is still plastered to the wall.

Not so Lucky

Something (a huge raccoon as big as the neighbor's dog) got two of my not so lucky ducks. The beautiful green-headed male and one of his wives. Whatever it was (a huge raccoon as big as the neighbor's dog) couldn't get in so pulled them through the wire.
The remaining three are quite traumatized and are recovering in the chicken coop.
I was equally traumatized when I found my dog, Grace, chewing on something...it was the green-headed drake's bill.
Bad doggy!

My, what big ears you have

The Other Green Egg

While all the chickens I know took the winter off, the ducks have not.


And one even lays a green egg.



I don't know if this is typical of ducks but we got at least two eggs a day all winter and now we are up to three. I sell the eggs to a friend of a friend who can't eat chicken eggs. I'm really glad for that because although I do use them for baking, I can't get over how messy ducks are. You will notice that their eggs are dirty...just can't get that out of my mind...thus no boiled duck eggs for me for breakfast.
So if you want eggs all winter...and can get over the messy thing...oh and the dabbling in everyone's water...then get some laying ducks.



They are beautiful.

Companion Dog Excellent

Miles died today. He was only 13 and never had a sick day in his life. I found him this afternoon when I got home from work. I thought he was sleeping. He wasn't. He died calmly and without drama just like he lived. Always a gentleman.

Miles was my son's dog. His 4-H project that he bought with his birthday money. He wanted a Sheltie and I wasn't so sure I did. All that hair...and aren't they yappy?
We found a good breeder and went to see the only puppy left. He wasn't as flashy as his brothers and sisters so he was still available. My son signed the papers, handed over the money and named his new puppy Miles. We took him home and that night when we went to bed we put him in his crate and didn't hear a peep out of him until morning...always a gentleman.

That was one puppy that was lucky to not be so flashy. His puppyhood was spent being doted on by a boy and his enthusiastic 4H club. Although still my son's dog, I took over his training when the boy moved on to other things.
He was the first dog I clicker trained and he loved to work. Show him something three times and he had it. He loved obedience, agility and even dabbled in tracking one summer.

Miles was a cherished member of our family and will be missed but don't spend a moment feeling sad for him. He had the best life a dog could have had.