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.

A Sow's Ear

Swine Flu

I have had the dreaded swine flu. It has really knocked me out. I am feeling much better but have no interest in doing anything. Especially building a little goat shed for Buttons. Hubby and I plan to fence another pen and build a little goat lean-to in it. We did start it...and then ran out of energy. Buttons is coming on Saturday. Having already had her date with the handsome Rebel Without A Cause, she is ready to make my little farm her home. I will also fill you in on a little secret. I may look at another doe as well. I saw on P.P. website that a doeling that I had admired when there last may be up for sale to a show herd. I would show her!
Shhhh don't tell anyone. It's just something in the back of my mind.
Also she has a darling buck...that's going a bit far. But he is handsome. And he does have a nice pedigree. And I really admire his sire. And he is the same coloring as Cora Belle. And I do have an igloo for him. Hurry! Talk me out of it.

I Think I'm Going To Live

Goatgirl has been sick. Very sick. Now I know why they want old people to get a flu shot. I am too old to feel this bad.
I thought a flu shot was for other people. Old people. Weak people.

My mom called and I said, "I'm sick."
She said,"Did you get your flu shot?"
"No, not yet"
"Well there you go,too late now," she says.

Hubby has been picking up the slack around here after his initial disappointment of getting home early on Friday to start the weekend of many projects. Oh I got off early on Friday too and breezed right by him on my way to my bed for the next 4 days. So he cleaned and cooked and went grocery shopping and also took care of all the animals...which can be quite an undertaking. And Hubby, God love him, sometimes doesn't notice things that need to be done. He's from the suburbs...what can I say.
So this morning, I crawled from my death bed to go feed the animals for the first time in 3 days. I was met by Alice's pitiful cry but that's nothing new, she always has a pitiful cry. Other than I don't think the poor cats were fed in a few days and Alice and Semi-Sweet's water was floating a few nanny-berries everyone was healthy and happy to see me.
Especially the cats.

Alice February

It's hard to get a good picture of Alice. She is always on the move. In most pictures of Alice her head is blurry. When her body is still, her head is always moving.Unlike Cora Belle who senses an audience and poses repeatedly until you get the right shot.

It Kills Me

It kills me when something really funny happens and then the person I am with tells me they will kill me if they see it in my blog.

That's happening more and more lately.

Read All About It

Filbert made the paper! A small, very awkward picture of Filbert and two equally awkward children but a picture nonetheless, and a very nice mention of Filbert the goat with chocolates in his pack.
And now he has had his 15 minutes.

Filbert

Yesterday was the farm tour in our area and Filbert and I were invited to come to a farm and demonstrate a little goat packing. We are qualified to demonstrate this for two reasons...
1. Filbert owns a pack. He's carried water and chocolates.
2. We been hiking exactly twice.
Not knowing really what we would do I resorted to what I know best, kids and chocolate. I filled Filbert's pack with miniature candy bars and zipped it shut. At first I thought it might be a mistake because it seemed that the parents that take their kids on farm tours don't let them eat candy. I was really doubting my choice when one mother searched the pack for something gluten-free.


For the most part I saw lots of smiles and heard many thanks to Filbert.



Filbert is a professional. He took his job very seriously.


I tell you it was rough...

The worst part was letting Alice tag along.


She got half the peanuts.

Apple Harvest

Bring your children
Bring your spouse
come on over to Betty's house.
It's apple picking time.



Climb the ladder
reach up high
You can do it
aim for the sky
It's apple picking time!



Man the cider press,
roll the dough,
make those pies,
come on let's go.
Apple butter, apple sauce,
apple fritters
Oh my gosh!
It's apple picking time!



Grandkids running
all around,
footballs flying
'cross the ground.
Laughing, shouting,
new friendships sprouting.
It's apple picking time!



A toast is made
before saying goodbye.
Glasses of cider are raised to the sky,
"Bless everyone here with
good health and good cheer."





and...
It's apple picking time.


By Betty Price, goatgirl's mom

I'm placing 1 over 2 today for 1's advantage in overall appearance and dairy character.

Old

I'm old.
Today while watching golf on television, I cheered.
Hubby and I used to say the only thing more boring on T.V. than Meet The Press...was golf.

Cute As A Button

A little over a month ago I went out to Poppy Patch farm to look at a goat that I thought I might be interested in buying. We just didn't click that doe and I but a darling tiny doe named Cute as a Button wouldn't leave me alone. As I looked at the goats she was always right there wanting me to scratch her head. Well needless to say I fell in love with this little goat. I made it quite clear she was the one I wanted. She wasn't for sale. I pestered and begged but it got me nowhere so I left with an empty crate and a promise that if she was ever for sale I would get first chance.
The chance came. On the last day of the fair she was offered to me and I jumped at the chance. I'm not that surprised because I knew she was meant to be mine.
She is very small, very friendly, has a beautiful first freshening udder, and has a lovely pedigree. She will come bred to the buck of my choice so I chose a buck named Rebel that puts gorgeous udders on his daughters. Since she will be bred first I won't pick her up until December because kids in May fit my schedule.

She had two lovely kids this year that were bought by someone in New Hampshire.

Pretty as a Peach

Solid as a Rock

I am excited to add Buttons to my herd of miniature dairy goats.

You Can Do It Real Slow So Your Heart Won't Palpitate

The theme song of the Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup goes something like this...
You can do it at a trot.
You can do it at a gallop.
You can do it real slow so your heart won't palpitate.
Just don't be late.
Do the Puyallup.

So with that out of the way, I will tell you why it pertains.
When unloading at the fair on the first day, it is morning, the fair is closed, and everyone is refreshed and cheerful. But on the day of departure the whole barn electrifies when the time approaches when the powers that be release you from the barn. It is quite an orchestration getting all the many trucks and trailers through the fairgrounds when it's open to the public to load tired and cross goats pulled along by tired and cross people. They only let a few rigs in at a time making for a long stop and go.

Earlier in the day, the goatfarmer had told me that after a few years of getting in line and waiting forever while nobody moved she was going to sit back and wait until most people left and then go get her truck. I agreed. This method is called the "Seahawk" method. When my son was little we went to a lot of Seahawk's games and we discovered that if we just sat back until everyone left we could just walk right out and then drive right out. As opposed to the "plane departure" method where the minute the plane stops everyone jumps up and hovers in the aisle with their hand on your seat for the next half hour.

I thought this was a good plan. That's what I was going to do. Just sit back and wait. But as the time approached the goatfarmer started pacing, second guessing her decision. I tried to reason with her but she was clearly being sucked into the "plane departure" mode. As the others were scrambling to get out to their trucks and get in line a fierce competitiveness came over her and she could stand it no more and off she went to get her truck and get in line. I went over to my lawn chair and prepared to wait it out.

It was kind of a party the last hour or two at the fair. People helping people load. Lots of well wishes and see you next years and goatgirl and the Poppy Patch people sitting on folding chairs chatting away.

My cell phone would ring. It was the goatfarmer.

"I haven't moved a bit" "One hour and we haven't moved a bit"

I would tell her how sorry I was but there wasn't much I could do except go get another ice cream cone from the dairy barn.

My cell phone would ring again. It was the goatfarmer.

"I am second back so I will go in the next load" "WHAT! They are letting the Pygmies in!" You can bet the goatfarmer's heart was palpitating then.

I said I was sorry and then bent over my cooler and got out another mini Babybel cheese along with a few crackers.

Another hour passes and my cell phone rings. It was the goatfarmer.

"I'm in, I made it in! Be there in a minute"

Two hours in a line going nowhere.

But it all worked out in the end. I loaded my stuff and Cora Belle into the goatfarmer's truck and she dropped me off at my jeep. You see the "Seahawk" works every time.


Thanks for taking me under your wing and showing me the ropes goatfarmer. And thanks for the ride to my car.
Happy Birthday

Full Circle

It has been over 30 years since I've shown a goat at the fair. When I was a just a wee goat girl my mom (or hers) would drop Sara and me off at the front gate and then pick us up around 12 hours later. Oh the fun we had. I have fond memories of the Puyallup Fair grounds and all the trouble we could have gotten into but somehow always got out of. What my mother doesn't know can't hurt her.
So when Cora Belle and I decided to tag along with the goatfarmer to the fair this year it was a trip down memory lane. The smells, the food, and the dairy whites.

I knew that the competition would be very hard to beat so I decided that all I wanted to do was not come in last. Oh I can be competitive all right and practiced a little and gave Cora Belle a bad haircut and bath but didn't want to even think I'd win anything. I was even heard saying that I didn't ever want to come to the fair and care about winning. Nor would I walk around with a bored expression and an attitude. I was here for the scones.
So no one was more surprised than I when the judge awarded Cora Belle first in her very competitive class of doelings. No one was more surprised than I when the judge pointed at Cora Belle to be the Grand Champion doeling. I rushed over to the goatfarmer, who was looking quite pleased, and said in an excited voice,

"I wonder how many I beat?"



After all these years I find myself back where I started. A lot has changed in 30 years. The goats have gotten bigger and the scones smaller but the feeling of winning a blue ribbon at the state fair is still very much alive in this 50 year old goatgirl.

I was very jealous when I saw the above license plate but the owner was much more a girl than I am. I coveted it so bad she told me that if it were to be stolen she would know where to come.

I Would Like To Thank The Academy

Really it was an honor just to be nominated but to win Grand Champion Doeling...now that was fun.


I would like to thank the goatfarmer for breeding such a wonderful little doeling and then giving her up to me to show and Cathy for helping goatgirl with her handling skills. I would like to thank the judge for recognizing the princess that lies within Cora Belle and with a point of a finger set it free, and my family for not laughing when I said I was going to dress up in white and show a goat.

And since I am in such a good mood I will post a rare photo of me in my dairy whites.


I refuse to take the expression on the faces of the couple behind me personally.

News From The Fair

I got up this morning before any civilized person should get up and made my way to the fair. Luckily this was the first thing I saw....

After Cora Belle was safely in her stall I decided a visit to these ladies was in order.

I am pretty sure this is the reason I love scones....

Who wouldn't?

Cora Belle is not so sure about being at the fair even though she is proving to be very popular with the public.
She is not very happy being called a Dalmatian...or the ever popular "cow goat".

Tomorrow is her show debut and when 50 year old women dress up in white after Labor Day and parade their goats around the ring only one word can sum it up....

My Bags Are Packed

I'm ready to go...to the fair that is. Leaving tomorrow at 5:30am, I am hoping the scone wagon is open!
I'll keep you posted!

Going To The Fair

Cora Belle is going to the fair next week. This will be on her stall. The only thing I can take credit for is the picture. The text is all goatfarmer.

Penne's New Home

I finally got some pictures of Penne enjoying her new home. She has her own box stall and paddock that opens up to a five acre pasture. Each afternoon Penne climbs to the top of the hill, lies down and looks over her territory. Each evening she heads back down to spend the night in her own stall. There are two ponds in her pasture and a chicken coop where she can pester whom ever is feeding them.
All in the shadow of Mt. Rainier.