All I can say is WOW. I have spent the whole afternoon moving the new goats to the barn and all of their stuff. Grain and hay. It took a while. God has blessed me already this year. Thanks to a man named Ray. Who decided that he should find a home for his goats. And he picked me. They do have a snotty nose and will be getting their shots tomorrow and their feet done. So I will not be making any friends with them anytime soon. But this is a must do. They are really sweet. Of course I can’t touch them right now as they do not know me and they are scared. But they will calm down. I am so blessed to have met Ray. He is a very kind man. Who has a love for animals. He wants them to have the best. I will take good care of his babies. I will also post some pics soon of them.

A year has come and gone and a new year is starting. All is well in the barn. Everyone looks good this year. That is a relief. After the last year. With goats being sick and I am not knowing what was wrong. But, this year I am on top of it. So, this kidding season is going to be a great one and then into the spring clearing season. And there will be a new truck by then. O yes.

Today, while down at the barn feeding. I could not help but notice just how beautiful my girls that are expecting look. Sweetie with her round tummy. She comes to me to get the top of her head and under her chinch scratched. I do love her. Gail is looking rather big to these days. But will never come and get loves. All the yearling does are now in a different pen. As I do not need them crying to their mom’s when their mom’s are trying to take care of the new ones. The young girls were not too happy the first few days about being separated from their moms. But not so much complaining now. The hoses are frozen at the barn. So, had to haul water today. But I am still counting my blessings for even having the barn.

So, let the new year begin

Yes, that is right. Nothing boring about raising goats. They can get into more trouble than any other animal on earth. And I should know. As I have had my fair share of animals. From skunks to horses. But goats, trouble is in their DNA.
So, yesterday is my first day off from my job. So, I go down to the barn in the morning to check on everyone. All is well. It is a crisp cold morning. No rain, and the sun is out. So, my guys and gals are starting to wander out in the morning to bath in the sun.. O.K.. So, I check the feeders and the water buckets and head back to the house. I have things that I need to get done at the house. I pour myself some coffee and get to work. Laundry, dishes and some work on the computer. Then I go out to double check on the little ones as in goats at my house and they are all doing well. So, I have some lunch and get ready to go into town. The phone rings. Person on the other end. Did you know that chicken Charlies front yard is full of goats. No, I am on my way. Thank you. Now you see I rent Charlie’s old chicken barns down the road about a fourth of a mile from my house. Sure enough there they are.  By now seeing me they are heading down the road toward the barn.  Thank the Lord that the road is not real busy.  But all the same I send Cottie the heading dog to round them up.  Through the doors of barn one they go.  Then I call them back out one of the side doors to the pasture area. 

O what a day in the life of a goat rancher.  Love it all the same.  Would not want to do anything else.

Good morning.  It is Saturday morning and I am getting ready to take the concession trailer out.  It has been a long night.  As Baby one of my Chihuahua’s has passed away. She has been declining over the last few months.  She had gone blind and could not hear.  Her balance was not good.  And she had dementia.  The last few weeks she could no longer smell.  So getting her to eat was not easy.  And if I tryed to feed her on a day when she did not know me.  That was really bad.

But Thursday morning when I got up.  She came and licked my feet.  I knew that she knew who I was.  So all day Thursday and Friday I keep’t her with me.  She was getting a cold.  I knew on Friday that she was near the end of her life.  So, I did all the things that she liked to do when she was younger.  Some of them she enjoyed and some not at all.  Like she loved to go in the car.  So Friday I had shopping to do for the concession trailer.   So, I took her with me.  I bought her some vanilla soft Ice cream that night.  But she was not much interested.  I heated up her favorite red blanket and wrapped her up in it.  Then I sat down and held her almost all night.  She knew who I was the last 2 days of her life.  But then about 3 a.m. on Saturday morning.  Her dementia set back in and she was scared when I held her.  So I put her down by the heater vent, wrapped in her red blanket.  By 3:15 a.m. she was gone.

Now this comes to a close a chapter in my life that goes back 23 years.  When I first got her mom as a baby. I named her Little.  Her mom was 5 weeks old and not yet weaned from her mom.  But she came to me because her mom  had been struck and killed by a car.  So, I raised her.  She went everywhere with me.  Even to work.  At that time I worked as a bartender in the Longview, Wa. area.  So, I and the other girls would keep her in our staff bathroom.  When our boss Leo would go home.  We would bring her out.  The customers and staff loved her and she was spoiled.  The girls would go to the kitchen and get her a small slice of prime rib and cut it up and heat it and bring it to her.  Or if someone did’nt eat their steak.  They would save it and cut it up and heat it and give that to her.  They always gave it to her in a white to go container.  So, she grew up knowing that if you came home with one of them.  It must have something in it for her.  Even if it did not.  Well when she was a little over 2 years old.  I had her breed.  She gave birth to 3 puppies.  One did not make it.  But the two little girls did.  She and her babies brought much happiness to our family.

My nephew was 6 when they were born.  And he lived 2 blocks away from me.  He would come to my house everyday after school.  Play with the puppies and helped me train them to go thru the dog door with their mom.  And learn to use a sand box.

Well, one of my friends wanted one of the puppies.  So when they were big enough to leave their mom.  My nephew picked out the one that he wanted us to keep and the other went to my friend Cheryl’s house.  She named her’s Tera and we named ours Baby.

So Baby was not the nicest dog to people.  Even thru I would take her to work and let her get to know the girls.  She was not very friendly.  And soon it came very apparent to me that she was not a real people dog.  So, over the years, when people came to visit.  I would have to let them know that she was not one that they could touch.  I never really knew why she was this way.  As she was raised just like the rest of them.  And she loved the family.  But no one else.  When she was 6 years old.  I bought the ranch and moved her and her mom and one other Chihuahua that I had .  Tosa up here.  Soon after we moved in.  My friend Cheryl called and asked if I would watch Tera for a few months.  As they were moving to a new house and she did not want her in the way.  Well that was no problem.  As Tera always loved me.  Infact when Cheryl would stop by and see me and give me a hug good bye.  When she got home Tera could smell me on her and just get all excited and go looking for me.  Or if I stopped by their house.  Tera would get so excited that she would just cry and carry on.  So, having her here would not be a problem.  After all they were sisters and they grew up together.  Well I was wrong.  Baby was so mad that she was here and always wanting my attention that it was a fight all the time.  So, one day I asked my mom if she would like to have her at her house.  Because you see after having her for 6 months at my house and calling my friend about her dog.  I reaized that she did not want her back.

Well, my mom took her home and it was all over.  Tera loved my mom.  She would ride on her cart with her.  Sleep with her.  Go up town with her.  She still loved to see me.  But she was right at home with mom.  Then 2 years ago  my mom got sick and had to go to the hospital for a long time.  While she was there.  Tera ended up with heart failure and we had to have her put to sleep.  Shortly after that The girls mom Little died of heart failure.  Baby, the one with the most problems.  And the one that I thought I would loose first.  Lived 2 years longer then her family.  My nephew went by the house where the puppies grew up with him today to just think about the times with her.  She is in no pain now.  She can play with little frogs and mice all day and never get tired and will be able to see them. You see that was one of her favorite things to do.  One day I found a big bull frog in the yard.  So I called her to come see it.  She was just excited.  Smelling it and touching it with her nose.  But when it jumped.  She stopped.  Her eyes got really big and the hair on her back stood up.  She took off running for the house.  Never to play with frogs agian.

My little girl.  Who loved food, frogs, mice her aunt Connie, Kyle and my friend Jan.  Riding in the car and eating ice cream is now layed to rest.  She will be missed.  But I know that she is in Dog heaven with her mom.  Take care my little chub nutter.  Her nick name from me.

Good morning everyone.  It is a Thursday morning.  And not raining at the moment.  I want to start with the bad news.  I have lost one of my loved little four legged guys.  And I must say I am very sad this morning.  As I did’nt even see this coming. 

Mr. Cuddles was in the barn last night standing away from the rest of the herd when I went to feed and do chores.  After I finished with everyone else.  I went and picked him up.  Carried him to the car and brought him home.  Now he really did not have a cold to speak of.  And he did not seem sick.  But he just was not acting right.  So I dedided to put him in with Tanto under a heat lamp.  

You see, I have had a few.  Not many.  Just Skittles and Tanto and some of the little guys at the house have been fighting a cold.  So Skittles is doing better and did not really need to be under the heat lamp.  But Tanto, well I wanted him in one more night.  So I decided to put Mr. Cuddles in with him.  They could keep each other company.  And I could check on Cuddles thru the night to make sure he was doing O.K..  And, that is what I did.  The last time I looked at him was 1:30 this morning.  And he seemed fine.  He had not had any water since I put him in there but I was not real worried about that.  It was there if he wanted it.  So, when I went out about 6:45 a.m. he was gone.  So sad. 

He will be greatly missed.  As he was one that liked people very much.  His little spotted ears made him very uneak.    And yes his name fit him well.  As he loved to be held and cuddled.  I will miss holding him in my lap.  With his head laying over my shoulder or when he would kiss me.  Yes kiss me.  These guys are all very friendly.  Some more then others.  And he was one of them. 

Memory, he got a bad cold last year.  And was really sick.  So he lived in my bathroom for about 5 days.  And he loved it.  Well while he was sick he never would get up.  And why should he.  I changed his bedding everyday and brought hime his food and water.  The life of Royaltiy.  One afternoon, I went down to the barn.  I was not going to be gone very long.  So I left the bathroom door open.  You see Cuddles had not been getting up.  So I was not to worried.  Well, when I opened the front door.  Guess who was there to meet me.  You guessed it.  Mr Cuddles.  He had also been all over the house while I was out.  And he had left a trail to prove that.  Thank goodness goats have little round pellets.  They are easy to sweep up.  But he was so proud of his self.  And happy to see me.  But not so happy when I let him know that it was time to go out to the pen outside now.   I was not happy then.  But what I would give for him to do that all over agian.  He will be missed very, very much.   So this post is for him.

O, need I say more. For you that have worked on a ranch or owned one. You already know the nightmares of this time of the year. Because rather you own one bull, buck, ram or stallion. It is always a headace. There is always females that you do not want breed. So it makes know difference how many or how little amount of guys you own. It still spells trouble. And it is know different for me in the barn this year. Except, that I usually have one of the guys leased out. So then I only have to deal with one guy getting into trouble. But not the case in the barn right now. Godric and Dr D have both been given their share of does to have for their little harem. But that has not been good enough. So what a mess it has been. First Godric gets out. And I put him in. Then Dr D gets out and I put him in. Then the next day I go to the barn and they are both out fighting with each other. I am defently going to have to make some buck pens next year with hot wire on them. So, at the moment I have know idea who is breed to who. Well  some but not all. So now I am going to have to do testing when they are born. What a pain. But Godric will be going to a friends house and be with their does for about a month. That will take away one problem anyway. And to think I have two young bucks coming up. Should be real fun next year.
Well I wil go for now and be back later.

Good morning.  So, Godric is at a ranch of my friends right now.  He has 8 new does to be with for the next month.  He started out meeting all the new girls.  And then as I was getting ready to leave.  I here him talking.  So I look over.  And here is my big guy, standing on the fence talking to me.  All the does have headed out to the pasture.  And he is letting me  how much he loves me.  So, I walk over to him.  Give him some loves and let him know that I will be back to get him.  That he will be alright and he will get his grain everyday just like usual.  You see, I think he might have been telling me he would miss me.  But really I think he was reminding me to let these people know that he needs his grain.

But all in all he is a good guy.  With a lot of love to give.  He will be back home next month.  Then he can come back to the barn and be with the other bucks.  Things should be comed down by that time.  All the does will have been settled and ready to kid.  Then the barn will be busy once agian.  But with new kids running around instead.  This is one of the most stressful times of the year.  But also the most fun.  Seeing new kids.  But that is a whole different blog.  Back to my guy Godric.  I will be over to check on him while he is there.  So now I am off to get other things done in the barn.  There is a lot to do.  As I have friends coming over from Eastern Washington.  They are bringing their dairy does.  Six of them I think to be aied and my four new kiko does are coming as well.  I am excited.  They are all breed to their kiko buck and are due to kid shortly.  So, off to start my day.

Well, back home today after a 2 day job. Most likely the last one of the season. Now to get things ready in the barn and get the does ready for kidding season. I am sad that the season is over. Funny, as hard of work as it is. I love being out with my goats. They are amazing creatures. I also like meeting the people that hire us to work for them. They are all so wonderful. And they seem to really enjoy the goats. But then I think, what is not to enjoy. With all their different personalities, mood swings and little quirks. You just can’t help but enjoy them. This last job I was on was different then any we have done so far. As it involved water. A first for us. Was I a little worried? If I said not at all. I would be lying. Everytime they went to the far end of the creek that they had access to. I would head down there. It was not that I was worried about them slipping and falling. As much as someone head butting or pushing someone else. And over the bank one would go. Well they all did real well the first day. Minding their own business and being very carefull. They were all very good around the pond. But I must say there were a few times when I was watching them stretch to reach for something that was over the water. And I held my breath and prayed. But they did fine. Snow was my star achevier at the pond. Reaching out to get some grass on the side of the bank. The grass was quiet far. But she did it.
One of my other stars of the job was Ropper. He is an amazing eater anyway. But he would get right to the end of the bank and then climb out on a limb with his front feet while standing straight up on his hind feet. And snag that branch and bring it in to him. Without ever falling.
Then we had Pete. O Pete. He gets the biggest award of all. Awards are the bravest, stupidest, most athletic. And the big one. For scaring his goatlady to death. Yes you are reading this right. FOUR awards.  You see he climbed out on a log that was over the creek.  The log was covered with moss and over an area of the creek that was deep.  After he got out there the other goats saw him and started to follow him out.

Now you must understand.  This is something they do all the time on jobs with blackberries.  Because, if the brambles are real thick and high.  I take pieces of 2 by 6′s or part of a piece of plywood and toss up on the brambles.  And I have watched them fight with each other on the wood to get to the goodies that they want to eat.  So now I am watching Pete and I am invisioning what could happen.  Only now he is over a creek.  Not good.  So, I could go out and call for them as I so often do.  How I do this is by saying here nanny nanny.  I do this real loud and a few times.  They will all come running.  It is very intertaining most of the time.  And when out on jobs I will do this for the homeowner.   They enjoy watching them all come running.  But in this case I did not dare.  As the rest of the goats would come running.  And that would be good.  As that would get them away from Pete and where he was at.  But the problem that I could see with this was.  Pete is usually the first one to come running to me.  And what if he got in a hurry to get off the log. And slipped and fell in the creek.  Then I would have to find a way to get him to a section of the bank that he could come back up on stable ground.  So, as all of these thoughts were rushing thru my head.  I started walking down that way.  Trying to be very calm as I walked.  Talking to the goats in a very quiet voice.  To try and get them to start walking toward me a few at a time.  Well this worked.  And Pete came down off the log.  Thank you Lord my prayers were answered.  So now you see why he has received so many rewards on this job.  Or maybe he should have not gotten any. HAHA.

Anyway, the job went well.  And they finished up and loaded without to many problems.  And we came home.  Another job well done.