Hi everyone.  My name is Pickles.  And I am one of 11 new dairy does to come to live at Double Trouble Ranch. There is Pokoday, Misty, Elphie, Gale, Punkin, Presious, Sky, Sage, Sherlie, and myself Pickles.   We are an elite group of does.  As we used to live at the famous Blue Rose Dairy.  Home of the best goat cheese in Lewis county.  And we were the reason for that famous cheese.    Us and our goat keeper Rhonda and her family.  O that was the life.  We had a big pasture and barn to live and lounge in.  We were called into the dairy parlor early every morning to get our wonderful breakfast of grain and alpalha pellets.  Rhonda would wash our uter and teats and start our milking process and then put the milking machine on us.  Then when we were done she would clean us up and send us out to our feeders where we would fined our hay for the day.   Then in the evening we would  go back to the milk parlor and get our goodies and milked again. O to be there again. 

But Rhonda and her family have decided to do something else.  So she let us know that she needed to find another farm for us. One where we would  make milk for other people. 

 One evening while as we were being milked.  A lady came to talk with our keeper.  They were talking about our moving.  I heard this lady talking about me.  Pointing at me and saying something about how cute I was.  Well I know that.  This is not news to me.  But what I did’nt know, was that she was talking about taking me to her ranch.  O well, I was not going to worry.  Must be a dairy ranch.  A few days later our new owner came to get us.  Now remember I was hand picked by her.  But the other 10 does were does that our owner did;nt think anyone would want.  So I and the other does were loaded up and left.  O, what a ride.  We never ride in trailers.  In fact we never even leave our home. It was not fun.  But we soon arrived at our new home.  We were put in a pen and fed in a feeder.  Ok this is the same as home.  Dinner served to us.  Well a few hours later, it was time for milking and we were ready.  So here comes our new owner.  She comes in and gets me first.  Takes me out and wants me to jump up on this stand.  Really, I don’t think so.  But then she showed me my grain.  And I will do anything for my grain.  So up I went.  she locked my head in the stanchion.  O.K., at home we don’t have to jump up on a stand.  But the grain and locking our heads in a feeder was the same.  But, when I took a bite of the grain.  O, it was terrble.  Did someone not tell our new owner what kind of grain we eat.  Well I ate it. But, I was not to happy about it.  So our new owner cleaned off my uter an teats and then started milking me.  Hello, where is the milking machine.  I don’t like this.  Not fun.  So I thought, I know.  I will kick the bucket over.  Wrong.  That was not a good choice.  As our new keeper was not happy about that.  But I am not happy about the milking set up at this dairy.  That is if you want to call it that. 

Anyway, that first night was a nightmare.  I just kept waiting to wake up in my own barn and see our keeper and her girls.  But the next morning when I opened my eyes, I was still in our new home .

  That first week was hard.  All of the girls were complaining about the grain and the milking setup.  Elphie, she really was not happy.  She would not even go to the milking stand quitely.  She caused all kinds of problems. She was not good at all.  

Well, soon we had the grain that we used to have at our old home.  And slowly things started getting better.  All of us started settling in.  With the exception of Misty and Pokoday, who was getting special treatment.  Yes, you are  reading  it right SPECIAL treatment.   They had their own pen.  Not fair.   And I am here to tell you,  they let us girls know that they were  in a private pen.   Pokoday, she was the worst about letting us know that they had the better pen to stay in.  And if that was’nt bad enough.  They got to run around free during milking.  Now Misty, I don’t mind so much, that she was in a different pen.  She is a real sweet girl.  And she never causes trouble among us.  She has that what you humans call a sweet spirit.  And it works for her.  But Pokoday, she just kept rubbing it in.   O well, paybacks are not fun.  They will have to be with us sooner or later.  And then look out girls.  .

So, one morning about a month after we were here the goatlady came to milk us.  By now all of us girls have excepted the fact that this is our new life.  And although we have been complaining.  We did all agree that our new goatlady was very nice and trying to make things comfortable for us.  But this morning she backs the trailer into the barn. The same trailer that we had made our  journey in when we came here.  Humm, wonder what is going on I thought.  But soon she was getting my favorite thing.  GRAIN.  This is what I live for.  I love grain.  My ears even stand strait out when I hear the sound of grain.  So, when she came to the gate I was right there.  And out I came, jumped on the stand and started eating.  Well, she milked me just like always.  But then she put a leadrope on me and walked me to the trailer.  O NO I thought.  She does’nt want me.  I have done something she must not like.  I will be good I thought.  How do I tell her to give me another chance.  But in I went.  And as she milked us, one by one she would then put us in the trailer.  We were all doomed I thought.  Then after she loaded the last of the nine of us that were in the pen.  Remember, Misty and Pokoday never has been in the same pen.  She went and got two of the big boys from the other pen.  Buddy and Gordie.  She put them in with us and down the road we went.  I wondered what had they done to be sent away.  And why were they not acting worried about it.  In fact other then Gale being mean to them.  And they were trying to ignore her cranky ways.  They were fine with riding in the trailer.  Well I would soon learn why they were so calm.  O and by the way, I asked them what was going on.  But all they would say is you will see.

Soon we came to a stop.  And the goatlady got out and started working on something.  Taking things off of the trailer and setting things up.  And then she came and got Buddy and Gordie.  Then it was us girls turn.  One by one she lead us to a little pen.  With lots of weeds and blackberries and morning glory and thistles.  Now we did not want to go in the pen at all.  But their was one other animal from the ranch that was with us.  His name is Codie.  The DOG.  Yes, him.  He had been to the barn on many a nights when the goatlady came to feed and milk.  We would watch him very close.  And Gale she would tell us that he was our enemy.  So be on guard.  Gale by the way is one of us dairy does.  And let me tell you she rules over all of us.  What she says goes. So, anyway.  With Codie following at our heals as we walked into this pen.  We had know problems moving.  He has this weard way about making us move and yet he never says anything.  But let me tell you all the goats at the barn seem to move when he is around.  Interesting.

Well anyway back to my story.  Buddy and Gordie started eating all the leaves and things that were in there.  Infact there were blackberries.  And the two guys were right there to eat them.  Well Elfie she was having no part of this.  She went over to the corner and layed down and would not get up.  I on the other hand tryed to go out the gate each time the goat lady came in.  But I soon changed my mind on that when she  put Codie on guard at the gate.  Now he just layed there and I think was sleeping most of the time.  But I was not taking a chance on slipping by him.  After all what if he was just pretending. 

Well soon the boys were eating back in this little area that was about 5 feet wide.  But it had blackberry bushes taller then I could see.  It reminded me of a story my mom used to tell me when I was little.  Jack and the blackberry vines.  Wow, maybe this is where he used to climb up and down I wondered.  So, enough day dreaming.  Our goatlady came in and started pulling them down for us to eat.  That was fine.  Except the other girls refused to eat anything.   Now me I had know problem.  They were really very tasty.  But Gale pointed out that we did not eat buffet style.  And she was not about to start now.  Infact, everytime the goatlady stepped out of the pen for a little while.  Gale and the other girls would tease the boys.  And be mean to them.  Biting and pulling on their ears.  Then they would start yelling for the goatlady.   She would return to check and see what the problem was.  Coming in and working with us again.  All the while the boys telling on us girls.  Then Punkin made a bad move.  While eating next to the boys and the goatlady.  She reached over and pulled and bite Gordies ear.  Not good.  The goatlady gave all of us a scolding.  Letting us know that we were not to good to eat buffet style.  That just making milk was not our only job anymore.  But rather helping people clear their land of problem plants like these was what we did on this ranch.  And that we would have to get used to it.  And that went for Elfie to.  The goatlady was not happy with our performance.  And as for the boys.  They said they were joining some club that girls were not allowed to join.  I don’t know what they were talking about.  I don’t want to be in any club their in anyway. 

A few hours later, with the help of our new owner.  We were done with the job.  And the blackberries were gone.  And their was know sign of Jack.  You remember him.  And he would not be visiting down here soon as there was no way down.  So  back in the trailer we went and back to the barn.  Where we did get our nightly scoop of goodies and milked.  And then back to our sleeping area.  What a long day that was.  And full of lessons.  Soon there would be more days like that.  But all in all I did not think it was to bad.  Now Elfie, different story.  She is still causing problems.  So many that our goatlady does not want to take her out yet.  To bad as she does not know what she is missing.  Because I am hear to tell you the leaves and berries.  Well they were deliches.  I am looking forward to our next trip.  Then I will be back to tell you more stories about our adventures.  By for now and take care.