Now that the excess hair is gone, it’s time to remove all that flaky skin and stubborn dirt. As much as Cuzco hates to be squirted with water, he has no idea how good he has it. We have a hot water tap outside!! Now how many goats in the world have that particular luxury??

Rub-a-dub-dub, we could use a tub. This is the part Cuzco loves best, as you can see by his expression. Just like a massage.

Toweling off is pretty nice too.

The finished product: Cool and dapper and ready to conquer the summer!

It’s time for Cuzco’s annual spring cleaning. Look at that scruffy winter coat! Time for that hot, itchy, ratty old thing to go!

Cuzco generally seems to enjoy the clippers and willingly stands still for most of this rather tedious process. This is good because we’ve never owned a stanchion.

But then, who needs a stanchion when Nanno is so good at the leg-lock technique? The back end is the hardest. That’s where the hair is longer and more matted so the clippers yank and pull. And when the clippers yank and pull, Cuzco starts to yank and pull and that’s my cue to grab a hind leg and make him stand still anyway. Poor goat–I do my best to be gentle.

All done clipping, and what a handsome fella he is under all that winter scruff!

Lilly the rubber-necked owl goat really gets into her brushing time.

It’s that time of year when I wax nostalgic about my college days, and this year is particularly significant because it is the 10th anniversary of my graduation. I graduated from Houghton College on May 12, 2003. Cuzco was in attendance at that proud event and had the honor of displaying my tassel.

Actually, he spent more time trying to eat it than show it off, but he wore it well in any case.

We even shook hands with President Chamberlain, who loved goats. He grew up milking his nanny goat every morning because he was allergic to cow’s milk, so he approved of Cuzco’s attendance at my ceremony.