We went for a walk yesterday and Phil got attacked!!

We have been blessed with a cool, wet spring, but although it was enough to make the grass grow long and green, it was not enough to fill the pond or make the creeks flow as they should in springtime. Yesterday and today that changed. The rain moved in around 2:00 in the afternoon and it didn’t stop. It rained and rained all afternoon, all evening, and all through the night. When we awoke in the morning it was still raining. It continued until around 10:30 a.m. and then stopped. It was never a hard rain that washed away across the fields and straight into the ditches. It was the slow, steady, soaking kind that saturated the ground and got deep into the roots. By the time it stopped we’d had around 4 inches.

The pond has not been this full since 2017. When we woke up the pile of rocks next to the cow was still on the shore. By late morning the rocks were a little island.

Before the rainstorm, the pond was the size of the red circle and the rest was deep, sucking mud that kept animals from being able to drink from it.

The horses sure are enjoying all this grass! Every day is a feast!

In other news, Mocha ate the Goat-O-Scope last night. I guess being cooped up in the shelter gave her cabin fever and she decided to rewire the thing. I turned on the Goat-O-Scope sometime around 9:00 p.m. and saw a large eyeball staring into it, then a big, whiskered muzzle rooting around. I saw some teeth and a wire being pulled down from its neat little bundle above the camera. I ran downstairs and unplugged the extension cord before she bit into it and shocked herself. (I’m not sure if that’s what would happen but I was concerned.) This morning I found the chewed-up camera cord laying in the straw. It had been ripped right out of the unit and it can’t be fixed so we’ll have to see what we can do to replace it. Snowball is due in a few days and we can’t be without a Goat-O-Scope!

“…Even though it’s May!”

We woke up to almost eight inches of snow on May 11th. It quickly slumped to about 3 inches and by the next day there were only a few white traces left on the emerald green carpet of long, thick grass on our pastures.

Phil was a popular character with Snowball and the babies.

I love Sapphire’s ears. They go on for miles and they’re just slightly off-kilter in the way they attach to her head.

Ben Gunn enjoyed a frolic all by himself.

But it was more fun to butt heads with Zelda.

Skeeter’s kids wouldn’t leave Phil alone. Ruby especially wanted “Up! Up! Up!” even though she’d already spent most of the morning in Phil’s arms.

Sadie says, “Baby, it’s COLD outside!”

Little tender moment here. Ben Gunn is already huge! Look at this big fella!

Sapphire is proud of her newfound ability to jump on the doghouse. She defends it from all comers–especially her brother!

Phil is a very popular man.

Good morning!  Good times are guaranteed today at the Goat-o-Rama live stream today!  It’s been a fun week and the baby goats have been keeping things exciting!  This is a picture of Diamond, who for a week had one ear up and one ear down.

https://youtu.be/Potb2Ajmmkw

Have a great day!
-Phil

March came in like a lion. Then April came in like a lion. We ran out of firewood and almost ran out of propane. But sometime around the end of April, warm weather arrived! I got my shorts out, grass started coming in everywhere, and the goats enjoyed going out for daily walks!

Snowball is looking mighty round these days. As this photo was taken on April 29th, she’s still got about four weeks to go here. “Hang in there, girl! How many babies have you got in there anyway?”

Sadie’s kids are two weeks old here and happy to be bounding out on one of their first walks.

Skeeter did not accompany us on this walk and we wondered where she was. I hunted around and eventually discovered her hiding in the boys’ pen at the top of the hill with her two little kidlets. They weren’t quite old enough to be going afield with the herd so she took them to a warm, safe place where she could keep an eye on everyone from above. I think last year’s hard lesson with Butterfly has made Skeeter cautious this time around. When the herd goes anywhere near the horses, Skeeter hangs back and takes her kids the other way.

Little Ruby loves climbing on big, soft mama!

Diamond was born with one straight and one flop ear. I was desperately hoping they’d stay this way, but alas, I believe this was the last of her asymmetrical start. The right ear straightened out over the following weekend, never to flop again.

Sputnik has a certain noble air about him, doesn’t he?

There’s that flop ear again!

Sapphire and Ben Gunn enjoy a nap in the soft grass and warm sunshine.

Skeeter and her her two girls under the shade of the ol’ pine tree. Remember it? Skeeter’s mother Petunia played under this same tree. Funny to think that dear old Lilly was Ruby and Diamond’s great-grandmother. Goat generations go by very quickly.

For the first time since they were born, Skeeter allowed her little darlings to play with Sadie’s older kids. She was rather suspicious of the filthy little brats, but she recognized the practicality of allowing her kids to have friends and entertainment other than herself.

Big Ben Gunn meets Diamond… who looks almost exactly like his sister Sapphire. It’s seriously hard to tell those two girls apart now that the size gap is narrowing!

Diamond and Ruby.

Happy mother’s day!  I’ve got some special mother’s day music today for my mom!  All of our goat moms are doing well here, with two still waiting to have their kids over the next month!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wfVWYT7Eg0

Have a great day!
-Phil

One year ago today…

Yes, May 6th was the day our little Butterfly was shot down. I can’t believe it’s been a year. She recovered so well in the ensuing weeks and I can’t believe she’s living the good life out in Utah where she is flying again over the rock formations.

Some fun tunes coming your way today!  Lots of new videos of Ben Gun, Sapphire, Diamond, & Ruby playing in the yard!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JTPMCh6qJc

Hope to see you there!
-Phil

On Saturday afternoon at around 2:00 Skeeter had her kids!  Two girls: Diamond & Ruby!  For today’s livestream I’ll show a bunch of new videos of Sadie’s kids as they’ve gotten more and more lively this week, and some of Skeeter’s kids. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_GzDjqtKtY

Hope to see you there!
-Phil

We had another perfect kidding today! Skeeter went into labor around 2:00, which was the nicest part of the day, and she popped those kids out in textbook form. The only help Phil and I had to give was to cheer her on! She kidded two healthy, strong, and beautifully marked girls! Sticking with the treasure theme, we’ve named them Ruby and Diamond.

Ruby came first with a very large rush of water, and once she was dry she weighed in at exactly 8 lbs. She’s a lovely two-tone chamoisee like her dad, Sonic.

Diamond came just moments later with barely a push from mama, and she weighed 7.5 lbs. Although her front is mostly white right now, Diamond will be colored a lot like her mom when she grows up.

What a sweet little kiss!