The winter from Hell

I think this has been our worst winter yet. We have had so many struggles on the farm, I'll be glad when we find our new home. We are still doing battle with the City of Eureka over keeping the goats. At least they have mostly left me alone since they know that we are looking for a new place. Last month we had to rehome 4 of my pets. I know that they have gone to a really good home though. Still, letting them go was really hard. Since my battle with the City started I have rehomed 10 of my pets.

We also lost a yearling doe this winter to a combination of hypothermia and pneumonia. That was a really hard loss, she had the potential to have a wonderful fleece, along with giving me super sweet babies. Then this morning I woke up to 2 feet of snow, and another yearling that was soaked to the bone and working on hypothermia. Really??!! TWO FEET of snow on May 24, Mother Nature needs to look at the calender.

We have been looking for a new home in Southern Utah where it is warm year round. I told Cae that we are not going to live in the snow again.I do have a lot to be grateful for though, and I know it. I still have some of my goats, and we did get one new baby delivered here this year with no problems. I still have my health, and a wonderful family. Now if winter would just end, and let summer begin.

Donald's friends move on

It has been a very sad month here for all of us. Donald's friends Kirrian and Acheron along with Daffy have had to leave us for greener pastures. I wonder sometimes who misses them more, me or Donald. I'm still going to teach Donald to pull a cart this summer, so I'll be sharing all that fun.

Caedon got a new friend a couple months ago a Boer/Nubian weather. He and Donald have become very good friends of late, so at least Donald isn't alone. With warmer weather I'll be working with MoeJo to teach him what Donald knows already. The best part of having to teach a new baby is that Donald gets a refresher course. So check back and see where we are with our babies, and share what you are doing with yours.

Donald has moved back with the goats

After being inside for 6 weeks, Donald has moved back out with the others. He doesn't really think it's a good idea though. When I feed he runs right out of the pen and follows me just like he did when he was inside. I feel so bad for him, every time he sees me he cries until I at least pet him a bit through the fence.

I didn't realize just how much I enjoyed having the little cuddle bug inside until he went back outside. I'm glad that his leg is better, but I miss having him with me all the time.

Happy Hollidays to all

I hope that everyone had a very wonderful what ever you celebrate. We had a wonderful Christmas. The goats were so happy to get an extra nibble of grain, and a blueberry bagel for a treat.

Donald's leg is healing well, and he got his cast off today but he is still in the house for a bit. I don't want him re hurting himself in the deep snow and ice that we are battling here. Not to forget, that the temps have been below zero at night, and the high has been about 10 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. I know how bad broken bones feel in this bitter cold, so he still gets to feel like king of the house.

Since he's been inside we have been playing lots of games. He gives us kisses when we ask for them now. I'm also teaching him to dance. I've decided that since his cast is off, we are going to work some more on shake. It should be fun for us both.

I have discovered though that goats have noses like bloodhounds. If the pantry door gets left open he is right in there sniffing out the crackers. The other day one of the boys left a package of crackers on the counter, Donald was wandering around the kitchen for about 30 seconds tell he smelled them and started to get up to get them. Little stinker. I guess we learn something new every day don't we.

Donald has the nose of a bloodhound

Crackers, wheat thins, vanilla wafers, granola cereal, and Ramon noodles. This boy can smell them from 3 rooms away. I do believe that Donald is starting to think he is king of the house. He has his favorite chair, his rug, and his blankets. Boy do I hear it when I wash them.

I think the little fat belly is getting lonely for other goats. I have been taking him out to play with the other fat bellies a couple times a day. I don't think it is quite the same for him. I feel so bad that I can't get him a bottle baby friend. I guess going out to play a couple times a day is going to have to be enough for now. He still has a couple weeks before the cast comes off. I just hope and pray that he doesn't get hurt again.

He's such a silly boy. If anyone sits in "his chair" he pulls your hair. If we even think about getting a cracker of any kind he knows it. He loves to try to get my husbands biscuits out of his hand. Poor guy, he hates it when we humans have dinner. He has to go to his Donald Room.

Caedon has started to play a silly game with him. He will put Donald in his room and hide a couple crackers here and there then let Donald out. So far he has a perfect record of finding them. Caedon is trying to hide them in "better" places like under the cushions and such. Donald still finds them. He truly has a super nose for a goat.

Donald says snow is yucky

Since Donald broke his other leg, and the temps have been in the 30's he's been spending his time being King Of The House. At first I did try to keep him in the barn with the other goats. He cried so much and so loud that I wondered if he really was a LaMancha. We decided that he could just stay in with us. That first day he started to go to the door when he had to pee, so that was going to work for us.

Today we woke up to 6 inches of snow and it's still falling. When we went outside Donald looked at me as if to say "what in the world is that, I'm not going down there." I told him "Fine, you decide if you want to leave the porch or not". A few minutes into feeding, and sure enough here he comes. The trouble with that was that the padding in his cast got wet and cold. So I brought him in and told Cae that he needed to dry his cast, and warm his leg as best he could.

Since then Donald has not left the chair he claimed, except the other time he needed to pee. I put a large flat box outside with cat litter in it for him to pee in. He's thinking that works just fine. He surely won't go out the door willingly. Not that I blame him, I hate snow myself.

Here's to wishing everyone a safe winter.
Lots of loves and Donald Kisses

When it rains it pours

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. I know that we did.

My hopes for Donald to cart have come to an end. Yesterday the silly boy broke his other front leg. He is so curious about the world, that he doesn't worry about getting hurt I guess. I am still going to work with him, and the other boys, but Donald will be a forever pet. Perhaps since he learns so fast he will help me to train other babies.

I love my little guy so much, and I think this year has been as hard on him as it has us. I pray that the coming year will be much better for all of us.