My lady went to see Isobelle! WITHOUT ME!!!

Well, she finally showed up!  I was beginning to wonder.  On December 17, my lady said she was going on a holiday to see her family and celebrate Yule and such.  I did question her sanity at the time.  I mean, how would she manage, by herself, goatless, for any length of time?  Still, she made up her mind, and once my lady makes up her mind...well...there's not much that can be done to change it!

So over the past couple of weeks, I've begun to worry quite a bit.  She'd never been away for that long before.  Where was she?  Did she get caught in a stampede of angry water buffalo?  Did she get abducted by aliens?  Doesn't she love me any more?!?!  To be honest, despite the farm helper, it was pretty boring around here, and I was beginning to get quite desperate.

Fortunately, she came home today.  What a tremendous relief!

I was so happy that I jumped all over her and waggled my tail a lot and bounced up and down the way I did when I was a little goat kid.  She laughed and hugged me and laughed some more, and her eyes got a bit twinkly and wet and I thought she might cry but she maintained her composure.  So I snuggled down for a good cud chewing on her lap, and then I smelled it....GOAT!  I looked up at her...she knew that I knew....

Are you ready for this?  My lady....she had the AUDACITY to go and visit MY friend Isobelle Golightly, the beautiful goat.  And she went WITHOUT ME!!!  Yes, dear readers, she broke the cardinal rule of goat ownership:  Thou shalt not visit other goat farms without thine own special goat.  She tried to insist that it was a matter of being "on the way home" from visiting her family, and that she would have taken me if she could.  I have my doubts.  I think she went there so that she would get all the attention for herself, because she knew that if I went with her, naturally I would (exclusively) command the attention of the other goats.

Well, you can go and see the pictures of her for yourself, at Isobelle's blog!  Just look at her, gallivanting about with other goats, and those other things...umm...sort of like donkeys....but not quite.  I think she said they are called Eeek-wines.  Now, I can see why they would be Eeek-wines, because one of them is quite large, and would surely make me say "Eeek!" if he came up to me.  Here you can see the large Eeek-wine chewing on my lady's mitten!  I think he was trying to eat her!

She said that there were also miniature Eeek-wines too.  They are a better size, I think.  See, here they are with a picnic table.  They are not as scary as the big Eeek-wine.

In fact, my lady had a bit of a googly look in her eyes when she talked about Sarah, one of the mini Eeek-wines, and said that she was quite tempted to put her in the back of her car and bring her home!  Can you imagine?!  What was she thinking?  This is a picture of Sarah the mini Eeek-wine.

I think my lady liked Sarah so much because Sarah made googly eyes and smiled at her by peeking around the corner in the barn.  My lady is very susceptible to googly eyes.  I can make her give me grain that way you know.

My lady also said the mini Eeek-wines are very good at giving each other back scratches.  Here are Nigel and Noel helping each other out.  I am not sure if I would like an Eeek-wine doing this to me.

Well, I can forgive my lady, because Isobelle is a very good friend and a special goat, just like me.  But most of all, I can forgive her because I am just so excited to have her back home again.  

I missed her very much and I know she missed me too.  All the others missed her too.  Here's a picture of everybody running over to see her, and you can tell they're running because Coffee's Nubian ears are in upward flap position, which only happens when she runs.

Lotus and Horton nearly came over the fence in their exuberance.

My lady loves all her goats, but I still know I'm her special goat, and that's how it's always going to be!

A big thank you to Isobelle, her lady, and all her friends for making my lady's day on her trip home - she had such a great time and would like to be snuzzled, slobbered on, and mobbed by them anytime!  It makes her feel very much at home!

Happy New Year To All

For the past 2 weeks, I have been soaking up every minute of the happiness that is a result of being home for the holidays.  I drove the 1,992 miles from my home to my parents home, accompanied by my dog and my spinning wheel.  It has been such a delightful visit and I have been able to truly relax and recuperate.  The latter part of 2010 has been a difficult and wrenching time for me in many ways, so I needed some recuperation.  I think that the coming year is going to be also difficult to begin with, but I have a strong belief that it is going to be a tremendous year of change.

I am calling 2011 the Year of the Fulfillment of the Dream.  As you travel along with my adventures this year, I believe it shall all become clear why 2011 has been given this auspicious title.

I wish all of you the best of health and comfort in 2011, but most of all I wish you happiness.  Without it, we are all just a shadow of the selves we could be.  Take time to do things you enjoy, things that make your heart sing, things that make the sun shine on a grey and dreary day.  Stop worrying.  (I need to work on that one!)  Worry does not help anything and can actually be counterproductive and cause you far more stress than is needed.  Be kind to others.  Be even kinder to animals.  (Lucky Nickel put that part in!)

Over the holiday, I visited Lawrencetown Beach in Nova Scotia, which is not that far from where my parents live.  It's a lovely beach and somewhere I have often visited in the past.  It was 23 Fahrenheit (-2C) on the day I visited, but I was warm and comfortable.  Maybe it was because I was home.  Maybe it's because I'm just warm all the time.  Anyway, I even went paddling in the ocean.  You know you're a real Canadian when you go paddling in the Atlantic in December, and you enjoy it!

I breathed in the ocean air, faced the wind, and felt the energy of the waves and the wind fill my soul.

I also took time to sit on the rocks, and think about where I have been, where I am now, and where I am going.  It was very therapeutic.

I highly recommend that you all go paddling at least once this year.  

I head back to Iowa tomorrow, and am looking forward to giving Lucky Nickel a big hug when I get home.  No doubt she will have things to blog about when I return!

Brain Surgery for Boy Goats

Hi hi hihihihiiii!  I missed you all so much!

 

My lady is so busy and never has time to help me type the blog.  It's a sad state of affairs.  But today, we had a special visit, so she said we could blog about it.  My favourite vet came to visit - Dr. Nicholson!  He delivered me out of my real mom, and I would have died it if wasn't for him, so that is why my name is Lucky Nickel, you see?  Anyway, he came over and I was very pleased to see him, and he chatted with me for a while, and then he said to my lady "So we have two boys to do today?" and she said yes, and I thought, what does he mean?  None of the other goats are sick, so why is the vet here?  Even Coffee, who is part Nubian and therefore not all that bright, wondered the same thing.  However, you can see she has a sort of vacant look, like maybe she's forgotten what she is wondering about.

Well, Dr. Nicholson put some things together in a box and I tried to see what was in there but it was a box with a lid and a handle and he gave it to my lady and they went over the fence, all quick-as-can-be, so I wasn't able to try to help any more because I was on the other side of the fence.  Then, my lady picked up Osmo, and she had a funny look on her face because Osmo is a boy goat and she says he smells really, really bad right now.  I think he smells quite interesting, but she wrinkles her nose when he comes near.  She put Osmo on his bum so that the vet could take a look, and I said "Why are you doing that to Osmo?" and she said "Don't worry Lucky Nickel, it's just brain surgery."  Then the vet did something special with some rubber tubing stuff and a metal instrument, and Osmo made some funny noises, and then he got two shots, and he walked away.  I thought he was walking funny though, as if he might have to make goat berries but he couldn't quite do it.

Afterwards, Osmo came over to the fence because he is always interested in talking to me and sometimes I wag my tail at him.

He's kind of cute, don't you think?  Even without a supplemental brain.  It's actually still there, but my lady said it isn't functioning because there is a band to prevent thoughts from flowing to it, or from it.  I don't know what kind of band because I don't hear any music, but I suppose it is a rock band or something and maybe they are on break right now between sets.

Sometimes he sticks out his tongue at me!  See?!

I'm not sure what he does that for.

Unfortunately he's not very discriminating because he also sticks out his tongue at Coffee...and, well...she's a Nubian, as I said.

After his surgery, Osmo and I ate hay together on the opposite sides of the fence, but he was in a funny mood and kept on laying down and standing up.

It's like he knew there was something going on with his supplemental brain because he kept checking it.

And checking it more.

Then he lay down and Springfield the donkey came over to stand with him because Springfield had brain surgery a long time ago but he said he remembered and he felt bad for Osmo.

Anyway, my lady did the same thing with lovely Valentino, and the vet did the same thing, and they were all finished.  I was quite confused, because I thought the boy goats needed their brains to remember to eat and drink and remember my name and everything.  My lady smiled in a funny way and said they would actually be much smarter now than they were before because they were being distracted by their supplemental brain.  I don't think it's fair that boy goats are born with a supplemental brain.  I thought I should have one too.  She said the supplemental brain can only think about one thing and it overrides their regular brain and that's why it has to be removed.  She said a lot of boys could benefit from this operation, and not just goats.  When I learned that, I decided it was OK not to have a supplemental brain.

After that I went and got onto the roof of the vet's truck and my lady scolded me, but the vet said to stay there because he wanted to get a picture, which he did.  It is such a challenge to be a celebrity goat.  The vet left and my lady went back to see how Valentino was doing.

Valentino wasn't very impressed.  He lay in the corner of the barn and didn't want to walk around looking like he was trying to make goat berries.  He said it was just wrong to have his supplemental brain removed.

Opal didn't care about any of it.  She was just enjoying basking in the sun.

Lotus, Horton, Misky and Larke were only vaguely interested in case there might be food.

And then of course there's me - just your helpful barnyard reporter.  Until next time, eat well, stay warm.

I did a quiz too! (and bye bye to llamas)

My lady is very sad today because she had to say goodbye to all her remaining five llamas.  They have gone to live at Hedgeapple Farm, with a lovely family who have lots of sheep and lots of children, so they will enjoy the llamas very much.  My lady was very brave and did not cry until the llamas drove away (oh, the llamas were not driving, the people were driving and the llamas were in the trailer).  Then she had some moments with some tissues and got a splotchy face and looked quite unsettled.  So I said to her that we should do the quiz that Isobelle Golightly did, because maybe it would make her laugh.

Isobelle had wondered what result Val would get, because she is besotted with Valentino, our buck.  However, the quiz seems to be directed only to females, so I had to do it for myself.  My lady read me the questions and I was able to answer all the quiz questions without difficulty, because I am a clever goat.

So, without further ado, I shall let you know that I am indeed....Emma Woodhouse!

Oh yes, and the description to go along with the result was perfectly suited you know.  It said this:

• You like being the queen of your social circle (small and provincial as it may be), and feel it's your duty to help those less influential than you. 
• You often meddle in the affairs of others, though you do it with a pure heart. 
• You are often deluded in your flights of fancy, but your good intentions and creative spirit make you someone anyone could like.

Now really, isn't that just perfectly right?!  I AM the queen of my social circle, which may be a small barnyard circle, but none the less it is mine, and it is always my duty to bring you the news.  I only meddle when it is called for, and while some might think my flights of fancy to be delusional....well....I beg to differ.  And I do have a very creative spirit.  All this led me to think that I really should be named Emma instead of Lucky Nickel.

Oh, did you notice how lovely my fybur looks these days?  Yes, it is getting longer and curlier.  My lady is very excited about it and says I will make great socks one day.  I think she is having flights of fancy but since she is sad, I didn't give her a butt in the leg to make her stop saying such silly things.

I do like to accent my curls with a little hay and weed seeds.  It just adds such a lovely touch, don't you think?

As I told you, my lady is sad to have to say goodbye to her llamas.  She was especially sad about saying goodbye to Stormy and Merlin.  She said I should show you these pictures of them from last week when they were being given their evening snacks.  She says that Merlin had just reached the stage where he liked having neck rubs.  Oh dear, now she's going to cry again.  Well, just enjoy the pictures.

Merlin in the Sunset

 Stormy has a lovely fleece now.

Stormy with his Dad Kahlua in the background.

Merlin gets ready for a nibble of grain!

Oh Merlin, you're so adorable!

 Goodbye little man.  Be a good boy at your new home!

All Things Goaty!

I'm back!  Oh my word, I know it has been a long time since I have blogged.  In fact, some of you may be crying, or even gnashing your teeth with anxiety, wondering what I have been doing.  I, Lucky Nickel, have been organizing things.  Oh yes, it is one of my special talents.  I have many special talents of course, but I can inspire other goats into action.  As it happens, I was visiting a favourite goat blog - by Millie at Eden Hills - and she said that there was "a movement across the goat farming world" and of course, I had to be a part of the movement.  It's possible I started the movement myself...I mean, I'm such a trendsetter...sometimes I start things without even realizing it.  Anyway, I needed to be more involved, since I am a model for other goats.

Yes, so this movement is apparently about goats standing up for peace.  I asked my lady, "Standing up for a piece of what?  Pie??" and she rolled her eyes at me and said "Lucky Nickel, not THAT kind of piece."  Then she furrowed her eyebrows and said "In any event, you are too fat, and may not have pie."

Can you imagine?  She called me fat!  I am not fat!  I am fluffy!  In addition, I have to live outside, or at least in the barn, and the winter is coming, so I need to be well insulated.  Fat....harrumph!!!

I felt it was my duty, then, to have the rest of the goats on the farm all stand up for a piece of pie, errr...I mean, stand up for peace.  So, I told them to do so, and they kind of stood around in a confused group, not being sure what to do.  Sometimes, I really wonder about my fellow caprines.  What is so difficult about standing up for peace?  I had to show them the picture of Marley over at Eden Hills, doing the stand up thing.  I had to stand up myself, even, to show them how to do it, because there was a deep-seated reluctance in the group to do anything at all other than eat and sleep and produce goat berries.  Not the saltiest peanuts in the bag, these goats...

After I did some more explaining, finally, the little goat brain light bulbs began a slow but sputtering glow.  The only way I could manage to encourage them was through the use of some strategically placed attractant.  Here you can see, from left to right, Lotus, Horton and Coffee standing up for peace.  I am in the very front of the picture, just a little bit (accidentally of course) because I had to coordinate the whole event.

After that initial success, we had multiple standing up for peace moments.  Coffee and Horton were really good at it.  My lady said Horton was looking fat too.

Then Lotus managed a semi-standing with Coffee while Horton took a rest.  She can't get as tall as Coffee because Coffee has long gangly Nubian type legs.  Not really something I covet, but she does stand well.

Horton did another stand that I thought was really very energetic and possibly even verging on goat ballet, kind of like Isobelle does, but my lady said "Look at his belly!!" and ruined the artistic moment for me.

Then Misky became distracted by Horton's lovely fybur (yes, that is the correct goat spelling) and there was a loss of focus on the standing matter, and Horton just wanted to show off.

So he pranced about wiggling so that his fybur would look extra curly and special.  That of course made my lady get distracted from the standing too, because she went all googly-eyed over Horton and his fybur and started mumbling incoherently about socks and knitting needles.  I know Horton doesn't want any needles because they are pokey.  If you look at this picture below, and click on it, it will be bigger, and you can see his little curly bits.

So by that point the whole group was off balance and nobody was standing properly and my lady had to go see to the llamas.  She said she would be back in a while, and I had to sit around supervising the other goats because they were so wired about standing and fybur and eating pie and everything.

My lady spent excessive amounts of time cooing over the llamas and giving them neck rubs and other unfair attention, because really it should be lavished upon me, but that is another matter entirely.  She finally came back and I saw her coming over in the oncoming darkness, and I alerted her to a non-conforming behavior.  She was a little confused as she stumbled over in the darkness, nearly tripping on blades of grass and other great distractions.

As she got closer, she saw the infraction for herself.

Misky and Larke were standing on TOP of the goat hut.  Definitely not a sanctioned activity.  The more astute observer would see that they were not alone!

Indeed, they immediately blamed the interloper, and said that he had coerced them into this folly.

At that point, he looked rather affronted and flew out of the goat pen.  Misky and Larke just stood on top of the hut, which is only covered with a tarp, looking sheepish.  Well, goatish, but in a sheepish way.

At that point, Horton and Lotus had to distract my lady by standing up for peace again, or at least doing their best to stand up for something.

Opal got so excited that she couldn't figure out what to do (she gets confused easily) and started doing neck rolls for peace instead.

It's so embarrassing when I am the only smart goat on the farm and I have to watch this sort of thing.

My lady said she thought we'd done quite well with our standing up, at which point I was the one rolling my eyes because she really doesn't have very high standards if she thought this was sufficient.

So I'll be back in the barn, laying on a hay bale, available for consultations or anything else you might need.  Just don't ask me to organize a group of goats.  They're not worth the trouble.

Some good news updates

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has commented, written emails, written Facebook messages, and otherwise contacted me about my most recent post.  I was both humbled and heartened by the many voices who expressed care and concern, and who wanted to help in any way they could.  I was really surprised by a number of readers who had never commented before - readers I didn't know I had!  It really helps to have positive messages from so many people and places.  Thank you all, so much!

Second, I would like to assure you that I will definitely be continuing the blog!  There will always be adventures of one sort or another going on.  I enjoy writing it and hearing from you, and I will keep on writing and hoping to hear from you.  There are some tentative future plans brewing and there will be furry critters involved, so just stay tuned for more news over the coming months.

Third, I have a number of blog posts waiting to be written - an overdue thanks for a blog award, a recounting of the fun time I had at SOAR (Spin-Off Autumn Retreat) in Wisconsin, and other bits and pieces.  I shall do my best to get to those soon.

Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, I wanted to update you on the situation with my herd/flock/menagerie. I am thrilled and relieved to be able to report that I have already found wonderful homes for many of my beloved animals.  As I had mentioned, my Blue-faced Leicester sheep, and two Icelandics, went to live at a caring and loving farm by the name of Grace Haven Acres in Wisconsin.  Subsequently, the rest of my sheep and Dolly Llama have gone to a wonderful new home right here in Iowa at the Stamps Family Farm.  I am really glad to have met the Stamps family and I know they will provide a great home for all the sheep as well as Dolly.  In fact, Dolly is already eating grain from their hands!

My ducks and goose will be going to live with Maggie and her mom at Prairieland Herbs.  They will have a lovely home to share with some mini horses (who have on occasion been mistaken for goats) and will have a lovely assortment of fresh herbs to snack on in their new surroundings!  My remaining llamas will all be going to live with the Icelandic sheep at Hedgeapple Farm here in Iowa - another wonderful family farm where they will have a great home.

Now, I'm just focusing on finding homes for some goats and the mini donkeys, and also the chickens.  The relief of finding good homes is tremendous, and I feel that I can sleep well at night knowing that all my animal friends are in good hands.

Oh, and Lucky Nickel says hello, and stay tuned for news from the goat world soon too!