Chickory Update

Would someone please tell Chickory B. that it is time to let go of those babies? 
Her belly is dragging so low those kids are gonna be walking on the ground before they even make it out of the chute!!!

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

This business of having a buck or two repeatedly jump the fence and not knowing who is bred, to whom, or when they bred is for the birds. 

I am not amused.

All life is at a standstill so we can be available for the two remaining births.  Both of Those Who Gestate look like they are about to explode, while Those Who Wait are going nuts.

I threatened to cut Sancho loose when the girlz are browsing so he could chase them around the pasture, hopefully inducing labor in a somewhat natural manner.  Well, without chemicals, anyway.

This idea was vetoed by Ellie May.  Such a wise child.

The Baas has, again this year, suggested that The Krew transport their trampoline to Tails Up to help facilitate the onset of labor.  They have volunteered to serve as spotters should Chickory B. or Becky the Bad get a little uncontrolled with the bouncing, what with the difficulty in general of movement, the lowered center of gravity, and whatnot associated with the final stages of pregnancy.

I have not yet declined the offer.

I am not going to utter the magic phrase, as i know it will prolong the process by ANOTHER three days...

But really.

It is enough, now.

Roadtrippin'

My absolute favorite time of the year in Texas is early springtime, when, as Lyle says, "the Bluebonnets dance with the Indian Paint."

I took a little road trip yesterday, and was chagrined to find that, while the wildflowers were in their full glory, they were not as plentiful as in years past.  Don't know if this is because of the drought, or if budget cuts caused The State not to seed. 

In years past, hillsides would be a carpet of glorious blue.  This year, the hillsides are predominantly green (for which we are grateful,) with sporadic patches of blue.  The only good carpets i saw all day were in folks yards, such as this one:

There is lots of red clover this year, however, and i do love the way it works its way into the scene.  I find the purple Red of the clover far more esthetically pleasing with the blue than the orange Red of Indian Paintbrush...not that i don't like Paintbrush, mind  you...it is just a personal preference.  Plus, the red clover is really good forage for the critters, so there is that.

Had the opportunity on my road trip to seek out the namesake of a couple of last year's kids...

 I must say that Splendora, Texas did not do our Splendid Splendora justice.  Flanking the highway on either side, it appeared to be a bedroom community that was all about High School sports.  Nothing but fast food, gas stations, public schools, and sports complexes.  I was very disappointed.
 
Far more interesting, oddly, was Cut and Shoot, Texas.  If you recall, Cut and Shoot was the given name of Snippy, who now resides at Freezer Camp. 

I never saw a city limits sign for Cut and Shoot, but the town was hard to miss.  It was about a five mile strip of flea markets and swap shops.

Town hall looked like an old movie set saloon (missed the turnaround to get the picture, whirled peas,) and you could go pick up your mail AND get your and your coon hound's nails trimmed at the same time.

And if you are feelin' a touch parched after all that, you can stop in for refreshment at the local watering hole.

I just love Texas.

And i find the goatie names very ironic, don't you?

Maybe one day in the near future we will go getcha some pictures of Paris and Maud, Texas.  I feel the need for a little more road trippin' comin' on.

Naked Goaties (Rated XXX)

Susan Dear Susan inspired me yet again.

She has given all the (four legged) girls at her place their summer haircuts. 

When Susan gives a goat a shave, it is smooth and even, making the goaties look silky and irresistibly touchable.
It is hard to keep your hands off of them.

When i shave a goat, it looks like i threw 'em on the ground and went back and forth with a lawn mower, then came back in with the weed-whacker for touch up.

Susan does this blending thing with the clippers so that you don't really notice the point on the neck where the clip starts, it just kinda fades from long hair to short hair.

I have not mastered this technique.
My clip job makes them look like big fuzzy heads on 150 pound naked mole rat bodies.

Since i have embarrassed just about everyone else in my family on this forum, i shall now embarrass the girlz.
Don't laugh too hard. 
It's not their fault.




Dosidoe turned out okay, except for that one big old bald spot in the middle of her side where i dug in with the clippers.




Chickory always looks terrible after a clip, but even more so this time because "The Day" is a hand--look how low those babies are riding!  Everyone say "Awwwwwwww!"  I know she looks scary sick in this picture, but i assure you, she is quite healthy.

 

I dunno, maybe Becky The Bad looks the worst, not because of the striped haircut, but because of her pink polka dotted skin.  Also, the transitional point of hairy head and shaved skin is most defined on her.  Oh well.



Bawdy Maudy is spectacularly unimpressed, but Paris is still holding her head up high.

Splendora is the only one that turn out okay,  but we will miss her Splendid Fluffiness the next couple of months.



And Cherry...as if she wasn't unattractive enough already.

On the up side, in a couple of weeks it will have grown out and won't look so bad.
Also, they don't have to worry about me coming at them with the clippers for another year.

Since i was already wielding bladed instruments of torture, i went ahead and  trimmed every one's hooves.  Only made two of them bleed, and neither one was very bad--at least neither of them are limping, anyway!  So there is something else in the good news department, and possibly a new personal best record.

I am betting that The Girlz get together next year, say, about mid-February, and send Susan a personalized, hoof written invitation (demand) to come give them their day of beauty before i can get around to it.  Am sure the plea will possibly involve bribes (threats.) 

Anything to keep ME from doing again.

(The truth of the matter is, that Ellie May, trooper that she is, was a HUGE help with the Day Of Beauty, and did a superior job with the clippers, she is much better with them than i.  But i would not dream of saddling her with any of the blame for the appearance of these poor goaties, and therefore, take all responsibility.)

Bomb's Away!!!!

The Cherry Bombs have a home.

And we are all well pleased. 

The family that took the Apple Dumplin's came back and took Tart and Bing as well. 

When we met to turn over the Apple Dumplin's, the youngest daughter took a shine to Tart, and carried her around the whole time we were together.  Tart's feet never touched the ground.

The older daughter was all over Bing, as she has a goat that she is training to pull a cart, and wants another to go with him.  Apparently Bing will make an esthetically pleasing compliment to "Bubba."

So at the hand off today, each of the girls were holding their respective goats, and the older said, "He is going to be trained to a cart," and the younger pipes up, "And she is going to be trained to a pillow!"

I do not think we could have found a better home for the Bombs.

Last night's milk induced stupor.
Remember the Krew's puppies?
This puts them to shame.



Goodnight, Sun

Catsup

Where is the time going?

We spent the past weekend with Uncle Boo, had a terrific time.  Always a party with him.  Took the traditional "Uncle Boo picture," but with an added twist.  Every one of the pictures showed faces full of love and mirth, but it is beyond even me to share them.  Just thinking about it i hang my head in shame for letting them all behave this way.  We love ya, Uncle Boo!  Thanks for the memories!!

The does held to The Code and didn't deliver babies while we were gone, so that is all good, and then on Monday, Susan Dear Susan found homes for Thing 1 and Thing 2, who were officially named "Apple Cider" and "Apple Fritter." 

Thanks to ALA for giving us this year's name theme...she suggested since we had already started with Bing Cherry and Cherry Tart that we should continue on with fruit names, and everyone here jumped on that like a duck on a junebug and started coming up with names.  It has already been decided that Chickory babies will be Peach babies, but Becky fruit is still under discussion.  Probably going to be something citrusy or sour, since she has been such a crankinator lately.  Well done, ALA, we are having fun with the names again, thanks to you!

Anyhoo, the Moose Brothers went to a really good home, the family was pleased and excited to get them, which always pleases and excites me.  As we were saying our goodbyes, we took a couple of head shots of the Brothers, and as i was sorting thru the pictures just now, noticed something i had not seen before.

Apple Cider



Apple Fritter





I never noticed that one blaze swung to the left, and the other swung to the right.  Who knew?

 And then we took a couple of shots of the Cherry Bombs...they are catching up to the curve, and growing nicely.  Tart is turning into a spoiled brat, though...her feet rarely touch the ground these days.



Cherry Tart





Bing Cherry