Goat Herdess

 So a week ago I was invited to help tend some goats.  I helped to feed them grains and hay, and I even cleaned a stall.

The place I went to is not a large farm, rather it is a little hobby setup for gathering milk.

Have you ever used goats milk soap?  It feels wonderful.

The does have fun loving dispositions, but the bucks (not shown in these photos) can be aggressive and they stink.  Their vile odours were stuck in my brain for days.  Both does and bucks show stubborn attitudes. They do not go where you want them to.

The little goat "camp" cares for a variety of small breeds:Nigerian Dwarf, Nubian, Boer.

 

Happily living among the goats is a Great Pyrenee named Sasha.  She sleeps in the middle of the herd at night.  Protection is her primary service.  Protection from what?  Coyotes! When the sun sets these wild predators rise up howling and hungry!  Sasha looks sad in this picture but she is a very happy dog.

Sasha is fulfilling her calling.  Dogs want meaningful lives too.    

It is funny that I had this goat tending experience.  Goats have been showing up in my travels.  I saw a picture of my mom as a little girl sitting in a wagon being pulled by a goat.  This was a professional photograph as sales men used to bring horses and goats with wagons into cities (like Battle Creek) and parents would have their children's picture taken in a mock rural setting.

Then I came across the Coco the Goat by Rhea Wells which has charming illustrations.

All this goat talk makes me want to dig out my Goat Rodeo CD.