Crazy Goat Lady

So here is my latest "hobby",  Goats!  Why, you may ask???  To be honest, I'm not quite sure.  A brief history of how it started though......2 years ago, August 2012, I was reading about goats being used to eat down weeds.  We have a canal that runs in front of our house and the weeds grow pretty high; I thought goats would be a great way to manage them.  SO.....I overheard a parent at the school I work at talking about their own goat herd.  I asked them about them and they were kind enough to let me "try them out" to see if I liked them.  The next day I went over and they loaded up 3 Nigerian dwarf goats for me to take home!!!  What happened over the course of the next few months was not expected.  We learned a lot about goat containment, staking them, fencing them in, their personalities, their likes and dislikes and I ended up not wanting to give them back.  The owner had so many goats he didn't think twice when I told them I wanted to buy them and he even gave me a screaming deal.  Fast forward to the end of 2014 and my husband and I were talking about what to do with the goats.  After more reading and research, we realized goats could be pets AND profitable!  There is a demand for milk, milk products, and meat.  With that in mind, we set out a search for a buck so that we could breed our girls. We added Romeo, a Boer buck, to the group in January 2015 and another Nigerian/Fainting cross doe in February.  We were shocked when we found out that Romeo was quite the lover and all the girls were pregnant by March!!!
Through the course of the spring months, we worked on fine tuning our containment methods, eating habits, the herd "personality" and preparing for the upcoming kidding season.
The kidding season came quickly and "Mama", one of the original 3, had hers first.  She had kidded before, so we expected multiples.....just not triplets!!  They are in the picture above and all arrived healthy.  My husband had to assist with the last two that came, but it went quickly and without any major problems.  I have been told that we are lucky they all survived and that she accepted all them to nurse.
One week later, on the 4th of July, another doe delivered a single, which also happened without problems and was a healthy doeling.

How can you not love goats??!!  I think people have misconceptions about goats.....they do not eat EVERYTHING and, if the owner thinks things through and creates a safe environment, they will not cause destruction, lol.  That being said, goats are very curious creatures and they are great escape artists, but when you learn who the Houdinis are in the herd, you can prevent any escapes! Goats are loyal pets and love their owners when taken care of properly. I love having goats!!  They are sweet, personable, fun, and easy to take care of.
What's next for us???  Well, we have 2 more pregnant does we are waiting for to kid.  Then, it is on to learning about record keeping, how to milk, how to make soaps, and deciding who to keep and who to sell!  We are just starting this venture and have a lot to learn!

I Valeted My Car.....

I drive a 2003 Honda Accord with 100,000+ miles on it, the outside has cat prints from 5 farm cats looking for a warm place to sleep, a few dings from parking in the high school parking lot, and the inside is strewn with wrappers, crumbs, toys, sports gear, and the occasional article of clothing from 2 very active young boys. Its a far cry from the Mercedes, Lexus', BMW, and other high end cars I notice as I drive into the tunnel.

And yet, here I am, pulling in behind a Lexus SUV, waiting my turn to valet my car.  I feel a little insecure as I sit here, comparing my dull, dented, dirt covered car to the sleek and shiny vehicle ahead of me.  Did they just come up the rainy, wet canyon road that I did?  Surely their car has been air-lifted in to avoid the muddy run off in the roads.

I love my car, it gives me great satisfaction that I can stretch a tank of gas for 2+ weeks.  I love the color; green is my favorite.  I like knowing that when I wash it, it still shines and those small dents and dings are harder to spot.  I love the confidence in the performance of my car; I know that the motor is solid and will probably go another 100,000 miles if I take care of it. The sound system is good, considering it is the stock mode, and the heater still works amazingly well during the frigid Utah winter months.  Occasionally, my sons' friends will jump in the car and exclaim how nice it is; funny that they consider my car "nice", when it is older than they are!

So here I sit, waiting to valet my car, a little out of my element, but excited that I am doing it.  I'm treating myself; I'm treating my car. I'm telling my car that its just as good as that Lexus SUV in front of us.  No, I mean, I'm really talking to my car, out loud, giving it positive affirmations of what a great car it is.  No one needs to tell me I'm a little crazy, I already know!  The valet guy comes up to my window and politely asks me for the key and how long I'll be staying.  "Just one night", I say and he says he'll take it from here.  Another man has already retrieved my suitcase from the  back seat and escorts me to the door with it.  I am a little surprised at how well I am treated, in spite of the fact that they just drove off in my 12 year old car, with a lego truck hanging by its tow rope from the clothes hook in the back seat for all to see.

I make it up to my hotel room and decide to start with a luxury that only happens once a year.....a hot bubble bath.  As I undress, I realize I am comparing myself to my car.  I'm no spring chicken anymore, but I still have a lot of miles left in me, I hope!  I notice that I have a few "dents and dings" on my body from life's experiences; 2 c-section babies, a recent surgery to remove a tumor(benign, thankfully), and, like the car, a spare tire that i really wish I wasn't carrying around!  I realize that those imperfections are evidence of things I love, my children, my health, even my weaknesses, which make me work harder and give me a reason to learn, grow, and appreciate the world around me. My brain is my engine that keeps things going, my faith is my fuel to roll along the bumpy roads and trudge through the storms that come along. I recognize the need to rest, relax, and get a tune up now and then by laughing, dancing, and experiencing things that technology can not replace.  Those are the things that produce true joy.  I acknowledge the need to enjoy life's indulgences, not because I've got money to waste or it is expected of a certain economic class, but rather because I deserve it because I am a valued "vehicle", one that helps my family, my friends, my students, and more.  I work hard, sometimes I show up with mud on my tires after a long day, but I've done what's been asked of me and confirmed to myself my life of purpose. So today, I valeted my car! I pray that those reading this will take time to "valet your car", you deserve it!  Happy Mother's Day!