Friday

Well..actually written on Thursday,but posted on Friday!

Yesterday,as I was sitting in my lawn chair knitting a hat for The Boy and enjoying the cool crisp weather one of the black ducks decided to test her wings.Most of our ducks don't fly much and when they do it is for short burst and low to the ground,except the mallards.They fly pretty good,I hope they stay put and don't fly off. Anyways,this one made it over the fence to the goat yard but smacked into the fence on the other side.She sat there for a moment and looked a little stunned as to what she had just done.Then immediately went to the goats water and dove in.It was like her own personal unsoiled soup bowl.


Our ducks will get in anything with water. No goaties seemed to notice except Guinness.She moseyed on over and the duck jumped out.She looked at me,then the water,then me again and walked off.

She didn't get a drink,can't say as I blame her.This is what water looks like after 60 seconds off soaking duck butt!

The duck looked quiet refreshed!

Ms.Duck doesn't understand the problem,she just gently used the water!





Doesn't Butter Bean look cute!




Don't be fooled.This is just seconds before he ferociously tried to eat the clothespins through my clothespin apron!


I am glad you can't see the stubble on my legs!


We saw this cut little old car the other day.I have no idea what it is but I like it.


We see lots of old cars around here because they like to come up here and drive around the lake and have get togethers.Well, not the cars themselves,the folks who drive them!


After a summer of drought mother nature is trying to drown us!We got nearly 5 inches on Monday and as I am writing this we have probably got another 5 today!

The temps are crazy too.We had to have heater running at night last week and this week the air conditioning was back on!I forgot to turn off the heater in the hall and had both going at once the other night to Hubby's horror!


We have propane heat.That is our big ole tank in that big ole puddle!We actually have central heat too but never use it as it makes me and The Boy feel ill.I think most people with allergies feel that way.Have I ever mentioned The Boy is allergic to the whole state of Texas.That is a direct quote from the allergist after reading The Boys test.Not only is he allergic to everything natural,he is also allergic to the chemicals in soaps,shampoos,cleaning products,laundry soap, ect.That is why I started making our own.Also he is allergic to preservatives,nitrates and the general junk in processed foods.He takes allergy drops.He used to take shots but had such bad reactions.Then we found the drops.They are the same as shots but you do them daily and they go under your tongue.This is not for the chemical and food allergies though.Don't worry he is not like some bubble boy and he won't die if he gets into allergies.He gets migraines and rashes.He has had a few episodes of lip swelling so I do keep an eppy pen,just in case,since we live so far out.
Because of my son I am more aware of just how many chemicals we are exposed to every day.It is frightening!
I was hoping to get Hubby to grill tonight,but he will have to get out waders and possibly move the grill to the boat!This was a special treat for The Boy because Hubby picked up some ground buffalo meat on the way home.It is The Boys favorite.Now I have to go make my buffalo burgers into buffalo loaf!

Perfect Weather

Summer still lingers here,but it is loosing it's grasp on us.

The last few days have been almost heavenly.Nights cool enough to snuggle under a few blankets,the days sunny and perfect,no humidity and cool breezes,mmmmm.If every day could be this way.




These are my Grandpa Otts morning glories.They grow up the post of my old shed.



In the goatie world,Doodah is in the dating mood.No,this is not her dating hat,though if it would get her through the fence she would wear it!She is wearing The Boy's boy scout hat!


She is a vocal goat,we call her The Foghorn!She is having terrible longings and desirings to get in with Mr.Tumnus and doesn't care who knows it!He is just as bad,the sounds coming from the goat pen are akin to..to..well I don't know what really!I guess you'd just have to experience it first hand!The Boy wants to wait until spring to let them....consummate their love.He wants to try and plan it out so he has a goat to milk all year around and can give each girl time off.But hey,if there is a slip up what's the worst that happens?Baby goats,not a bad thing at all!He is very serious about his goats and keeps everything written down and planned out in a notebook and researches goat things daily!



The mallards are getting green heads!I had given up and assumed they were all girls.


Turns out we got 3 fellows and only one gal!You can see they are not that beautiful mallard green yet,but they are getting there.

The white and tan ducks are Fawn Runner Ducks.They are really pretty too,although I don't think they run any different than the other ducks.

If your one of those folks that get creepy feelings over spiders you may not want to look any further!


This cool looking spider is living outside my shed.The pictures don't do it justice,I was having trouble getting focused and the wind was blowing.



It's colors are shiny like the wings of butterflies!I have know idea what kind of spider it is.



I don't have any fears of critters,ticks really gross me out(gross me out,that dates me to the 80's haha) but I am not afraid of them.Hubby hates spiders,The Boy dislikes snakes.He also severely dislikes bears and electric eels,though I don't know why.We could have bears back hear soon.I read and article how they are getting real close to our area.With us being surrounded by national forest,it probably won't be long until we start seeing them.The Boy is none to happy about this,he hopes they allow hunting on them!I told him if that was ever the case he would have to eat it because we don't kill for sport.He assured me he would be happy to eat bear all year!

The Boy just loves to mess with folks,gets that from his Daddy.The two of them are never happier than when they are telling some tall tell!He loves to tell things that make us sound like big ole' hillbillies!He tells people we eat 'possum and coon.How we can tell if a particular piece of roadkill is still good eating.He don't need no doctorin' cause when he gets home his Momma will make a poultice for him,OK that part may be true!He hints around that we have a still...you know stuff like that.I think it is hilarious!Of course as soon as I open my deeply accented hillbilly mouth they believe him.People believe anyone with that accent must eat 'possum pie!Now I am not saying I wouldn't eat those things,heck I probably did on occasion as a child.If times got real bad we would all eat a 'possum in a heartbeat!

The wind is starting to pick up,I have noticed it seems to be very windy here in the winter and early spring.We are surrounded by big oaks,I love the sound of the wind rushing through them!
The Goldenrod are just starting to bloom here.


This can give you all who are all further along in your cold weather an idea where we are in our season.Goldenrod is beautiful,but always comes with it's evil twin ragweed!Sneeze..sneeze..it should be changed to sneeze weed !


Hubby will be home in one week!!!!Yeah !!!

Wild Things

There is something to be said for the natural look,wild and unkempt.

Don't get me wrong those beautiful manicured places are often breathtaking,but every place should have a wild spot or two.A place where things are left alone to grow as they would if we were not here taming it.I think you miss out on some of the surprises of nature if you don't have a wild place.


We have a lot of wild places around here!Mainly because this place was mostly let go for many years!

Here Is The Boy feeding the donkeys,Bonnie and Clyde.They like to be hand fed and The Boy is more than happy to indulge them!

Anna Belle is so spoiled she thinks she should get some of everyone's breakfast.All the other critters let her,she is spoiled by them too!

Anna Belle decided hand feeding wasn't fast enough and just decided to dip into the whole bucket!




The morning was nice,we could actually do our farm chores without being soaked with sweat!Come on Fall!

The Boy decided to take Doodah for a walk so she could chomp on weeds.She loves tasty poison ivy and devils weed and we love for her to eat it all up!



We found some goats we are going to look at tomorrow.So maybe we have a new addition to our goatie family!

The Way Things Are.....

Well it looks like Doodah is not expecting after all.She came in heat.This is very disappointing because we bought her hoping she was so we would be able to milk.The folks we bought her from said they could not be for sure she was pregnant but they had put her with their buck on her last heat.Oh well,that's how it goes sometimes.I don't regret getting her,she has turned out to be a very nice little goat,affectionate and friendly, a little noisy though with her never ending crush on The Boy.We are planning on getting a buck when Hubby gets home but that is still several weeks away and then it takes 5 months until milk.So we are looking for another doe,one that is already milking or soon to give birth.Everything we have found so far is a long drive.Of course ,when you live where we do most everywhere is a long drive!
The Boy is really enthusiastic about starting our little goat herd.I think this will be very good for him.He is already a responsible kid,but this will take it up a notch and help him to grow in the areas of responsibility and personal management and possibly learn some business skills.The bonus for me is milk for us and soap making and just the general fun of the goats.I have made soap with cows milk but not goats yet.Usually I make non milk soap, though I do have a recipe I like that uses coconut milk,I know not really milk but nice anyways.I won't deny that I will get a lot of enjoyment from the goats,I love the ones we have already.
After we get a little more set up around here,my dream is to have some fiber goats.I would really like some Pygoras.They are a Pygmy and Angora mix.I have wanted to learn to spin and weave since I was a girl.And have you seen what that stuff goes for on Etsy!?!?
So that is where we are with things.Today is fiddle lesson day so we have to drive to the Big City,well to the burbs anyway.Also take our trash to the dump station,to get trash pick up here is an outlandish price! Not happening in this frugal household!Have to go,The Boy is hollerin' for me to help him put up the goats!

GAA or Goat Addicts Anonymous

Hello,my name is Melodie, and I am an addict.A goat addict.I didn't mean for it to happen.I just tried one,a Pygmy.I didn't know Pygmy's were the "gateway" goats!

Really,it's Heidi's fault.Yep, that children's classic led us down this road of addiction.It got the boy in it's goatie clutches first.

You see,when we first moved down to the Houston area we rented a house in one of the many burbs.Hubby was in Norway,our stuff was in storage in Northeast Texas.Me and The Boy stayed in this house a week with nothing but a blow up air mattress,a few cooking items,a wooden pin ball game and a used copy of Heidi.We were waiting for Hubby to fly home so we could drive up and get our stuff.

I know,Heidi is not exactly military obsessed boy reading material.I read it out loud and he really enjoyed it.I found out soon why he liked it.Yep,you guessed it,the goats.From then on it was nonstop,"Can I get a goat?"

We told him he couldn't have one while we lived in town.Finally we moved to the farm and for Christmas he got a bottle baby Pygmy, Butter Bean.



He was soooo cute and sooo tiny.So when I learned they need a friend,I had no problem finding and buying another goat.

The Boy became a walking encyclopedia of goat knowledge.Actually,The Boy is a whole set of encyclopedias on various things,explosives,tanks, weapons,aircraft...you get the picture,but the new volume was goats.

This is a dangerous addiction,it gets a hold of a person before they even know what hit them!It starts out as a child's pet.You find yourself looking for excuses to go out in the goat pen.When you walk around you no longer see beautiful wild flowers.Instead you think," I wonder if the goats would like to eat that?"You start looking for things to entertain your goats,new toys for them.Before you know it you are no longer watching TV in the evening because you are out watching the goats play.

You can't go anywhere because,really,who will take good enough care of your goats!When you go out you realize your clothes are covered in goat hair or,even worse,you get to church and the front of your dress is hairy!

That is just the first stage of addiction.Then come the excuses.You find yourself making up excuses why you need to buy more goats.We could milk them and make soap,we can sell their babies to help pay for their room and board.Yeah,yeah,that's what we can do!!!I am at this stage.The Boy is far worse off,the only thing keeping his addiction under control is his lack of a job to support his habit!If he had a job every dime would go towards goats and goat accessories.Sigh..that is the life of a goat junkie.
Laugh if you want.Everyone says it won't happen to them.Trust me GAA is full of folks who thought that same thing!Hitting rock bottom won't help either,there really is no hope for the poor folks who succumb to the goat addiction.
Even if you are reduced to living in your truck,you will some how get a camper shell and fill it with your goats.You will sneak them into parks to graze.People will point and grab their children close when they see you pass by covered in hair and smelling like goat,"The crazy goat person!"

Like most addicts,we want everyone else to share in our addiction!So come on,it's just one baby Pygmy goat! I can hook you up.I promise nothing will happen,you'll love it......

As the Goat World Turns

I haven't watched a soap opera in many years.I shamefully admit I once had a powerful addiction to Days of Our Lives.That has got to be the absolutely cheesiest Soap ever made!Everyone on there had been dead and brought back so many times a body couldn't possibly keep it sorted out!The love triangles and who's your daddy drama!
I don't need fake drama any more,I have my own right here in the goat yard!

Nibbles and Butter Bean had a quit peaceful life in Goat Town with The Boy.Butter Bean was the handsome brother.Nibbles the sweet little sister.

Nibbles loves The Boy.She sits on his lap and nibbles on him.

She would rather sit in his lap than eat grain!


Da,da,da dum....then a new goat comes to town.A mystery woman,Doodah.

Instantly things change!

Butter Bean turns from a cute little show off to a love crazed soap opera grade lunatic!He apparently doesn't realize his..er...coin purse is empty so to speak.He is sure there is something in there!

He follows her around with glazed over eyes,his tongue hanging out and making little pleading grunts.Here he is trying to impress her.


She doesn't give him the time of day!She does occasionally give him a good head butt!
Doodah is in love with another.No,it is not another goat.It is......The Boy.Where as Nibbles loves The Boy,Doodah is in love with The Boy.

No one can scratch her chin the way he does!
She very loudly pines away for him!As long as she can see him some where on the farm she is quiet.She is content to just glance upon The Boy.
When she sees him start to walk away the desperate cries begin!Talk about drama!I can only take so much,I think Doodah knows this,until I holler across the house,"Go spend some time with your goat so I can have some peace!"We are hillbilly/redneck,we never go find each other to talk,we just holler loudly to each other across the house,yard,field,whatever!
To further add to the soap opera like drama of Goat World,Doodah will add a baby or hopefully two to the plot.This is our who's your daddy twist!She will tell Butter Bean they are his.He knows it can not be true.Will he blindly accept her deception and play along in hopes to finally win her love?Will he cast her aside when he sees she has born another goats kids?We'll all ponder this as we hear,"Tune in tomorrow..."
I have to go holler at The Boy to spend some time with his goat,I am getting a headache!

The Boy's Blog

The Boy has started his own goatie blog A Day in the Life of Da Bean !I offered to let him have a day on mine,but he decided he wanted his own.The Boy hates to write for school,I am hoping this will give him a creative outlet and encourage him to write more!So if you like all things goat,and supporting young folks,you will love his blog.He is writing it through the eyes of our favorite little fellow Butter Bean,also know as Da Bean,like David Hasselhoff referes to himself as" Da Hoff".As an added bonus,The Boy has my slightly warped, hillbilly sense of humor.So there is no telling what stories he is going to come up with!

Talking about The Hoff reminds me of the time The Boy was about 7 or 8 and I took him for an eye exam.The Dr. walked in and said"Who do we have hear?"
And The Boy replied,"My name is David Hasselhoff!" For no reason at all!It was not like we sat around and watched Bay Watch reruns!Too much flesh for younger children in my opinion!The Dr. didn't even get it!He just looked at his chart kind of puzzled.

So go over and check him out,he's a good and funny kid.Plus, if he get's encouragement it will give me a break from fussin' at him about writing more!

Alone again

Well, we are alone again,The Boy and I.We got Hubby off to China.The Boy and I spent most of the day yesterday resting.We go in and stay at a hotel by the airport because Hubby's plane leaves around 6am and it is a long drive from our house in he wee hours of the morning to get him there early enough for all the check in stuff.Because of a lot of things,animals and such,we didn't get there until 11.I never sleep good in a strange place and Hubby had to get up at 5.We had to get up and get back to the farm to do the morning chores.I don't know about you all,but I need 9 hours of good sleep to function! So after chores we mostly rested.Hubby has been working away from us for quiet awhile,but it still makes us sorrowful when he leaves.That emotion makes a body tired and weary also,so I have found it is just best to rest the first day he is gone.

After the evening started to cool we went out and sat with the goaties.This little frog was hanging on the gate to the goat pen.

The goaties are so affectionate and fun to be around no one can be melancholy in their presence!

They have turned out to be our favorite farm animals.We used an old kiddie slide that was here when we bought the place to make them another play thing.

They are having a good time on it,especially Butter Bean and Doodah.They like head butting each other.The two of them were really carrying on earlier but I didn't have my camera then.I did get him and Nibbles latter on though.Nibbles is so sweet and docile she doesn't like head butting hard,she is just too lady like for that kind of stuff!She just gently taps Butter Bean on the head!


It is funny how they all have their different personalities and like different things from food to toys.

They are just too cute!We can hardly wait for Doodah to have her little ones,it's all The Boys talks about and he's still got 2 and a half months to go!
I don't know how any one can be unhappy after spending an hour in the goat pen.Thank you, cute gaotie goats!

Goatie Good Morning

What better way to start off our day than a great big dose of cute goatie goats!



Butter Bean and Nibbles fight over The Boy's lap.Nibbles is a big time lap goat,she is content to sit in The Boy's lap and get a good scratchin' until The Boy's fingers cramp up!

Butter Bean mostly likes to play King of The Boy.Yes,The Boy's hair is crazy.It always looks this way.I wish I could say it was just bed head,and some of it is,but his hair grows crazy and there is not a hair product created that will make it stay laying down!




Doodah is having her breakfast in the pet carrier while all this is going on.She is starting to adjust to her new family,they have stared playing and being nice to each other,but meal time is still an issue we are working on.

Her is Doodah all done and getting her morning chin scratchin'.Just in case you didn't know, chin scratchin' is a very important part of a goatie goat's day.


As is ear nibbling! The Boy couldn't get his day started without a good ear nibble! Don't worry Butter Bean is just tasting him,not biting!Goaties have to taste everything!





Time for a little early morning King of the Log!The chickens and ducks are placing bets on who will win in the back round!



Nibbles takes advantage of her long legs! Sigh..what's a little Butter Bean to do?Don't let him fool you, he is the boss of the goat yard! Remember the old saying dynamite comes in small packages.Hairy,white,goatie smelling packages!