HALLELUJAH!

At our most recent family meeting where "goats" were once again on the agenda, Jason and I committed to making a good faith effort at finding an alternate home for Cookie Dough and Oreo where they would not end up being used for meat and where the girls could go visit.   Neither one of us was feeling very hopeful, but both of us were feeling rather desperate for a change.  Even so, it took us a few weeks to get around to writing up an advertisement of sorts to circulate.  We blasted the following out to as many friends, colleagues, and neighbors as we could think of that might have beneficial connections:

"Two goats, name of Oreo and Cookie Dough, which currently live at our home are in need of a new home. We have learned that our setup and family pattern is not really optimal for their and our needs over the long term, and we are unprepared at this time to make the necessary changes/adjustments to our homestead that would be required. They were originally purchased to raise for meat, but due to the children becoming attached to them we have kept them around longer than we had planned; now it is time to move on in one way or another. Our family’s decision was that we are not selling the goats as meat goats, but hope to find owners who need them for pets, companions for a dairy animal or horse, or for land clearing. The goats are very friendly, personable, and small (an adult can easily carry one), and they thrive on human attention. They are twin males that were dehorned and castrated early on. They are generally gentle with children, though they will non-aggressively rear up and lean their forelegs on people (dog-like) when they want attention or are curious about what the people are holding. They love to be taken on walks to find tasty leaves. They are out of a Tennessee Fainter (Myotonic) dam, by a Nigerian Dwarf sire. Oreo does occasionally “faint” when he gets stubborn about going where we want him to on a walk, but that’s about the only manifestation of the myotonic gene we see anymore, except that they do seem to have athletic limitations as far as jumping (a plus for ease of fencing!).These goats have never required grain-based feeds, but have always done fine on a regimen of good hay and leaves from cut branches, with a mineral supplement and salt available free choice and an occasional (bi-weekly) herbal de-worming preparation. We ideally want the goats to go to a situation somewhat nearby (close enough for the girls to visit a time or two) where they will have some room for exercise and where the owners enjoy giving them social attention, as these seem to be the missing ingredients for these guys’ full happiness here at our place. We can deliver the goats if that is an obstacle. They will be available until roughly the middle of September. They would come with what we have left of the hay, mineral supplement, and herbal wormer at the time of the exchange. The price is negotiable depending on situation and need, with our preference being in the 50 dollar range for each goat."

Thanks to people forwarding the above on to others (and to my moment of inspiration yesterday) we had not 1, not 2, but 3 decent options by the end of today!  Kali is very excited about the plan, and her excitement wore off on Alida (making her no longer resistant to the idea of them leaving our place but excited for the adventure ahead).  As of Tuesday evening, Cookie Dough and Oreo will be residents of the Luray Zoo.  I had been thinking lately that really these goats would be great for a petting zoo or some place where their main purpose is to be around people (even better if those people spend quarters on handfuls of feed for them).  On our visit to the Luray Zoo (which is a rescue zoo), we had noted that they had goats and a petting/feeding area.  Perfect!  But what are the chances that they would take our goats?  It never hurts to ask, right?  So I called and after the owner asked me three small questions he said, "yes!"  They have a handful of goats but not enough to keep up with their pasture so he has to mow it sometimes.

After sending out the advertisement, we realized that we were really more or less okay with cutting our losses and giving them away (to be frank I was about ready to pay someone to take them for us!).  So it will be our donation to the Luray Zoo (maybe we can arrange for some kind of free visiting rights?).

So our "goat experiment" may be about to end.  Jason still talks of dairy goats some day.  I'm going to need some significant recuperation time...It hasn't been a good feeling to assume care for these animals and then realize our set up really isn't meeting their needs (wants?).  So lots of relief in the household this evening thinking that they may be about to enjoy their lives a lot more and Jason and I about to enjoy our homestead a lot more!

Even with their noises in the background off and on, I had a grand day.  I'm exhausted but quite pleased to have 28 quarts of salsa cooling on the front porch.  The last 7 need a few more minutes cooling down in the canner before I take them out, which is the only reason I'm writing this post!  I will fall asleep if I lay down.  So far I'm at 100% seal rate and don't want to mess that up, even if it means staying up a little later.

While I tackled this project without Jason (he was occupied all day on outside chores), I can't say I did it alone.  The girls really were amazing (and helpful!).  They peeled some of the tomatoes, Alida peeled some onions, Kali read Alida to sleep for her nap and helped her in countless other ways, Alida was her normal entertaining self and they were both helpful taste testers.

The girls are at really fun and enjoyable stages.  They both have their moments (don't we all?), but overall seem to be thrilled with their lives and are therefore mostly pleasant to be around.  Alida has been rather mischievous of late and more rambunctious.  She likes to tease and be silly and recently seems to like to run up behind us and ram into our legs.  Then the next moment she wants to just cuddle with us.  Yesterday while I was at work she and Jason were being silly together.  Alida was on the floor and piped up, "Hold me."  So Jason reached out and held her arm for a moment and then let go. She said, "Why did you do that?"  He explained that she told him to hold her so he did.  She said, "No, not like that...hold to whole thing of me."  So Jason grabbed one arm and one leg and picked her up and then put her down.  She knew what was going on now and said, "Nooooo, not like that...hold the whole packet of me!"  Jason picked her up and cradled her and that was what she wanted!

She has just sacked out on Kali's beanbag beside me here on the kitchen floor. I'm ready to join her.  The timer has rung, the canner is turned off and bed is calling.  It won't be at all surprising if I have a dream about chopping vegetables!