Lotsa Pictures Today, Too

Thank you all for your wonderful comments about blogging and bloggers. 

I knew you would all understand. 

Lots of pictures today! 

Last night, the little goats would not go in their barn.  Usually, as soon as it is full dusk, they run one by one inside and we don't see them again until morning.  

I happened to go on the deck at 7, and they were outside in the dark.  

I called over "Go to bed, you guys".  

At 8, I looked out, and they were still outside, on the rocks. 

I went out with the spotlight and went in the barn, and looked carefully around... nothing. 

At 8:30, they were still out.  

I went out with Lilly this time and the spotlight, and Lil found nothing. 

Finally, at 9, I looked out the window, and did not see them. 

I just brought the game camera in... and found this: 

Look at the time on the time/date stamp... pretty darn early in the night! 

Did the little goats sense this guy and others in the pasture?  

I don't know, but they have NEVER done this before. 

If I have to, I can lock them in the barn, but Kelly bullies one of the little girls, and I hate to lock her in there with him.  I will, though, when it gets really cold.  We still have a lamp in there, and can use it this winter, if we need to. 

So this morning after doing chores, I left the goats in their pen, and came in the house to eat breakfast.  I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish today, and we are supposed to plunge tonight to literally a hard frost.  

Sometime after ten, I looked at the clock and thought... My gosh, where did time go? 

I put my jacket on and went out. 

I found the goats loose in the pasture, and the gate to the yard OPEN. 

It you look closely, at 9:13, you can just see the goats' backs in their pen, past the pasture pen. 

At 9:23, they were OUT!  See the two little derrieres on the left? 

I have actually been expecting this.  Beau, our pony, also used to let himself out of the pen, so we have carabinier clips on the gates.  I'll start using them today.  We don't want the goats to open their pen and invite the coyotes in. 

Here I come on the Duck Pond Express, ready to clean the little barn out. 

I have to explain something.  I lost a lot of weight in the last five years, but my clothes... well, they are still my old clothes that I wear for chores.  I flap in the wind.  (laugh)

You'll see in a later picture. 

As I started the goat barn, I realized that a lot of the bedding in it was okay.  It was hay that had fallen and would not now be eaten, but was fine as bedding, and dry and not smelly.  I pulled out a trailer load near the door and on the side, and then put down 3/4 of a bale of fresh straw.  The device on the right is a sleeping bed Keith made for the babies, which is used... and the thing is back is our old llama feeder, from which Keith removed two of the rungs on the side, and someone is sleeping in there.  However, there is a depression back in the corner between the two that is like a little nest, so I suspect the two little girls may be sleeping there.  

When I got finished, I came out to find the two little girls butting heads in the driveway. I rarely see them play like this. 

I took the cleanings and drove over and put them on two of the beds in the garden.  

Forgot to take a picture! 

I unhitched the trailer, and cut grass for what I hope is the LAST time this year, and put the mower away. 

It's just a glorious month to be alive, don't you agree? 

Especially when your helpers look like this! 

And this. 

Here I am going across at 1:20 when I did water in the goat barn. You see I flap in the wind (and I'm laughing as I type this).  I am always trying to remember to change clothes before I go do errands, but I told Keith last night that I am going to have to break down and buy some jeans that FIT and some jackets that I can wear to work in that fit.  This one is six years old and gets in the way, it's so loose, but I don't mind getting it dirty. It also has a hood, very useful. 

What I need is a Carhartt for Christmas! 

Here's little Speedy, this afternoon, the Brassy back Old English gamebird rooster. 

I wonder if he misses Boots, who was in the same hatch as he... I got them both from Heartland Hatchery three years ago.  They were raised together, and always lived together, and hung out together.  Nugget the cochin was their special little hen, until she disappeared. 

Out of curiosity, I looked to see what was on the gamecam a year ago at this time....

It was the tiny little Teeny Two, who disappeared last week.  

Friend Jill, sportswoman and vet tech, took a look at the pictures of the dead Boots that I took on Sunday and believes, as I do, that it was probably an opportunistic owl.  It would explain why so few birds are even going outside, except for the ducks.  Only his head and breast meat were taken, and I thought as soon as I saw him that it had to be an owl.  I've heard two calling to each other lately. 

I'll put the camera out again tonight, out of curiosity. 

And that's it for today, except for those of you who know Benny, the French Bulldog, at www.twofrenchbulldogs.com  Andrea, his mom, has written today that Benny's fight against liver cancer has taken a bad turn, and asks for all of us to pray tonight for him.  I ask, too... I have followed Benny and Lilly's blog for several years, and it has brought delight into my life.  It hurts me when fellow bloggers are hurting. 

Prayers coming your way, Benny Boy... Fight Like a Frenchie!!!