rainy day

I expected to have today off from the farm, with torrential rains forecast. Yesterday I combed one of the wild doelings-a 15 minutes clean up, and then moved on to the new goat, Emerson, a white fluff bomb; a huge wether.

Boss said she had done his neck and shoulders the day before so I started on his haunches, as she said to put that fiber separate. After evaluating it, she said to put it all together but save the britches separate. LOL. So I started combing in earnest.

Within minutes I had clouds of white fluffy cashmere in great gobs all over the place-me, my coat, the goat, and the fence as he was leaning against it on the off side. I quickly shed the fleece hoodie I was wearing down to cotton flannel ,and rolled up my sleeves so I didn't take half the goat home with me.

I spent over an hour on him and he looked like a different goat afterwards. Then Boss went to let the bucks out at Prescott while R and I went down to Jenny Nash to fix the shingles on one of the little houses. That went quickly, and we stopped to check out the upper section of fence. We have to put a couple fence posts in there, as the temporary ones snapped at ground level from the snow this winter.

Once back to Prescott, we found Boss down by the highway with two bucks near the road-armed with her broom and pan. Those two and the rest of the bucks recognized my car pull in and came running back to the barn when we arrived.

At the end of the morning, I left it with Boss that I would call her in the am regarding work, as rain was forecast. When I heard about the heavy rains, I figured I would be having the day off and contemplated crating the roosters and hauling them up to the livestock auction. Waking to torrential rain, staying in bed late sounded like a better plan.

However, when I called Boss to check in , she gave me the offer of hooves for the morning. Hooves are not fun, but I knew it would be a chance to get some tips and good experience at the hands of an expert, so I agreed.

I did four sets of hooves and did I leave there looking and smelling quite a mess!

I prefer to do the front feet by facing toward the rear of the goat, half kneeling, with the goat ankle resting above my kneecap. It's the way I was taught to pick out horse's feet, except standing in that case.

That position leaves my shoulder free against the goat to help steady them or hold them against the wall. Because of the rain, most of the goats were wet, so I quickly became covered in wet stinky goat. The free side the Great Pyrannees thought would make a great place to dry his face, when he wasn't trying to use my hair as a towel.

The goat hooves were tough as nails after the long dry spell we have been having, and I realized on the way home that I had earned a good sized blister on the ring fnger of my right hand from the clippers.

And the smell of a good old dirty hoof...goat or horse, those smell pretty much the same...

The deluge of rain continued all day-I can't tell you how much rain we have received but I bet at least 5 inches by now. The fields leapt to life today; driving to the store this afternoon my eyes ached from the emerald green where just days ago was plain dry brown.

The maples are in full bloom with a blush of red, so delicate.

Aprils showers bring May flowers. :)