If you are new to the bog... please go back and read "Catch and Release" dated 8/15 and 8/21.  You will appreciate this entry much more!

WHAT IS THIS????  Could it be The Lockness Monster here in Waverly Hall?  Nope! It's a sad case of mistaken identity!  Still waiting (patiently) for the "Beaver Trapper" to show up, David decided to take things into his own hands.  He bought a rifle and  has been stalking this beaver (who we have named "Greg") every night at dusk, hoping to get a glimpse of Greg scouring the dock for dinner.  David has managed to shoot 2 armidillos and an oppossum! Well, one night last week, he noticed a steady movement through the water, across the lake, took aim and POW!  Could it be?  Did we really get rid of Greg?  The next morning, while the girls and I were out feeding, I noticed something odd across the lake, swimming quite straight.  I ran to the house, grabbed the binoculars, and felt sure it was some furry creature. Ha...got you!  I grabbed the rifle, ran down to the dock, got a shot off and definitely hit it!  It jumped around for a while and then stopped!  Was I able to finish off Greg!  Well.....about 60 seconds later....something went to gliding back through the water!  You have got to be kidding!  Walked around the lake got a closer look and much to my dismay..................David and I have been shooting huge chunks out of a grass karp!!!  This poor thing has been swimming around the lake for the past week with a HUGE chunk out of his back.  He is unable to swim under water (for some reason!). So we watch him all day, day after day, gliding along the top of the water with a huge chunk of flesh missing!  I thought, "Oh great! Instead of killing the beaver, we just gave him a super meal instead!"  The good news is, is that Greg the Beaver hasn't been back since this happened!   Ok..give us a break....we are REALLY good at the domestic animal thing, it's the wild animal thing we are learning about!  (And grass karp are really big! fish.....mammal....fish.....mammal, hey, anyone could have made the same mistake!)  

Becca and I made our way up to Columbia, SC this past weekend to watch the Dairy Goat Show.  We did have entries ourselves, but decided to leave our little girls at home since they just got over some stuffy noses.  Showing our goats never comes before their well-being.  Katie decided to stay home with her Daddy and help out on the farm and not miss her rehearsals for the Nutcracker Ballet.  Becca wore her "whites" and had no shortage of participating in the show.  She showed does throughout the two days and was excited about participating in the milking contest at the end of the Sr Doe show on Sunday.  Angie Peevy let Becca use one of her beautiful Alpine doe's to milk.  Thanks Angie!!!  She actually sacrificied going to watch the "Wild Cow Milking Contest" to help us!  Yes, you heard me right!  If they had only let Becca ring out her clothes in the pail, I truly believe she would have won!  It was awesome!  Total high-five to the Bunny for having fun trying something new!  There was a nice turn-out of some super quality Nigey's from Little Tots Estate, Madison's Meadow, J Nels, Yellow Rose, and Gypsy Moon.  I ended up volunteering as an announcer on Sunday.  Being handed a microphone can be quite empowering, releasing the American Idol beast within!  I resisted the strong urge to break into "I Will Survive"!  No guarantees about the future though.  I've been asked to announce at the Clemson show next spring!  As an exhibitor, the facility was easy to deal with, nice location, reasonable crowds and friendly people.  We will definitely return next year.  Hopefully exhibiting our own goats! 

 We will be venturing into the breeding arena next month for Honey and Nilly!   Stay tuned!  FYI- It's supposed to be almost 90 degrees tomorrow!

Above- Becca working hard in the milking contest.



Far left- Becca with LTE Gerbera in a nice Best Nigerian Sr Doe class.

I could not resist this picture!  Does anyone else see anything WRONG! If you aren't supposed to be operating a vehicle while talking on your cell phone, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be "operating" an elephant either!  We stood and watched in amazement as a man then got on with his infant daughter, all while this "handler" continued his conversation, no doubt discussing Iran going nuclear or ending the war in Afganistan or our jobless numbers!  Why did the gentlemen with his baby, who no doubt transported his child to the fair in a car seat, felt it was fine to bring his baby on this huge animal, being controlled by a carny, with a stick, on a phone?  Is it really just me?!   Ugghh! 

What a fun time we had in Perry this past Monday and Tuesday.  Endless laughs, great people, good BBQ and superb weather. The show was on the light side for attendance and the fair-going public that we "loved" so much at Gwinnett was completely pleasant at Perry.  Met some nice people very interested in learning about goats.  Unlike Gwinnett, in which we left at midnight the night before the show, in order to "protect" our babies, we felt very comfortable leaving by 8 PM.  Got back to the hotel, watched the Braves lose their final game. (Was I the only person who thought they would never make it through!! When they ever decide to give up the three stooges routine, they may have a shot.)  I digress.  

David was able to attend on Tuesday since it was reasonably close to home.  He always has stayed behind in order to take care of the animals left home.  It was a great day for him to come because our little Nilly won Jr Champion Doe!  There were about 8 in her class and she looked lovely with Katie.  Becca showed Sugar beautifully for fourth place.  Always very proud of all our "girls"!   We are very excited about exploring breeding opportunities for Nilly and Honey in the next month or so.

Roxy didn't get to show in her breed class since she had to sacrifice her spot for Nilly to show.  But she showed terrific in showmanship.  She is quite a little poser!

Sugar truly lives the life of luxury.  Of course, anything that enters the gates of HHF is instantly entitled to a low stress pampered existence.  I'm speaking of all the non-human family members!  The responsibility of "owning" animals is serious business for all four of us.  Clean - appropriate housing, (this means allowing the animal to have freedoms that they should have according to their specie)  Our chickens free-range for hours a day - -horses are on 24 hour pasture with shelter from sun and cold weather -- goats are paddocked securely from predators, sheltered from adverse weather.  Each animal is fed an appropriate diet according to their age/activity/fitness level.  Equally important to us is the interaction we have with all the animals.  The fact that they are really here with us by "force", we strive to maintain a high level of a caring and compassionate attitude at all times.  Now, this doesn't mean we allow ourselves to be disrespected.  Interacting with all these different kinds of animals has helped shape my life into adulthood and now I am seeing what a fantastic effect it is having on my children.  So we power on proudly, shovel and wheelbarrow in hand and strive forward for a better life for all creatures great and small!!    

Our girls got shaved for the shows just in time for the cooler weather to arrive.  We think they look pretty snazzy in their "goat coats".  Nilly, below, will be getting her "hair done" this week as we will be taking her to the GA National Fair in Perry next Monday.  No worries, we have a coat special for her.