Hellos and Goodbyes

With Christmas just a few days away, the celebration of family and friends is at the forefront.  Around here, some of our friends have hooves, feathers and paws.  Farming comes with great joys, and some of the most special work we do tugs hard at the heartstrings.

Bailey is once again participating in the market goat project for 4H.  Last weekend, we met Bonnie at tag-in and brought home this year's market goat.

This little girl rode all the way home cuddled up in Bailey's lap without a protest.  I suppose this is why folks call my little car a clown car of animals.  It took a fews days, but her name is Jecks Cassia.  She likes when she gets to come out of her pen and hang out with Prissy, the pregnant boer goat who now thinks she is Jecks Cassia's mama.  Yes, Prissy is generally confused, but we love her just the same.  By the way, at 2 months old, she weighed in that night at 38.8 pounds to begin her journey.

For those of you who follow us regularly, you know we recently stood by as Glory brought a little buckling and doeling into the world right before the first of our big wonter storms. (This is a relative term, I know.  For our cousins in Colorado, the big winter storm is much different.)  Glory and her little ones were out with the herd a couple days ago while their pen was cleaned.  It didn't last long, Glory was very concerned the others were too close to her kids, so Bailey put them back in their pen, though not before Olympia learned a new trick with riding on her Mama, and Fly By Night ran circles around the spool.

I cannot get the video to upload, so I guess I will put it up on youtube on our channel.  Will have to post a link to that here later.

Anyhow, with all the rewards that come with what we do, the hard part can be saying goodbye.  Wyatt breeds rare colors of Phoenix poultry, and ends up with more than he really wants or needs, especially in the cockerel department.  As goat breeders, Bailey also raises little ones, socializes them and trains little ones to walk in the show ring, knowing that most will move on to new homes. 

Last year, Rose could not get little Nathan to take to nursing.  In the end, Nathan lived in the house for some time, bottle feeding and going around town with Mama to basketball games and keeping up with the two legged kids.  Yesterday, a wonderful family came to look at prospective goats for their family.  As they all sat in the goat pen looking at personalities, little Nathan demanded attention and let his friendship with Remington show in his silliness.  The sweet woman from this family had her heart set on Nathan.  So Bailey said okay, and filled out the transfer of ownership papers and said goodbye to little Nate as she loaded him in the car. 

Sure, we cried a bit.  The dogs and goats really noticed his departure, too.  It is hard to see a good friend go, but Nathan is off to a wonderful new home as the pet goat of a little girl and her Grandma.  His wonderful personality is a testament to the family approach that makes them a part of our hearts.  So welcome to Jecks Cassia, a quick cuddle to the sweet Olympia and speed demon Fly By Night, and best wishes to Nathan and his new family.  You will all be in our hearts!