The Cal-Am Dairy Goat Show- Plymouth, CA.

This is a big part of what the goat show is about. Young children raising and showing animals. Learning how to lead a goat out into the arena and being proud of themselves and their animals.
The young ones played and watched ...

This is where kids learn to break in a pair of cowboy boots at an early age.

and where stepping in manure is a way of life.
The awards were waiting and the folks that record and call the different categories of the show checked  the paperwork, making sure that categories and breeds were in the right places.

Before the showing of the goats, the judges brought all the 4H kids out and showed them how to handle their goats. How to walk, lead, stand and show their goat to the best advantage. The judge was so good with them and some of the goats were very young and not use to being in a show. Some of the goats were not cooperating. The judge would take the goat and demonstrate how to calm the goat down and lead instead of being led. It was fun to watch him work with the kids.

You can see how many different goats there were. Each child had their own goat that they had raised. I loved this little tiny goat with hardly any ears. It was a very young, goat that looked kind of like a greyhound. It was one of the calm ones. I asked someone. They said it was a "cross", maybe between a La Mancha (very small ears) and a Nigerian dwarf but she wasn't sure. I don't think she was crossed with a Pygmy or a Dwarf because her legs were long.

 I wanted to bring her home with me.She was so sweet and a bit overwhelmed with everything.... but so beautiful.

So the judging began. Nubians have their own category. Brownie would have been proud. He would have been strutting his stuff..... only he's a "HE" and this is all about the ladies today. But he would have been cheering them on.
The show is basically about this..

Conformation, udders, teats, rib cage, legs and coat. It's a beauty pageant for does.No evening gowns or tiaras. Just goat perfection in the show ring.

The term DAIRY CHARACTER refers to the characteristics of a doe that give you reason to believe she will be a good milker. An average doe will give you about 1,800 pounds  or 900 quarts of milk per year.
These gals are the best of the best.

Their owners don't milk them before the show, so that they look full and wide. In a "doe" show, this is a good thing. Some goats looked uncomfortable out there. As soon as they are done, they head right for the "milking station" that is set up for them. I would imagine that they are quite relieved after they stop at the "station".

My friend, Jane, brought two goats to show. The one on the right above is a yearling and wasn't sure about all of this. When Jane left to show her other goat, this one put up such a commotion that she could be hear all over the fairgrounds. I went over and talked to her. I told her that Jane would be back soon. I stood there with her until Jane returned. She quieted down some but she was still upset. Poor little thing. She just didn't know what was going on and why her Jane and her goat companion were gone. As soon as they came back she was fine.

"I don't know why she got so upset. Jane and I had business to attend to. I may win a prize. She's such a baby."

Will you look at this! Only a Nubian would wear something so amazingly pretty. Of course, I'm partial to this breed but look at this handmade, quilted, goat  coat. Wow! Some goat owners stop at nothing for the love of their goats. There was a cold wind blowing through the arena area so a lot of the goats had covers on them but this one was special.. don't you think?

So the wagons lined up and waited, in hopes of winning Best In Show, the highest honor, and the biggest prize....

One for each ring. Our gourd group donated the gourds and I put the baskets together. They hold goat supplies from CAPRINE supply in Desoto, Kansas., little bottles of sparkling apple juice and a big ribbon  from the ADGA.

Look at these beautiful animals.... I think they know that this show is for them.

They are interesting, unique and fun loving animals. We all had a good time.
The President of the goat club and I set up the raffle.. Oh, excuse me... OPPORTUNITY DRAWING.  We had wonderful donations from local businesses.
All in all, it was a good show. These shows always teach me more about goat breeds and the folks who raise them. I learn more all the time. It's a great group of people. I'm proud to be a goat owner and be in the company of these people who love goats.

Lurking in the Bathroom and other business of life.

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This is a very busy week. The Cal-Am Goat show is on Saturday at the Fairgrounds in Plymouth and I have two "Best In Show" baskets to put together. I drove down to Elk Grove, yesterday, to pick up one of the two gourds that will be part of the wining baskets for the show.

These gourds will be filled with goat related items and wrapped in cellophane with a big, pretty bow.
I want to thank Mary Jane for the beautiful gourd on the right with the faux turquoise inlay and Silvia, for the goat basket gourd. I'm overwhelmed at the generosity of my gourd group and the support  they give to our Goat show every year. Silvia is the President of the California Gourd Association, a talented and involved artist.
Mary Jane is one of the most talented members of our gourd group. She makes instruments, lamps and dolls out of gourds. She does amazing and beautiful work.
Thank you both for the donation of these lovely gourds.
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When I was down in Elk Grove yesterday I had to go to Trader Joe's.

Which happens to be (Oh, my goodness!)  right next to .... HOME GOODS.

What an amazing marketing decision for this shopping center. I didn't know what to do first. Then , I came to my senses and went into Trader Joe's. I bought wine, bread, cashews, a couple of cards, artichokes, and because it was lunchtime.... I hope my sister and my cousin Suzi are reading this.... A SALAD. Yes, without you both telling me to eat more salad, I bought one. All by myself.

I ate all of it. It was actually very good, with its chicken, papaya, cabbage, carrot and a Thai Citrus dressing.
Not bad at all. I may have to buy this salad in bulk.

I topped the salad off with, of course, English Toffee.
After I sat in the shade of a tree in my car, and filled my body with SALAD, I spent a wonderful hour and a half of pure indulgence, in Home Goods. I bought some pillows, a big tin with a lid for the front porch and three planters for the  front yard. I will take some photos next week when I have the time to arrange everything.
I picked up some meds at Kaiser and drove back up to the hills.
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This morning I was groping around in the bathroom. You know how it is. I was getting ready to throw some water on my face so I could go for a walk before it got too hot. It's suppose to reach the high 80's today.
I was ready to wash my face when I saw something move under the felted soap in the tray.
Mind you. The Prospector's gone to town for some hay. The dogs were asleep in the Living room and I'm just standing in front of the sink... WITHOUT MY GLASSES ON.
I see movement under the soap. I got this "hair on the back of your neck" feeling and reached for my glasses. Yes, the warm weather is waking them up. THEY'RE BACK!!

How such a small thing can illicit such fear in me I will never know. I'm not afraid of snakes, mice, rats or wild animals but this little creepy crawler sends me into fits of fear that use to be almost debilitating.
No one was here to help. I could have called my husband to come home and dispatch this "monster" but he would have killed it and laughed at me. I was on my own..... and I couldn't let it crawl away, disappearing into the recesses of my bathroom only to show up in my bed tonight.... COULD  I?
Well,I want you to know that I pulled myself together and did the right thing. I went and got a glass jar. I moved the soap holder and , thank God, it didn't bolt away or JUMP ON TOP OF ME. It just sat there.
I carefully inverted the jar over the spider and it didn't move. It just sat there. Maybe something was wrong. Maybe SHE? was having babies right there under my felted soap. A little nest found... I don't know.... but, I'm sorry. That's just not going to happen in my bathroom.
I moved the jar and she crawled onto the side of it. I was doing well, but shaking a bit. I quickly slid the lid on and flipped the jar over. Now, she was moving. She was not happy.

This is what I call a BIG spider. I categorized spiders into: small, medium and large. This was large. Well, not as in "Tarantula" large, but definitely,"house spider" large.
I took her outside. Laid the jar in a flower pot....

She didn't move so I shook the jar and out she came.... Into the big world of wonderful places to hide and good things to eat.
I told her that she could live in my garden for as long as she liked but she was not to come back into my house. I told her to spread the word.

Goodbye little ( well, not so little...) one. Live long and prosper.
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I still have some places to tell you about on our trip to Reno, Nevada. I don't want to bore you with  a travel log but I do want to talk about the Keck Mining Museum at the University of Nevada, which was a wonderful place to visit.

Damage Control , a Goat Show and a Little Bit of Heaven

Everything else held up rather well during the storm on Wednesday but the Irises took a beating. Poor things look like someone aimed and fired at them with a shotgun. The leaves were left hanging by a thread and the beautiful one that grew up through the garden art was battered beyond help.
I cut the broken stems and picked off what was beyond help. There were a lot of new buds that didn't get damaged underneath so a few days of sunshine should open them up and make the garden look pretty again.

Tomorrow is the Cal-Am Dairy Goat Show in Plymouth, CA.

With the generosity of some friends in my gourd club, I was able to put two baskets together for the BEST OF SHOW prizes that will be given to two owners of the best dairy goats in the show. Believe it or not the straw hats, the basket shredding and the ribbon all came from the DOLLAR STORE. I love that place.
I want to thank Sylvia( that's her gold leafed, flowered gourd), Janice(the goat with the golden horns) and Christie, who's gourd will be in the silent auction and I know someone who is going to bid on it all ready. I will post pictures of Christie's gourd on the weekend. I messed up the first ones I took. I thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart for contributing gourds for this show. They look so beautiful and will make the awards and auction so much more attractive this year.

A complete change of subject here; but have you seen these ice cream bars?

I may have discovered NIRVANA and the only way to control my ice-cream obsession and late night binges. Weight Watchers has a NEW ice cream bar that's...OMG!... rich, raspberry filled and covered with DARK CHOCOLATE. I think I may have died and gone to ice cream heaven. They are so delicious and only 170 calories for 2 bars...yes, TWO BARS. One bar may suffice for some of you but, for those of us that crave desserts , TWO of these are... DECADENT. One after lunch,...and one after dinner,.... two after dinner. One for breakfast... oops! Sorry. OK, I admit it. The first day that I bought them I had one BEFORE lunch. But I was heading into a busy day and I needed extra strength.
For all of you folks out there that consider dessert to be the 5th major food group this is the answer to your passions, a response for "What small step can I take to really being a good weight-watching person?" and.... just a little bit of heaven.
FIND THEM. Indulge.... Trust me on this.