Lili and Lulu at odds...

It all started out rather benignly...

"J's" new babies, Lili and Lulu, finished doing their special tricks for us and were hungry for some food. 

So "J" got them some Grass Hay and they both ate it like it was their last meal.
 Now, please note Lulu's front right foot (Lulu is on the left in the photo.) She is starting to move in.

Within a few minutes she had all fours in  the pan and never... never stopped eating.

Lili was getting edged out.
She finally complained to Heather, who was standing nearby.

"Lulu is hogging all the hay, Heather. What is her problem. Why can't she share?" The look on Lili's face was priceless.
Lulu stepped back and removed her back feet from the pan, as if she heard Lili... but she never stopped eating.

Look at that face. Lili was pretty sure that Lulu was going to be the "alpha" goat from now on.

Heather tried to consoled her, but it just was not helping. Lili knew that she would have to wear a tougher goat skin if she was going to compete with her bossy sister. It was a learning moment for her. The realization that Lulu was like an older sister, even though they were twins, had finally sunk in. The party was over. The realities of life were evident.
She thought long and hard about it and then said to herself, "I'm going to have to kick Lulu's butt one of these days."

What are you guys doing in the goat house?

It was after lunch yesterday when I went outside to pull some weeds, play with the dogs and talk to the goats.
Mind you, the sun was shining, it was warm, and there was a slight breeze. One of those perfect California winter afternoons.... and where were the goats? In the pasture? Lolling in the sunshine.... faces to the sun? No, those silly goats, who have been praying for the sun to shine in the past weeks of fog and cold, were inside their goat house. The door was open. They were not being prisoners denied their rights.
They heard me as I came out to the fence....

"Hi, guys. What's up? Why aren't you outside standing in the lovely sun... eating the grass and enjoying the nice day?"
Bart came over and gave me his "Hi, Farmlady. I'm so handsome. Aren't I wonderful." look. He breathed on me and got in my face,as he always does. Then Murphy gave me the cutest look and said "Hi Farmlady. Wyd mortl dayth ." I don't know what you think about goats, but this goat is very special. It sounds like Gaelic but he could be channeling my ancient Welsh ancestors. I'm not sure. Whatever it is, he's a magic one for sure.

Freckles just posed for a minute,looking toward the entrance to the pasture....

And Brownie.... well, he didn't say a word. He just looked toward the house and back at me.

Then he spoke...
" It stinks out here. When are you going to clean this pen up?"
"Well, hello to you too, grumpy. What's the problem?"
Brownie continued... "We were glad that the Prospector cleaned out our house last week but this part.... well, the extra straw on the ground it just not working. The sun never comes here near our house and it's damp and cold."
"Brownie. The gate is open all day. You can go down the run to the pasture and it's sunny there. You don't have to stay up here."
"Well, I've been watching the sun lately and I think that it is lower right now, and the house is blocking the sun from this place."
"You're very observant, Brownie."
"Observant? Is that like being annoying? I know you think that I can be annoying Farmlady. I just..."
"No, Brownie, that's not what it means. I'm paying you a compliment. It's means to be aware of things.You are a keen, perceptive goat that notices things that other goats don't. You just get a little obsessive about things and you need to lighten up a bit. The sun is shining. It may not be shining right here, but all you have to do is walk down to the pasture and you can have all the sunshine you want. The great being that oversees the world does wonderful things for us but he expects us to help too, once in a while. The two of you, together, can make your world a beautiful, sunny place.
"Oh bother, Farmlady. That was speaking out of both sides of your mouth. You tell me I'm a smart goat that notices things that other goats don't and then you say that I need to lighten up and go where the sun shines. I would rather stand right here..."
"And complain?" I asked.
"Well....." Brownie looked away.
"I suspected that, Brownie, but let me tell you something. That sun is going to move higher in the sky soon. In fact it has already moved and pretty soon it will be shinning on the goat house and this area too. You just have to wait for another month or two."
"What? Two months, three months? That's crazy. I'm not waiting that long."
"Then you can walk down the run to the pasture. The sun is shinning there."
Brownie thought about this... then he said,
"I could do that."
"Yes, sweetie, you could."
"Farmlady?"
"Yes Brownie?"
"Do you love me?"
"Oh, Brownie, I love you so much it makes my heart ache."
"Even when I complain a lot?"
"Yes, even when you complain."
"Even when I'm OBSESSIVE.?"
"Yes, I love you, even when you worry too much."
"No... obsessive. When I'm obsessive."
"Right, sweetie. The words means worrying about things too much."
"Oh!... I do that, don't I?"
"Yes you do, but it's OK. I love you no matter how you are."
Brownie looked over at the gate and then at me....
"Do you have a carrot coin for me?"
"Yes, I do. Would you like one?"
"Yes, I would love one."
"Can you come over here and get it?"
"Do I have to?"
"Yes Brownie, you do."
"OK."


Later in the afternoon, when the sun was only on a small part of the pasture I saw Brownie and the other goats standing on some rocks, heads toward the last remaining rays of sun, with what seemed like smiles on their faces.
I guess we all need to know that we are loved, even when we are sometimes unlovable. If it works for a obsessive, insecure old goat I guess it can work for anyone.
Have a good day.....

The Escape

It was 8:30 a.m. on a beautiful spring morning. Farmlady went out to feed the goats and open the gate to the pasture. "Wait! What's going on here?", she cried. The gate was standing open and the lock was still in place. The goats were no where to be seen. "Oh no," thought Farmlady, "This can't be. I know I closed and locked the gate last night. "
She walked around to the front pasture and there they were....

"How did you do that?" She shouted. They were enjoying their morning grass and looking oddly innocent.
"Brownie, I see you hiding from me. How did you goats get through the gate? The latch is bent. The lock is still attach . How did you get out?"
They walked over to the fence. Brownie was about to say something and then Farmlady heard Murphy say, "Brownie, be careful what you say. Don't ruin everything."

Brownie started to say something, gave Farmlady a small smile and stopped.
"How did you do it Brownie?" asked Farmlady and then she waited for a reply.
Brownie leaned against Murph' and closed his eyes. She thought she heard Murphy say, in a low voice.. "It's OK Brownie. Be strong."
"Your not going to tell me are you?" Farmlady shook her head. It was a conspiracy of goats.
Farmlady backed away and realized that this was another goat secret that she would never figure out. Murphy, she surmised, was becoming the new leader of the pack and because he was the smartest goat and had magical powers , there would always be things happening around the farm that she would not have answers for. The goat boys were learning that strength in numbers was important and Brownie was learning to heed the other goat's advice.. at least Murphy's advice. She thought to herself that this was not an altogether bad thing.
The goats were use to being let out earlier. They waited until they got tired of waiting and then made a decision that the power should be in their hands (hooves). The will to be the masters of their own world won the pasture. Nietzsche would have been proud.
Farmlady thought that she would open the gate earlier tomorrow morning. The Prospector was away for a few days and she was use to doing inside things first. Maybe she had waited too late in the morning to let them out.
She sighed deeply... tomorrow would be different.

Murphy, Oh Murphy

"Murphy? Look at me boy. What's the matter?"

This was behavior that I was familiar with . My father, when upset with us, would stop talking. It could last from an hour to many days. it was his way of dealing with the incessant demands of being a father..., and, always, when he was angry about something.
But, this was a GOAT.
"Murphy? don't be like this. You mustn't turn away for lack of words. Tell me what's wrong."

Without moving from between the two oak trees he turned his head and said, in a low and quiet voice...
"Bopethewyllysia bod o'r gouau." His eyes were filled with love and understanding. I knew, then, that this was not about my father at all. It was about Murphy and his ability to understand things; to feel things that other goats didn't.
Even though he had a rudimentary command of the English language, I always thought that English was not his "first" language. When he was a little goat and he was in his learning to dance stage, he would say words like "wydth" and "mewn". Beautiful sounding words that sang from him, like musical lyrics to some ancient song, while he danced around the goat yard. I laughed, with the other goats, saying that Murph' was "being mythical" and that he was "speaking in the other tongue." He always seems to be from another place.

Now he was telling me something that he couldn't say in English and I didn't understand.
"Bopethewyllysia bod o'r gorau" There it was again and then ..., he slowly walked over to me......

Murphy looked up at me and, in the language of his life now, said...
"Everything will be alright, Farmlady."
I reached down and touched this beautiful animal; this quiet, sometimes distant animal that seems so different from the rest. He let me rub his ears and neck, watching me intently.
"Thank you, sweetie. I know it will."
and without the other goats vying for attention as they usually do..., Murphy nuzzled my hand and whispered "Cara 'ch", and a breeze came through the oak tree, circled around me like arms; protective, loving...., and then moved in wider circles until it disappeared into the hills beyond. I heard this voice once more before it was gone, only this time it wasn't Murphy's. It was my mother voice, within the circle of wind , saying "I love you, my daughter. Everything will be alright."