New friends – we hope!

Well, in an effort to minimize driving an hour everyday to feed goats, and to decrease the workload on my sister – the goat sharer, we decided that the goats would be travelers.  We decided that when we were not at the farm for a good amount of time, they should go eat weeds at Acres of Grace.  Great idea – in theory!

Now, I don’t know how many of you have ever tried putting a goat in the back end of a mini-van before, but it is not an easy task.  The girls are getting used to us and are doing pretty good.   But, hopping up into an unfamiliar place is not in their agenda.  So, brandnewfarmers goat herding 101 – C.  We herded a bit, but eventually Jim just picked them up, listened to them protest, and placed them in the back with me.  I stayed there to help them calm down.  It was pretty traumatic for them to be separated for the few minutes it took to get Ruby after Charlie was already in the van.  Pretty traumatic for them, and for farmer man.

So, we finally got them over to Acres of Grace and got them cozied up in their stall complete with all the comforts of home.  We let them hang out there for the evening and night and went back to let them out after church on Sunday.  We thought of so many things and tried to prepare – was the fence good enough to keep them in, was it good enough to keep Mountaineer (a very sweet, very large, curious, farm dog) out, did they have enough to keep them happy there.  Never crossed my mind that we would freak out a whole herd of fairly mature and calm natured horses.

They wouldn’t even come in to the barn Saturday night and it was cold!  I guess it just smelled different.  Who knows!  But, the above photo is the whole herd of horses currently found at Acres of Grace farm – trying to figure out what in the world we allowed into their pasture.  I have never seen them all look the same direction at the same time before.  I wish I would have had my “real” camera because they did it all afternoon.  They would watch and then take off up the hill if there was an unfamiliar noise.  It was pretty funny, and a little sad.  I guess they will get used to each other over the next few days.

Farmer man has already had me call to check up on them twice.  The goats are happy to eat weeds at my sister’s farm, climb on the boards, reach into the bottom of the trees and just settle in.  We will see how the next week goes.

Now, let’s see if sometime in the next 12 days I can actually get ready for Christmas!  Not one single present bought yet, but finally I have ornaments on the Cumbersome Christmas tree.  I left some bottom branches lightly decorated so the grandkids could come help later in the week.  Today, my daughter and I are trading children.  I have hers and we are going to the farm, she has mine – so they don’t have to go to the farm.  Saturday, I will not be going to the farm because my son is coming home for the holidays!  Yeah!!!!!