+- Pack Goat Central (https://www.packgoatcentral.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Welcome to PackGoatCentral (https://www.packgoatcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=2)
+--- Forum: The Campfire (https://www.packgoatcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=26)
+--- Thread: What did you do today? (/showthread.php?tid=306)
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
RE: What did you do today? - Nanno - 04-08-2017
The wind is blowing pretty hard from the wrong direction tonight. The absolute wrong direction. It NEVER blows from the southeast! But right now it is, and of course my goat sheds all have their doors facing away from the prevailing wind. Which means all the shelters now have mini hurricanes blowing around inside them. Add to that the fact that our ground is mushy wet from two feet of snow that fell last Tuesday and there's not much keeping these igloos from winging off over the edge of our hillside. And that's just precisely what happened half an hour ago.
I'd just stepped out of the shower when I heard Phil banging around on the basement patio. "What in the world is he doing out there at this time of night in a wind storm? Is one of the goats sick?"
I hurried out to the porch and saw him moving around the doe pen with a headlamp, and I could see only one goat shelter. In the dimness beyond the glow of the porch lights I could make out a large white object leaning drunkenly against the bushes with both of my horses eagerly pawing and sniffing at it. Ever since we've moved here, if something blows away we look for it in the front pasture. This shed was in the back pasture and in grave danger of rolling to the bottom of a long, steep hill if we didn't recover it quickly. A short stand of scrub oak was all that held it in place. Quickly I ran back into the house and put my wet hair up under a clean tie-dye hat--the one that has a string to keep it on my head in a wind storm. My favorite Darth Vader pajamas look amazing, but they are a bit thin for the wind chill and I didn't want to risk tearing them on something out there. So I slapped a pair of snow pants and a barn jacket over top, put my rubber muck boots on, and donned a pair of worn out leather gloves so I could help Phil move the goat shed up to the house. Phil only found two of the spikes that held the shed down, so there was no hope of putting back in the doe pen tonight. He put those spikes into the remaining shed in hopes of battening it down enough to survive the night. The five girls won't share one shed, but at least it's a warm night even if it's windy.
The first order of business was to get the horses out of there. Jet followed me happily up the hill into the corral, but Phil had to grab Skokie by the mane and escort him along. I guess he wanted to stay and help. But one thing I've learned over the years is that horses (like goats) are generally not helpful for most projects. As I was walking back toward the wayward shed after locking the horses up, I noticed a peculiar movement in my shadow that was cast by the glowing porch lights. It was my Darth Vader cape! I realized I must really look a picture in that outfit! I tucked the cape into the back of my snow pants so as to avoid any potential entanglements. I'm sure my bubble-butt look was even MORE attractive! Luckily we have no near neighbors.
Rolling the shed up to the house was thankfully straightforward. We were in the lee of the house, so the wind was not able to put up much of a fight. We stowed the thing on the back patio where I roped it down in case the wind shifts. I'll have to buy more spikes before we can put it back in the pen. Thankfully all the sheds in the boys' pen are against trees so they should stay put even if the wind gets inside. Hopefully the girls will keep their remaining shed for the night. Phil spiked it down well, but I don't have much confidence in the soft ground right now.
RE: What did you do today? - Saltlick - 04-08-2017
Yikes! Glad you recovered the shed. Sounds like the winds out here, it gets crazy!!!
RE: What did you do today? - DownUnder Gal - 04-08-2017
Goodness, what an adventure ... Darth Vader pyjamas?? Glad everyone's ok!
RE: What did you do today? - Charlie Horse - 04-15-2017
Yesterday I made a friend while I was cleaning up some trash by the road next to my field. I lifted a small piece of plywood and found this guy! A "Jerusalem Beetle", so called because their striped like a Jew in a concentration camp, or so I heard. Its actually a type of huge cricket even though it looks like a termite. I've only ever seen one once before. It was drowned in a puddle and the sight of it was almost enough to make my dad barf.
I tried to get a picture of him in my hand but he creepy-walked up my arm so fast this is the best I could do...
I let him go in a place that I'm sure he'll do well.
Here's a link to a clip of a "Warrior Cricket" someone has crawling on their hand. This guy is super awesome and a lot less gross.
http://i.imgur.com/rWgZDny.gifv
RE: What did you do today? - DownUnder Gal - 04-22-2017
What a strange looking critter Charlie Horse ... kind of like a cross between a cockroach, and ant and a waspy thing. I haven't seen one before.
RE: What did you do today? - Charlie Horse - 04-22-2017
Took a short little drive in the Super Se7en on route 803, which shortcuts through the San Rafael and meets up with I-70. I wanted to see what kind of terrain there is out there, and google maps has never, believe it or not, sent a street-view car on that road!. I'm looking towards places to take the goats that are close, human-free, and epic. Its my first time entering this side of the San Rafael. Check it out:
This is actually what I see when I drive this car. You'll have to imagine pounding wind blowing your hair around. I have no hair so I get to imagine that too.
So the road goes much higher here! It even got a lot cooler up this high. I didn't realize the middle of the swell was so swollen. Now I know!
Ahah. Wow. Smooth sandstone domes are all over this area. Its where the 803 meets the 70. These can be a bit dangerous as its always easier to climb this stuff than come back down. Might be different for goats, but for people, I suggest you don't go up and find out what its like to roll down. Pro tip!
There's a zone I've really wanted to explore that has stark white and purple layering. This is a sample. Most of my in-car pictures are out of focus since the camera tends to focus on the windshield. I guess its an artistic picture though, with all the mirrors.
Man. I can't believe I get to live in this area. So long as I can avoid the sand worms. Planning a goat hike tomorrow, but it'll just be another boring one behind the house up into the hills. I still don't have a vehicle that can carry more than 2 goats.
RE: What did you do today? - DownUnder Gal - 04-24-2017
Great pics.
I reckon you could fit a fair few goats on that motor car Charlie Horse - two down each side, two on the hood, one in the seat next to you and maybe one at the back? They'd have to wear head scarves or one of those caps that are appropriate for that sort of vehicle. And some pretty spunky sunglasses ...
RE: What did you do today? - DownUnder Gal - 04-24-2017
Took a few pics of the folks between the rain today ...
Tawny
Daisy & Koby
Gilbert doing his best water buffalo impression
Marley
RE: What did you do today? - Charlie Horse - 04-24-2017
"Motor car"? It has pedals and a chain to the back wheels. Gasoline motors tend to attract sand worms. Its really... not so fun to drive that car anymore. It was fun in the city where I could take off and stop and not slow down for corners and have fun. Here in the country its nothing but straight roads for a hundred miles. My next project is a 1950 Jeepster. Still not a goat hauler but more suited to life out here. I want a used panel van for moving goats.
PS I don't have a scarf but I do have goggles and a leather bomber helmet/hat! I have to wear something on long trips or get a sunburn.
RE: What did you do today? - GoldenTreePackGoats - 04-24-2017
I always love seeing your guys pictures, and hearing stories!
I have to share my goat event of the day.
I took huck on a walk around the neighborhood, with a spur of the moment let's do a mile or so attitude. I noticed a dark gray car slow down but keep driving, and again they drove by the opposite way (after they turned around). I took a left into a less public neighborhood and again same car drove by except this time I noticed a giant smart phone in a hot pink case obviously taking a video, behind it a woman with her mouth to the floor, creeping by at 2 mph. It was a dead end so once again she turned around, this time however she stopped to apologized. She told me she was from Boston, and has never seen anything like that. She asked me if Huck was a goat, SHE HAS NEVER SEEN A GOAT! As shocking as this was to me I smiled and brought Huck up to the car, she reached out and touched his nose and he wagged his tail. So cute! She was speechless. It was a really precious moment.
On another note, Huck did great. All my other goats have the "admire me from a distance" thing going on, I guess Huck is the outgoing one. We don't usually walk up to strange cars where hands pop out and touch our face but he couldn't of cared less.
![[Image: IMG_20170424_193046_zpsytief1vj.jpg]](http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k99/GoldenTreePG/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20170424_193046_zpsytief1vj.jpg)