In which the garden flourishes. October, 2012
MAINTENANCE
Goat husbandry isn’t all petting and loving. Sometimes a little clean up is involved. Jeremy brought home brooms to keep the concrete clear of goat poo. Go-At sleeps off a night of revelry on the door mat after giving the wood a little chew.
BEAUTY
There are many reasons to cultivate a garden and raise goats. A sense of accomplishment and surrounding ourselves with the beauty of nature rank high on the list.
OCTOBER GARDEN
While our friends’ gardens in northern climates are succumbing to cold weather, our tropical garden is just coming into its own. The okra on the far left is beginning to produce half a dozen pods a day. We save them up and fry them as a dinner side dish. Tomatoes are ripening. The beets in the center are already providing greens and beet roots for meals. The squash in the front right corner of this picture is showing signs of mildew which may prevent us from enjoying mature crook-necked pumpkins.
FLASH FLOOD
October 22 sent us an enormous storm cloud which dumped inches of rain in moments, flooding the back yard and garden.
By the time we got the camera, the flood had receded. During the downpour the chickens were stranded underneath the tomato plants. A sodden Aponche made her way to the shelter of the goat pen. After we were back in the house we started hearing aggravated peeping and clucking from the back yard. Jeremy went down to look for the source of the panic and found that one of the chicks had drowned in the downfall. Ironically, it was the one Justin named Duck.
THREE GOATS ON A BRIGHT MORNING
The Three. After Jeremy releases the does from their pen, they join the little buck, Go-At in a foraging party, hopeful for handouts every time we crack open a door. Nwansane finds some spinach on the lawn and using her foot to pin them down, rips mouthfuls from the large leaves.
Aponche’s coat shines in the morning sun, testament to her good health. Go-At works on some clover in the lawn.
A GOOD SCRATCHING
Nwansane (nwan SAA knee) enjoys a good scratching with some focus on the cowlick area on the top of her hear behind her little horns.
She takes the opportunity to sample a taste of a loose thread on Camille’s blouse. Their lips are always searching out something to munch on.
IRRESISTIBLE
Not to play favorites or anything, but Go-At is hard to resist with his funny upside-down bangs and huge golden-brown eyes.
MORE SEED PLANTING UPSTAIRS
Bob fills buckets with dirt and hauls them up to the deck with a couple of bowline knots tied into a stout poly rope.
Once the soil makes it to the deck, Bob fills the containers, mixing in compost and plants them with seed for peppers, collards, okra, beets and parsley.
MANNA FROM HEAVEN
In an effort to train the chickens, Bob has begun flinging handfuls of rice to them. This has made the goats very happy!
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