Animal Crackers - Frenemy?

Howdy -

Came through the house the other day and found this... now yes it is adorable. But you have to understand at just how much this was a shocker to me! You see Libbie runs the house. She is Small and in Charge! She doesn't especially love her "sister" Gato. A Fenemy.. LOL She barks constantly at her. Tells her what she is doing wrong and how she feels. Drives us nuts. But at this moment... there is peace!

Why she ALLOWED Gato to sleep on the beds with her I don't know. But it made a totally sweet photograph didn't it?

Another sweet photo... A smile from our old man Frankie!

He was chillin' up on his deck under the tree the other afternoon. He is such a happy old goat. Especially since that nasty horn came off last year. This guy is always friendly, and always available for a scratch on the end of the nose. Honestly that is the only spot I scratch on... the rest smells so bad you don't want to touch... take my word for it! Male goats are smelly! 

Vera... This goat really has me on the fence! Beautiful but so unfriendly! 

Oh she wants to be friendly but just can't quite bring herself. Looks are for sure her best quality!

Now looks are usually with Jet... but right now... well not so much!

 We are going through a little bit of moulting here. Not so pretty. Feathers everywhere, and some nasty bald spots on our girls. Not everyone is moulting, but a few that are really do look pretty yucky! The only bad thing is that most chickens don't lay eggs during moulting. So I will be happy when their new feathers come in and they are all pretty again!

Thought I would also share Hubby's little garden this year. Last year was rough on the garden, and we didn't get what we expected. Darn weather! Not enough rain, too much rain.. hail... This year so far things are looking good!

 Here he has tomatoes, strawberries and watermelons... hoping he can get the other half done soon, but things like work are getting in the way! But the other side is my squash and zucchini! So hoping we can plant them soon. Looking forward to those tomatoes first though! I rarely get the strawberries, him and the boys that rent our guest house usually eat those up while out there.. LOL and I am not a watermelon fan so not so excited about those... but again the guys are!

Hope you have a wonderfully blessed weekend -
HUGS and

Animal Crackers - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly?

Hi - Today's Animal Crackers has a just as the Title says.. Good, Bad and VERY UGLY!! And actually the UGLY is the really BAD...

Look what was found yesterday here on the farm... just feet from the all the animals...

That is a DEAD Copperhead snake... It wasn't dead when it was found. Hubby made sure that it was very dead though. We have not ever found a Copperhead here before. They are BAD snakes, very poisonous! And seriously it was found like 5 feet from the goat pen, and 10 feet from the donkeys pen!!! And YES... in case you are asking... those are EGGS!!!!!!!  They are now destroyed thank you very much. Even if Hubby says that they were not her eggs... but I don't care I wanted them destroyed JUST IN CASE!

This is how she was found -

At the end of the tear down and clean up of removing the old barn - the guys were picking up all the remaining cinder blocks, thank goodness they saw this before they reached down and picked up this one!  I did call the Doc though, thought he might want to know that we found this so close to Pattie's barn, just maybe this was the cause of her illness? He said he didn't know and all the test are not in yet, but that he would note it in her file and see...  I am just glad this one is no longer here, and hope there are no friends anywhere here!

Now still in the nature category, and Good... these guys I do love seeing here -

Thursday night when taking the doggies out for their last evening business. This guy was perched on the stair railings. In past years we have had a ton of these pretty little frogs, but the last couple of years, not so many. The drought I guess... but seeing this one was really nice. I think they are just too cute.

Also in the Good -

Pattie is home! and seems to be doing just great.

She is back to normal Pattie. Except for the fact that she has to wear her halter. She doesn't like wearing it full time. But I am lazy... and chasing her and having to put it on every night when it is time for her medicine is just too much. So for the week she has to wear it. Sorry Pat... but she doesn't mind too much when she gets out of the pen and her sweet feed mixed with her medicine (shhh she doesn't know it is in there) Luckily it is a powder with no taste, so mixing it up in a small bowl of sweet feed is the easiest way to get it in her. She thinks she is being treated special - we do not feed sweet feed or any kind of grain regularly... makes donkeys fat, and hooves grow really fast. And as long as we get really good quality hay they are happy and more importantly HEALTHY.  WE are so Happy that Pat is home and doing so well. A week ago... we were so worried.

Thought this was a cute view late yesterday afternoon... caught it with my phone -

They were all thinking it was dinner time... and really paying close attention where "Dad" was going and what he was doing. They were not happy at all when he just came out to take out the trash, and then went right back in the house.

Darlene decided to use her authority and tell him that she thought it was time for dinner. Sorry Darlene, "Dad" goes by the clock... not your tummy.


I think I am going to title this photo -

BLUE MERLE BLUR

Libbie and Tuco really have been playing hard lately... I have no clue who starts it, but it is a constant rumble. They are just playing - but once they get really going good you can't tell where one starts and the other ends. It is just a "Blue Merle Blur"... and makes me nuts as it is destructive, and loud.. LOL.

And then one last cute one for you. Hubby had gone in the house and Libbie, Tuco and Autie followed him in. I was coming up the stairs to go in, the back door had shut before Chica had made it in so she was waiting for me to let her in... Well she and "BooBoo Bunny" were waiting.

Boo Boo Bunny is Chica's special toy. It was her "Sick present" when we fixed her long ago. She has been attached to her ever since. Problem started up with the now sad little bunny when Libbie had her last litter of puppies, for some odd reason, Libbie decided that she wanted the bunny to be hers. And she started swiping it when Chica wasn't looking and putting it in her crate. And now ever since then these two girls are constantly swiping it back and forth from each other. We have had more than one very loud "discussion" over this little bunny... and the tug of wars has caused a loose leg and loose arm.  This day Chica had the control over the bunny... and when you have control, yes you even take it out with you to do your business... you cannot risk it being left behind and taken!  I have tried bringing in new toys, and the do get played with... But none of them are Boo Boo Bunny.

Well that is it this week - hope you enjoyed them... well all but that nasty snake, yuck!  I'll see you tomorrow to show you what I got antiquing a week ago. I am so excited about it!

HUGS and -

Animal Crackers - What a week!

Happy Animal Crackers Saturday! :0)  I took a ton of photos this week. First trying to learn my new phone's camera, and then well... just seemed like many of the animals last night were just wanting their photo taken! LOL That doesn't happen often, most of them are tired of my snapping photos. Especially the dogs! But I got quite a few good ones -

First how about my baby? Sandy is eating really well.. almost too well. She eats more than she should and I have to keep telling myself that she is a goat and will want more than she can hold. So I am really careful to watch how fast she is sucking down her formula. Also because we are having to get her stomach use to the formula... she has had some issues with it being too rich. I tired to switch her over to store bough goat milk and NO WAY... would have been less rich rich for her, cost me more but been better for her. But she wouldn't touch it. So back to the goat formula. She loves the stuff. I feed 4-5 times a day depending on how much she takes in. And we try to not feed at night. If she doesn't eat much right before bed, I will sometimes feed her when I take the dogs out in the middle of the night. But most of the time... she is good - but really calling out at the pen gate by 6am :0)

 Oh I wanted to point out her tail.... it never stops while eating ;0)  So all the photos I took, her tail was blurry in them all -

Speaking of happy tails....

Isn't the best photo as the sun was setting behind them... but seriously is this not the cutest photo or what? LOL This is a BUNCH of the kids just after "Dad" (Hubby) had put their grain in their trough... and yes those tails were going pretty fast too...


Here is a sweet photo.... This is Vera, Mel and Alice up in the 1/2 finished Goat Condo....(teaser for you.. ha... Hubby has been building a few new huts for the goats) Anyway, here are Daisey's kids all together. Really a stunning group of babies, all in one family :0)

Now I think I told you a while back that Mel was sold. Well.... once they came to get him - they decided that he wasn't quite as friendly as they would like. He is a bit skittish, especially with new people. So I took them to meet Popeye. Actually I didn't have to take them he was right there chewing on the edge of the little boys shorts. He is obnoxious friendly. And was totally ok with the little boy picking him and carrying him around, even if his legs were dragging the ground a bit. So they took Popeye instead. I was sad to see him go, but I know he will be totally spoiled and loved.... that is what is important.

We started two ads this week  - one for the babies. And then a separate one for Cleatus -

I so want to find him someone that needs a totally gorgeous stud. His coloring is amazing and those all important ice blue eyes. No calls yet on him... but I am still hoping. Now the ad for the babies... we have had quite a few calls and emails. Sold two more right off. Peggy and Luann both went home with one lady. She wanted friends for an aging, blind Nubian goat she has.  Then we have two more ladies that want... but are thinking it over. Still hoping we have more calls, I am thinking this weekend we will get more rings.

This photo just makes me feel so guilty. Wooly Mammoth Sonia...

Oh my most of the donkeys are really slicking off on their owns - I like that, one it really stresses some of them to be sheared. And two... I am lazy and it is a lot of work to shear them and have them look nice.  But Sonia... well she has her father's long hair. A popular thing with some mini donkey owners, but here in South Central Texas... not so good. So I think we are going to have to shear her pretty soon. Darn.. look at those legs, they are really tough to do....

Here is a shady photo of Vickie....

She is such a pretty girl.

And then one of her BFF - Eliie Mae -

This girl has the most amazing eyes... and eye lashes! Oh my if only I could have 1/2 of her eyelashes I would be so happy! Ellie Mae is also our screamer, this gal has a hee haw that just kills me. It is the loudest high pitch yell that sounds more like a child than a donkey. Love it.

I really worked hard this week to get at least one good photo of each of the dogs. I like to have "recent" good photos of my inside babies to have on my phone to show people when they say "What is a Toy Australian Shepherd?"

Libbie - I LOVE her photo! She did so good posing this week, and this may be my favorite photo of her in over a year!

Then it was Autie's turn... and just like any little boy...

(Shaking my head here....)  You gotta love him :0)  I'll keep working on a "handsome" photo of him, but this one captures his personality.

Then it was Chica's photo - this girl for a long time has been terrible at photos. She is always a mess, or too interested in everything else and won't sit still. But yesterday - She said.. if Autie can do it so can I!

Yep.. just so lady like isn't it?  But she does follow Autie and do most everything he does.

Then it was little man Tuco's turn - Got a million great shots of him. He is young and not bored with me yet, so he loves the attention of me talking to him while snapping away.... This one to me shows his personality best - I figure he was laughing at my photos of Autie and Chica -

What a ham -


Hope you enjoyed this week. I know I showed too many this week, sorry. I had a bunch more that I weeded out and will hold for next week :0)

Have a glorious Saturday and thanks so much for making time for Animal Crackers!
HUGS and-

LOTS of Animal Crackers!

Oh my we have lots of Animal Crackers this week! Hubby and I were talking this week, we really have had a bit of an explosion here...   and I love it!

 

First Vicki wants to say Hi... LOL  she just wouldn't stay still for a photo, she wanted a close up! 

We finally weaned Felicia, Carlos and Sergio this last week.. I know I have said we were going to do it for a while, but it got so cold I didn't want to pull them from their Mom's until it warmed up a little... I am such a sucker -   Here you can see the bit of conflict with the "older" youth and the "newer" youth in the pen... LOL   Lina and Felicia are actually full sisters, Lola and Sergio are full Sister and Brother and Gloria and Carlos as well are full Sister and Brother...

 

The younger group always gives up sooner and goes a different way... they are already starting to get along a little better now. 

Bella is really getting wide, and we have started to check on her a couple times of day to see how close she is getting.. yes another baby really soon here!!

 

Paintbrush really had her "hands" full!!! These four are starting to wander around on their own, and you can tell they really want to start running and playing with Lillie's month old babies...  I had no idea 2 months ago when we got 4 goats for some fun, that one our population would triple in just two months, but two how much fun and laughter we would have with them!! They are so fun to watch! 

I thought you might want to meet.. each of the baby goats - This is Ricky - GORGEOUS coloring! and he is the most outgoing at this point - 

 Lucy is my girl - I am begging Hubby to let me keep her... she actually will walk up to me and climb on my boot. She is the smallest of the four - she too has the gorgeous coloring and despite her tiny size she is really outgoing as well.

Fred has been the calmest - almost lazy like, but I noticed this morning he too is starting to get out and bounce around more - He is the darkest in color of the four, with more of the black coloring than the red and white.

And then there is number four... Ethel - she is more like Fred... calm and darker in color, except for those gorgeous little bracelets on her front legs! They are so pretty - Hubby says she looks like she is wearing Santa boots.. LOL  

By next week I am sure they will all four be bouncing all around the pen with the 3 older "kids". Oh my I still can't believe there are SEVEN babies out there! LOL too funny - 

Now for my INSIDE Animal Crackers...  I purchased a new folding table and chairs this week.. brought them in and set them on the floor flat - so they wouldn't fall over and hurt anyone. I ran out for just about 45 minutes... and this is what I came back in too...   So who do I blame? They all three got shamed... after I grabbed my camera and took a photo and stopped laughing of course! They are such a mess!!

Hugs and I hope you enjoyed Saturdays Animal Crackers - have a wonderful weekend!

Animal Crackers ?

Trying out a new Saturday Animal post name? What do you think? Animal Crackers... LOL ok I thought it was funny -

I have had many ask about "Poor" Darlene. She is doing just great - still not ready to have her baby... I know she looks just huge and miserable. But really she is doing great, other than her feet get tired! LOL I just hope that she starts to show closer signs soon - I am so worried that my Mom's to be are going to wait until I am gone to CHA to have their babies. I haven't missed one yet, and it really saddens me to miss one - So if they don't have them before I go... I sure hope they wait the 9 days I am gone to have them when I get home!

Jolene is one of the "others"... she doesn't look as enormous as Darlene, but she is a newer Mom. Josephine was her first baby last year, Darlene has had MANY more babies - and well.. Darlene is a "big boned" girl even when not pregnant. We are very excited to see Jolene's baby. This is the first time we have bred her with Black Jack ... two dark faced donkey... we are hoping for a dark faced baby. But you never know what you will get...LOL

  

Felicia... is she adorable or what? Yes that is milk on her face, I had just fed Sergio his breakfast, when Felicia tried to see what he had on his face (he is a messy eater) And well... now she is wearing it too - She is a really long haired baby.... my shaggy girl. I keep telling her I need to get her a barrette for those bangs... too cute!

Speaking of cute... Autie is really making his mark on our household.... LOL in lots of ways! But oh my he is just so adorable! He is even warming up to Libbie...

Ok, not by the look on her face here!!! HA!  But she doesn't run from him anymore, and they are playing, chasing and having fun with each other from time to time. We still have the occasional yip... when Libbie has had enough - But really she is doing so well with him.

I caught this sweet moment yesterday. They had just finished a 10 minute chase around the house, Autie has figured out how to get up the stairs to the bed, but going down is really scary and he just whines and cries until you get him down. Here he had laid down and was waiting for me... Libbie joined him - Told you - Cute is the word of the day huh?

Hope you enjoyed...

HUGS and-

Welcome Home Autie!

Yes Autie is home with us!! Libbie is not too for sure about this... she has been avoiding him totally - But I think she will warm up to him in a day or so, I can see a difference just in one day - now she will sniff at him before she runs from him!

There is gonna be some issues with attention... But there is two of us and two of them, so we are just switching between them so no one gets their feelings hurt.

This is the closest Libbie has gotten... but of course Dad was there to protect her from this vicious puppy! LOL

I am sure in just a few days they will be best buds - I mean common how could you not love this little guy!!!