We've recently been letting the goats into the larger barnyard area, and they think it's just so COOL that they can get closer to the house, closer to the driveway (they let us know if anyone pulls into the driveway), and they've got a HUGE round bale of hay to munch on! What more could a goat ask for (well, other than a left open gate, freshly groomed flowerbeds, and all the grain they can dream of...)
All of the wonderful things the goats have available to them, and BAD Boxcar Betty still insists on eating the grass on the OTHER side of the fence. And wouldn't you know it, she got stuck. It wasn't a dire straights 911 kind of stuck. More of a pathetic "oh man...I'm going to be in so much trouble if Farmer Lady sees me" kind of stuck.
As Betty's luck would have it, I did see her. And even better, I had my camera handy!
"...maybe I should go back through this square..."
Callio-Pea can't quite make it to the top of the hay on her own, so Alan helped her to the top.
She thought that was pretty alright! "I am the tallest goat NOW!"
Betty has yet to make it to the top of the hay. Not for lack of desire, though. Instead, she just eats. I'm pretty sure she wants to eat through the entire center of the bale. Betty loves hay.
Maggie is able to get to the top of the bale on her own. She is the smallest, and by far the most agile of the three. She found the top of the bale to be the best place to lounge. That pine cone next to her foot was her afternoon snack.
Maggie takes the top of the hay bale very seriously. She stands guard, making sure Callio-Pea and Betty don't make it to the top.
Meanwhile, Betty scratches an itch and contemplates her next deviant act.
Whoa! I love your site and top of the list you are a "goat woman" too! We have La Mancha's. We decided to put bells on them so we can hear them. You know, if they become excited but so much for that... in the middle of the night--coyote time.... No, play time! Gotcha' human bean.
Posted by: SusanLaz | June 18, 2009 at 10:33 PM
Man, those goats are characters! Love your stories! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Danielle | May 22, 2009 at 06:55 AM
Hey Anna .... I adore all the goat's expressions and their dental work! LOL And I think I've figured out why *BAD BAD Boxcar Betty's* horns are all broken and ripped up *wink*.
Posted by: Robb_eeie | May 21, 2009 at 07:51 PM
Awww, I love ALL your animals and stories, but these goats and your narrative were really a hoot! Thank you so much for sharing!
Anna, you ROCK!
Posted by: kjo13 | May 21, 2009 at 06:51 PM
Oh my goodness, you sure do have your hands full with Boxcar Betty. She seems to love getting into mischief, lol.
Posted by: Cindy H. | May 21, 2009 at 06:41 PM
Your goats are just so funny!
Posted by: Erika M | May 21, 2009 at 05:43 PM
Funny that you posted about goats today. I had my 4yr. old niece w/me today, and out visiting garage sales...one place had goats..so we went over to the pen to pet them...there was: Stevie/Abby/Magic and a few others. We did the major scratchin' thing to them...it was sooo cool..I was masasaging one of the goats heads/face..he loved it..like I used to do to my dog, just rubbing their face on both sides, heaven to them..so funny to watch them play on the climbing equipment that they had..playing king of the mountain or something close to it..they were much fun to watch..
Posted by: Kellie | May 21, 2009 at 05:24 PM
Can I just say that I love, love, love hearing about all the animals. I have told many a person about your blog and they are hooked. Keep it up. I can't wait for tomorrow!
Catherine
Posted by: Catherine | May 21, 2009 at 05:23 PM
Silly Goats... It looks like Maggie is Queen of the Hay Bale :) Thanks again for sharing the fun on the farm.
Posted by: Carol Dee | May 21, 2009 at 12:57 PM
My Border Collie want to spend a day with you! She is also asking us to get "goaties" to come live with us.
Love your posts - every single one of them.
Posted by: Carole | May 21, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Loved the tales of your goats' antics...how fun! What characters they are! I wish we were neighbors...if only you weren't in TX where it's so hot, I can't take it! :P
Thanks for the great goat post, I enjoyed every line!!! (and the photos are great, as always!!!) :D
Posted by: diane mcvey | May 21, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Naughty Box Car Betty.....she is just keeping you on your toes, as well as giving you reasons to keep the camera handy! I love it:)
Posted by: Carla | May 21, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Love your goat babies. Years ago when I was married, we had a automotive junkyard that was constantly over-run with weeds. So we thought...goats! We got Mama and Baby, 2 pygmy mountain goats. They had lots of fun in the junkyard playing tag with my 90 lb German Shepherd, Max. They would run back and forth and the goats would leap up on the old cars. As for the weeds, NOT, vinyl roofs were much more delicious, also the felt padding that lined the truck floor boards and of course the dogs food as well as the chicken feed. They were very affectionate and a lot of fun. Oh, and as you know, goats are very inquisitive. We came home one day to find Baby with her head stuck through the taillight lens hole of one of the cars in the yard. Who knows how long she had been standing there looking into the trunk of that car!! We were able to get her out with no damage to her or the car! Thanks so much for sharing your farm life with us, I am truly enjoying it.
Posted by: Sandy Hulsart | May 21, 2009 at 10:27 AM
rotfl!!!!!!!!!!!! "king of the hill" on the hay bale! what a great game. :)))
Posted by: Shala | May 21, 2009 at 10:27 AM
I love Boxcar Betty!!! She is quite a character. Thanks for the stories of your farm! They make me smile. Your stories are the next best thing to being there. I am excited I am getting out of the city jungle this summer and going to my aunt's farm in South Dakota to detox. I am really looking forward to it.
Posted by: Donna Wilson | May 21, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Hi Anna,
I have been a blog follower of yours for sometime...I use bloglines so it tells me when you post, ANYHOO, What I was getting at is I am in the market for a new camera and love the way yours takes photo's, could you tell me what your using so I can check them out? Thanks so much! YOu can leave me a message on my blog:
http://raggedydayz.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Tilda | May 21, 2009 at 08:09 AM
great pics, Anna! Your goat stories always make me LOL! Betty seems a lot like a goat I know! They always think the grass is greener on the other side. This adage has literal meaning for goats. hahahaha
Posted by: Kerry D-C | May 21, 2009 at 07:46 AM
Your adorable pictures and charming tales of the farm, just bring a smile to my face and warm my heart! I can't imagine anyone more perfect to live on a farm. I'm so happy to know that your animals are part of the family and have a real home and aren't just animals on a farm like they would be to most farmers.
Really, when are you going to start booking farm animal/stamping get aways?
Posted by: inkypaws | May 21, 2009 at 07:26 AM
That's it! It's settled. I'm packing up and moving in. You can't talk me out of it. I'm on my way. P.S. If I'm good, will you please get me a cute little turquoise October Afternoon "Sweater Weather" collar?
Posted by: Gabriela (Gabi With An Eye) | May 21, 2009 at 03:57 AM
Ahhh...the photos of Betty reminded me of a driving trip in Ireland. We were in Kerry on a long lonely road with little traffic. There were sheep scattered over the hills and we passed one very close to the road and I shouted to my hubby to pull over (it was not like there was any traffic coming along that road) as one sheep appeared to be caught in the fence. I jumped out...got a hold of his horns (a ram) and wiggled him out of the wire. He had apparently been there for a little while as the grass was all eaten within his reach LOL. He ran away a few steps to a little grassy mound and turned around and Baaaa'ed at us as if to say Thanks! LOL
Love all the photos!
Posted by: Sue | May 21, 2009 at 02:01 AM
I love the 3rd picture of Betty - she looks like she's trying make it look as though she meant to stick her head through there: "No no, I don't need help, I meant to put my head through there. . this is all going according to my plan." She may be 'bad' but for goats, it's all relative - what a girl! BTW - very cute collars for goats, not that I am surprised, everything you touch looks wonderful.
Posted by: MicheleP | May 20, 2009 at 11:19 PM