Friday, September 26, 2008

Goat of the Month



We haven't had goat of the month for a long time so today we are having goat of the month.

The goat of the month is Herron Hill's XJ Yes I Know.

But really her name is Jessie.

Jessie won a first place ribbon at the fair, which was good. Even better was the farmer's idea to have Shannon Stangeland from Poppy Patch Farm show Jessie, since the farmer is possibly the worst showman ever to enter the ring. Shannon on the other hand is one of the best, and she kindly agreed to do it. In this picture taken by Wendy Webster the famous goat photographer, Jessie is posing in the champion lineup with all the other blue ribbon goats.

Jessie was the first LaMancha goat born here this spring. She is Wronny's daughter. It was a cold day when she was born so the babies were getting started inside the house in rubbermaid tubs. Usually a rubbermaid tub will hold a kid for two or three days. After that they are big and strong enough to climb out of the tub.

Anyway, Jessie was born first but her sister Bugsy was coming fast right behind her, so the farmer grabbed her and ran to the house, rubbing her off with a towel on the way. Jessie was already mad as a hornet, and hollered the whole time.

The farmer ran through the kitchen and through the living room and into the bathroom where the rubbermaid tub was set up next to the heating vent and full of nice clean straw. In about the time it takes to read this, the farmer plunked Jessie in the tub and ran back out through the living room and the kitchen and across the yard to the kidding stall in the barn where yes, just as expected, Bugsy slid out right on cue just in time to be caught by the farmer.

The farmer turned around, puffing and rubbing Bugsy dry with a clean towel, and ran back to the house.

The farmer opened the kitchen door to find Jessie, as mad as a two-minute-old goat can get, screaming bloody murder next to the washing machine, and ready to march on Stalingrad if the need arose.

She had knocked over the rubbermaid tub, walked through the bathroom, through the living room, and through the kitchen when most baby goats, even Nigerians, are looking around themselves and saying, "didn't it used to be pitch dark in here? Can I get some sunglasses, please?"

So Jessie is goat of the month.

Because of Jessie the baby goats have an all-new nursery system and the rubbermaids are being used to store milk bottles.

In the artful photo below, Jessie shows off the whiskers that should have been trimmed before she went in the ring.

6 comments :

Marigold said...

IS this one related to me? Okay, I know there's a problem with the whole ear thing. Shall we say overabundance vs. underabundance? Nonetheless, the color is kind of similar.
By the way, Wendy is a famous goat photographer? I thought she was a famous chicken photographer...or perhaps pig photographer. But then, what do I know?

goatfarmer said...

No. Completely unrelated. But don't worry, Bertie will surely be goat of the month some day and she is your half-niece. Boo has no chance unfortunately.

Yes Wendy has gotten quite famous. Her goat photos are all the rage.

goatgirl said...

Wendy is not very pleased with that underexposed head and overexposed body of the lovely Jessie. Please post the artful headshot that she did. Then Marigold could truly see the earlessness.

goatgirl said...

Ahhhhh my career is safe.

Marigold said...

Fine job, Famous Wendy. I am a little disappointed that she is not related to me...a little.

Cathy said...

All of the Herron Hill goats looked good at the Puyallup! And, if I am not mistaken, the Recorded Grades of Herron Hill also brought home the Premier Ehibitor and Premier Breeder awards home for the farmer too. Way to go girls!

I know that Wendy is a famous goat photographer, but you should see the pictures she took of the Dairy Goat Princess. They are quite fantastic. Perhaps Wendy is just a famously great photographer of all things?