Our friend Atty

This is a picture of our guardian dog Atticus. He is a Great Pyrenees; he weighs 165 pounds. He was born in a goat barn in Eastern Washington and grew up with goats all around him.

He sleeps with us in the pasture at night to make sure no coyotes or other creatures can hurt us. Before Atty came some raccoons and hawks used to take the farmer's chickens all the time. Now nobody bothers them or us. Atty also hates crows, and won't let them land on the ground.

Atty is a good guard dog. He is very gentle with babies. Last year Winnie had her babies in the pasture; only Atty was here to take care of them. He did a good job, in fact he didn't really like it when the farmer came home and took the babies to the barn to warm up.

At night he has a special bark that means "go inside right now!" We all go in the shed right away if he gives the special bark. No one would ever disobey Atty.

When Snow Pea was crying because she couldn't go out, he went and laid outside her stall almost all day so she would have company. I'm glad Atty will be here when my babies come.


Our guardian dog Atticus 

Only Four Days to Go!

Good Golly, there are only four days to go in the KIDDING COUNTDOWN! Luckily I have had some excellent name suggestions. Thanks everyone who wrote in! I could always use more ideas, though, so if you think of a good "Belle" name, you can still send it.

Today I will get my birthing haircut. I don't like it much but I don't pitch a fit like some girls. (I don't like to name names but April the Lamancha acts like she is being tortured with red hot needles when she gets her hair cut. You'd think she would be embarrassed acting like such a baby - she is the biggest goat here.)

Here is the list of possible names so far:

Jingle Belle
Tinker Belle
Bluebelle
Snow Belle
Belle o' the Ball
Belle Ami (for a boy)
Belle Amie (for a girl)
Belle Ringer

My milk is coming in, and as you probably know, Nigerian milk is the yummiest of all the goat milks. And of course goat milk is a thousand times yummier than cow milk. (Once when I was just a little kid I got cow milk in my bottle and I thought I was going to gag. Yucch!) So that tells you just how yummy Nigerian milk is.