Saturday, February 04, 2012

The Unmentionables

From the amount of publicity received, you might think there is only one goat living here, the Bitter Pill. That is not the case.

There are quite a few goats here who never get their names in the paper because they don't go to shows (Betty) and aren't the oldest (Brandy) or the youngest (Clementine), or the biggest (Betsy Bigoletto), or the sweetest (Jammies), or the fastest (Rosie). Or the most intellectually challenged (this is a photo finish between the apple and the tree, Pinky and her mother Tangy).

There is Eo, still plotting against The Empire. When you see Eo on her little hill sometimes you can tell she is thinking,  "I could burn this place down."

There is Penrose the Kindly.

There is Hannah Belle the magnificent, the matriarch now of the Nigerian herd, and Baby Belle's oldest daughter.

Also there is Pinky Jr. a bridesmaid in many categories (2d biggest, 2d sweetest e.g.) but never a bride.

Also Xie Xie, let's not forget her triumph at the state fair, and what about those little black mini-manches, what are their names, anyway?

If I of all goats can celebrate these poignant nobodies, I don't see why you can't. Let's all raise a glass of milk to the unmentionables, toiling in obscurity.

To the Nobodies! You know who you are! I applaud you!

Rhymes With Sing

Some people scoffed my hummingbird but it was a real hummingbird and if you don't believe in hummingbirds I want to tell you something else. Yesterday it was 64 degrees here and it was one of the ten most beautiful days of the year.

And if you don't believe in beautiful days I want to tell you something else. Yesterday when the cosseted barn dwellers were turned out in their pasture Brandy the old bag took a look around and shook her head and sniffed the air and then gave a little nod of assent, agreeing with herself, and then she took off running down the hill and when she got up to speed she turned sideways and went leap-dancing the rest of the way. Leap-dancing to such an extent that there was no choice but for everyone to follow her and there was a massive leap dance possibly celebrating the fact that it is Leap Year but certainly celebrating something else as well.

Brandy is thirteen years old and as I mentioned she is an old bag and she did not get to be as old as she is  by wasting energy and she only does her leap-dancing in one season of the year. And it is not the summer, the fall, or the winter.

And if you can't figure out what season it is you could read the title again for a clue. But don't say it out loud, because that is a jinx.