goat camp!

Goat Camp was this past Saturday and it was everything we'd hoped for an more. What? You don't know what Goat Camp is? Well, there is this wonderful place near here called P.E.A.C.H. Community Farm. They have all kinds of workshops and classes on everything from organic gardening to animal husbandry to cheese-making workshops. One of the day-camps they offer is called Goat Camp, and as you can imagine it's all about goats!! My friend Nichole was so excited when I told her about it, that she and her daughter Syringa drove from Seattle just so that Syringa could go to Goat Camp with Anna. They LOVED it! They learned all about the farm, played games, learned how to milk goats (they practiced first on clay-filled rubber gloves!), had a picnik under the trees, played games, learned how to make goat-cheese and made books about their day.

The people who live on and run the farm are lovely and warm, and every Sunday they host a potluck, open to everyone, at a long table over-looking the farm. We will definitely be spending more time at this lovely place.

Here are a couple of the "kids". FYI: Young goats do not cooperate when you try to stuff them in your bag. They have sharp little hooves and pointy nubbins.

I want that little black and white one there on the left. And look at the brown one, trying to head-butt his brother. God I love goats.

This bad-boy is Magic. He's the billy-goat daddy to all those kids up there. He has an attitude.

Anna and Syringa, in the milking barn.

Anna with Milton. They fell madly in love with eachother, and whenever Anna walked away from him, he'd bleat "maaaa...maaaaa-aaaaaa...maaa!!!" which of course means, "Hey! Come back here. I can't live without you!"

We got a new camera (woohoo!!!) and look what lovely pictures it takes! This is Milton again. I liked him too.

Despite spending over 6 hours at the farm, we had to practically force the girls into the car to leave. Anna could not stop talking: "THERE WAS MAGIC AND MIRACLE AND I THINK MIRACLE WAS THE MOM, BUT I KNOW THAT MAGIC WAS THE DAD AND HE WAS KIND OF MEAN AND THEN THERE WAS MILO HE WAS THE BLACK AND WHITE ONE, NOT THE ONE YOU LOVED MOM BUT THE OTHER BLACK AND WHITE ONE, AND WE PLAYED THIS GAME CALLED 'BEAR AND BEE AND HONEY' AND AFTER LUNCH WE LAID UNDER THIS TREE AND I WAS PETTING BUDDY THE DOG AND HE ACCIDENTALLY BIT ME AND THEN WE WENT BACK TO THE BARN AND OF COURSE I PETTED MILTON SOME MORE AND THEN THERE WAS THIS OTHER GOAT NAMED MIA AT LEAST I THINK HER NAME WAS MIA, THAT'S WHAT I CALLED HER SINCE ALL THEIR NAMES STARTED WITH M.....CAN WE GET MILKSHAKES??" Nichole and I cracked up; she hadn't stopped for a breath since we got in the car. I think they liked it.