The Shoe is on the Other Hoof

Did you ever sit with goats when they are chewing their cud?

Their eyes half close,

Their pupils become fixed,

Their ears droop (if they have ears),

And the only thing moving is their mouth.

Munch, munch, munch.

Then there's the swallow, which is fluid, but then the wait for the next mouthful.

The disturbance of the burp,

And the chewing begins again.

Munch, munch, munch.

I swear they go somewhere else when they chew cud. 

It's like they transcend. 

They go to "Goaty Happy Land", or wherever they go.

Wherever it is, it's not here, and not much phases them when they're chewing.

Usually they just fall asleep after, so I think it's a kind of meditation.  Whatever it is, I hate disturbing the sanctity of the cud-chew, and I love being around the goats when they're doing it.  They relax, and it makes me relax.  What a blessing.

I've been sick for the last 3 days, and I'm getting tired of it.  I filled in for a woman at work all last week who had the flu.  Despite disinfecting everything on her desk, I got sick, but not as badly.  My nose is stuffed, my head hurts, and I cannot get warm, despite layer upon layer of clothing.  However, I feel lucky that I can at least stand up, and I have a little energy to get my chores done.  It's been VERY cold here, and my chores have been very long every day, with changing out waters a million times a day, and feeding, and of course, watching Stewart and "his" girls.

The shoe is on the other hoof, let me tell you.  The first two days, they beat him mercilessly.  Then they had it out on Monday, and a little bit on Tuesday, and everyone is singing a very different tune today.  Now he's the one they are trying to avoid.  Turns out he likes the way they smell.  Turns out they'd rather he didn't jump on top of them all the time.  Go figure.  He's tried to blubber at them.  He's tried to pee on himself (just a little, and just on the back of his legs) for them.  He's snorted at them and butted them into "position".  They are having none of it. 

I'm hoping that means, in Minerva and Dulci's case, that they're already pregnant.  I know Dulci played hard to get when I took her to be bred, so no promises there, but Minerva was ready and willing when she went to be bred earlier this month, so I'm hoping that's a good thing.  She wants no part of Stewart at all right now, and this would be the time. 

What's up with Lilly?  I have no idea.  Her heats were obvious during the summer, and less so in the late fall.  It's possible her cycle is over-I have no clue.

Sweetly enough, Dulci seems to have a crush on Stewart. She does not want to mate with him, but she does sit near him and butts him like she's flirting. It's cute to watch, like a little girl picking on a little boy because she doesn't know how to tell him she likes him.

Anyway, the dynamics have changed quite a bit.  I no longer bring Stewart into his own pen in the garage for his safety, but rather so the girls can sleep without being mounted.  Go figure.  They worked that out quick!