¡hola! Sanchez

 It's that lush green-and-gold time of year

 with hay bales scattered over the meadows

 and threatening clouds that haven't brought much rain --

three and a half inches below normal in July.

 At the American Dairy Goat Association Show early in the month 

 the Goat Ladies of the North

 provided a delicious snack table

 that was the highlight of the show for most participants.

 The MeadowWild herd was hoping for some leftover cookies, but all that came back from St. Paul was

 Sanchez

 a gorgeous young buck on loan from Kara Kahl Farm for the breeding season.

 ¡hola! Sanchez

 the ladies say.

 They're curious, but no one has shown much romantic interest yet.  We trust that will change as the breeding season progresses.

 Sanchez started out in the Gentleman's Club with Cheeky and Arabica

but they proved to be a little too rammy with him.

 Until the ladies get more used to him and Sanchez gets a little bigger, he now occupies his own suite,

 consisting of an indoor area

 

 a sheltered outdoor area

 and a run leading to his own private browsing ground

 

 where the ladies on either side

 keep a wary eye on on him.

 

 

 For now, he's much more interested in playing on the reinforced truck topper than in courting them.

 

 He helped Barb install some traction tape so he wouldn't slide off 

 

 and then performed a mean fandango. 

 

 

 On his daily walks Barb keeps him secured with a leash, lest he be tempted to run back home to Houston, MN.

 Other July visitors to the Farm include lots of spiders

 lots more egg-laying turtles

 

 a doe and fawn who visit the back yard regularly

 and of course Feral Kitty, who loves to lounge on the picnic table most evenings.

The goose family disappeared for three weeks, but then returned, minus one gosling.  (We trust that she ran off to join the circus.)

 

 They hang around by the pond

 

 cross Red Oak Lane to browse in the neighbor's meadow

 

 and then shelter under our willow tree on hot sunny days.

For the first time this year, the deer have left us 

some blueberries

 and birds haven't yet eaten all the cherries.

 Cheeky shows off her newly trimmed summer coat 

 and gets ready to wow the judges at the Carlton County Fair next month.