Some tricks, mostly treats

Late autumn is the best time to view Capricornus the Sea Goat in the night sky --or WOULD be the best time, if we ever ventured out after dark for anything but goat emergencies.

Fortunately, MeadowWild has been blessedly free of serious emergencies, and our capricorni are fairly good about restricting lesser emergencies to the daylight hours.

 For example, hormonally addled Mojo managed to gash a front leg, but Dr. Barb nursed it back to health.

 And Eris managed to get her head stuck in the back hay feeder –  not once

 not twice

 but three times, requiring us to saw through a metal bar to release her.

 Eris may be a wonderful dancer, but we’re beginning to suspect that she is, as they say, 

 a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

And both Mojo and Ice Ice Baby have managed to escape their pens for unauthorized visits to the ladies’ dormitory, which required some emergency fence repair and stern reminders about respecting boundaries.

For all his wandering ways, we’re delighted to have Ice back with us for a bit.

He was one of triplets born to Kuiper on March 8 (with sisters Eris and Haumea), cute as the cliched button

and feisty from the start.

He grew considerably during his months at Echolight Farm

and we’re hoping he puts on a few more pounds before moving next month to his new home.

We enjoyed an early dusting of snow

and Vigilant Cat suspects that more may fall by next April

so LightningBolt took her last screaming circuit around the yard before being put away for the winter.

She's mighty proud of the decals Barb designed for her.

Heavy rains early in October forced the goats to replace their usual walks around the yard with some rowing.

Weather conditions made for underwhelming fall colors this year

but we enjoyed what was available.

High winds have now taken down most of the leaves

and we're left with the subdued palette of late autumn.

Mojo’s cologne (https://animals.mom.me/billy-goats-smell-bad-3344.html) and blubbering pickup lines have finally put the ladies in the mood for breeding season.

Zippy started things off while Barb was away at the ADGA convention

leaving Steve home alone to chaperone the speed date with Mojo.

Fortunately, the Big Guy was in a cooperative mood and returned quietly to his pen after the fun.  Outweighing the chaperone by a good 70 pounds, he could easily have dragged him to North Dakota had he wished.

Blintz & Kuiper were up next

and then Ice Ice Baby romanced Bhindi.

Eris has yet to show any interest in the gentlemen.

Draco is putting up with a lot at this time of year

with the usually mellow Mojo chasing him around the buck pen, head-butting him, and roaring at him in deep Chewbaca tones.

Draco hopes that Melania Trump might intervene as part of her anti-bullying campaign.

(Steve Sack cartoon)

If the earlier dusting of snow weren’t a clear enough foreshadowing,

a proliferation of woolly bears suggests that winter is nigh.

The last of the huge apple harvest that we could handle

has magically turned to apple butter

with plenty that we couldn't use left over for deer

and the odd skunk.

A winter’s worth of propane is pre-bought and the tank filled, the furnace inspected and cleaned,

and the heated water buckets scrubbed and ready to be plugged in.

We signed a big proposal for electrical work around the property.  Electricians re-wired the barn for safety and additional outlets

and then disappeared before attending to other parts of the contract, bringing to mind the Bob Eckstein cartoon.

Barb put quite a few miles on the Goatmobile during the month, picking up Ice in Wisconsin near the Michigan border, then zipping down to Buffalo (MN) to visit friend Diane,

and then braving I-35 construction zones and big city traffic for the ADGA national convention in Minneapolis.

She hosted the hospitality suite on the first day, providing lots of delicious food for famished conventioneers – including a big vat of goats’ milk tapioca pudding.

Her cheddar cheese and her caramelized leek quark spread won second place for their categories in the amateur cheese competition.

Steve's photo of smiling cutie Electra from the McCann Farm

was awarded first place in the art contest (photography) AND Best in Show.

It sold for $400, proceeds going to the ADGA/Helen Staver Foundation Education and Scholarship Fund.

Barb's time away from MeadowWild was made possible by guest milkers Angel Laura

and Angel Rick.

With the colder weather, Momma Kitty is now sharing her Meow Mix

with both the barn mice

AND the skunk.

Dustin is sharing his expensive Prescription Diet Dental Care T/D, Science Diet canned foods, and cozy padded beds with absolutely no one.

Halloween gives us an excuse for re-posting the costumes that the fabulously talented and entertaining Dale Connelly provided for the MeadowWild herd several years ago.

Dustin is ready for trick-or-treating in his MAGA hat.  He wishes everyone a Happy Halloween.