Messing with my 'Goodness'...

I've been struggling to get over an upper respiratory infection for a couple of months. It has taken a toll on my vocal abilities. My meows are not so loud. Most of the time I just open my mouth in an attempt, but no meow comes out. But the Handlers know. Sometimes they like to pull my paw and say..."what's that Ricky?" We do this back and forth a lot.

I've got them trained though... I can sound pretty pathetic when I want to. I am basically in perma-park on the kitchen rug when there is any activity in the kitchen. A year ago, this would have been out of the question and I would have been tossed out of the kitchen. This rug is conveniently at the foot of the sink in what the Handlers call a very small kitchen. I think the kitchen is plenty big enough; I really don't need a bigger rug.

They have gotten used to not being able to use that rug much because I monopolize it. They have also gotten used to stepping over me. Sometimes I watch them from a distance straddling the rug when I'm not even close to it!

My patheticness has given me an added indulgence of a daily dose of "Goodness", along with my regular food. This could be chicken, or my new favorite, sardines. "Goodness" doesn't get any better than that!

Unless....the Handlers sneak in garlic and ginger per Jim Duke's recommendations. I'm pretty sure that when Dr. Duke wrote The Green Pharmacy, he wrote it with humans in mind, not cats.  But that hasn't stopped the Handlers; they slip this crap stuff in each and every time! I no longer put in the effort to separate that out. I know the Handlers mean well. Maybe one day they'll stop. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the royal kitchen treatment.

Really??!!

We are in a bit of a drought. Surprisingly the goats like going through "the dust bowl" which was once the front pond to nibble on whatever green growth might be trying to emerge from the clay soil. But just 'meandering through' and getting 'staked in' the area are different things.

The back pond still has a fair bit of water in it, although that too has dropped in level. The native ducks enjoy it. The geese are challenged to get there. It's nearly a 1/2 a kilometer away through the almond orchard, with no water in between. And it has been hot. On those days, the geese don't venture too far from the house which has water buckets  strategically placed around it. And plenty of shade.

They particularly like to make themselves at home on the south-facing front porch.

Really? You must be here? It's a bit of a landmine the moment you step out the front door....

Come on, play with me!

Kid goats in deep slumber until ....

"Are you awake?"

"Want to play?"

"Come on, let's play!"

The big willow tree introduction

The babies didn't make it

Through no fault of her own, Nostra's baby goslings didn't make it. She is dealing with the loss in her own way.

Ever Vigilant

Goat kids in the corral behind Nostra and the Ryana Goslings in the gosling tractor (aka red crate) right beside her.

Weekend drama...

Two female goslings were abandoned by the same Momma shortly after hatching. Nostra has decided that the goat kids no longer need her undivided attention, and has moved on to watching the goslings. She takes her job very seriously!