Nothing spectacular here at the farm this past year… not that I can remember… let’s see…

April brought along almost 20 little kids in all sizes and colors.  This truly has to be the best part of raising goats! It always amazes me to see that just as soon as they’re dried up they start jumping & running.. cutest thing!

Of course with life there is also death.  Sadly this year we lost our llama Big Al along with Mandie, the mixed Min-Pin that came to us when my mother-in-law passed away.   At least 15 ducklings were meals to a couple of Snapping Turtles (who were later caught & shot).  My miniature donkeys Madigan & Daisy June found a new home with Clair and Lacy (aka Munky), a mixed Chihuahua found a new home with us!

We had family visits, business trips & a beautiful cruise vacation.  We enjoyed perfect weather, hot weather, hotter weather & also froze our butts in the same year.

Scott & I continue to be blessed in many ways.  Our faith is deeper, our love of God stronger & our desire to please Him and to work towards that goal brings countless more blessings.  Life is good, God is good.

And finally, I’ve managed to end the year with 25 extra pounds that I didn’t have when 2010 started.  How did that happen?  Hopefully this day next year my last paragraph will be, “I’m leaving 25 pounds behind!”

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE CRITTERS AT CRAZY GOAT LADY!

Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Vow not to make a promise you don’t think you can keep. Walk tall, and smile more. You’ll look ten years younger. Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I love you’. Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.

Ann Landers

There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 of them live in the South.

There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 of them live in the South, plus a couple no one’s seen before.

If it grows, it’ll stick ya. If it crawls, it’ll bite cha.

Onced and Twiced are words.

It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy!

Jawl-P? Means Did y’all go to the bathroom?

People actually grow and eat okra.

Fixinto is one word. It means I’m fixing to do that.

There is no such thing as lunch. There is only dinner and then there is supper.

Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you’re two. We do like a little tea with our sugar. It is referred to as the Wine of the South.

Backwards and forwards means I know everything about you.

The word jeet is actually a phrase meaning Did you eat?

You don’t have to wear a watch, because it doesn’t matter what time it is, you work until you’re done or it’s too dark to see.

You don’t PUSH buttons, you MASH em.

Ya’ll is singular, all ya’ll is plural.

You measure distance in minutes.

You can switch from heat to A/C & back in the same day.

All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect, or animal.

You know what a DAWG is.

You carry jumper cables in your car – for your OWN car.

You only own five spices: salt, pepper, Tony’s Tabasco and ketchup.

The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local high school sports and motor sports, and gossip.

You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.

You know what a hissy fit is.

Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite pastime known as goin Wal-Martin’ or off to Wally World.

Folks like shopping at the Dollar General ’cause you don’t have to dress up like when you’re going to Wally World.

You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chicken stew weather.

Fried catfish is the other white meat.

We don’t need no dang Driver’s Ed. If our mama says we can drive, we can drive, dag-nabbit.

Some are so tiny that you have to straddle the commode to be able to close the door behind you.  Some have walls so low that you can carry on a face to face conversation with the lady next to you (dead serious – Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach, SC).

Whats up with public restroom sign that has also lists Braille…  ever see a blind person feeling doors to know what’s behind?

Don’t you love those paper toilet seat covers?  What about places that have kept the dispensers but haven’t filled them since 1970!

Why are all public toilet seats split right in the front?  What’s the science behind that?

Ever do a courtesy flush and have your derrière soaking wet from the spray?  Some of these public toilets should have a sign “Redneck Bidet”.

No handbag hook…  do you really think I’m going to put my handbag on the floor in a public bathroom?  Since mine doesn’t have a shoulder strap, I’ve had to hold mine with my teeth while doing my business…

Eight toilet stalls… not one of them flushed – what da heck?  I guess some women do the “Pee & Flee”

Talk about modern commodities… what’s up with those electronic water/soap dispensers.  Ever do the sink shuffle?  Gotta get it just right & if you’re lucky, 3 teaspoons of water will pour out all at once – all you need to rinse a pea size drop of hand soap, right?

Paper towel dispensers… love those new electronic ones where you wave your hand in front of it & “Bingo”… 3 inches of paper magically pours out.  Allow 3 to 5 minutes to have enough paper to dry your hands.  Who am I kidding?  The fastest way to dry my hands is wipe them on my legs!

My all time favorite is the humongous cylindrical paper towel dispenser at Walmart….  you pull the paper out from the middle bottom…. you can easily pull out 10 feet of paper – all curled up the size of a pencil!

Some airports now have these devices where you put your hand in and a suction system literally sucks the water off your hands.  I had to pull out a little old lady from one of those – scared the crap out of her.. good thing we were in a bathroom!

Who remembers the endless cotton towel dispenser?  Where the towel went around and returned?  I guess back then we weren’t so concerned with germs!

Now here’s where I get serious…

What’s up with toilet paper dispensers in public bathrooms?  Who planned the location of these things?  Had to be men that had no idea that women have to sit to relieve themselves!  Here are my findings…

Most dispensers are so low to the ground that you almost fall off the seat leaning forward so much to be able to reach under and find that flimsy edge and pull out a few sheets.  Just when you finally have “the edge” the paper is so cheap it tears & you have to start all over again.

Some of these huge devices are set right next to the seat – so when you sit, you can actually use the thing as an arm rest – forget about trying to pull sheets out… time to squeeze & shake!

Then there’s the dispenser that’s mounted right over the handicapped railing.  So you have to squeeze your hand up between the rail & the box to reach in and grab that sheet of paper.  Small hands a must.

My other favorite is the dispenser that’s designed to provide only 2 squares at a time… the roller thing doesn’t roll at all so the paper tears at every 2 sheets.  Allow 5 to 10 minutes just to pull out enough paper for a decent wipe.

Oh but don’t you hate it when you don’t check if there IS paper before you get comfy?  Men have no idea how good they have it!

Since this website is about my pets, I’ll be having a weekly segment on various Pet Peeves.  Pets aren’t always cute, cuddly & lovable.  Sometimes they drive us nuts!  Something that pushes my buttons might not even fluff your feathers!  Ever wonder if you PP’s are unique or if others share them?  We will find out soon enough!

Your contributions will be greatly appreciated so, email me what bugs you and let me know if you want your information to be kept private or not.  If you’ve got an accompanying photo, please provide that also.

Looking forward to reading all about what bugs you! In the meantime, stick around and find out what bugs me!  Who knows?  Maybe we’ll find out that we have a lot more in common!

The event was at the county courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee. I was too busy to check out everyone else but it appeared that there were many vendors (crafts, food, etc.). Rhea County Animal Shelter brought several adorable puppies for adoption. However the most pleasing was all of the costumed children (and many adults), walking and enjoying the warm weather.

We were ready for visitors by 1:30 and we pulled out around 7:00pm. I know that there were many disappointed children that showed up at sundown but by that time my little animals were ready to go home! It had been a very long day for them. I’m certain that more than 100 children were entertained by my goats Gracie, Bongo & Muffin. Not to mention Ms Piggy, Dr Seuss the Silkie rooster and my little Lionhead bunny.

I collected about $43 in donations which I handed over to Rocky Potter of the sheriffs department. Proceeds will go towards the Christmas Toy Drive for the children of our community.

I was very thankful for the help that I received setting up and tearing down. The volunteers were awesome and made my task so much easier! Thank you, everyone!

The weather forecasts 80% chances of rain tomorrow. If the sky stays clear, I’ll bring the miniature horses for pony rides. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

I was able to publish a few pictures of the hundreds that I took… It’s not easy to take pictures of animals in constant motion amongst excited children!

A paternal dog has adopted an abandoned baby goat as his surrogate child.  Billy the boxer has become the constant companion of the 12-day old kid called Lilly. He sleeps with the goat, licks her clean, and protects her from any dangers at Pennywell Farm wildlife centre at Buckfastleigh, near Totnes, Devon.

The kid was abandoned by her mother when she was only a few hours old and adopted by paternal Billy when his owner Elizabeth Tozer began hand rearing the goat. The unusual bond has developed over the last month and the pair is now inseparable. Elizabeth said: ‘Lilly follows Billy around which is really quite amusing to watch and Billy sleeps with the goat and cleans her mouth after she feeds.’

Billy the boxer protects his little kid.Lilly was the smallest of a litter of three kids and her mother abandoned her because she could only care for the two stronger ones.  The pair have attracted quite a crowd at the animal centre and the staff are keen to see how their relationship will develop.

I hope I haven’t given you an “ear-worm”!

Written by children’s author Shel Silverstein, this song was popularized by the Irish Rovers in the 60′s.

A long time ago, when the Earth was green
There was more kinds of animals than you’ve ever seen
They’d run around free while the Earth was being born
And the loveliest of all was the unicorn

There was green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you’re born
The loveliest of all was the unicorn

The Lord seen some sinning and it gave Him pain
And He says, “Stand back, I’m going to make it rain”
He says, “Hey Noah, I’ll tell you what to do
Build me a floating zoo,
and take some of those…

Green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you’re born
Don’t you forget My unicorns

Old Noah was there to answer the call
He finished up making the ark just as the rain started to fall
He marched the animals two by two
And he called out as they came through
Hey Lord,

I’ve got green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but Lord, I’m so forlorn
I just can’t find no unicorns”

And Noah looked out through the driving rain
Them unicorns were hiding, playing silly games
Kicking and splashing while the rain was falling
Oh, them silly unicorns

There was green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Noah cried, “Close the door because the rain is falling
And we just can’t wait for no unicorns”

The ark started moving, it drifted with the tide
The unicorns looked up from the rocks and they cried
And the waters came down and sort of floated them away
That’s why you never see unicorns to this very day

You’ll see green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you’re born
You’re never gonna see no unicorns

[New Lyrics]
Now you might think this is the ending to the song,
But I’ll have to tell you friends that in fact you’re wrong
You see, Unicorns are magical, so when the rain started pouring,
They grew themselves some wings and they took to soaring.

You’ll see green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
But if you’re looking for the unicorns, don’t be forlorn,
The second star to the right and straight on until morning.