Kidding Season Concludes

This morning brought the conclusion of the winter 2010 kidding season here on P&CW Farm. Isobel, one of the big black-and-white Tennessee Fainting goats, had been holding out until today when she graced our pasture with twin kids. The pair may have been a bit premature, given the softness of their feet, the doeling's still-folded ear, and the buckling's hairless, almost translucent scrotum; however, by afternoon they were running around the pasture like old pros.

We named the doeling Carla for a dear cousin we saw recently. The buckling is named Kyle for a friend whose birthday is ten days hence. Carla is mostly black with a few white spots on her side, while Kyle has a matched set of white socks that appear extra-fluffy and distinctive facial stripes. I wonder if Joshua, the little multicolored fainting buck is their sire. The absence of blue eyes (phew!), Kyle's classic markings and his longer coat provide clues.

Newborn kids are the sweetest to hold. Unlike babies or puppies, they arrive ready to walk and very cute. Th cuddly phase lasts longer when we take the time to handle them each day. Unfortunately this spring I have not taken as much time with many of them as I would have liked. The kids born in January are the friendliest with us, and seek out human attention.

I will try to handle the newer kids--Jack and Josie, Uncle Phil, Grandma D, Costa, and now Kyle and Carla--more frequently while they are still little.

"Singing in the Rain"

Over the weekend torrential rains produced record flooding in and around Nashville. Although we managed to be away overnight for a family event, life at the farm continued apace. Caitlyn, the pretty tan-and-white pinto Tennessee Fainting Goat chose this weekend to give birth. When I let the herd out this morning, I met the little guy, another tan-and-white pinto buckling. I wondered at the singleton birth, remembering how last year she bore twins even though one was decidedly weaker and died after about a week, but was too busy bustling about to search for any goats not strong enough to call out. This guy must have been born Sunday, during the rains.

At one point on Saturday evening our good neighbor Theresa sent a text message to us saying that our wooden fence was underwater, but I could not imagine what she meant. We have a tall wooden privacy fence between our houses, both of which sit high on a hill, and I did not see how that could get submerged. Having temporarily forgotten the four-board wooden fence installed by our friend Jeff of Barns and More, located at the front of our property which is at the base of the slope, we were mystified by her message. Later a telephone call cleared up the mystery, but I was still flabbergasted that the creek had risen so high. On Sunday our farm sitter reported that the water from the creek had nearly reached all the way across to our driveway. When we returned to town late Sunday night, it took us three tries to get from the Interstate to our house because flooded roads rerouted us for several miles.

Today when I let the goats out, all was still very wet. Caitlyn's youngster had a fine set of lungs and so earned himself the name Gene Kelly, in honor of the man who gave the famous  swinging-on-the-light pole performance of "Singing in the Rain" back when the movies were called moving pictures and films were shot in black and white. The little guy was glad to be reunited with his momma.

And, oh, need I say this? The kid has blue eyes.




Note: Lower left photo depicts water pooled under the hay storage trailer, a spot that was used for goat housing last summer, in the recess left by the beginnings of my spring cleaning of the muck. Lower right photo depicts Molly strolling up the driveway past a brand-new water-channeled rut left as a souvenier of the weekend.