Red Letter Day

Today was a Red Letter Day.  I'm not exactly sure why that means a good day, at least, I wasn't sure, but after looking it up, I am sure why it means that, gotta love the Internet......

So Anyways, it was a Red Letter Day for a couple of reasons today.  First and foremost, we sold off the Moocher.  That is what I have been calling the little horned goat that has been mooching food, water, and lodging from us for the past several months without giving us anything in return.  We had a guy come a pick her up tonight as we were milking.  She wasn't a bad goat, for a moocher, but I think that as a group we are much to easily taken advantage of.  We keep falling for the big eyes, and sad stories, and keep letting these non-productive members of the commune moocher off of our tender hearts.  There were the ones last year, and this one this year.  Most people would just turn them on the street but we never seem to do that.  It is time we learn some tough love regarding these things.

The other good thing is that the Moochers friend, the littlest goat, has finally gone through the whole milking routine without any intervention or help.  She is still a little shy, but did it all on her lonesome.  She is always in the last set to be milked, so I was getting her companion going and seeming to ignore her.  In reality I was keep a sideways eye on her to see what she would do.  So she comes into the milking area and back to the eating area a few times, kinda like she is waiting for me to do something.  I've got my hands full at the moment and she finally gets tired of waiting for me and walks in, jumps up on the stand, and starting eating.  She didn't even jump when I closed the stocks around her head.  After the milking was done, she jumped on down and joined her compatriots.  Gold Star for me!  The next step in her training is to get her to fight to be the first one in like the others do.

The other night it was time to trim the toenails.  That is another nasty job that I'm glad Mike does.  But it isn't nearly as simple as it seems.  Here is a picture of the crew that it took to get it all done.  You wouldn't think that those things could put up such a fight, but apparently for a woman, breaking a nail can be a catastrophe!