Making new friends............

Aiden, one of Ms Charlie's grandsons just spent a couple of weeks here in Arkansas and of course he came with his Nana to tend to the goats. Aslan is our Anatolian pup and they quickly became good friends. Aslan would watch for Aiden to arrive and would greet him at the fence line everyday.

I love seeing kids and animals relating to one another. Aiden has made great strides this year. In the past he was afraid of the chickens and wanted to stay inside if they were around. This year he has been a great help hunting out all the hidey holes where the free range chickens are laying eggs. I really miss his help with the egg hunting since he has gone home. ~Pat

A Grand old Gal................

OCR Daria was one of those does who always caught visitors eyes when they visited us here at Bending Tree Ranch. She was a proud old doe who always kept her head held up high. What she was best known to us here at BTR was for her excellent mothering abilities. She loved her babies and always kept them close and safe. These photos are of her with her baby doelings back in 2005.

We lost grand old doe this Winter. I had a pair of siblings that were compromised due to their dam getting sick and the need to pull them. Neither one wanted to take a bottle and it was a major battle working with them trying to get proper nutrition in them. Daria being up in years and not holding weight well herself was put in with the babies hoping that it would help calm them as well as give her a warm, dry place to sleep without the other adults butting her. Daria kept those babies tucked up as close as she could to her and would lay her head across their backs to sleep. We found her one morning in eternal sleep with the kids still tucked up against her. What a grand old gal she was.~Pat

Momma goats and their babies

I love seeing the contentment of a momma goat and her baby snuggled up together. This is BTR Echo and one of her sons, BTR Sock Monkey taken earlier this year. ~Pat

Carlie w/ son Cool

Another favorite photo of a doe with her baby. Carlie had two boys this year, not sure where the other one was when this photo was snapped. ~Pat

Kitties.............

Cinderella's kitties are beginning to venture out and about. The other day I came in from the feed store and stepped inside the house to put up my purse. I heard a cat meow loudly outside the front door. Looked outside and it was Cinderella and her bravest kitty wanting to be fed. Seems Ms Charlie was late and they had worked up the nerve to come to the house to ask for food. Looks like Ms Charlies taming down the feral kitties is working. ~Pat

Producers worst nightmare..............

This is a sight I hope no goat producer ever has to see. I won't put the other photos up as they are too graphic but you get the idea. Imagine the shock I felt when I looked down at our pond to see one of my very best does laying in the water. She had been chased into the pond and was taken down before she made the shore on the opposite side.

I only have one livestock guardian dog working this area but she works both sides of the perimeter fence. Apparently she was not close by when this attack happened. ~Pat

A beautiful sight.............

We found some round bales !! Only 20 bales but it is a start towards the 100 we need. I know the Texas folks need hay badly but so do the locals in the states that are shipping it all out of state.~Pat