El Baño de las Cabras (Bathing of the Goats)

Say what?
I missed it.
You missed it.
The annual Bathing of the Goats.

I looked at my "Goats" slide show over on the right column and could NOT figure out what these people were doing with goats on the beach and in the surf. Couple of clicks and I found this blog, Real Tenerife.

Check it out. The writer is good and the blog - interesting.
"Yesterday was Midsummer’s Day or the feast of San Juan (St John), a time of magic and ancient ritual and a time when Tenerife’s livestock get their annual baptism in the healing waters of the Ocean.

A tradition dating back to the Guanche indigenous people who populated the Canary Islands before the Spanish conquest, baño de las cabras (bathing of the goats) in the Midsummer water is said to keep the animals healthy and fertile for the coming year.

But as far as the goats are concerned, that whole “it’s for your own good” stuff just doesn’t cut it. Clearly completely averse to water, they behave as if they’re being systematically tortured and clearly assume the intent is to drown them, in broad daylight, in front of hundreds of witnesses."

Read the full blog here:http://realtenerife.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/bano-de-las-cabras-%E2%80%93-acting-the-goat-in-puerto-de-la-cruz/

Do watch the poor goat in the video. We now know that when push comes to drowning, goats can swim.

If this isn't a festival of torture, it sure sounds like one. Have I mentioned how goats hate rain? How they hate to get their feet wet when we flood?Clearly, this goat is not having fun.

Just who is the nut that came up with this? I suspect a drinking buddy started this with a friend as a bet, and it went from there.

This story proves my theory. Fiestas of San Juan – Midsummer Magic

The rest is Midsummer's Day history.

No More Greenberries

As soon as June turned the calendar, friends and family would ask,"How are the blueberries?" I would answer, "Don't have any blueberries, just greenberries."With a busy week behind me, I forgot to check on the berries, and so yesterday morning, as he was coming down the hill from his walk with Jock, I yelled to Dave, "Hey! Check for blueberries."Ten minutes later he arrived holding his t-shirt like a basket, full of blueberries for breakfast. So this evening, between the sprinkles, I picked a colander full of blueberries. With the supervision of Snickers, I worked at a steady pace, scrutinizing each berry. Then came along the hungry hens, and the competition from the gals picked up my pace! Finally, when my colander was spilling over, I brought in my harvest.

VIDEO OF HENS IN THE BLUEBERRY BUSHES

One thing I learned about blueberries today is that you DON'T wash the berries to freeze them. I guess the water toughens their skin. So now the fresh picked berries are being frozen on cookie sheets to be bagged later. Soon, my first frozen berries will be labeled and ready for a yummy recipe in the winter.

We have blueberries!

Beautiful Browse

Another good browsing field for the goats. This herd is all the females. as the boys are being weaned and off on their own. When I took them down to the end field and watched them entering the tall hay, it reminded me of the movie"Field of Dreams". First they are just standing on the edge looking in.Then they begin to disappear. Poof!

VIDEO OF THE GIRLIE GOATS IN THEIR LATEST FIELD

Found

An egg in my garden, because a hen got herself locked in the garden since Saturday night!!As we were away much of Sunday for Father's Day, and Monday because of work and errands, no one got up to the garden. The rain had taken care of drenching the plants, and apparently a well hidden hen, in my well grown grass, along one fence. Last night, I looked out the window to the garden as I was running to another meeting, and saw something brown where there should be only green tomato plants. Low and behold, Hen Six was testing life on the other side of the fence.

Could she have flown out? I think so.

Why didn't she? Who knows. Maybe we should put her back and do a study.

Henny, Hen, Hen...

That's what you've heard me calling since yesterday, when our hen count went to five. One hen went missing during the day sometime, but we have no idea when and how. We have never had a hen just disappear before.This one has been broody for about two weeks, and I thought she found a new place to nest, but she was in her usual place, all fluffed up and looking sassy.The other four are roosting on their usual spot, so again tonight, we are down to five.

Our 4-H neighbor thinks she may have sighted a hen across the fields, and perhaps she joined another flock that way. I'll be looking into it tomorrow! Then my headline will be, "Hen Runs Away From Home", or "Hen Elopes" as they have a rooster over there.

Otherwise we'll be thinking the worst.

Happy Father's Day

Weed Wackin' Goats

This is the new Clean Team. These are the three males I have left from this spring and my two year old wether, Pants, who is keeping them in line while we are weaning.

Today they needed a new clean area to eat, and we decided to put them to work doing something useful. Cleaning up around the barn ramp.

I do love driving my Deere and you can see me mowing into the sunset on many an evening, but I'm not so much into weed whacking. Hard on my back, even with my nice lightweight weed whacker. We just set up the electronet fence where we needed it, and soon enough, the goats found their way to the job at hand.


With industrious workers like these young kids, its more fun, and sometimes scary, to watch them do it.
They are such a great team, we are going to let them keep going at it tomorrow!

Chip In For Father's Day

I am a potato chip addict. I give them up for Lent.

First "sacrifice" on my list. So you will always catch me passing the chip section with interest. Yesterday it paid off. I think this is GREAT!

Second Floor Joys (Bathroom Update)

This is my list of small, second floor joys.
We have a toilet (see it hiding?). Its hooked up again after residing on the front porch - YES- the front porch - for ten days while the demolition and renovation went on.We have water.
We have a shower rod, and pretty new hooks.Therefore a shower curtain was finally hung, and the first shower in five weeks was taken on the second floor - vs. the basement - today.We have a vanity cabinet that took a bit longer than expected to get here. Set us behind a couple of weeks. The wrong color(was supposed to match), but the neutrality of everything else lets it work.We have sinks. One works. After buying faucets with too large hardware for the old holes, I got ones that fit. Mine may be hooked up tomorrow, but I don't care. I can wash my hands in the same room as the toilet now. How about that! Too much information?
Welcome to the renovation world!

Get a chuckle at Brooklyn Feed

Click on the title below to go to a blog that you can find on my side bar also.
Chicks Attacking My Knitting
There you'll find a short little video that will make you smile - I hope!

When Chickens Eat Yogurt

Nothing gets wasted on the farm. Not long ago I found out that the chickens like yogurt when I gave some to the cats. The chickens spent the day sticking their head in the cup to get every moldy bit. Today I dumped it on a the grass near the composter, and they were very busy wearing it, as well as eating it. Looks like they have sun block on their beaks!

Thursday Fireworks

This was an unexpected display.
Scared the dog of course, and it came about two hours after a huge thunderstorm.
Poor guy won't be seen for a while!!
After the last pop, listen for a wailing goat!
We're weaning!

Fields and Flowers