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Picnic

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Campsite A.  the Wall Garden.    that i abandoned.    

the grasses have begun in full  to  set seed.   it's thick and well….more than it   "should" be.    There's also Vetch and Clover and many others that i don't know their names.    Nothing is happening there,  of us,   so it's Their world.   Focus is on Alyssia's Yellow House in town  where it's reaching its crescendo of repair.   

i walked down,  calling the Goats who were far off on the hill above the Canal Creek and they came and i opened the Gate and left it open and called and tho they were uneasy,  they came.   and could not believe their Luck.    i sat with them for about an hour as they moved through and over it all .    If it was the "Before Times",  it would have been a herd of deer.    They explored and ate things with great enthusiasm until  suddenly there was a sound….kind of a thud….i don't know what….the down the road neighbors boys were doing something….but they  responded by instantly forming  into a tight ball  and taking off   out the gate, up the hill.   i waited a while.   They didn't return.   Goats.   When i got back,   they were here,    waiting.   Chewing Cud.  Basking in the SunShine.    We will repeat.   Until it gets right.   Right meaning,   no fire fuel.  it's almost May.

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11 responses to “Picnic”

  1. Marti Avatar
    Marti

    Here’s to many more picnics so they can eat their way through the Hill to protect it as best as can be.
    Here in New Mexico, it is unbelievable how the fire season has taken hold; many say they have never seen it so bad. We have 20 fires burning in 16 counties, over 1000,000 acres burned, thousands evacuated, 2 people have died, maybe more, over 5,000 homes and structures destroyed as well as 3,000 more in danger. I think the most contained fire is only 12% contained. The winds here, especially on Friday, have been ferocious, clocking 80 mph at higher elevations. Our winds here on Friday averaged about 45-50 mph. I moved everything that could get blown away, took chairs and plants indoors and tucked them in the little nook area outside. A few apple tree branches came down and about 40 dried apples fell to the ground, the birds were enjoying them so I left them on the ground and yes, I counted them! (This morning, I picked up what was left on the ground, the dried apples had been eaten down to just nubs.)
    Yesterday, one of my favorite places, Jemez Springs had to be closed off, fire there and evacuations.In our other home, we lived only about 30 miles from Jemez Springs. I just learned that livestock can be taken to Albuquerque, to the NM Expo center where they hold the state fair. Here in this place, we are surrounded by many buildings, some trees, some landscaped bushes, most everything is green, our backyards have gravel but as you leave this complex, and get out on the road, there are large fields with nothing but dirt, sand, scrub brush, some greening up, lots dried out..

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  2. CatherinE Avatar
    CatherinE

    The fires are such an overwhelming fact of life for those that live in these areas. It’s good to see the goats enjoying their bonanza even with this background in mind.

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  3. Joanne in Maine Avatar
    Joanne in Maine

    I was going to ask about milking but the goats are getting older……

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  4. Faith Avatar
    Faith

    They are enjoying their picnic. I was wondering if your goats were more than pets, but obviously they’re preventative fire fighters of a sort.

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  5. Nancy Avatar
    Nancy

    Such a great collaboration

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  6. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    they are a registered Dairy Herd….Crazy Wisdom Dairy.
    it’s a long story.
    and they are older now…we had hopes for Caroline’s last kidding but those two bucklings who now are Wethers in the herd.
    and preventative, yes. WAY more than of a sort. They have made these 6 acres Defensible. When we got here it was a truly dense and magical Forest…which i miss…for it’s Beauty…but it was not Fire safe and now it is. They have taken out all the brush and continue to keep everything at a safe level. Goats are browsers, unlike sheep that graze. Goats are seasonal browsers like deer. If a fire comes through we have a chance now that we would not have without them. So this in and of itself.
    if the time comes, Jenny will need to re-imagine a herd and bring in new genetics. That’ll be up to her.
    in N Mex, i did milk and make cheese..Wonder FULL cheese, sold some. But didn’t do well enough with the discipline of it. I wish i had. But It’s a whole world of its own, Dairy Goat.

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  7. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    i keep up with all this. is hard for me to now see New Mexico becoming like it is here. it hurts.

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  8. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    they are so Joy Full. i read a lot about how deer and elk were a part of things in the past…native people lived with their assistance.

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  9. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    milking. i did it some. is a huge discipline. Needs to
    be done twice a day and EVERY time…not a now and then thing. I
    wish i was more That Person, but i’m not and
    still….wish i was. The cheese making was FINE…this herds milk is so rich.
    also…without electricity, without excellent refrigeration, not possible.
    Karma, Mercy and Celia are still within good age. The older ones could too. They are extremely healthy.

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  10. grace Forrest Avatar
    grace Forrest

    it is. Partners. For Living.

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  11. Nancy Avatar
    Nancy

    Oh my gosh Marti! How awful this sounds. I have been thinking of you. (((hugs)))

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