I See Goat

OK, back to goats. I diverged there for a couple of issues, but I'm back to my senses. Specifically the sense of sight.

I love photography and recently have been posting to My Shot on National Geographic's website. They have some amazing amateur and professional images here and I pulled these to share with you (just click on any of them to see a larger version)...


This one reminds me of traffic jams in Paonia, Colorado. Only those were sheep. Or cows. I think if I'd come across this I would have hopped out of the car and started helping to herd.

Any llama relation?



I don't think I've ever seen a more content-looking goat.









Intense dramatic gazes, seeping from the eyes of these youngin's.





And the Ultimate "Awwwwh!":


If these don't make you want to grab a goat and squeeze, I don't know what will.

Soul Collage

For the last few years I've been getting together with a group of women to do Soul Collage, a process created and refined by Seena Frost. My good friend Barb Horn facilitates our sessions in Southwest Colorado (she was formally trained by Seena).

The basic process for our group entails:

meditation (optional)

eating yummy potluck food

ripping pics from magazines (only images that speak to you)

chatting, chatting, chatting

composing on a 5 x 7 card

entertaining anecdotes by Barb (really these are interspersed through the whole session)

writing "I am the one who..." statements for the card

sharing cards

doing readings (if you wish). Here is an on-line reading (interpret how you will)

There are no rules to Soul Collage- it is a creative process and many variations have surfaced, but Barb teaches about eventually having "suites" of cards to draw from. Cards might represent committee (inner child, victim, hero, etc.), companions (animal or those in your life), council, or community and readings can be based on these suites, much like Taro cards.


Soul collage is a creative outlet for what is happening in my life at the time. I usually do it in a group, so I also enjoy the social aspect, but ultimately I use this process to glean more about what is going on for me. In addition, the cards result in portable works of art that can be gestated and reinterpreted multiple times or even given as gifts.

Blah, Blah, Blog

It seems to me that there must be a lot of cyber garbage out there. Meaning poorly written or designed blogs, web sites, and out of date information that no one gets any use out of. For instance this blog. Who would find any use in a blog about my compulsive goat fetish?

I never thought I'd write a blog. I didn't really have anything to write about. But then all of a sudden I had a lot to say. And now I can't stop writing.

So where does it all go? Are we polluting our servers and inundating our DSL lines? What information SHOULD be shared, and what shouldn't? And what can we define as "art"?

There is a recent blog by Daniel Tunkelang on the Noisy Channel that discusses cyber pollution. Many blogs I read, including this one, mostly cite junk e-mail as the biggest pollution factor. But I'd like to take the definition in this article (as follows) a step further:

Cyber Pollution: the waste of time and energy created by the inconsiderate use of commercial and personal electronic communication.

I would consider this to include out-of-date websites, irrelavent blogs, and expired documents.

So you could say I'm self-defined "trash".

However, in thinking about this pollution issue, I'm going to turn over a new leaf as a Marketing and Sales Manager for a software company: I'm going to do my part to fight unsolicited e-mails (including the ones I send out) and encourage our web manager to clean up an update the out-of-date portions of our website (that means YOU Aaron).

I'm NOT going to stop blogging though (you wish). I've got too many unsolicited, irrelevant, and out-dated thoughts going through my brain.

Book Reviews and Movies Too

I've had a lot of time this winter to read and watch movies, something I rarely get time for during other seasons. Here are a few of my favorites, and some I did not like so much.

Books

A Thousand Splendid Suns
Written by the same author as "The Kite Runner" this book doesn't even come close to being as good. I bought this book for my sister for Christmas and started reading it (ha, ha June). It seems that Khaled Hosseini has a great handle on what it is like to be a young boy in Afganistan during the Taliban regime change (The Kite Runner), but had a rough time with writing from a girl's perspective in this book. I didn't finish it, mostly because I had to wrap it up and send it, but also because it was going no where for me.

Molokai
We'll written, interesting story, based on a leprosy colony that really existed in Hawaii. It was easy to get engrossed in the character's emotion, the scenery was great, and the sunsets incredible. Great winter book- I think I actually got a little bit of a tan.

From Baghdad with Love
Here is where I get a little critical- just because you have a great story line about two juxtaposed characters (a cute cuddly puppy and a tough marine in the midst of battle) doesn't mean you have the right to be a crappy writer. This guy actually like, uses like, like this. In many parts of the book. Very annoying. I am having a hard time finishing this one.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Incredible. Written in the voice of an autistic savant 11 year old, this book has great illustrations, is hilarious, and heart-rending. Mark Haddon worked with autistic kids for years before writing this fictional novel, disguised as a mystery.

Movies

Clerks
Someone (likely one of my male co-workers) told me I had to see this because it was a classic. I turned it off after 20 minutes. Ugh. Horrible acting. I don't care how many great lines came out of it.

Ma Vie En Rose
Belgium movie about a seven year old boy who wants to be a girl. Very touching and sad as his family deals with offended neighbors, his surprise dress up sessions, and even the loss of his father's job because of his "different" behavior.

The Big Lebowski
I just saw this for the second time. I know this is a classic Kohen Bros film, but I have two points:

1. There is no point. The cowboy narrator talks "The Dude" up like he is a hero, but I'm not impressed. He doesn't restore justice (the bad guy keeps the money), he doesn't get the girl, and he doesn't seem to transcend to anything deeper or more meaningful. Maybe THAT is the point. That there is none.
2. I don't care how wonderful Kohen Bros characters are. I can't stand Walter (John Goodman). Maybe the last scene where he is actually sorry, but other than that, he is a loud-mouthed idiot the entire movie
   
   

Countryman

My man and I got together for Jamaica night and watched this old movie from the early 1980's. It was awesome. Talk about a real hero, Countryman showers food on his community members (in the form of fresh caught fish), he can run for miles in minutes, put the voodoo sleep trance on untrusting rich guys, AND he saves the girl and her boyfriend.

To tell you the truth, I kind of have a crush on Countryman (much to the amusement of my own boyfriend).

All I got to say is "Love, Daddy".

RIP Kitty Kitty Boom Boom

Doing business in Durango is tough. Small town politics, a waxing and waning tourist season, and the draw for better opportunity has quelled many an entrepreneurial fire in this town (not to mention big box store and WalMart invasion). Such has been the fate of Kitty Kitty Boom Boom (KKBB), a fabulously flouncy fabric store.

What does this have to do with this writer's quest for goat amigos? Well, nothing, but I'm sad this store is gone, I like to sew (which will come in handy when I am more self-sufficient on a farm) and so I've dedicated this blog to them.

In fact, I'm making a skirt RIGHT NOW with delicious fabric from this place (I want to eat it like a goat would). Here is my step-by-step experience with making a simple skirt:


1. You'll need:

This is the fun part if you like color. I purchased a yard of fabric with a quarter yard of trim, matching thread, a 7" zipper, a paper bag (for making the pattern) and a set of eye hooks.

2. Measure the future wearer

My waist measures 32" so I made the waist of the pattern 17 inches wide (allowing 1/2 for seam allowance on each side) with the bottom tapering to 23 inches wide. I make the pattern first so I can make absolutely sure it is the right size before I cut the fabric, even going so far as to hold up the paper bag skirt to myself to make sure it is going more than halfway around me.

3. Cut. It. Out.

Fold your fabric in half and pin your pattern on (this will make both front and back). Pin the trim on the bottom, allowing for ½ seam allowance.

There is no going back now- cut it! Watch out for the cat's tail (this one is always campaigning for attention- Kitty Kitty Boom Boom apropos).


4. Get Your Sew On:

Put right sides together (the side you want to show on the outside) and sew the trim on the bottom of both pieces using a ½ inch seam. Then, pin the two right sides together and completely sew one side. The other side will be zipper side.

5. Zip Code:

The zipper is the hardest part. I'm usually scared of putting in zippers, but I'm going to take one for KKBB. I watched the middle section of this YouTube video and it helped me get up my gumption for the job.

Just remember to place the zipper head about 1½ inches from the top for the waist of the skirt- you’ll want to fold it over twice and sew to finish the top waist line once you’ve installed the zipper


6. Last and Largely Least:

I put a small hook and eye on the either side of the top of the zipper to assure closure. Especially after a pig-out at my favorite local restaurant: Zia Taqueria-their gigantic fish burritos are sure to cause a bulge, and judging by the length of their line at the counter during feeding time, they will not go the way of KKBB anytime soon.

Finished Skirt:

Virtual Cabin in the Woods

I'm so obsessed with having a farm some day that I "play" at having one, computer-style.

For those of you who have Facebook accounts, you might know about "My Farm".

As I tend my simulated livestock and harvest my pixelated fruit trees, it brings me some happiness and staves off my need for a real farm some day.

My nephews find similar gratification in that looking after their farm is the first thing they want to do every morning. They send me trees and animals (even goats!), and are so good at this game that their farms are huge and they have saved up enough farm cash to buy barns, wood sheds, chicken coops, and multiple other high-end farm accoutrements.

I would go so far as to say this game is educational for them, in that they learn about what crops produce the best money and, since the crops grow by themselves, they need to be checked and cared for often. It also allows me frequent interaction with these boys, which the 7 hour drive between us makes difficult.

I know that simulated farms and games will never give me the real in-person experience of playing with my nephews or working my buns off on a farm. But while I'm in the phase of sitting on those buns at a desk all day, it is the next best thing and gives fodder to my dreams.

Its All About Love

'Tis the season for love, and I want to share that I've finally found mine. Please note, I don't "think" I've found him, I know I have. And he feels the same.

This is new for me, because in the past I've always questioned if I was "in love". I certainly had love for many of my boyfriends, but somehow knew deep down that they weren't the one. It is true what they say, when you are in love, you know it. Undeniably. The best part (well, one of the best parts) is that he is OK with getting goats someday!

When I first met Scott (at left), I have to admit it was not love at first sight. I was in one of those questioning relationships at the time (I think he was too), and I came in the shop where he worked to get my bike tuned. We discussed his parents, who I already knew, and my recent move to town. That was it.

After about 14 months, I went back in to order a commuter bike and after constructing it, he asked me on a bike ride. I was flattered, of course, but I told myself he was younger (2 1/2 years) and at 6'3", I'd never be able to reach him (I'm 5'1").

Well, we figured things out (have you ever wondered how Chihuahuas and Great Danes make it work?), and though I never would have pegged him as my type, the chemistry is there.

Here's wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day (especially you, Hottie Scotty- Hollar Baby)! And for those of you who haven't found the love of your life yet, be patient- YOU WILL!


GoAnimate.com: Steamy love


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Chicken Coup

I'm getting cabin fever, so to speak. It is definitely still winter here (snowed a foot last night), but I'm starting to yearn for spring. Spring and baby farm animals. I even had a dream last night that I was feeding a nanny and her kid.

The talk of our town recently has been a heated debate by the city council on whether or not to allow chickens in town legally. Here are some articles from our local paper:

January 19, 2009
January 21, 2009
January 23, 2009

February 6, 2009

I can't tell if this is a partisan issue or not. Lots of old-timing conservatives have chickens in the rural regions of the southwest, and lots of liberal greenies like the opportunity to be in better touch with where your food comes from. On the other hand, many conservatives think that chickens will smell up the town if owners don't keep their quarters clean, and pro-wildlife advocates don't like the idea of introducing "prey items" in town limits that will attract bear and mountain lions. It is an interesting debate that has ruffled many feathers.

There are pros and cons to both sides, but you can imagine which side I'm taking. All this chicken talk has gotten me so excited that I decided to draft some plans for a chicken coop and I'm drafting the 3-D version (to be posted later):

If Durango goes pro-chicken, this will be one of my many spring projects.

What do you think: Does being pro-poultry make us a blue town with a red comb on top?

Goat 101

I'm ready for some serious GHP (Goat Husbandry Particulars). Are you, or are you just browsing this to procrastinate some drab task at your desk job, Reader?

Anatomy:

I've been studying this goat schematic to familiarize myself with goat body parts (and to put things off. Just like you):


Thank you PropArtGanda. I now know my goat, and also vaguely where to find its Escutcheon- you must look somewhere near the nether regions under the pin bone. Turns out the Escutcheon is also plumbing speak for a plate used to cover the gap between a penetrating pipe and the wall surface from which it protrudes. Hmm.

This one is from Oklahoma State University's Department of Animals Science:

Goats have Sharks. At least they do in Oklahoma. And demonic eyes.

Thurl is something new for me. This goat has a particularly churlish Thurl. Is that a curl on this girl's Thurl?

I found this little doozy on choosing a goat: Clear eyes, shiny coat and a healthy appetite are important. I must look for a "well attached udder" if I want milk.

This article also says they'll need their hooves trimmed once per month and I should keep more than one goat or they'll be lonely. I know I have never met a well-adjusted billy that was an only kid.

Diseases

I'm not even going there this time, Reader. As you can imagine, delving into that topic deserves a whole blog unto itself. Look for it soon. I know you can't wait until the next monotonous moment at your job when you sink low enough to read about goat bloat.