“Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.”― Eckhart Tolle

Monday, June 2, 2008

A Gardener's Dream

There just hasn't been much going on in the goat world lately. As a matter of fact, life has been just a bit on the boring side. The weather this year has been so very strange and we are still having unseasonably cold temperatures with lots and lots of overcast and drizzle. It's all enough to give a goat one good case of S. A. D. S. (Surly And Disgruntled Syndrome). Then it's all 'Watch out, Mate! Marigold's in one of her moods.' Oy.

The weather has been good for one thing, however, and that is the weeds. Dandelions can be seen growing like vegetal athletes hiding a bad steroid habit. Our group, being somewhat on the epicurean side, if not out and out gustatorily spoiled, has little to do with them. After all, we consider weeds to be gauche.

And so it is that the weather continues on, the weeds continue on, and the goatmother continues making attempts to impede their progress. The goatmother fancies herself a gardener. Now mind you, she is not so staunch a gardening purist as to entertain the idea of a yard sans weeds, but a line must be drawn somewhere. So, my friends, we come to the picture you see below. This is a 'Cat's Ear' (Hypochoeris spp. - who knows which one. There are so many.) in it's pristine state. Doesn't look so bad, but they like to form huge thick mats of basal leaves which tend to reach up and trip unsuspecting walkers. They are also aesthetically lacking, if you ask me, but what do I know? Then when they start to bloom, they put up a very tall and wiry stalk that becomes impossible to mow down since it just flattens out and springs back to life after the mower passes.

All that aside, as I said, this is the weed in it's pristine state. Before. "Before what?", you ask. Well, my friends, the goatmother has discovered the supreme weed weapon. It is an invaluable aid in the ongoing plight against the Cat's Ear and any other unfortunate plant that gets in the way. This peak performing instrument of botanical destruction is none other than The Mighty Quinn! For you see he may never have mastered the art of herding goats. He may never have achieved ultimate success in herding scooped and tossed matter. But in this one endeavor, he has triumphed becoming the ultimate gardener's friend and a bane to unsuspecting weeds everywhere.

All one need do is merely to kick at the target and a force so awesome and complete in its destruction is unleashed. (unleashed....dog...Ha! Ha! Ha! I am just SO witty. Oh, sorry...)
Anyway, check this out.



And this is the same weed post annihilation.


William Shakespeare said, "Sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste". I suppose that must be why the Mighty Quinn is in such an all-fired, big hurry. I could understand if it were a Peanut.

4 comments:

goatgirl said...

Marigold, That is too good to be true! That's a first for this dog trainer. The Mighty Quinn has many talents.

Danni said...

That video is awesome...good dog!!
I love how fast he appears from the side...that boy can MOVE! He'd be one tired dawg if he came to my house...our pasture is FULL of them. :-)

Kathryn and Ari said...

Quinn is mighty, indeed! He could become a very wealthy canine marketing those skills to disgruntled lawn owners nationwide. (provided, of course, that the Goatmother and boots were willing to travel as well).

We empathize with you about the weather. It's been just as cold and rainy in our corner of the country, and I think we must have SADS as well. Ari has taken to writing melancholic poetry about unrequited love--a sure sign we have had too much gray!

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Yay Mighty Quinn!!! You go, dog!!

When he's done can he come visit here?
Oh and I can feel your misery, Marigold. We keep getting cold weather and overcast skies. It's 58degrees right now, actually.
But we get no rain. It's as dry as a bone (that pun was intended for the Mighty Quinn)!

So, nothing is growing...not even the weeds.