The Cereal Killers

The goatmother had some old cereal she didn't want anymore - too healthy I think. At any rate, she decided perhaps we goats might enjoy a little change of pace. Now recently, Ella (the pig-goat) has been refusing to have anything to do with treats of any kind. It doesn't seem to matter whether it is cookies or Peanuts, Ella just turns up her nose. Of course this doesn't keep her from attempting to exclude anyone else from enjoying the spoils. Oh, no, she still tries to butt anyone interested out of the way. Naturally, I ignore such boorish behavior.

Anyway, the goatmother had some Kashi Go Lean Crunch and some Fiber One. The Go Lean Crunch came out first. The real surprise here (that was really no surprise at all) was that Watson went right after the stuff. Ella nibbled at it and Peanut continued to keep strict adherence to his 'Flash of Fastidiousness', thereby receiving little of the goods. Boo thought it was a foreign conspiracy, backed up and edged around even the kernels that fell to the floor. And me? Well, I held out for the Peanuts. Does this surprise you?

That evening, the goatmother brought out the Fiber One. Fiber One advertises 'no cardboard', but you know it is my belief that cardboard would be tastier. But let me tell you! Peanut went after this stuff like it was candy (not that candy could come even close to a Peanut of the nut variety). That 'Flash of Fastidiousness' was left lying trampled in the dust faster than Mighty Quinn on a weed (and we all know how fast that is!). But the real surprise was Ella. She-Who-Is-Above-All-Treats was so taken with the Fiber One she couldn't even wait for the goatmother to scoop it out of the plastic sack! She stuck her nose in there like a horse with a feedbag and managed to consume every last flake before anyone else could even get a taste - not that I wanted one. Oy.

Well, all I can say is maybe all that 'regularity' will improve her disposition. Hope springs eternal and all that. " ... for mere individual existence or actuality without any regularity whatever is a nullity. Chaos is pure nothing." - Charles Sanders Peirce.

The Results

Well, well, well ... The poll has ended and I have to say I am as surprised as anyone. It would seem that by popular (and might I add, repeated ...) vote, the new term is now 'grouple'. I thought surely 'glitter' would have topped the list, but just like on those E-Bay auctions, the 'grouple' faction waited and then sprang into action. Perhaps we should have them lobby in Congress. What do you think?

So now, I suppose then this makes me the daughter of Marquee and Marty from the grouple that included myself and Mars. A new word is born!

Just Like E-bay

Hey, this is just like E-Bay. Glitter and Grouple are tied. Each faction waiting for that last minute so they can cast their votes and win without the other knowing what happened. Where are the Gackites??? Come out, come out wherever you are!

Let's Begin Anew

Okie dokie, gang. After some complaints about the inability to vote more than once for the term of your choice, we are restarting the poll. Let's give this one a try and see what happens. After all, I have been frustrated as well, and certainly the goatfarmer is correct in siting the former poll as unamerican. So vote often and let your voice be herd ... unless, of course, you are Boo and then no one wants to hear your voice. Poll will end Friday, February 19th at n00n.

Progress of the Poll

Oy. Well, the poll seems to be going rather slowly. I suppose this would indicate that no one really gives a Peanut-in-the-hay which name is truly appropriate. Or maybe they just read way too much..."The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do." - Joseph Stalin. (smile ... )

My Fellow Americans ...

Me, in politics? Who knew? Just check out this link. It's about time someone took notice of my discourse and saw fit to quote me.

And speaking of politics ... the poll seems to be going rather well, although I would have thought 'glitter' would be ahead. It just goes to show that public opinion can never be predicted. "If forty million people say a foolish thing it does not become a wise one, but the wise man is foolish to give them the lie." - W. Somerset Maugham

Oops.

The Naming of the Crew

Alas I have been deep in thought, of late, pondering questions about goat groups. My friend, Persephone, asked what one calls a tribe of goats. Are they named for the oldest buck, the name of the farm, the type of goats? What if the group is made up of many different types or breeds of goat?

Well, Persephone, these are my thoughts on this matter. First of all I endeavored to do a bit of study on the foremost users of the word 'tribe', the native First Nations peoples. Most often I found that the various 'tribes' or peoples had names for themselves and these names were, of course, in their own language. For example, the Jamestown S'Kllalam tribe, that is very close to our farm, originally called themselves a name that, by the way I wouldn't even attempt to spell, in their language that meant 'The Strong People'. Along the way, English speaking people, who couldn't pronounce the language anymore than they could spell it, came up with a spelling of what the word sounded like to them. Historically, there are many tribal names reflecting geographical locations, English translations of languages that were not understood but sounded out, and names that have some historical significance such as a person who was important to the community.

Keeping this in mind, I wouldn't even attempt to come up with a name in goat language. There, of course, are different forms of the 'baaa', but what if it came out like what Boo does? In English you'd have something like 'Society of the Sick Elk'. Not very flattering, to say the least. No, in my estimation, any one tribe of goats ought to be called by the name of their most affluent or famous member. (That would be one with notoriety, lots of Peanuts, or both.) For example, over at the prestigious Minter Bay Dairy Goats, you have The Buttons Trio. That makes sense to me. Or over at Herron Hill, you have 'The Home of Baby Belle'. Of course Minter Bay may need to expand that to the Buttons Band...but come to think of it, it is Cora Belle who has the most notoriety. In that case perhaps that 'tribe' needs to be known as the CoraBellite Tribe. I'm not sure...that kind of sounds like a rock. Anyway, over at Herron Hill they should probably be known as the Belle Bunch or the Belleites (Oh, don't tell the Sopranos!), but I am sure Millie would object and insist on something like the MillionBelle Dynasty or some such nonsense.

Anyway, here at our farm, of course our multi-breed little tribe should be known as the Marigoldian Society. So Persephone, who on your farm has the most fame - the most Peanuts? That should be the deciding factor in my estimation.

Now, about that 'litter' business we spoke of before. It would seem that, at least to humans, 'litter' is the proper term. I've gotten suggestions of everything from 'kin' to 'family units', but do those really describe what we are trying to convey? I think decidedly not!

So, I have decided to let you, the readers, vote to decide the sobriquet for a certain group of goat kids from the same parents, but different breedings or years. The candidates are first, Glitter. This, of course, reflects the combination of Goat + Litter. Second, we have the term Grouple, a little group of goatlings. And lastly, we have the term, Gack, reflecting Goat + Pack.

So, my friends, the fate of the name is in your hands. If you look at the top left of the page, you will see the poll. Vote as many times as you like. In the grand tradition of the GOTY poll over at Herron Hill, the rules are that there are no rules. The poll will close in 2 weeks, so cast your votes! Make your voice heard...or herd?!