One Fish, Two Fish ...

The goatdaughter and the goat son-in-law came for a visit. I think they were quite happy since where they live it has been somewhere in the range of 115 degrees, but alas the temperature is not the focus of this writing. Anyway, it was the goatdaughter's birthday and so the goatmother and goatfather took everyone whale watching. You see there are these whales called Orcas that live in the Puget Sound. This doesn't seem all that amazing to me since they have fins, so where else would they live? Nonetheless, the Puget Sound Orcas are unique in the fact that they eat only Salmon, unlike other transient Orcas which eat things like cute little seals and would no doubt eat a goat if they could find one.

Now on this particular day it was overcast and foggy. The goatmother was afraid they wouldn't see anything at all ... like even their hand in front of their face. Not to mention the fact that even though there are whale watching trips, they don't always find whales. Or perhaps they find whales like Minke whales, but no Orcas. However this day proved to be a great one because they DID come upon Orcas! Yes, indeed, Orcas, an example of which you can see in the picture below taken by the goatmother.

To be exact, this is Mr. L-78. Not a very imaginative name if you ask me, but I guess it works for them. Each whale has a particular pattern of white on the 'saddle' behind the dorsal fin, and can be identified in that way. The goatmother was so excited she wanted to bring him home. Oy. I don't think there's really anything to worry about since I doubt seriously he would fit in the pond. Still, with the goatmother you never really know.

But back to the trip... yet another awesome thing happened.

Apparently the research group that has the poop-sniffing dog that can find Orca poop in the water was present. ( We think he is being held by the lady behind the pooper-scooper in the front.) As a matter of fact, that is exactly what that guy on the front with the long net is waiting for. Certainly not a job I would want. Now that I think about it, with that little rubbery-rafty kind of thing they float about in, I bet they are really glad that dog doesn't act like the mighty Quinn when that guy scoops up the poop.

Anyway, the Orca show went on for quite some time, but as all good things do, had to come to an end. Still the excitement wasn't quite over yet. On the way back, a Tufted Puffin was sighted.

In fact, along the way Harbor Porpoise, Rhinoceros Auklet, Gulls, Harbor Seals, Cormorants and even an Eagle were seen. The goatmother said it was one of only two times in her life she got tears in her eyes over a sight. Naturally I thought the other was the first time she laid eyes on me, but it turns out the other was rounding the corner and seeing Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains for the first time. At any rate, I'll leave you with one last picture.

This is Ms. K-40. It's okay. I don't think she'll fit in the pond either.

Baby, It Ain't Cold Outside...

It was 103 in Seattle today and they broke the record for the all time highest temperature ever in Seattle. In light of that, I thought you might enjoy a picture of moi in the snow.

Ommmmmmmm.....

Hey, a goat can dream can't she?

Over The Rainbow

I'm melting...meeeelting.... OY, what a world, what a world.........

Some Like It Hot

Some do, but I don't. That's it. I just DON'T. You see, they have issued a special weather statement warning that this weekend and beyond it is supposed to soar into the 85 to 95 degree range. Not only that, but it is supposed to last for several days. That just never happens. Now this might not seem very hot to some of you, but I can assure you that around here we see it as akin to the Mojave.

Just so you know, I have asked for one of those plastic pools. Normally I don't like getting wet, but it seems like just the ticket for our predicted heat wave. I do need to figure out how to keep Boo out of it though. I can picture it now...Boo stepping in and all the water stepping decidedly OUT. I think it would be much like trying to put a big fat tennis ball in a Dixie cup.

Anyway, if we did get a pool, maybe I could become a surfer babe. I think I could ride the waves. After all, I do have aerodynamically superior ears. It'd be a breeze. On the other hand, now that I think about it, maybe the whole pool/surfer thing isn't such a good idea. I can see as how it might make for some soggy Peanuts. Certainly that would never do since the crunch is such an integral part of the whole Peanut experience. Well, like I'll just have to let you know how it all turns out. Like hang hoof and Oy, duuude.

The Case of the Caprines' Quantum Conveyance

It has been a long, dry spell around here with no mysteries to be had. That is until now. Goatzooks! Make haste, Watson, my good man! Another mystery is afoot!!!

At any rate, you may recall last February when we reported the Tale of Teleportation. Just in case you have forgotten, you can refresh your memory here. Anyway, at that time it was found that during the night Ella and Watson had mysteriously changed places. No one would admit to anything, and sadly the mystery was never solved. It remains a cold case.

However, this time when the goatmother came out in the morning, all five of us were on the 'boys' side of the barn and both gates between the two sides, just as before, were latched. To make matters even more mysterious, however, an extra latch had been placed on the gate to prevent it being inadvertently (or, in the case of Ella, in-your-face on purpose) butted open. The extra latch was also still in place. ( Doo, doo, doo-doo, Doo, doo, doo-doo, Doo, doo, doo-doo... you are entering another 'dimentian'....) And, the really strange part is that none of us, not one, remembers ever moving. Now how is that even possible???

Despite our apparent lapse of cognition, I, Marigold Holmes and my trusty comrade-in-arms, J. Hamish Watson, set about trying to solve the mindboggler. After a great deal of careful scrutiny, amazing analysis, inscrutable inspection and flat out undeniably astonishing skill, my dear Watson and I arrived at a most surprising conclusion.

No, my friends, no aliens were involved. The culprit to which our mysterious conveyance was attributed was ...what we have ... in the barn... is none other than ... are you ready for this??? ... a Poltergoat. Yes, my friends, there really can be no other explanation. Poltergoats are usually associated with an individual. This individual is typically in some kind of emotional turmoil or emanates some sort of destructive energy. Did I say destructive? In that case, who else could be responsible? Of course, it has to be Ella.

We are not sure what we are going to do about it. Maybe nothing. After all, Ella isn't about to change her nature anytime soon, which means I suppose we'll all have to be extra vigilant during the night. Maybe we'll even give the Poltergoat a name - something like HITler...or maybe Buttler. At any rate, I think I'm going to hang out next to Boo from now on. If ever there was an anchor it has to be her. In the meantime, if any of the rest of us sees or feels anything strange happening, I can only say, keep your wits about you, your hooves on the ground, and heed this advice: "Now clear your minds. It knows what scares you. It has from the very beginning. Don't give it any help, it knows too much already." Tangina, 'Poltergeist', 1982. And above all, DO NOT GO INTO THE LIGHT, whatever you do! They may not have Peanuts over there.

I'm Baaaa-ack!

Well, here I am again. Finally. Actually, I am so far behind that I am ahead, but there has just been so much eating to do that I just haven't had a moment to spare. Take, for example, the scene you see above. Now there is an advantage to living in a place that tends to have the occasional high wind in which the trees seemingly battle to stay upright. It means that trees often lose and fall down...and that means we get to eat the spoils of war.

Now, as you can see, everyone gets in on the act. There are a couple of significant points I would like to make about the above picture. First of all, please note that the goatmother DID NOT take the time to capture my best side. In fact, I think she did this on purpose, but that is beside the point. The other thing I would like you to note is that the U.S.S. Boo actually can get at least part of herself off the ground if the reward is significant enough. This actually has not gone to her advantage since the goatmother now realizes she actually can get up on that stand to have her hooves trimmed.

Oh, well. That's life. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made.