Record Breaking

It's been sizzling hot for the past two weeks around SLO county. The sun has been relentless from dawn to dusk.

7/29/18 6:28 am

7/28/18 7:53 pm

Today, Paso Robles - just north of us - broke their 13 hot days record set in 1961. Paso's 105° temperature today marked 14 consecutive days of triple-digit heat. That is, 14 days and counting, this weekend was supposed to be a "cool down" and temps are expected to rise even higher all next week.

So far the highest temp we've seen has been 106°. The day after that scorcher we packed the dogs up and headed to Cayucos beach. It was cool, misty, and foggy and we enjoyed the five hours we were there. It surprised the heck out of us when we got home to see that we got very dark (me) and very red (The Man) from the little amount of sun we saw. Oops, no sunscreen.

7/26/18 11:47 am

Closer to home the heat is taking a toll on the oaks, lots of freshly dropped branches around the property.

A deer family: a small buck, a doe and her twins have been drinking from the buckets close to the pen. The buck came out of the pen licking his lips - he might have gotten into the goats' free-choice minerals in the goat house. I think he was smiling.

Luckily the high heat doesn't seem to bother the goats; they continue doing their job.

Hmmm,  is it my imagination or does it look like Boots is also getting a deep dark tan.

8/4/18

5/10/18

Buck Shot

For several weeks I have been sighting a handsome buck on the neighboring properties. My first sighting was in the early morning after dropping The Man off at the SLO Airport. As I drove up our steep driveway I spied a buck and doe relaxing near the fence line.

After parking the car, I backtracked down the driveway. I attempted my best Marlin Perkins impersonation, moving quietly closer from tree to tree. Armed with my camera I got as close to the pair without scaring them as I could. And took the shot.

On another morning it looked like a deer convention. I think I spied Mama and the twins in the mix.

During this time The Man was out of town on work travel. One evening on the phone while The Man and I talked about our day I mentioned that the Buck was usually with his family. The Man's reply was, "Oh, no, no, no. (chuckle) He's courting the ladies . . .  and, as many as he can".

"Oh."

Well, then, I guess next spring we'll be looking forward to many new handsome baby fawns.

Keeper of the Bees

When The Man and I first moved to Atascadero we frequently drove by a house with a table set up in the driveway. The table displayed a variety of mason jars with golden amber liquid as well as a metal box. Usually no one was around so if you wanted to buy a jar of honey you would just leave your money in the box. It was, you know, the honor system.

Driving by the green house became our favorite route because right next door housed a family of goats in a little paddock: a big white buck, mamas, and babies. In the early spring, lots and lots of babies. This was before we got our own Boys and many a time we would pull off the main road and watch the silly antics of the kids. (Coincidentally, this was the same herd that came to live next door to us for a brief period.)

It was just a matter of time before we started buying the home-grown honey. Most of the time it didn't seem like anyone was home and we left our money in the metal box. Only once did we meet Mr. Stoltey as he pulled up into his driveway. We said "howdy" and he came over to explain the different varieties and flavors of the honey he made. Before we left he thanked us for stopping by and buying his honey.

The Last Honey

Mr Stoltey passed away last October at the age of 77. He leaves behind, Jean, his bride of five years, and his customers who will remember his honor-system honey, sold from a table in his driveway.

Disappearing Goats

After writing my last post about Joe's Houdini goats, the chicken wire fence was taken down and rolled up.  With the fence gone we hoped it meant the goats would be moved but, no, Buck and the Mamas were still there and freely wandering about the adjacent properties.

Although we enjoyed them as our neighbors so too did the coyotes.  Buzzards flying overhead led us to the remains of two goats over two days.  With their haphazard fence they were easy prey.  With no fence at all they were a nightly all-you-can-eat-buffet.

Yesterday, Buck and the Mamas were gone.  We caught a last glimpse of them as they were being trailered away.

Buck and The Mamas

  

We wish all the best for them: woody weeds and bushes to browse, a sunny spot, sweet alfalfa treats, and a sturdy fence.



  

Liquid Goats

There's a saying:  If you want to test a fence for keeping goats in then throw a bucket of water at the fence.  If the water goes through the fence then so will the goats.

Thanks to the previous owners of our home we have a "no-climb" fence around the entire property.  It keeps the critters out (looking at you, feral pig) and it keeps the Goaty Boys in.  Our goats haven't made any effort to escape; they seem to enjoy hanging with us, sunning themselves on the driveway, or sitting in their lawn chairs.

They did make an "escape" once by simply following The Man as he obliviously drove the tractor out the gate.  Luckily, our neighbor Jim, commented on how good the goats were looking as he admired them climbing up his nearest Oak tree.  Only then did The Man realize he had been followed.

On the other hand, Joe's goats pass through their makeshift fence as easily as if they were water.

"Fence" - sticks and stones and chicken wire

In addition to all the chores The Man does in his day, we've added "checking the Mamas" to his long list.  Each evening he walks down to the fence line and checks on Joe's herd and ensures that no goat has been left behind on the wrong side of the fence.  Many times he's helped a too large Mama find the hole large enough for her to squeeze through while the rest of the herd wait patiently for her on the other side.

Our "no-climb" fence on the left.

Not much of a surprise that Buck and the Mamas were nowhere to be found.

The Scent of Spring

There was a fragrance in the air we couldn't identify.  The Man and I noticed it as soon as we walked outside.  It smelled of blossoms, and yet, we didn't have any flowering plants nearby.  We were wrong.  Overnight, the neighboring fields had been newly carpeted in purple and blue.

Wild Lupine

And while we were admiring the flowers that appeared out of nowhere The Man noticed another newcomer under a shady oak.

Spring Baby

A few hours after spotting the baby goat we went back to check on it and saw that it was gone from it's spot.  In the distance we could see the herd had moved away to a nearby hill.  Mele, on the other hand, was focused on something closer to us.

The Man climbed over the barbed wire fence and found the kid entirely hidden between the fence and an oak stump.  It seemed too small to be by itself.  The Man carried the baby back to it's Mama on the hill.  She sniffed the little one then they both walked off together.

We're Wearing the Green

It feels like Spring is here.  Everyone and everything is out and about enjoying the mild temperatures:

Return of the Eagle Ranch cows

Cows and feral pigs

The feral pigs have been showing up with their new babies

Four-legged Rototillers

Favorite evening spot for the deer

Joe's new tenants.  Their temporary fencing is made with chicken wire and tree branches instead of posts in a few places

 

Brand-new twins

Migratory reddish-brown hummingbird

 It's green all over.  Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Goat Gossip

Ganked from The Man's Email:

"Yeah, and we get brushed every day. . . ."