Happy Easter to all who celebrate. If that is not you, that is ok, I hope that you were able to capitalize on the commercialization of the holiday and enjoy some chocolate. If that is you, I hope you had a lovely day as well.
Did y’all know it was Easter? Good news, summer is just around the corner!
Sometime you stay up too late and nearly forget to update your daily goat blog! Enjoy these Pygmy goats from the Pear Tree Farm Shop in Cheshire, UK.
Two goats are better than one!
So, yesterday I dragged my family to a goat sanctuary that was not open to the public. I felt fairly bad, as it was a beautiful day and being cooped up in the car is no fun. Luckily, along our journey home we happened upon Pear Tree Farm Shop in Cheshire. It is a lovely shop, run by a very friendly woman with a son about the same age as mine. We walked in and fortuitously she mentioned something about goats! And there they were, three Pygmy goats enjoying the sunshine! My son enjoyed a delicious sausage roll and this morning I fried up half a dozen free range eggs for breakfast. Plus, I have a few new goat photographs for the archives.
Hanging out at Pear Tree Farm
Today, was one of those days. My family and I had been spending some time in a holiday caravan near the Yorkshire Dales National Park and made our way back to our home after a lovely holiday. I had planned two stops on the way back, first to a trout farm, and second to a goat sanctuary to take new and exciting pictures of goats for my blog. I realize, that some of the goats you may have grown familiar with, as my visit to Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats last autumn produced quite a few unique photographs. However, I worry that my material has grown stale and that my followers and supporters are bored. I try to get new photographs whenever I have an opportunity.
Anyway, first, the trout farm was basically a pond where old men (I did not see any young people or women there) fish for trout and was not exciting and given that I was with my five year old, we were encouraged to leave.
Second, we found The Goat Sanctuary, somewhere between Manchester and Liverpool, but sadly it was not open to the public. I did manage to find some goats today, but will save them for tomorrow. As today has been a tad strange, I shall share with you my most favorite photograph from my library of goats. I met this goat in Delhi, India, and was struck by the self-assured glint in its eye, as though it holds some secrets of the universe or special knowledge. I think that even if Google sends this goat astray on its journey, it will continue to smile and saunter along as if that was always their plan. At any rate, today was a lovely spring day and a wonderful opportunity to meander across England.
This is my most favorite goat.
It is frustrating sometimes when you are looking for something and your comrade does not take it very seriously. Sometimes, when my comrades are looking for things, I like to cheekily say, “it’s always in the last place you look!” Although this is a silly and unhelpful thing to say, it is also true.
Whatever you are looking for is actually in the last place you look!
I have always been a fan of Thursdays. It is the day day before Friday, and the work week is officially almost done. Thursday was named for the Norse god Thor, and at some point in the distant past it was known as Thor’s Day. Thor was known for wielding a giant hammer and riding a chariot that was drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. These goats were pretty badass, and pulled Thor’s thunder chariot on his many adventures and epics. You may not have met many goats that you would associate with heroic behavior, but I think inside even the most adorable caprine lies the spirit of a badass goat pulling a thunder chariot triumphantly towards the weekend!
Never underestimate a goat – or yourself!
Our lives are full of competition, to the point where sometimes it feels like you simply can’t get away from it. When you lay the groundwork, put in the hours and do your best and you come in second, sometimes that can sting quite a bit. However, do not despair if you come in second, third, or even sixty-fourth in the competition. It may not feel like it in the moment, but the work you put in does count and eventually will lead to wonderful things, just maybe not in snagging the coveted first spot. Today’s entry is dedicated to Hugo, who valiantly represented Cambridge at the Oxford Cambridge Goat Race this past Sunday, and came in second. Maybe your year will be 2020, Hugo, or maybe your victory has yet to manifest, but either way, you were smashing and should be proud.
Hugo is a legend.
Find someone in this world who you can rest your head on. At the end of the day, a good partner is someone who supports you no matter what, even if you need to take a nap using them as your pillow for a bit.
A good friend will always have a place for you.
Many goats are so beloved by the communities they live in. For example, recently in the United States, the town of Fair Haven, Vermont, elected a goat named Lincoln to preside as mayor. The village of Cushendun in Northern Ireland had a similar beloved town goat; however, Johann, to my knowledge, never held elected office. He served the village of Cushendun as a volunteer greeter to visitors hoping to enjoy the Victorian architecture settled along the sea. Sadly, Johann served Cushendun until 2001, when he was the last animal to put to rest during the great Foot and Mouth Outbreak that brought the agriculture to a halt in the United Kingdom. Many people now visit Cushendun because it was the setting of an infamous scene from the popular television show Game of Thrones when sorceress Melisandre birthed a shadow. If you find yourself looking for the cave of the shadow baby, you can’t miss the statue built to celebrate the life of Johann the goat, welcoming you to the village.
The statue commemorating Johann the Goat was sculpted in 2002 by artist Deborah Brooks.
Every now and then it is good to stop what you are doing and take a look around. You might glimpse something amazing.
You might witness something wonderful if you pause for a moment!
Goat of the Day 