We had a great time at the Colorado State Fair and even had time for a few (blurry) pictures. Cuzco has been ornery lately (I guess even a goat that’s been neutered for 11 years can still feel the rut coming on), and he was especially naughty toward me when I came home after handling a friend’s buck last week. He’s also been after Phil lately (male dominance thing I suppose), so he’s getting a shock collar this week. However, Cuzco was very pleasant and mellow over the weekend while the girls were out of town. Those women… I tell ya, they’ll get a good guy in trouble every time!

Phil looked very handsome in his white show clothes. But neither of us looked very white by the second day. Whoever decided that white was the color of choice for showing goats was a practical joker!

Lilly is a recorded grade and won her class each time. It helps when you’re the only goat competing. We call this the “self-esteem division”. You’ll notice I left Lilly’s beard intact. It so silky and pretty I couldn’t bear to shave it. She was the only bearded goat in the show and caused quite a stir among competitors and spectators alike.

I didn’t get any photos, but Nubbin won first in her class and got to go in the championship division where she won Reserve Champion for Recorded Grades in junior does. It was not a self-esteem class since there were eight competitors from all the junior doe divisions. I think Petunia is the nicer doe, but the judge preferred Nubbin. Unfortunately, Nubbin misbehaved the next day and didn’t place again because the judge couldn’t get a good look at her. I guess she thought it was the buckin’ bronc division. But that gave Petunia a chance for the blue ribbon. Petunia won that class, but didn’t cut it in the championship division.

I’m taking the goats to show at the Colorado State Fair, and I was so sad that I had to shave them, especially the babies. I’m not sure it made much difference for the sleek Petunia, but it made her front end darker and the white strike on her side stand out a lot more.

Petunia’s wings are as big as ever!

I’m being swarmed!!

I was so sad when I had to shave Nubbins downy-soft coat. It felt like rabbit fur, and now all that’s left is a little bottle-brush tail.

Goat attack! AAAAHHHH!!!

“I’m a big goat! Milk me!”

Petunia is darkening a little and there are roan spots coming out on her legs, neck and chest. Under the white hair, the underside of her throat, neck, and chest have the same pattern as Cuzco. I wonder if more hair will keep growing in darker on the dark skin? I know that her chest and throat will stay white since the skin there is pink. She’s also showing a white strike on her right side. Her tri-colored face is reminding me more and more of how Cuzco looked as a baby, but of course Petunia will always be a lighter buckskin shade.

The babies got their 2nd CD/T shot today. Nubbin struggled and made my job difficult and made it hurt more for herself in the process. She bawled her head off. Poor little baby. I’m glad goats are so forgiving. We gave her some vanilla wafers and she immediately forgot all about it. I don’t like making this sweet goatie cry!

Everyone lounges on the cement pad in front of the garage.

Except Lilly. Lilly eats like a machine. Good thing she has a high metabolism to accommodate her appetite! Nibbles can’t get away with such gluttony without becoming obese and even bloated.

Nibbles has nice back hair. I don’t want to shave it for State Fair. Do you think they’ll let me braid it down her back instead?

Not the neatest job in the world, perhaps, but with a bit of gel and a little more time I could probably make this look extremely awesome!

The goatlings stake out their territory, each in her own corner of the garage.

Five minutes later, Petunia is getting lonely

Five minutes more and Petunia has decided that a friend is better than an unchallenged claim on garage door real estate. She’s also doing her best impression of a llama.

Petunia likes to eat ants. First she stalks them.

Then she pounces on them.

Yum, yum… ants.

Svelte Petunia struts her stuff.

Fuzzball Nubbin shows off her Nubian adorableness.

Petunia’s batwing ears are out of control!

Nubbin could easily win a stuffed animal look-alike contest. She’s so fuzzy and cute I can never resist cuddling her every chance I get.

I think we should start measuring Petunia by wingspan… er, earspan… rather than height. It would be a more accurate description of this goat!

Nubbin is just certain that the milk will flow if only she sucks these lug nuts hard enough.

Cuzco found a hose.

It wasn’t there yesterday.

There’s only one thing to be done.

Keep pulling it

Until it’s mostly on the ground.

And you can lie down and grin with the self-satisfaction that only comes with a job well done. 

It’s been a while since I’ve had time to take photos, but last week I did grab a few. Cuzco made himself useful by helping me take stuff across the property so I could cut up a tree. I put chainsaw and oil in one side and gasoline in the other. I love that Cuzco seems to always be eager to do real work. He stood perfectly still while I loaded him down and was eager to follow me out across the property with his load. I tied him to a fence post while I worked, and he soon got used to the noise of the chainsaw and laid down to patiently wait and chew his cud and watch the grass grow. He’s such a good goat. I wish he didn’t have to get older. =(

This Rendy event deserves its own post. Cuzco did something I never thought he would do. He went for a swim! It was not even coerced. Phil and I went in for a dip and we turned around to see Cuzco following right after us! He came in up to his chest and then stopped, but with a little more coaxing he waded right out into the deep water and started swimming. I didn’t have any treats or a leash, and of course we didn’t have the camera. So we went back for all those things and started over.

Of course, once we had the camera, Cuzco didn’t want to go in any more. Especially since Herb’s dog Sasha had joined us and was now in the lake.

“Come on in, Cuzco! The water’s great!” (Actually, it was freezing!)

As soon as Sasha ran back onto the beach, Cuzco was more than willing to come into the water.  

Into the deep water. 

“Yeah, I’m awesome!”

Video proof that an old goat CAN learn new tricks!