Archive for the ‘Photos’ Category
Another Goat Birthday, Another Banana
A year ago, we were welcoming Pinta into the world — you can read about it in great detail at her birth story.
Here’s a look at her at about two weeks old:
She's a dance, dance, dancin' machine
And here she is now:
Oh my how you've grown!
Yes, that’s her little heart still visible on her side!
Yesterday, Pinters celebrated one year on the planet with her caprine ma, her human ma, and a banana:
The birthday banana
Oh, and lots and lots of petties.
The birthday goat!
Auguri Pintaruccia!
Celebrating Two Years with Pasqualina
Pasqualina's baby bottle
Two years ago today, my heart changed forever.
We hadn’t planned on getting goats, so we had absolutely nothing prepared when one of P’s friends offered him a month-old kid*. You see, P had mentioned in passing several months prior that maybe someday we’d like to have a goat or two — and then as fate would have it, one of his friend’s does had triplets but only enough milk for two. Pasqualina was the runt, and his friend wasn’t much interested in bottle-feeding. P couldn’t say no.
Thank goodness.
After meeting Pasqualina, I ran to the pharmacy to buy a baby bottle, and that first day was one of the most challenging of my life. Pasqualina needed to eat, but she was terrified of me, and I ended up wearing *way* more milk than made it into Pasqualina’s kiddie tummy. I don’t think she drank any milk at all that first day — and barely any the second or third days either. I was so scared I’d show up one morning to find her collapsed in a heap.
Yes, she was a stubborn little thing, surely holding out for her biological ma’s udder, but I was her only choice — and she obviously wasn’t too happy about that. But then one magical day, she took the bottle.
I can’t describe how triumphant I felt when she finally stayed put in my lap and drank and drank and drank. And then fell asleep in my arms for cuteness effect.
I never imagined how intelligent, caring, cuddly, and downright fun goats could be — and I certainly never envisioned myself taking care of them. But life has a funny way of giving you what you need when you need it, and so I thank you, Pasqualina, for finding us and bringing us so much love and joy (and Pinta — last year at this time, Pasqualina was pregnant!).
Pasqualina and her birthday banana
I’ve always been an animal lover, but this kid? She’s something special.
*Since we don’t know her exact birthday, we celebrate today as if it were.
What Do Goats Have to Do With Valentine’s Day?
Love Park, Philadelphia
What do goats, particularly Italian goats note Pasqualina and Pinta, have to do with Valentine’s Day? So glad you asked!
Valentine’s Day as we know it has its roots in the ancient Pagan festival of Lupercalia, which was held in mid-February in Rome to purify the city, chase away evil, and also increase fertility. The celebration would begin when vestal virgins delivered cakes made from the first ears of grain of the previous year’s harvest to the cave where a She-Wolf had suckled Romulus and Remus, the brothers who (as the story goes) had founded Rome.
At this point, two naked young men proceeded to sacrifice a goat and a dog — notably this is the only Roman festival in which a goat was sacrificed. Then, according to The Pagan Library:
With the bloody knife, their foreheads were smeared with blood, then wiped clean with wool dipped in milk. The young men laughed and girded themselves in the skin of the sacrificed goat. Much feasting followed. Finally, using strips of the goat skin, the young men ran, each leading a group of priests, around the base of the hills of Rome, around the ancient sacred boundary of the old city called the pomarium. During this run, the women of the city would vie for the opportunity to be scourged by the young men as they ran by, some baring their flesh to get the best results of the fertility blessing (you can see why the Christian church tried so hard to get this ritual banned, but it was so popular that it continued for quite some time under the new regime.)
That’s right, folks! In ancient Rome, the goal of this mid-February event was not to see how many boxes of chocolates you’d get, what color roses you’d receive, or whether you’d get the best conversation heart message. Instead, the race was on to get whipped by a goat skin — and the gals weren’t afraid to go Mardi Gras style either (OK, they were probably baring arms and legs and not breasts, but still…).
So, as you can see, goats have a deeply rooted history with this day for lovers — although it isn’t a particularly pleasant one on the part of the goats. For this reason, I ask that you show your goaties a little extra love this Valentine’s Day, and if they happen to ask for smooches, well, I say give ’em what they want.
Valentine's Day kiss from Pasqualina
*
By the way, if you’d like to honor the role goats have played in Valentine’s Days past, please consider giving the gift of a goat through Heifer International: “The gift of a dairy goat represents a lasting, meaningful way for you to help a little boy or girl on the other side of the world.”
Heifer International: Give a Goat for Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Smooches to all!
P.S. Still want more trivia to impress your family and friends? Find out why the heart is a symbol of love and Valentine’s Day.
The Goats Get Ready for World Nutella Day
In case you don’t know, I happen to be one of the co-hosts of World Nutella Day, a celebration of the wonderful chocolate hazelnut spread that goes great with just about everything. The festivities will take place all day tomorrow, so if you’re interested in participating, head over to NutellaDay.com for some ideas.
I’ve been busy baking (recipe tomorrow at Bleeding Espresso), but I couldn’t resist taking the empty jar out to the girls for a photo op:
The girls get ready for World Nutella Day
Don’t worry, I didn’t actually let them eat any Nutella as I doubt it would be very good for them (because it’s *so* good for us, right?!), but they did get some raisins and a banana as their rewards for being so darn photogenic.
Buon World Nutella Day!
How to Tell if Your Goat Is in Heat
If you have a doe that’s eight months old or older and it’s, say, October to January and you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, your crying goat just may be looking for a little love.
Read on...The First Artistic Rendering of Pasqualina
Yesterday I got an amazing care package in the mail full of goodies that one doesn’t normally find in southern Italy — things like candy corn, Ziploc bags, peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, and Hershey’s kisses. There were even two doggie toys in there for my girls Luna and Stella. This was Stella about five minutes after I gave her one of the toys:
Stella and her new toy
But by far the best part of the whole package was this drawing by Sarah, who I’m told simply adores Pasqualina and Pinta:
Drawing by Sarah
The drawing is a wonderful artistic rendering of the photo of Baby Pasqualina that appears in the Nanny Goats in Panties 2011 Calendar. I took the drawing over to show Pasqualina yesterday, and I know she liked it because she wanted to eat it — the highest form of goat flattery.
Thanks so much to Sarah and Sarah’s mom, Beth, who along with her teenage son Ryan, blogs at A Diabetic Life about Ryan’s ongoing challenge of living with Type 1 Diabetes. Care packages are great, but care packages with drawings of baby goats? Doesn’t get better than that.
Sponsor the Old Goats of Apifera!
GoatSpotting!
Goats that readers have spotted out and about. Send your photos to michelle(at)goatberries(dot)com!
