Summer camp is officially over for the goats, and all is right with the world once again. Yesterday, The Bibbed Wonder and our amazing friend, Jenna, worked on the soap in the morning and then moved the goats back to their beloved barn. The five little piglets are now in the pasture across the driveway, and they are in hog heaven. The piglets spent the day exploring, wallowing in the stream, and nosing about the pond. It won't be long until the brave little buggers are swimming. Yes, pigs do swim. The Bibbed Wonder is once again giggling like a school girl when he sees his drift of pigs running about the pasture closest to the house. On a side note, did you know a group of pigs is called a drift or drove? I didn't either; I had to Google it... and now you know.
The ladies are back in the pasture near the barn, and they could not be happier. Once again, the big girls were easy to move, but the babies proved elusive and rather annoying. I watched from the window as Jenna and Eric chased the last two stragglers about for a half-hour or so in a torrential downpour. They both exercised the patience of saints and eventually got the two rebels cornered in the goat yurt and carried them unceremoniously across the muddy pasture field. I have gotten a pass this week on all things animal and soap-related because the hot, humid weather wreaks havoc on my joints and makes me feel poorly in general. I believe I need to retire to Hawaii, where it is a balmy 72 degrees year-round with low humidity. However, I digress.
The Bibbed Wonder also moved a few more babies in with their dad. This created a bit of drama, but it doesn't seem as devastating since all are in neighboring pasture fields. Everyone can see and be near each other through the fence, and that seems to appease all. The Bean was lamenting on how annoying Kevin is with his bawling and escape tactics. I asked her if she would be happy being removed from me and only able to see me from a distance? Her response was, "No! Unless you are grumpy." Sigh. She appears to be developing her father's bad attitude.
For the first night in a week or so, all was quiet on the farm. We slept with the windows open and enjoyed the hum of the bullfrogs and the occasional quack from the geese. It was a definite improvement over the loud and constant bawl of "MAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" in a variety of octaves. Kevin's bawl is the worst. It is deep, loud, and he makes it waver up and down for what seems like an eternity. I believed Kevin was missing his mama because she is his mama. However, The Bibbed Wonder informed me Dot is in heat, and Kevin feels amorous, not homesick for his mama. I now find Kevin's behavior repulsive rather than heartbreaking. Kevin is walking around curling his lip and behaving like an August time goat a bit too early. Sigh. This has fueled my desperation to find a good home for him. I do not need more than one stinky billy goat in rut fouling my ladies and the peace and quiet of my farm. Abu is quite enough.
And so, the cycle continues here on the farm. There is a bit of comfort in the steadiness of the routine. We move our girls and our pigs from pasture to pasture throughout the seasons. The biological rhythm of the goats signals the movement of time and creates a reliable schedule that we follow and adhere to with nature. The girls are back in their beloved barn, the piglets are enjoying their time in the pasture with the stream and the pond, and we are enjoying the new sense of calm and contentment. All is indeed right with the world.