Signs of fall

Soon we'll be seeing pumpkin patches with for sale signs and Halloween costumes in stores.  It seems like one minute we're complaining about the heat and wearing flip flops and then we blink our eyes and it's time for sweatshirts and boots.  I'm ready for sweatshirts but not winter coats.  I love fall.

Last week I let the pigs (8 of them) out of their few acres.  It always takes them a day or 2 to figure out they can cross over the line where the electric ribbon used to be.   Now they have about 10 acres to explore where we planted pumpkins, turnips and other greens.  It's hard for me to find them in the tall grasses these days.  I have to listen for grunts and watch the weeds move.  Last night I went out to give them some tomatoes and pumpkins.  It's fun watching them tear into the pumpkins.  As you'll see in this video my buck,  Cooper, was interested in something other than squash.

Raisa and Windsor were wondering what all the commotion was.  This pumpkin had been growing on their side of the fence but they showed no interest in it until the pigs broke it open.

I wish we got more pumpkins than we did.  The field planting wasn't as successful as we'd hoped.  Maybe James will give me one of his gardens to grow just pumpkins next year.  His prepared garden beds seem to be able to grow anything these days.  Here's a pumpkin from his garden.

For those of you who raise or know goats, as you watch this next video can't you just smell Cooper?  I can.  Wait, maybe that's because I've got Cooper stink all over me.  I can hardly stand to pet him or even be near  him.  I can touch him with one finger and I swear my whole body becomes coated in a layer of buck yuck.   Cato is still  young and is stinky but not nearly as obnoxious.  I give him a year or 2 to show his true bucky-ness.  Bucks in rut are a sure sign that fall is approaching.

They're going to have to wait till October to have their way with the girls though.  I don't want kids born before March.

A few people have told me I'll bring Willy in the house once winter comes because I'll feel bad.  She keeps finding her way in the house so I've let her stay for a few days.  It's hard to get her back outside when I think she needs to go out and do her business.  When she sees me coming she runs away.  She loves the stairs and our whole house has pretty much become her jungle gym.  She has claimed the day bed in the den as hers.  I think she and Yogi are already friends.  He chatters away with her lying right next to his cage.  I wonder how long till he learns to say Willy.  He has yet to say Baxter.

This has nothing to do with fall but I haven't talked about the donkeys in a while so I thought I'd tell you what's up with them.  I moved Willo and Jaz over to the yard, where Chy and Wilson have always lived, for a change of scenery.   It took them maybe half a day to figure out the pecking order but I was pleased to see on their second day they were sharing the small donkey barn.

I can't say I'm excited to see them using the old goat barn.  I worry the floor isn't strong enough to hold 2 mammoth donkeys.  I hope all 4 don't go in at the same time.

The big donkeys get more attention now that they're over here closer to me.  I'm hoping their calm temperament rubs off on the smaller ones.  The farrier recognized the change in behavior right away.  Usually Chy and Wilson have one hoof they don't liked touched.  This week they behaved beautifully for all 4 hooves.  Jaz is really beginning to look old and maybe the young donkeys will liven her up some.  I'd like to get some weight on her before winter so maybe I'll have more luck with that now that I can watch her more closely.  The small donkeys are fat so I need to be sure to feed Jaz separately.  

A true sign that fall is near is the stink bugs have arrived.  Maybe Willy will not only be a mouser but also a stink bugger.  I had a video of her watching them but I couldn't get it to upload.

Happy almost-fall.