ARE YOU KIDDING????

Let's get one thing straight. Goats do not eat tins! They just nibble them. Unless another goat has already nibbled the tin then you can forget anyone else touching it. Goats are real food snobs. It doesn't matter how delicious that treat, if it's been sniffed over by another then you are wasting your time passing the snack on. I guess I am what is called a "goat whisperer". I understand them very well. Am I a little obsessed with goats? You could say that.....

My brother @craigcryptoking encouraged me to join steemit to "write about all that goat stuff you are always talking about". I haven't exactly done so but then I wouldn't want to scare you all off. And onto the first plane flying to South Africa to cuddle my precious goaties. With about a month to go before my favourite time of year - kidding - I'm sharing just a few of my favourite photos. If you aren't prepared to lose your heart and possibly a hefty wade of cash on purchasing your very own little flock of goats; then STOP READING NOW!

As I choose the photos I can remember each kid, each mother, each season and the history of that goatie family. I look at the photos and I still remember each face, even those that have, sadly, relocated. In fact one entire outside wall of my dairy is covered with wooden plaques on which I have painted the name of every goat I've had. The wall is full and I still have a crate of plaques waiting to be hung. Often visitors or potential goat owners will ask why I bother naming them. I will ask them to point to any goat. Then I call her. She doesn't always come. But she will always acknowledge me. Often with a disgusted snort, eye rolling and cheeky whipping off in the opposite direction.

Goats are highly intelligent and extremely affectionate. They have as different personalities as children. Despite having a very distinct headbutting order among them and despite the naughty little rebels; ultimately I am the matriach. They come when I call. And whenever necessary they will protect me. Sometimes from each other when they are feeling especially affectionate (towards their pet human, not one another). But on occasion a dangerous enemy will be challenged in order to protect their human matriach.

Our dorper rams, were hand raised and very tame, except that Moses sometimes would get very cheeky. If I didn't carry a stick to scare him off when he was challenging, then he would try to head butt me. When I was walking in the mountain with the girls though I had plenty of protectors. Alaska, Zoe, Biscuit, Chloe were the most enthusiastic fighters. One after the next they would stand in front of me as Moses would reverse half way down the mountain drop his head and charge..... Whichever of my defenders were waiting would slowly rise onto their back legs as he neared, then drop their head into his charge. It was spectacular! Enough to shatter rocks. Moses would go reeling like a drunk. Shake his head. Get his bearings and then think. But he was very hard headed because he would repeat the exercise time after time. When one of the girls got bored they would saunter off and the next would wait in front of me.

Goats are also very good mothers. Sometimes they may appear to be bad and inconsiderate mothers but that is not at all the case. They are confident and overly protective. Some will not let their kids out of their sight. Others will wonder off for long periods to graze but they are soon tearing back to check on their little bundles. My all time favourite is Emma; this sweet mama grooming her newborn. Emma could hold a steemit account all of her own she is such a character. She will tell you that she is actually a human disguised as a goat. I don't get far on the homestead without her by my side, chatting all the way.

Honey, Skyla, Feather, Keli and Labane had an uncanny knack of all piling onto the milking shelf while I was trying to hand milk the girls. Emma would often seize the opportunity to dive her head into the open milk bucket and slurp down whatever was going! Then my little flock grew to a size which my hands, and all my homesteading responsibilities, would not allow. We built the goat dairy and started using a portable electric machine. A certain amount of order was established. Kind of. But then of course they are goats!

Consider this #homesteadphotography, my goatie #introduceyourself and you can be sure this is just the beginning! I have thousands of photos and as many memories. With bulging preggie bellies and kids due next month there will be a lot to coo and gurgle over. Thanks to the "white on the homestead" challenge that @knowledge-seeker is running I have been inspired to share with you my favourite part of country living - my four legged kids.