Thursday, July 17, 2008

New Junior Herdsire: *B Heaven's Hollow Pistol Pete

He's out in the yard now, trying to figure a way to get into the doe pen. He is a perfect Oberhasli buck kid. A bit precocious for 4 months. The name is *B Heaven's Hollow Pistol Pete and he is the son of the new national champion Oberhsli, SGCH Heaven's Hollow Shotsi 5*M.

I had ordered Petey a couple weeks ago and went down to pick him up at the National ADGA Show and see the Oberhasli show Tuesday. Louisville is a 3 hour drive, compared to most a hop, skip and jump, but for me and my old junk vehicles it's a major trip. Instead of driving the big truck (aka gas hoggin' SOB), S10 (lights are kind of acting crazy but at least he got the muffler fixed), Ranger (the floor board might drop out any time), I drove the '90 something Oldsmobile station wagon with a large crate in the back.

While I was in the middle of trying to find my way OUT of the fairgrounds Monday night, it started making the most terrible noise. Heart stopped. Oh, no, it's a flat tire! No, it's still rolling. It's the engine. Wasn't overheating, wasn't smoking, wasn't quitting, no lights. Then, thinking back to my Maverick days, it's the donut gasket.

Well, it actually turned out the old girl threw up a spark plug. In my 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme days (Man! That was a beautiful car, silver with maroon vinyl roof.) I had that happen, too, but the Cutless sounded like it had firecrackers under the hood. Anyway, I made it home. It was noisy as heck. I worried the whole way, but it was only 3 hours. Louisville to Indy about 100 miles and about that many from Indy home.

I got home right after dark, stiff and ready to unwind. Get the cover off the hot tub! I hadn't counted on such a big, strong buck so I didn't really have anyplace easy to put him. So we moved the crate into the yard, fed and watered him and left him until morning.

I went out first thing to check him. Here's what I thought would happen: I would let him out in the yard, he would follow me to the barn or at least wonder around the yard a while. I would feed him and put a collar on him. I mean, this is what I've come to expect in 30+ years of having goats.

Turns out Pete isn't tame. He's not skiddish around people, just doesn't really like to be close. Kind of hurts my feelings. No doubt he was left on his dam, Shotsi. That also explains why he's so well grown. He can't really hurt anything in the yard. We fenced in our flower beds last year. You other goat owners will know what I mean. He can come up on the porch but couldn't do much there either unless he decided to nibble on the screen door or something.

After trying to catch him for a while, I gave up but still worried about him getting under the non-goat proof horse fencing down into the woods, or worst yet if he wondered out of the woods and got on the road. What really, really worried me is him getting into Bob's garden. OMG that would be capital punishment! Sends shivers through me.

I still have a few cull buck kids left from this spring and he totally bullied them. I thought they would hang out together. Nothing doing. He was only interested in does on the other side of the fence. What the heck, I needed to make sure if he got down in the woods or weeds he would come back up with them. So I got out one larger doe and two smaller ones, and walked the four of them down into the field, with brush and weeds and a lot of goat goodies.

In regards to the garden, I lowered the height of the electric wire around the garden just in case. Turns out he didn't even glance at that. Thank God he didn't know how tasty cabbages and fresh sweet corn is. Whew!

Then I'm thinking, I'll tether the old goat and that way they'll hang around here. Well, they did for a while. Then the three walked away leaving a very upset Raspberry and disappeared for an hour, a long hour. I had visions of a feral herd in the woods. But all's well, they walked back up to get a drink of water. No creek water for these goats.

We're still debating where to put him. Might have to put the old buck pen back in service, a little distance from the house, since he already has got a little stink to him. Despite the car, and the cost of gas, I had a wonderful time and I just love my new buck. I thank Jill Thomas so much. She not only sold me this buck but she even drove him down, free. She doesn't know it but she has a friend for life!!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I got a little extra time and fiddling around and seen this posting I'm noy sure if you are the person I was talking to or not but from your story must be you.I lost your name and contact info. I think I sat beside you at the 08 show I am from Canada. If you remember. Any how just courious.Let me Know.

Unknown said...

I got a little extra time and fiddling around and seen this posting I'm noy sure if you are the person I was talking to or not but from your story must be you.I lost your name and contact info. I think I sat beside you at the 08 show I am from Canada. If you remember. Any how just courious.Let me Know.