Moving Out of Summer, With Style

All was not doom and gloom at the Gee Funny Farm during the end of summer, despite our heavy losses in the realm of "fowl"-play (Ha ha! Okay, not funny. Sorry. But puns are so irresistible. Once you think of one, you can't stop yourself.) In fact, Kathy was busy, busy, busy.

Busy with Kids' Fest to begin with. Kids' Fest was an event hosted by the YMCA. Kathy was able to have a booth to present from and a few moments on the "stage." Stage, here, is in quotation marks because "stage" usually suggests an audience and the only ones listening were two people-- a grandma lady with her granddaughter, who, it so happens, are also Kathy's friends. Ah, well. The booth still got attention, even if Kathy and the Navajo churro lamb's entertainment on stage went unnoticed. At the booth everybody wanted to pet me (of course). They also wanted to pet Isaac, but he's not really into touch. You know, that's African grays for you. Talk to him and he's happy as can be, but me? I bask in the glorious feel of fingers running down my feathers. Oh yeah! Do it again! Lucky for me to have such a non-touchy-feely cage-mate. Means more for me! We're hoping that some of the home-schoolers, who expressed an interest, will book with us! Ah yes, a bunch of active little hands dying to stroke my adorable little body. Bring it on!

Kathy also went out, this time for Porthos the Percheron cross, to teach that horse some lessons. Kathy and Porthos headed out to Parelli Natural Horsemanship training, and David tagged along to watch, er "audit." Porthos is a heck of a horse at about 17 hands tall. And he's smart too (I mean, for a horse). This is fun for Kathy, but it also entails keeping his active mind working and not letting him get away with stuff. Well, Kathy had already been very interested in Parelli, but she was all out sold after her weekend of working with Porthos. I see more outings for those two in the future. As for David, well, these sorts of things are not necessarily his things, but he was impressed and interested too and even condoned future training!

Speaking of Porthos, I feel he deserves some tribute today in honor of his stellar and unexpected herding in the face of possible chaos. (I forgot to do it in a timely fashion, but, hey, I'm patting his back now, so no criticism if you please.) One day this summer, one of the household inmates (I don't remember which it was) observed that one of the gates was open. The people, namely Kathy and Keegan (with baby in stroller), headed out before it was too late. But, well, it was too late already. Animals had noticed the open gate and headed for the hills. Actually, nobody was moving that fast. Mostly they were grazing on the green grass on the other side of the fence. (If they had been safely confined while munching in this area, David probably would have appreciated their enthusiastic mowing.) Seeing that their feast was about to come to an end when Kathy arrived, the animals headed round the corner of the fence, in the direction of the swamp and total freedom (or if you take your lesson from the chicken story, possible death). Kathy and Keegan accessed the situation. Both have had some experiences like these before with Kathy the more experienced in every way. It looked like it might be a LONG afternoon. And then, what to their wondering eyes should appear, but Porthos (who had been at the lead of the escape), taking a prancing step to herd the sheep and goats back to the field. And in very un-horse-like fashion, he herded most of them in and then galloped back through the fence and into the field himself. Okay, so it may have been a little unjust to say he was only smart for a horse. He is just simply one smart, gifted, likable hunk of horse, and Kathy and Keegan were SOOOO grateful THEY didn't have to do the herding!!

Then Kathy went to the Sheep and Wool Festival in Jefferson, WI. She took classes about making goat's milk soap, dyeing wool, weaving, and needle felting. Nothing to do with feathers, so who cares, but she liked it.

And finally, Abinadi, Hosea, Nephi, and Kathy went to Llama Camp. They hiked and Abinadi got hooked up to a cart -- he should tell you about THAT! Kathy learned more things to do with wool and they came back all bonded and happy. Why don't they have parrot camp?!?!? That's what I want to know.

All right, already, I'm done thinking about anybody but myself for awhile.