Ruby

Ruby is just about ready to jump off the stanchion. But before she does I grab her head and I hold it close to my chest and I bend my neck down and I give her the biggest kiss on the cheek. She licks me, I hold her there and I pet and rub her cheeks (goats love this)more kisses and more licks and then she jumps down and shes out of the milk parlor looking for alfalfa. She was the second to the last one up tonight although she is prime queen material in my opinion but I'll leave that to the herd to figure out. Sally of course is the herd queen and I would never change that but ruby has some queen qualities.

There are some goats I just have a special relationship with, Ruby is one such goat. This is her first freshening and I must say she got all A's! she's turning out to be a fabulous milker. Not all of my girls I feel this about.....most, but not all. I punch the time clock, squeeze some teats, get lots of milk, strain it, chill it, bottle it or make cheese out of it and go on with the normal day. But there seems to be in every job I've ever had those few individuals you can have a good time with, joke around with or console each other or just have a really engaging relationship. Purely platonic but special. I'm lucky I work with a bunch of really fun, really cantankerous girls. There are some that get on my every last nerve, but for the most part my co workers are a blast and I feel lucky to know them.

I've been given em' an ear full lately. I've been so busy and things just don't seem to be lightening up, I tell them everything. Often they come up with the most profound advice and that is the old foot in the bucket. It means be present to the moment;as Baba Ram Das would say "Be Here Now!" See those girls are deep! There's the foot in the bucket and then there is the famous double back, when they're just about out the door and they double back and get back on the stanchion and start eating grain. This means 'chill bitch, lets just do what feels right, even if its wrong'. I don't listen to this business at all!But all in all their good people.