The Joy of Frolicking

I am convinced that the word, "frolic," was inspired by someone who spent time in the company of goats! Our trio of rascals are born frolickers who will put a smile in your heart the minute you are in sight of them! Bumper ,the kingpin, Pickles the rotund one (he has an eating disorder that dates back to food deprivation when he was a wee one), and Theo, the imp of the group, are the most joyful animals imaginable. They follow us around like dogs, and used to lounge on the poolside furniture with us before landscaping was planted and they were banished from the area (you can guess how tempting this marvelous green buffet was for these three). They love to receive back and belly rubs, and will demand water from the hose by "pawing" at my leg with their persistent little hooves. When they descend down a slope, they twist their squatty torsos, throw their heads back and jump with all four feet off the ground. Pure glee! You are sure you can see them laughing. Wait, no, it's us with goofy grins and chuckles that erupt from the gut! Beyond the frolic, a lot of head banging goes on (I don't think they ever watched football), but it is an important daily behavior that establishes the boss of the moment. It's pretty hilarious to see them wind up, and up, into a full rear, and then BAM!, the collision of their obviously durable noggins! You absolutely cannot be unhappy around goats. They would make ideal therapy animals if you could teach them to pee and poop in the proper places. Our guys are 13 and 14 years old now, with bad joints and hip dysplasia, but they never fail to greet me with a nuzzle to nose "kiss" every morning. Truly, I wish everyone could experience the pure merriment of knowing goats.




Wow! I have never seen a mushroom like this one before! It looks reptilian to me, very exotic. Actually, there was a cluster of them, plump and rich with color in a patch of green on the side of the road. A couple of days later, they were shriveling up, losing their striking appearance. I discovered there are 569 species of California fungi, so identifying it may take awhile!