October should be known as Animal month.  With all the fairs and shows that go on, I was in little animal paradise.  Well not little animals.  Most of what we saw was huge.  Cow, horses, even the lamas seem much bigger when you're standing just on the other side of a suddenly thin gate.  I mean look at those horns!

We started this month with a local Field Day of the Past.  Ok it was the end of last month, but close enough to be included in Animal Month. 

This brought me with my first up and close encounter with goats.  Now it had always been a plan of ours to raise goats.  We want to try cheese making and butter and realized we need some fresh milk.  Cows are a little to intimidating for us and a hobby farm.  Now goats, they seem manageable.  We have the space, a ton of brush we want them to start munching on, and even a local goat farmer that we hope we can ask advice for.  We haven't actually seen anyone there yet.  Just the goats changing around in rotation.

Now we still haven't decided what type of goats we want to get. The few people we've talked to were all crazy about Nubians.  Which is fair.  They are some really nice goats and have a great butterfat content in their milk.  At the same time, I just got so attracted to the Toggenburgs.  Whenever I pictured a goat in my mind, they are what popped up.  Those cute little ears.  The tall proud stance.  Yep, that's a goat to me.  Course sitting down and not looking at the camera takes away a little of the noble look I've come to associate with them.  why can't animals look at you when you take pictures.  *shrugs*

We have started our search for goats.  We have the supplies for some fencing and are just waiting for a free weekend (heh sure...) to start getting it going.  Although our current searches have brought up Nubians.  They're just the local favorite.  or Boer goats.  And we didn't want meat goats.

We did start our own animals gathering with some lovely rescue dogs. Meet Aaron and Winter (left and right).  Them with our indoor cat and outdoor cat nearly completes our happily little family.  This weekend we also adopted about a hundred other little creatures.  That's right I'm taking about worms!  our local extension office gave a great composting class.  which included making and caring for your own worm bins.  We have two of them now.  They are happily chomping away at our coffee grounds.  They'll do a great job over the fall and winter and give us a good bit of compost come Spring.  I'm actually hopping for a little ahead of time to start seeds in February in a green house.

Till then us and our animals friends will just spend some quality time together.  Yes even the worms.