Rites of Passage

Kids are born.

They shakily learn to stand on their own feet.

At first they stay close to their mothers for protection.

Then they venture off.

They mature.

They become independent.

They become adults.

They have their own kids.

And the cycle continues......

Life.

Each spring, with each birth,

I long to slow down this process.

But life has its own plan,

and onward it marches.

Little Fred, born this spring,

has moved in with the big bucks.

He is mature enough to hang with the guys.

This fall he will be mature to father his own kids.

Amazing.

And so, another year slips by...

and another Spring's babies are grown.

I took these pictures yesterday while feeding.

I love our bucks.

They are all so very gentle and quiet.

Right now they are not near the females,

and are not in rut,

so they are clean and white.

Come autumn, they will wear a layer of musky urine on their

beards to attract the ladies.

Sound attractive?

You would think so if you were a goat.

I noticed that Smoochie has a swollen eye.

He can barely open his right eye.

I suspect he has a bug bite, or sting of some sort.

Poor Smoochie!

PS:  I had to show you Becky's peach tree.  It is up by the Bucks' pen.

I definitely have peach envy!

Last year she had one peach....
this year it is so loaded that the branches are hanging onto the ground.
Oh, and how great these taste!

As for my peach tree,
sadly,
no peaches.
I definitely have peach envy!