The goats would like it here...

We took a much needed vacation recently, thanks in part to our folks who graciously offered to farm sit for us, yet again. They practically begged. I mean who doesn't want to sign on to watch 3 dogs, 3 cats,  30 goats, 25 chickens, 3 hogs and about a million and a half black biting flies in July?? Ok, they didn't beg, I doubt they were even excited. But we sure were excited to get away and remain so very thankful that we had the opportunity.

As we journeyed around Italy, the beautiful countryside, mountains and vineyards would set off a chorus of 'the goats would like it here!' either from us or from another voice in our party of 16. We can never truly get away. But it's true- the goats would like it there....scenic, temperate, hilly, breezy, lush and fertile. We saw a copious amount of cattle, chianina, used for beef, and plenty of sheep, pecora sarda, for pecorino cheese, of course. The lone goat came to us in the town of Norcia, in a beautiful and fragrant shop full of cured meats, aging cheeses and a heavenly smell that made me want to crawl under the counter and stay forever.

Yes, all the cheese was real. And perfect.

The beauty of meat shops in such a small town is the competition. Lunch is an easy task simply by accepting the samples thrust from nearly every store window. An enormous sandwich of wild boar salami with truffles will set you back only about 2 euros. Like I said, I wanted to crawl behind the counter.

REAL prosciutto. No vacuum sealed crap anywhere! Aging and curing to perfection in every store front in town.

The town square in Norcia. Deserted? Because everyone is eating...

So as we repeated, time and time again, 'the goats would like it here', we started to think about how they would adapt. In the cities, their rough winter coats just wouldn't suffice. Their 'insulated' bellies would quickly be shed trotting over the hills and valleys. Would they develop a taste for olives and grapevines? Prefer semolina over cracked corn? We think they would adapt well.

We did make a brief (grrr.....travel delays) stop in Dublin. We had guinness (naturally) and a myriad of potatoes.

This is an easy one. 

The famed leaning tower of Pisa, a necessary stop near Florence. 

Again, a no-brainer.

In the north, ie Venice and Milan, fashion is everything.

Perhaps a career as a gondolier?

It requires you to dress in your Sunday best.

The Spanish Steps in Rome look over Via del Corso, where shopping is the main focus. Plenty of unattainable stores line  the roadways, from Gucci to Fendi to Valentino.

If you're going to shop here, you have to look the part or else the guards will stare.

Rome is full of 'must-see' spots, including the pantheon. It seems goats must have been absent in 126 AD,
 I didn't see one anywhere.

The Vatican  is nice and all, but I only spotted one goat in the seven miles of museum we toured. 

Destinations like Piazza Navona are great for people watching, street performers and salesmen of knock-off bags and jewelry who are sneaky to evade the police patrolling the square.

Sometimes to blend in, you just have to dress like a tourist.

The city of Florence is abundant with art. 

From the Duomo to the Uffizi to the Accademia, the sights are overwhelming.

An appreciation for art has to be learned. A contemplative head tilt will help you fake it.

Or in this case....

You become the art.

At the Colosseum,

Look regal and strong so you aren't thrown in the dungeons.

In Assisi, the impeccably maintained streets and stunning landscape will inspire.

A more bohemian yet conservative look will earn respect amongst your new neighbors.

Montepulciano, towering hill town surrounded by vast vineyards and olive groves.

Its the perfect place for those who may imbibe a little too much. Just don't fall over the city wall.

And don't forget to protect yourself from the sun during the harvest.

Gubbio...

and Sienna...

Simple, tasteful and understated. 

Except during the Paleo.

The loooooong and winding road leads to Castellucio. 

A tiny mountainous town where lentils grow in abundance. 

I can safely say I had never in my life wanted to frolic in a field of flowers until that very day. I didn't, but I did buy some lentils. The landscape makes for a foolproof marketing tool. 

So, while in Castellucio, you should do just that.

And have a snack.....or two.

Until next time, Arrivederci Italia! Yes, the goats would like it here, but they seem fond of Ohio too. Back to Capra Lane, back to goats who lie comfortably in collars, not formal wear, back to cooking, cleaning, pulling weeds and baling hay. Back to feeding B, L and T (the hogs) and reading about charcuterie and convincing ourselves...'we can do that'.

Getting things done

The 'to-do' list seems to be finally shrinking, a bit. My dirt garden has plants in it! A few anyway. Hopefully in a few short weeks it will be bursting with greenery, and not thistle or morning glory vines which are attempting to choke out and smother my berry bushes.

Sage! My favorite variety, great fried alongside zucchini blossoms.

Basil is just peeking out

As are the beets

Perspective is key. This tomato is about 4 inches high and somewhat sparse. Some creative cropping and filtering and voila! A thriving tomato plant!

Seem to be a little late this year, raspberry season is one of my favorites.

The blackberries aren't far behind.

In the house, many of our plants die slow withering deaths. Orchids are pretty safe because they only need attention once every week or two. Even one week can turn into three or four  so you can imagine my surprise when I saw that one is getting ready to rebloom!

This one bloomed continuously for about 2 years, its been dormant for around 6 months. These bloom cream to yellow with pink centers. Apparently, neglect is the key to successful orchids!

I've never successfully rebloomed an orchid after the first burst. I was  actually getting ready to trash this one as even the broad thick leaves we're starting to die off. So now there's hope for my withering Christmas cactus- seriously, who can kill those?? I can...clearly. 

I googled 'withering christmas cactus' and found out that I should just leave it alone for a while. Still withered, but blooming like crazy.

Oink oink, snort snort...it's starting to smell like bacon around here! 

Still cute for a few weeks.

After a few weeks they still haven't learned to appreciate our company but boy do they come running when the first splash of warm milk hits the feed trough. They dive in feet first and suck, slurp and gurgle until it's gone. Two boys and a girl this round, still unnamed besides Acorn, the one with the erect ears. We should have a few hundred pounds of pork just in time for the holidays. 

Very sleepy after they finish their milk.

The gross meat chickens are ever expanding, the sudden heat has caused some premature deaths, which is to be expected but usually we lose only one or two close to the butchering date. This year we've lost 6. It's really quite frustrating, firstly because you don't want animals dying in your care and secondly, this close to d-day we're losing meat! And feed costs! I can't imagine how difficult this is in a barn of 10,000. We're going to have to increase our July order to make up for the losses. 

Eat, eat, plop, sleep. Eat, eat, plop, sleep. Eat, eat, plop, sleep.

No more of our Delawares have bit the dust, they're adapting to life in the coop and daily assaults by our rooster. 

He is soooo annoying...

Behind our chicken coop we threw last years dried sunflower heads and it looks like about 10,000 or so sprouted. If they reach maturity and don't fall victim to the birds, they can drop right into the chicken yard and double as food.

We finally made it to one goat show, the Buckeye Classic. As usual, I intended to take pictures while everyone was in their Sunday best and I didn't snap a one. We did well, with kids ranging from 1-3 place and adults as well. Loading up was torture in a downpour and show whites are not very flattering while wet! Good company, good food and lack of sleep made for an enjoyable weekend at the show. 

The babies aren't babies any more. Here is Isadora (daughter of Luna) and Lila (daughter of Luci) giving Kaelyn the side-eye on our evening walk. 

Delfina and Sofia, last year's babies all grown up.

Gemma, Massey's baby from February. Identical face, identical laid-back personality, definitely a keeper.

All of our keepers. Lila (Luci), Gemma (Massey), Emerson (Emilene), Isadora (Luna), Carolina (Cammile), Sabine (which of these things is not like the other), Calliope (Claire) and last but not least, Chicory (Charlotte) peeking out the door.