The Ikea Experience!

So, I've been drooling over a particular shelving unit from Ikea ever since "The Hippie Store" (aka- Crossroads Grocery Store) purchased one for displays. Finally, the big day comes to drive to Renton and pick up the unit. I had no idea what Ikea was all about and was expecting some store similar to Target or Costco... I was wrong. 

First, the parking was situated all around this giant warehouse like building (unless you want to pay for covered parking, nope) and all the little cars, trucks, SUV's and mini-vans circled like vultures for an available space. I found one and its a good thing I hike for a living.

Second, finding the entrance required a GPS and geocaching skills. Found it.

Third, there was a concierge in the foyer, nuf said. I approach her and explain that I have no idea what I'm doing but, I know exactly what I want. She leads me to a touch screen kiosk, starts poking away, hands me a piece of paper and pencil and says "Right this down! Isle 1, bin 39 and number bla bla bla." "How may I find Isle 1?" I ask and she hands me a map... yes, a map! 

Turns out there's a Show Room that is really big where all the fun stuff is displayed (S.F.H. actually - if you like acronyms your on your own with that one). The place where you pick up your item is in another really big building. Anyway, I find my product and load the truck. Cheli says we can't have come all this way and not enter the Show Room so, we entertained a walk through the Show Room and fancied all the fine products on display.

After my long journey and immediately after evening chores I got straight to work assembling my treasure. It didn't take very long for me to discover I had picked up half my boxes in the wrong color. DOH!!... DOH!!... GAAAAA!!!

No, I did not return all the way to Renton to exchange them... nuf said.

And here's my happy, mismatched shelves. Just look at all the empty space left to fill!! Weee!

Attack of the photo bomber!

Attack of the rearranging demon. I had to move my desk across the room and now I have my own little "Kat's corner". Mine is closer to the stove, ha ha ha.

Comfy, cozy and warm.

Baaaa! Just had to throw a goat in the mix. hehe

How To Spend Your Holidays

There's always the Griswald Family Christmas... or, there's fun time with Arlen and Kathy!!

First you start a floor tiling project on Christmas eve. While your shopping for tiles, grout and mastic, everyone else is getting power tools and gift cards for Dad... the tile isle was pretty bare.

After an evening of working without gloves, you soak, apply a half a bottle of lotion and hope to resurrect what used to be hands. Then go to Google and look up the benefits of crawling so you can spin the whole thing as a health bonus. 

On Christmas Day you finish laying tile and watch the dog freak out about the new floor.

Take a break and go stare at goats! (they stare back)

Cute little buggers!

Everyone is happy there are still small pockets of black berries to munch on.

Make sure you wear something fun that goats can grab easily... the like that.

Go back in the house and wonder why you started a home improvement project on Christmas. Notice that you don't have enough rocks and have to go collect more.

While collecting more rocks, take a picture of the eagles because no one does that on the Northfork of the Nooksack in December. [insert sarcasm]

Keep going, its almost done!!

washing and washing and washing and washing and washing.... What was that about the benefits of crawling again? Oh well, it looks great and its done.

Goodnight little goaties, sleep well!

Snow Day

Finally got some decent snow... alas, it will all be gone tomorrow.

Huckleberry and Banjo were the only two that liked the snow and came out to play in it.

Say hello to my fluffy leetle friend!!

Freedom!

Had to clean the barn today and wanted to use the bedding to cover the grapes and golden berries. It would have been a pain to try and sneak in and out of the goat pen 6 or 7 times. Well, everything the goats would eat that we want is gone so I just opened the gate and didn't bother with the sneaking.

They all had a great time running around the yard. Even Lucy was running jumping.

Huckleberry wanted in the house with Arlen.

It's been a while since they've been on a porch. I wonder if they remember.

The Nubians had great time sampling all the vegetation.

Everybody loves kale chips!! 

And ya, that's all the snow we got! LAME!

Random Thoughts and Long Names

Kiki Kitten Pants Skinny-Butt

Kiki Kitten Pants Skinny-Butt is getting old. We don't know the exact date of her birth, just that she was born in the year 2000. She's been sickly since we got her 5 years ago and we've battled her health and happiness since. She's urinating in all the wrong places and is about "this" close to being put down. We struggle with the idea about once a month these days... then she goes and does something uber cute and kitten like to inspire new hope that she can turn around.

Kiki Kitten Pants Skinny-Butt playing with the Christmas wrappers.

The Man With The Beard wrapping gifts to give at the Santa Trail Work Party coming up. Getting a little help from Kiki Kitten Pants Skinny-Butt

Banjo Bugger Eye Coffee Lover

Banjo Bugger Eye Coffee Lover loves his coffee. It's been pretty cold so we thought we'd bring the goats a warm treat. They all like warm tea with honey and cayenne but, Banjo Bugger Eye Coffee Lover loves his coffee.

Hucklebuckle Berry Boy

Hucklebuckle Berry Boy sneaking his share of the coffee.

The Bitties, the Fatties and Lucy Wucy Lulu

The Bitties used to be Shane Seamus O'Grady and Willow Pillow Pants and the Fatties used to be Banjo Bugger Eye Coffee Lover and Hucklebuckle Berry Boy. That is because the Bitties used to be babies and the Fatties, well, are fat. Now, since the Bitties are bigger their names are interchangeable and could be refered to as either or both.

I think they have a very cozy barn and are spoiled with 2 hay feeders. One feeder holds their free choice grass hay and the other their alfalfa hay that they get once in the morning and once in the evening. Turns out five goats can't share one alfalfa feeder... we made it for the Fatties when they were Bitties and it's too small.

If you inspect the picture of Hucklebuckle Berry Boy, you'll see the fast and dirty 2nd alfalfa feeder in the left corner of the picture installed to alleviate fighting. Well, they've managed to mutilate the welded wire (wha? say it isn't so!) and they need a new, more sturdy model.

Wish granted, New more sturdy model

If you leave me home unattended with tools at my disposal, I will manifest things like a hay feeder that looks like a baby crib made from scraps of wood, including old tool handles. What? It works!

Faces of gratitude! 

Lucy Wucy Lulu, Shane Seamus O'Grady and Willow Pillow Pants approve of new improved alfalfa feeder.

Willow Pillow Pants

Willow Pillow Pants and me waiting for the rest of the herd to catch on that we are going for a walk.

Shane Seamus O'Grady

Shane Seamus O'Grady flying through the air with the greatest of ease. He could totally pull Santa's sled.

Icy Wycie Water Fall

One of the 4 of our drainages getting a nice layer of ice.

Cold, Cold, Cold, Cold, Cold, Warm

Bridge at Maple Falls Trail

Hoar Frost is cool

Frost on moss

Maple Falls In December

Blue Dog On A Log

Warm

Goats Don't Yell... or do they?

For those of you who don't believe the goat compilation videos on YouTube are real... you need to come visit my house, heck you only need to be within two states for that matter. GOATS DO YELL!!!

BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!

Baaaaaaaaa... Lucy is in raging heat.

Shane, "Is she ever going to shut up?'

Willow's "crazy face", yep she's gone bonkers.

Banjo, "She loves me, she really loves me!!"

Huckleberry, "I've gone to my happy place until she quiets down." 

What a sweet little goat!!

Put A Fork In It!

...which I did and ate it! Yum'O! In fact, when it was all over I was caught doing the classic... kneeling in front of the fridge with a fork in my hand sampling leftovers.

While the turkey was cooking we took a stroll along the river to enjoy the beautiful day. 

It was pretty nice, the eagles are already coming for the season. (you can't see them, stop looking for them)

There were more visitors to the river than just us and the eagles.

Is it river otter? Raccoon? Beaver?

What ever critter it is, it drags sticks into the river.

Found their willow tree harvest. Okay, I Google'd it and turns out they are beaver.

Also, thought these little critter prints (mouse tracks) were cute.

After our stroll we came back home and took the goats for a walk (didn't know if we'd be able to later). And that's a really nice picture of our porch.

We decided to go up the hill today. Lucy's still got it, crazy circus goat.

Perched while the goats nibble.

I wonder if Shane will grow into his head??

Mike, his friend, Eddie and Cheli waiting to put a fork in it. They're Thanksgiving dinner surfing (we were second on the route).

Master Chef's eye's are bigger than his stomach
but, he still put a fork in it.

After stuffing our faces we drug the kids outside to walk the goats again... just for the fun of it. See, its fun!

Got any carrots? 

Huck and Banjo showing off for Cheli.

Cheli and Mesa are best buds.

All in all, nothing to crow about but, still a really great day!

And I'm so stuffed you could put a fork in me... ugh!