Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto in Milan…

Goats (Girgentas and Garganos) and goat cheese abounds at Salon del Gusto in Milan.. full dispatch.

Greetings from the Dertu Borehole

Goat Poop for Goat Fodder

So we don’t have our goat, but I did go out and get a hoe and a sack of goat shit a few days ago. We staked a plot in our backyard. Here’s the before shot.

It took quite a bit of work to hack through the hard ground. We removed the top layer of grass and a lot of rocks and roots, digging and sifting almost a foot down. Then mixed in the manure. Happiness is a plot of tilled soil:

Yesterday we planted the seeds: carrots, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, arugula, chives, swiss chard, squash, eggplant, etc. Just in time for the beginning of rainy season. Got our first big rain last night that soaked it nice and good. Stay tuned.

one step closer

we had a bout of goiter to deal amongst other things, but now we are in greener pastures and one step closer to having our goat…

half goats and snatchers

We went to the beach outside of Mombasa this weekend. We almost acquired a goat but realized he was half-painted with white-out and had no green pastures to eat.

We did come across some “snatchers” that we tried to acquire but they wouldn’t have it. They like to bite and hiss. This gentle creature below was stretching out her legs and admiring the beach view, but about 30 seconds later, she attacked us viciously.  Although still goatless, we are lucky to be alive.

Greener Pastures

Our bid to obtain a goat from Eastern Kenya was rejected. Here’s the text of the email:

“Unfortunately the pastures in Nairobi (currently where they are) has no enough pasture for the goat and the goat may run away. Therefore, they think it should continue to graze in the extensive pastures of Dertu with the pastoralists until they they obtain an ideal grazing field.”

Maybe we should move to North Korea?

“Let’s extensively raise goats in all families!”

Stone Age Goats

I spotted some goats today and they made me happy. I didn’t have my camera because I was running. For exercise. I also saw a camel and it made me happier. He looked like he was going to spit his cud at me. I was lost somewhere north of Nairobi and found myself at some place called Paradise Lost that had an ostrich farm and some caves from the stone age. We’ll have to go back and give a full report.

Goat-like wildlife and junkyard goats

We went to the Nairobi National Park the other day, and spotted some goat-like creatures. Some had stripes and some had big ears, but wild they were…We also saw some not so wild goats in Nairobi, eating off the side of the road. One man’s junk is another goat’s pleasure. Excuse the blurs but a goat is a goat is a goat.

junkyard goats

looking for grub

The other goat-like creature in our life is a fellow named Fluffy. He has some issues like hearing loss, peeling skin on his nose, and eternally watering eyes, but when given the opportunity, he will eat garbage in the same style and grace as a goat.

in all his glory

No Me Comes, Pinche Cabron

“There are restaurants that serve goat, and restaurants that serve goat cheese, and never the twain shall meet.” Not for long.

No Country for Goat Men

Well, Kenya is a country for goats, but unfortunately not our current living situation. We arrived here in Nairobi a week ago in two pieces, but our luggage didn’t. None of it. We eventually got it 4 days later, after much hassle. But still not totally connected to the net. Our new place is off the grid with a nice big yard, but we’re living in guest house with 5 dogs, four of which would probably make mincemeat out of a goat within seconds. So our goat dreams are temporarily on hold until we find suitable pastures. I blogged in far more detail about our first days getting situated in Nairobi here: http://5cense.com/pack_nodes.htm