The goats are certainly getting popular. Every time I look outside there are little kids and their parents looking at them, talking to them, and hanging out in our yard. I really feel like we're doing a good thing - little kids who live in the city should have the opportunity to play with goats and chickens and get to know farm animals. Today while I was at school a whole kindergarten class from Glenview Elementary came up to visit our goats on a field trip. My mom said they were really excited and they kept raising their hands to ask questions. I really wish I could have seen it.

There's a mystery cat that seems to have adopted us. We've been having a real cold snap in Oakland and for the past few mornings she's been meowing at our door. I keep thinking it's TJ and so I open it and he comes running in to eat the other cats' food and warm up. Today he was wandering around my room when I went in there. She's really friendly, but she hissed at TJ and he chased her out.

I'm doing a Door-to-Door canvassing training for the first time. That should be super fun because a lot of kids from my school signed up to come. Tomorrow is Transgender Day of Remembrance!!! Our GSA is going to do light candles on the front lawn and read the names of the people who have been killed based on their real or perceived sexual identity.

Hmmm... what else. Thanksgiving is coming up and I have to think of what delicious vegan food I am going to make to impress people this year. I'll figure that out this weekend.... I am so ready for Thanksgiving Break!

Peace.

More goat news

We've had the goats for two weeks now and we're so happy! They've gotten used to their new home and they love being fed apples and hay and being stroked by the neighborhood kids. We took Kiah and Eve on a walk yesterday morning and people couldn't believe what they were seeing. One of our neighbors said sarcastically, "Just another typical day in Oakland, people walking their goats around the block!" Another guy rolled down the window of his car and asked if he could take a picture of us with his cell phone. Kiah is used to being walked and acts almost like a smart dog. Eve is not so docile and needs a little more persuasion. We have to take them out together because Eve likes to be first and so she'll keep walking to try to get in front of Kiah. It's still too early to tell if they're pregnant. Eve has been acting a little like she's in heat - irritable, butting, knocking Kiah out of the way - but we won't be able to know for sure for a couple more weeks.

On a different note, I was on Huffington Post and there was this very well-written article about how meat industries have a huge stake (oh wow. no pun intended) in schools feeding kids unhealthy, hormone and toxin-laced meat. Enjoy!

GOATS!!!

So, the goats have arrived! They arrived exactly a week ago from Bonnie Doone and I think they're getting used to life in the city. At first it was a little hard for them to get used to the light pollution at night and they didn't know when to go to sleep, but they're doing fine now. Their names are Kiah and Eve, and they're Oberhaslis. They spend their time hanging out with the chickens, whose coop has an opens onto the goat enclosure. The neighborhood kids are really excited. They keep asking what kind of animal we're going to get next. They suggested elephants but that sounds like a lot of work. I don't think we're going to get any animals that don't have some sort of use. We're trying to work towards semi-self-sufficiency. The goats are pregnant now, knocked up by Colleen's bucks Joseph and Vassen, so we should start getting milk in March. The baby goats are going to be SOOOOOO cute!

Check this out!

A post on the Equality California blog about our call center in Oakland. I'm mentioned somewhere at the bottom. : )

http://ca-ripple-effect.blogspot.com/2009/10/from-field-having-conversations-in.html

Since the chicken drama there hasn't been much going on around here. I found some new pictures of my dad with the goats up in Bonnie Doone and also of Meredith and Enzo (remember them?) Enzo is gigantic!






Here are some videos that I just found of us launching chickens out of the treehouse.
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS THE FIRST BATCH OF CHICKENS! THE PARALYZED CHICKEN WAS NOT A PART OF THIS AND NO CHICKENS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE MAKING OF THIS VIDEO. It is hella funny, though.

Pay no attention to the last post

We've decided to postpone Mocha's death sentence!!! We're all really happy about that. My mom put her in the coop the other day and she's able to scoot around using her wings and fend for herself. Apparently she's been getting enough food and water. Who are we to discriminate against paraplegic chickens? We can't find any chicken wheelchairs, but hopefully she'll live for a long time. The only problem might be that she can't fly up to perch with her sisters at night when it's cold, and it's been really cold. In the spring she might even lay some eggs. We're still not too hopeful about Banana, though. I have to go to school now but I thought I'd share the good news!

Bad news

I haven't posted for a while because not much has been going on. We haven't heard much from Colleen regarding Kiah and her future soul mate. She may have found another doe that gets along well with her, named Eve. We're waiting for the news that they're in heat. The enclosure in the back yard is all ready for them. The skyway isn't finished yet, but my dad says that it shouldn't take long. The big problem now is that since it seems like the rain is going to start we need to build them a little indoor space and to find somewhere to put the hay so it doesn't rot. The chickens have been enjoying the extra space outside and TJ has been enjoying sleeping on the hay. He's a real farm cat. 

Unfortunately, we seem to be losing chickens. Our leghorn, Mocha, had a stroke or something and can't move. Her legs are paralyzed and all she can do is squawk and fall over. Right now she's lying upside down in the bathtub in a pile of her own feces. It's awful. We want to put her out of her misery, but we don't know how. None of us is willing to break her neck. Yesterday we tried to give her some alcohol and an insulin injection but the insulin didn't even get into her body. It's not easy to get through the feathers. We know we have to kill her eventually but when she isn't falling over she looks so perky and happy... It's really hard for all of us, especially Sophie, but that's a part of having so many animals. Some of them have to die. We're probably going to end up with eight chickens instead of ten because Banana is thrice the size of her/his sisters and is strutting around perching on things. S/he hasn't started crowing yet but it's only a matter of time. 

I'll post some memorial photos of Mocha later on and I'll let everyone know if we hear anything more about the goat situation.