Weekend in Photos

Parker School had their annual 5K George Hennigan fun run. (a fundraiser run to help support the athletics department). I came in 2nd place in my age group and got a medal! It helps having a 75 pound tornado dog pull you along! Next year I will no longer be getting medals because I head into the next age group category. The 30-39 age division is VERY competitive with hard core running women! I was motivated to get up at 6am to earn one last medal this year!
Why do people wonder why I got a goat when my students arrive to piano lessons via tractor? I live in the COUNTRY now!

I was going to get goat food when my father in law took this video of the completed goat pen. My dear friends Matt and Fabie helped me build a goat fence today since Alex is in Washington D.C. this week. Buckley is so happy now. (It only took 2 hours to build the fence...my friends are funny jokers!) He has three tree stumps to climb and jump. I put a wood palate leaning against his dog house for him to climb. He has lots of grass, sweet potato, ivy, leaves, and woody plants to nibble on. I can see him from our house too. He has been crying and screaming at me all week, bringing me to tears in fact twice this week. A leash is no life for a goat. He (and I) are MUCH happier. When I'm working on the lot I'll let him out since he is my new shadow and follows me wherever I go!

Steel Drum Fun

When I first moved to Hawaii seven "school years" ago, I had to make a decision. It became very clear that I could go in one of two directions. Full time performer or Full time teacher. My greatest joy (and college training!) is in teaching. Two piano teachers happened to move to the mainland the exact summer I moved to Hawaii and BAM! Within a few weeks I was up to sixty private students. I put my steel drum on the back burner for quite awhile. (Well, sort of. The Steel Drum has been a huge hit at my schools) I've kept my steel drum playing a secret. A hidden talent if you will. Partly because I have a musical dog who sings at the top of his howling lungs when I play. So I can never practice new repertoire. And partly because I do not have the time with my teaching schedule for steel drum gigs.

But something happened this month. A Steel Drum awareness awakening. I live in the most tropical US state. And the Steel drum is the most tropical instrument a person could play. What have I been thinking these last 7 years? Enter the month of September. Three steel drum gigs in one month. The first being Parker School's annual BBQ 2 Friday's ago. I was THE only band the entire evening. A one man band, which I am used to being. I teach dozens of private students who attend Parker School. And they came up to me afterwards, wondering WHERE I learned to play the steel drum. Even most of my students do not know about my steel drum ability. Today's gig was a baby's first birthday luau. A Lion King themed party with hundreds of guests. I learned Hakuna Matata and Can you Feel the Love tonight on my steel drum this week in honor of the birthday boy (as well as a few other Disney hits). And in 4 days (Thursday) I will be playing my steel drum for a wedding. I have been kicking Moki out of my music room this past week so I could practice in peace. Alex walked in today and said "You've really offended your vocalist". And Moki sulked into the room and pouted on the floor. I sympathetically asked him "Poor boy, did you want to SING?" and he instantly started howling (without me playing the drum).

I promise, I'm not some crazy dog/goat lady. I just have funny, funny animals. Moki just reminds me that I don't always have to be a one man band....

I Heart Buckley

Day 2: Finally emerged from his kennel but quickly hid behind the chimnea for the rest of the day.
Day 3: Gains some courage to explore his new yard. We are taming him up before bringing him to the pastured lot. But I have a feeling this little socialized guy will want to teach with me during the day and graze early in the AM and in the evening.
Day 4: Wants to keep an eye on us, but still doesn't trust us. Still weary. Let's kids pet him for a minute. Runs and hides when people approach him but then he comes out baaing as if to say "you didn't really go did you??"
Day 4: Totally a different goat. He loves my students and stays put when people approach him. I took him for a walk to the lot today on his long leash. He trotted right behind me and along side his new buddy Moki. He LOVED the pasture, but cried at the top of his lungs when he thought I was leaving him. We'll have to hang out there more so he knows the lot is also our safe place and home.

Sorry Jenny (a dear friend and avid reader of my blog). But your maiden name completely fits my little goat. If it helps, we named Moki after our friend here in Hawaii long before ever moving here.

I promise this blog won't just become all about my little goat. But this little guy is amazing. Every day he is changing. His personality is blossoming. He's coming into his own. Tonight after dinner Alex, myself, and the dog sat by Buckley and we scratched his head. He was in sheer goaty heaven. Today I had a 45 minute lunch break and I played frisbee with Moki to wear him out. And then I sat in my lawn chair with my worn out happy dog to my left, and my little goat curled up to my right. I read my US magazine and scratched both boys behind the ear.

With 74 private students coming and going every half hour, this little goat has no choice but to learn to love humans. The vet told me when he does something naughty, like buck or BUTT (I'm learning the proper farm terminology! But I don't want to change my goats name to Butthead, Buttface, or Buttwheat) I should reprimand him like a dog. I scolded Moki in front of Buckley today for eating goat "raisins" and Buckley looked at me alarmed from hearing my "mean mommy" voice and then looked at Moki and snorted at him!

Our kid is "spirited"

Our kid came with the name Bandit, and we sometimes call him Bandy. But now he is starting to earn the name Buck. Short for Buckwheat. Buckly if you will. Seeing that the only thing he likes to do is Buck you with his tiny horns.

Things would be easier had we adopted him at say 9 weeks instead of 15. He has some issues. And a bit of an attitude. But each day we are making progress. Today he finally emerged from his hidey hole kennel. He loves that thing. He is going to be moved up to the green pasture on the lot as soon as he is a bit more tame. He is a pretty wild young thing. But as you can see from my polaroid picture, he sat contently on the rock wall with me. Only snorting occasionally. And bucking me with his tiny horns a little less often today. In 10 minutes the students start arriving every half hour. Enter Woodbury petting zoo/music studio....

We adopted a kid!

Meet our kid Bandit
Moki meeting his new brother
Bandit is in the middle of his triplet sisters. A teenage goat is behind them.
Bandit's father Decker
Decker looking at the camera mid drink

Cute baby lambs!

So Friday night I was done teaching and I was hanging out in the kitchen with Alex. He said "I almost came home with a baby goat today!" and I said "Awww!! You shouldn't have said anything because now I want one! Would it be hard to take care of a goat?" and he said "Actually, not at all. We've stopped mowing our grass on the acre lot and we could tether him around the lot and he'd be just fine and happy". So the next day, with Alex's permission, I set out to find that truck full of baby goats for sale. But they were gone. There was a sign for a Farm Fair the following day and people standing by the sign told me they would be selling baby goats there from 9-2. So I wake up today full of excitement and zoom out to the farm fair and, sure enough, NO BABY GOATS. So I walk up to the goat cheese stand and ask him about baby goats. He says he has a friend on Waiki'i Ranch with goats (about 10 minutes away from our house). I should call her. So I call, and she said "Yes! I have baby goats for sale". I have always wanted a Nigerian Dwarf goat, but I didn't want to sound too picky and I asked "How big do your goats get?" and she said "I have a sweet 15 week old Nigerian Dwarf goat baby boy named Bandit that I would love to sell to you for $100. He's been fixed and weened from his mother too". So I call Alex and he said "Go get that goat!"

The ride home was bumpy and rough, so right now Bandit (I think we'll keep his name, but our family and friends think we should name him Billie and Goatee. I've always wanted a goat named Scape (scape goat!) is resting in his kennel in our garage. Moki is so excited and hasn't left the front of the kennel yet. Goats are naturally scared to death of dogs, but Moki is a very special boy and I think he and Bandit will make great friends!

Stay tuned for more pictures!

Gone Huntin'

I have wanted to blog about this for so long! But 15 hours of hunting class education in one week took all my free time!

In Hawaii, one of our favorite hobbies is hiking up the green beautiful foothills behind our house. The land is owned by Parker Ranch, making it private property. To get to the state land just yonder, you have to trespass. If caught, you could face a felony for trespassing UNLESS YOU HAVE A HUNTING LICENSE. Why a hunting license? The state is afraid of poachers. But who is more likely to accidentally (or intentionally) poach a Parker Ranch cow? A hiker enjoying the sights, or a HUNTER with his truck, guns, and pack of hunting dogs? Rather than attempt to fight the state and county for hiker rights or a hikers permit (which doesn't exist), Alex and I signed up for Hunters Education. This 15 hour class took place this week on Mon/Tues/and Thursdays from 5-10pm with our exam last night. No, we did not get to shoot guns. And there is a one year wait list for this hunters education class!

In class, after several hours, I started to get bored. So I skimmed through the book at my desk. Just then, I happened to read the sentence "The only weapon without a built in safety is the revolver". JUST THEN, the teacher asks "Which weapon doesn't have a safety?" and some tough hunter raised his hand and rattled off the wrong answer. So I raise my hand and proudly say "The Revolver!" (I almost said "What is the Revolver. Guns and Safety for 300 please") and the teacher (looking stunned himself) said "That's correct!" It was then when about 30 pairs of huge Samoan hunter eyes turned around to look at me like "Who IS this little white girl wearing pig tails and an orange hat covered in buttons!"

So last night we took the exam and we both passed. You needed a 75 to pass and I got a 92 (and Alex got a 97). Now that I think back on the test, it would be SCARY for someone to only get 75 and be legally eligible to hunt with a gun!

So in conclusion, now we can legally hike!

09/09/09 at 09:09:09 (nine o nine AM and nine seconds)

And where were YOU on 09/09/09 at 9:09 AM and 9 seconds? It would be so fun to have a baby on this day! Maybe I'll shoot for 10/10/10 or 11/11/11 or 12/12/12! But I don't think the stork works quite that way.

Speaking of deliveries, Monday I looked out of my music room window after Alex called me from the road saying he thought he saw a baby horse in Judy's field across the street. I look out and sure enough there is a tiny baby, still wet, trying to stand up in the heaviest wind! I quickly called Judy and said "There is a baby horse in your field!" and she said "THANK YOU thank you thank you for calling me! I'll be RIGHT there!" I guess horses normally give birth at night so she didn't do a morning colt check. I told Judy that her horse wanted to labor on Labor day! She is going to keep the colt and joked about naming her Roadside Side Show because she caused quite the crowd Monday morning.