Snowy and Spikey

Went to the market to do shopping for the classroom - and me - with a stop at TS for goat minerals and various things.  I love to shop in Norwich because I frequently see my peeps from school supporting the local economy along with me.  By the time I got on the road heading home it was snowing.  Really snowing.  I was reminded how uncomfortable it is to negotiate winding country roads in the dark.  Pulling in the farm lane I was greeted by Reba, who was jumping with joy to see me.  Matt was home working on the barn door today but the dogs were still frantic about their mama.  Got the groceries in and a bit of dinner together before chores.  We brought Knut in the barn to hang out with Thor and the sheep.  Finn, the spoiled baby of  the three White Boys, is sleeping by the wood stove in the house.  The ducks are inside the barn and so are the sheep and goats.  Everyone is acting like this first snow is a blizzard.  I had some excitement tonight when I noticed that little Spikey, the adorable but runty Nubian buck, had escaped from his run and was cavorting with one of my lovely black angora does - a nightmare scenario as a mating with her would result in goats that would be good for neither mohair nor milk.  It took me a half hour in a semi-bent position (the barn floor is rather high due to the manure pack) chasing the entire flock around in an effort to capture Spikey and put him back in his pen.  His little ankle slipped right through my leg crook several times.  I decided to try a pan of corn and that did the trick, but I had him by the tiny horns and couldn't let go or I would lose him and he would be back mounting my gorgeous black angora girl.  I called for Matt who held him while I slipped a halter on him.  I asked Matt to kill him for me so I could feed him to the dogs, but he said no.  The Nubian girls don't want him as he is half their size and they hate him.  The smaller angoras think he is adorable and would give it up to him any time.  My plan for producing goat milk to feed to bottle lambs instead of expensive milk replacer is slipping away.  I'll have lambs in March but I can't even get the Nubians bred.  Maybe I can trade Spikey, who is adorable, for a big, bad ass Nubian buck who will make Fancy and Matilda melt.  Easier said than done.