Camryn had Peyton and Gunner. Here she is showing Peyton (on the right)…
and then receiving her 4th place ribbon on him.
Lacey purchased Banana Split when he was still just a little fellow, but she did a super job with him.
Here she is winning 4th place in showmanship…
and 1st place in his class. Just look at that fine grooming!
Congratulations to both girls for doing a great job with their goats!
The Delta County fair was an adventure for Swan View Ranch again this year. (Check out the post from last year here.)
It all started with a van full of Delta County 4-H kids departing from the ranch with several four-legged kids in the back! Here are Evan, Lillie, Easton, Eric, and Liam picking up their young wethers to finish off for the August fair.
After months of hard work and training, the big day arrived. Below, Evan shows his wether.
Next, Easton talks with the judge. Look at how attentive and polite he is!
Below, Lillie shows her home-grown doe. (She’s in the middle.)
Toward the end of the day, Lillie showed her wether, Blake. Here, she is giving him a pep talk before entering the ring. Those are long ears to whisper into!
For such a little girl she sure did a fine job showing her animals. In fact, all the kids did great, and I sure enjoyed watching them. Nice to see some of today’s young people learning about animals and farm life. No better way to be raised, in my opinion!
We’ve been admiring this little buck since he was born. We inquired about buying him when he was just a month old, but at that time he wasn’t for sale. When he became available in July, we were the first ones on the phone.
His breeding (Sire: I’m A Cool Cat ) comes out of Oregon, but we were fortunate enough to get him in Austin at the Kickin’ A Ranch where he was born. We brought him home about the time everyone else was watching fireworks. To us, he was much more fascinating!
We look for great things out of this boy in another year. Swan View Ranch is happy to welcome KNR Radical Cat, affectionately known around here as R. C.!!
But you know, the ride wasn’t so bad. With all the straw, it was pretty comfortable, and I had plenty of room to stretch out. Plus the people in the cab kept talking to me, and they sounded pretty nice, so I was able to relax. 
When I got out of the truck, the first thing I saw was nice, fresh grass. I just had to swipe a bite. It tasted sooooo good, especially after a long trip. Sort of like what ice cream must taste like to humans, I suppose, though I never did get the appeal.
Once I finished my snack, Gerald took me for a walk. I could tell I was headed for the barn. I could see other goats up there, and I knew I would soon be joining them.
First individual I met when I arrived? Not another goat, but a cat! I was a bit perplexed, but then she introduced herself. It was the famous Miss Fluff Puff, the Super Cat Nanny! Everyone’s heard about her, even up in Oregon. I was so honored that she came out first thing to welcome me. 
That night, I settled down next to Clint. I have to say. He’s not at all bad to look at. Who knew that our very own Swan View Ranch goats would find their way into bestselling literature? (grin)
I really enjoy reading, and have had the pleasure of meeting some of the authors whose books I’ve loved. It’s always so interesting to meet someone when you admire their work. Sometimes they’re just as you imagined them, and often times they’re completely different, but either way, it’s a great experience.
Recently, I had the very good fortune of meeting bestselling romance author Joanne Kennedy. Her books are fun, sexy, and full of western character, so as a country girl myself, I find them a great escape.
When I heard Joanne was going to be nearby, I couldn’t wait to meet her. She expresses such a great sense of humor in her books, I felt sure she would be equally enjoyable in person.
Author Joanne Kennedy and I.
Well, this lady was all that and more. Not only was she bright, beautiful, and extremely friendly, she was so humble and welcoming, and made me feel like we’d been old pals for years.
After I gushed about her books, the conversation moved to country things, like cowboys, farms, and family. Joanne mentioned she’d married a southern boy, and said his family held an annual “banana puddin’” contest every year.
Who could make the best one? She hasn’t thrown her own recipe in the ring yet, but found the contest unique and a ton of fun.
As she told the story, all I could think about was my beautiful doe Banana, and her baby this year—which we had named Banana Pudding.
“That’s my baby goat’s name!” I told her.
Joanne didn’t miss a step and jumped right in there, wanting to know all about my herd.
What a coincidence that she just happened to mention that story—and she had the perfect southern accent to describe the event: “The banana puddin’ contest!” she said with a perfect southern drawl.
Right then and there, “Banana Pudding” became “Banana Puddin’,” and this farm earned a little southern charm.
But Joanne had another surprise for me. She’d brought me a copy of her brand new book, How to Handle a Cowboy. I was thrilled!
Of course I had to ask her to sign it, so she did—memorializing forever my little Banana Puddin’ in the pages of romance literature.
I was so thrilled and will now register my baby as “Balance’s Banana Puddin’!”
Thanks Joanne. So wish I could say it like you do!
Oh, and I have to add—Joanne told me that if she ever buys a goat, it will be from Swan View Ranch. So there you have it. What other goat ranch is favored by a bestselling author? (huge smile)
For more about Joanne’s latest book, check out her website. These are heartfelt stories with handsome cowboys, family struggles, gentle romance and happy endings.
We’re starting out with Presley, our beautiful buck out of Sophia and Balance. Named for the King of Rock and Roll—he was born on Elvis’ birthday, January 8—he’s already making the girls swoon!
Another good looking buck out of Acadia and Balance is Peyton—named for the quarterback of the Denver Broncos, of course! AFC Champions! He’s got the chest muscles to go throwing that ball if he wanted to, but he seems to be more content relaxing in the straw.
Here’s Natalie, out of Raquel (a Sophia daughter) and Balance, telling Gerald just how it is in the goat barn these days. We think she was also feeling a little superior to the other kids, as she was the one who was elevated to lap position!
Gunner, out of Pistol and Balance, just didn’t think Natalie should be getting all the preferential treatment. Here he is trying to impress Gerald with his physical prowess. Look how I can jump and twist! Surely that earns me some lap time?
Including a few more pics below. From left to right: Rudy, Ilsa, & Liesel, out of Tara and Balance; Gretchen, out of Ole and 007; Autumn, out of Semi and Peggy; and another picture of Presley in Gerald’s lap.
Of course Presley gets lap time. Would you say “no” to the King?
