Days 698-701, 1-4 May '16, Goatwatch continues. As daft as it might sound, we really are in the middle of the Circle of Life here in Ireland. Chicks are being hatched and some make it (some don't). We try to have a Darwinistic/Survival of the fittest viewpoint. Stripey is now thriving. But it's not been an easy run. She was pooping like crazy shortly after she was born and, who'da thunk it, it was baby-s**t yellow. Daisy wasn't cleaning her (understandably) and we hit the internet for assistance (googled 'baby goat poop' and thanks to goat-link... are now experts). The liquid yellow poop solidifies like tree sap. We didn't want to interfere with mum/bub bonding, but by Monday morning it was clear we had to do something otherwise Stripey would be completely unable to poop, get sick and die. It's one of the main tenets of housesitting actually - no-one dies on our watch! So we followed the instructions, kid-napped the little darling and brought her up to the house for a warm, soapy bath in the basin. We had rather hoped the rock solid business would miraculously dissolve... but no... fingernails may never be the same again. Stripey was actually pretty cool with the whole experience. Not happy per se... but quite trusting of her human god-parents. Sweet and clean and very wet, we wrapped her up, dried her off, covered all possible areas (bottom, tail, back of legs) with vaseline and delivered her back to mum. Who has kept her clean ever since. She's a much happier kid now, climbing everywhere and gambolling about. A chicken has also taken up residence in the goat pen - more darn eggs! The dogs are also fascinated with the kid goat and pop in for a visit whenever we go down. Sweetie the pygmy goat is also heavily pregnant - our money is on twins, pure black. So popping down a couple of times a day to count heads. Sweetie has gotten so big she can barely wobble and Reggie (that would be dad) has been being a nuisance and jumping the girls every chance he gets. So they've been segregated. Girl goats ecstatic. Reggie not so much - but we don't want him crushing a newborn. Anyway - aside from running a goat-maternity ward, life has been continuing on. We hit the beach a couple of times a week and let the dogs run like crazy and we are starting to get very, very excited about the forthcoming flight to Dubai and on to Langkawi, Malaysia. Bring it on!

(PS - we seriously never thought we'd become goat experts... but you just never know what is around the next corner. Could become experts on tropical hideaways in Langkawi and never, ever want to leave).