Best little landscaper

At the end of spring, the edge of our yard was thick with growth. It was a warm winter, rainy spring, and our woods thickened up with all that richness. Green was aplenty.

(to see the full picture, click on it. The blog only shows a portion.)

So were the snakes! One day, I came to add the kitchen scraps to the compost (on the right of the photo below) and there was a big black king snake camped out under some brush. I was likely 6ft, but I didn't hang out long enough to measure! They're not poisonous, but I'm sure they'd like some chicken eggs out of my coop near by, and they will bite which I don't want happening with the kids who get the eggs and take the compost most days. The brush by the compost was as thick as the first picture, right up to the compost box. Like a wall.

The day I found the snake that close to where the kids frolick, was the day this city girl decided to get a goat.

Loki has been a surprising addition. He has even been loaned to the neighbors a few times to chew down some brush. Maren remarked about how much easier he was to walk to their house on a leash than the dog was that we used to have. Despite her begging, I think I've managed to convince her that goats don't like to go for a walk on a leash every day!

And he has earned his keep. He cleans up an area of saplings and vines, even poison oak and poison ivy. Then I cut down the bare remains, and move him further. He has cleaned up the edge of the yard that was thick with brush, to now having the floor of the woods cleaned up 30 ft back! Big difference!

As fall approaches, so do coyotes, so I am in the process of building him a pen for the winter. 4x4 fence posts have been set 2ft deep, and this chick poured concrete yesterday. Gotta stay well rounded ;) once the cement dries, the wire pen will go up, and I can't wait until it is finished with the cute picket gate that James is making. I'm loving putting down roots, and this journey that it is taking me on.