What did you do today?

[Taffy]

I went for a early evening walk along the Columbia River with my friends, Debbi & Eldon Otta, their two 6 month old packgoat prospects and my wether, Bourbon.  It's been in the triple digits for over a week now.  This particular early evening was down to the mid 90's.  The trail is in a natural area of a county park.

It was the first hike for Elliot and Hobbs.  This trail is a good one to start goats on.  Eldon let the boys off their leashes and you'd think they were still on lead!  They never left Debbi or Eldon the entire time.

Bourbon never lets me out of his site or gets very far from me.  In the one photo I wasn't staying up like he thought I should so he stopped, looked back and gave me "the look" as if to say, "Are you coming?  Keep up!"

This trail has lots of wild blackberries and wild roses along with willow and all sorts of tasty grasses.  It's a paradise for humans and goat alike.  While the humans ate ripe blackberries the goats ate all sorts of goodies.  Every once in awhile we'd eat a berry that wasn't quite ripe and boy - talk about puckering up!

After we'd hiked up and back the trail we went to a spot by the trail where it's shallow for a fair distance out with good footing.  It's a great place to water train the goats.  Bourbon hadn't been in the water since fall of 2016 but after a tug on the lead he was in and out of the water with no issues.  Elliot and Hobbs had their first water experience.  Neither was thrilled.  Most of our hiking is desert hiking so the goats are exposed to a lot of water crossings.

I thought the water was great!  In fact, after the hike in the mid 90's the river felt warm and refreshing - even if it IS only 66*!