Friday, April 25, 2014

Celebrate with Horned Locusts this Earth Day Weekend!


The Horned Locusts are preparing for a great BIG weekend.
They will be making tracks and an appearance in Santa Fe at the Earth Day Celebration across from the Farmers Market at the Railyard Park...


Come out and meet a few of the crew!
The ponies Doonie and Pecos will be there as well as Curly the LGD (and her pup "Pistol" who will be moving up to Camino De Paz to serve and protect the School's mama and baby goats)... 
And Valentino, the adorable Aussie/Maremma cross puppy...


Guppy and her daughter, Shadoe, will also be available for pets...


Also, Of Course! A few goats!
We will be promoting backyard dairygoat keeping with an emphasis on GoatWalking!
Come learn how to feed your goaties on the earth, by helping the earth!
 

Learn what dogs are helpful and how horses are a Life (and leg) Saver!


Keep your dial set to KSFR's Gardens Food and Santa Fe at 10am when Amanita Thorp and Poki Piottin from Gaia Gardens will be talking on the show with Bob Ross about farmyard critters and their keeping...




 THEN: On Sunday we will be at Nob Hill BLOCK PARTY celebrating the earth with the folks at La Mantanita Co-op... Come down and rock out to the bands all day and meet all manner of folks who wish the world the best there is to offer...



Hope to see you all there!


Working Alameda

The HornedLocusts are back at it!

 And SOOO glad to be out working in Alameda... Our project is to weed seed and weed the pasture. 


 Top on the munchy list are the Sock Stickers and ELM!


 Even the littlest kiddos LOVE ELM!


 It is a lovely area to work in... many ducks (even gorgeous Wood Ducks!) And Geese!
I love the many wild lives that call this place home...


Rocky and his partner Curly are on duty to protect their Capricious family...



Apollo loves Elm for eating as well as a good horn massage...


 Circus Boy has no horns but loves to massage his non horn non buds 
(this boy was born without horns)... 
Especially after his Role Model expresses his own appreciation..


 Early weeds:Dandelion, Bindweed, Plantain...
What a great mixed salad!


 Multi-tasking goats dimple the soil surface and lay down nitrogen rich manure which aid the seed in finding low spots to take hold and fertilizer to grow strong. 
After seeding and irrigating the goats peruse the pasture again working the new round of emerging weed starts and helping to cover over seed...


Edam is loving her first GoatScaping project...


Mama Brie is glad to be joining the Brush goats in the field with her little one.


Elf is also quite impressed...


Elephant Ears runs to catch up with the browsing crew...


Cerbina takes turns with Brie kidsitting...



 Big Boy and Princess dig in!
 


 

The goats work the banks for the many Sock Stickers and then return to the lower land for Dandelion, Mallow and Licorice...



Dalmation gladly works some Elm....


Uncovering the old Mower...


 Last time we worked this pasture I spotted a Great Basin Skink hanging out under this thing.
Both very fun to uncover.


The first few days a local feral flock of Guinea Hens followed the goats around munching the many grasshoppers and other bugs which were uncovered by the browsing Horned Locusts... 




Dandelion! A very helpful herb for the liver and kidneys...


Abundant herbs all around...


Shadoe made quick friends with this Collie down the way


Guppy keeps a close eye on me...


Mama Mia loves all the old Dandelion stalks...


And they are OFF!
The goats have begun working the ditch to help fuel the final mustard feed in the pasture... 
While they fill up on fresh tips and tops they prepare their microbiotica to digest odd flavored and tough to process weeds like mustard, chamisa...


This section of the ditch has not been maintained recently and is safe from weed killers that are typically used to keep vegetation down along ditches and acequias...


Herding Partners...


Goats work inclines like professionals...


Or better.. like Goats!

Friday, January 3, 2014

New Year New Puppies FOR SALE



3/4 Australian Shepherd Puppies FOR SALE
(505) 917-9885




Individual Photos Coming SOON...
"Biscuit": This little blue Merle is strikingly gorgeous with his big blaze and bright blue eye. Biscuit is very affectionate and confident. He is very smart, easiest to paper train and first to ask to go outside instead. Biscuit has a short natural bob tail. Blue Merle.

"Rosetta": This is our most dynamic puppy. Rosetta has herded goats at the young age of about 6 weeks when she tagged along to the goat pen at GoatWalk time. Her instincts immediately kicked in and she bunched the already fairly bunched herd of 40 horned brush goats before she stopped to consider her situation...and then continued with her program.. Very fun puppy and looks to people strongly. Needs working or active companion home. Natural short-stubby bob tail.
Black Tri.

"Hobbs": This boy is looking for a home where he will bond strongly to his person/people. Fun loving and playful, Hobbs wants to be part of the activity or relax at home. Loves children. He has a unique blaze connected to collar pattern and a longer stubby bob tail.
Black Tri.

"Howler": So named when a young pack reaction to a coyote howl outside caused him, at 5 weeks, to produce a decent howl,  joining in concert with his parents... He trotted right up to the door, sat down and howled. Mostly Howler is a pretty quiet puppy, very sensitive and gentle. He has a calmer, gentler personality and like his daddy is very sensitive to everything, but is also very confident and assertive. Howler loves to play fetch and will bring back the toy to be thrown over and over. He is very easy going. Howler has a very short naturally bobbed tail. 
Black Tri.

"Cake": This is a friendly puppy. With his big full tail he greets so enthusiastically and with joy. Cake is not overly energetic, rather quite easy going, but does like to express joy through movement. Cake is the climber of the group and thinks a lot. He is very smart, bold, but not very dominating. Will make a wonderful companion. 
Black Tri.

"Muffin": This girl is a striking copy of her mama in looks, but is much more submissive. Muffin is a longer haired pup, and a couch potato. Natural long bob tail. 
Blue Merle.

"River": River is the smallest and is very sensitive. She is also very bold and will make a great stock dog. Very short bob tail.
Black Tri.



Testimonials from previous litters



"Buddy"
Hello Amanita. Here are a few photos of Buddy. He has been such a great dog for all of us. He and little Lorenzo are best buds. Buddy follows him everywhere and protects him. He lets me give him lots of lovings and brush him. One of the photos is of Buddy and big Lorenzo and Buddy is pretty fond of him too.

"Busco"
Hi Amanita...We have been having a great time! Busco and I are back in San Diego and are having so much fun exploring together. He goes everywhere with me and doesn't leave my side.  I take care of lots of little kids and he has been so great around them! My 4 year old little cousin and him are best friends. She tells everyone that she is helping teach Busco how to be around kids. Busco and I spend a lot of time either hiking or going to the beach. We have learned fetch and also like playing with the other dogs of my various family including standard poodles, great Pyrenees and blue heelers. He loves being with them!  I just wanted to let you know we are doing great and share some photos.... I just want to thank you for my new best friend. He's been so amazing and we are having so much fun together!

"Blue Cheese"
Blue Cheese is doing well- loves, and I mean loves to play ball- big small. She is wonderful at catching and knows how to sit and stay! We are blessed to have such a wonderful girl! She has many tennis balls and probably fetches more than 500 times a day- also drops on command, catches tennis balls, carries 2 at a time, and herds a big red tennis ball and basketball!

"Solstice"
We are all in love and doing great... Thanks for raising such a great dog. She is agile, spirited and smart. She had her first shots and the vet thought she was terrific, we do too... and she trained to the invisible fence in 1 day. Smartest of all our dogs and we have had many really smart ones... Thanks for breeding such a wonderful dog.

"Happy"
Paul was so excited to meet Happy last night. He is a grown man who turned into a little boy when I gave him Happy. Paul’s never had a dog of his own before and always dreamed of having an Australian Shepherd. He couldn’t be happier with his new friend for life. 



Our puppies are raised underfoot in our living room with love and are socialized to other dogs, chickens, peacocks, goats and horses as well as an enthusiastic small child. Our Pups have gone on to be successful companions, workers and whatever else their people ask of them.

Father is ASCA registered Hart II SunStarBuck, a solid and tireless cowdog bred goatdog. Bucky loves to work, ride in the truck and play ball, big and small. A super sweet, sensitive, biddable and enjoyable companion/workmate.

Mother is "Guppy" an Aussie cross from our double registered girl, granddaughter of Supreme National Champion, Twin Oaks Kit Carson: SunRay's High Desert Lazuli.
Guppy is a strong worker that has always been pretty easy to work. She keeps bucks, fights and the herd as a whole in line and is gentle with kids. Excellent mother, companion and worker. 

This cross has pleased many families and individuals with their intelligence, sweet love, and general happy and active energy.