Cold day kisses from a goat with a beard

I'm trying to get back into blogging, I swear I am. 
In my defense, it's been a rough month. 

So - for now - can I just say that goat kisses make me a happy girl?:
My goat boys have extras, if you are in need.

The day Honey refused

What started out as just a little bit on Saturday night:

...became this on Sunday:

which turned into this on Monday:

 and looked like this  when we awoke this morning:

Honey made it very clear she wasn't going to get out of bed today:

No way, no how:

And no kind of enticement could convince her otherwise:

Though she was most happy to be served breakfast in bed:

Roxy, my farm pup, also opted out of her farm duties today:

Even when I gave her a choice of her three favorite winter sweaters...:

she decided that she, too, would prefer to stay in bed today.

So, minus two of my farm friends, I started the rather lonely hike up to the barn:

But, hearing something behind me, I turned around to find my faithful buddy, George, waiting for me at his usual morning spot:

And though I think he got a bit of a shock at how deep the snow was...:

he valiantly tried to follow me in the footsteps I left behind:

 I took pity on him and gave him a lift part of the way to the barn:

I think he appreciated this:

And on the trek up that hill, it was good to have a buddy:

Kai llama greeted us with a smile.  She loves this weather:

Beau, however, was still wondering why I haven't brought him his winter hat:

And Chester, just like every other morning, proclaimed his concern over why breakfast was late:

Once everything was mucked out and all were happily fed at the barn:

I headed off to the goats.  On the way, I stopped to admire the remains of the deer-netting around my lower garden.  Hmpf:

Pete and Reggie would not have chosen to come out today:

But, as a special favor to me (they are such good boys), they did finally step outside for a moment:

But literally, it was just for a moment:

In the end, they would've been happy to stand right here - just like this - and look at me all day.  Silly goats:

Excited, chattery noises from the chicken coop told me the chickens knew I was on my way with breakfast:

These girls (and boy) have seen snow quite a few times over their almost four years of life, but it's still a very scary thing when they are reintroduced to it:

And nobody likes it when a huge drift of snow falls from the trees overhead onto the chicken run roofing:

When I returned to the house after feeding, Honey still refused to come out:

...which made her more than a wee bit indignant when I had to pull  her out so I could clean out her crate:

In the end, she did agree to do a quick lap around the deck to stretch her legs for a moment:

but then...

she went right...

back to bed:

And she has stayed there all day:

Smart girl...:

The face of a chicken...

who just did her job for the day:

Good girl, Spongebob!

Friendships

Friendships are funny things, aren't they? 
Over the last year, I've given the subject of friendship a great deal of thought, not only while watching the relationships here on Critter Farm develop and grow but also through experiencing them in my own life with (gasp!) other humans.

Often, friendships begin slowly:

A little bit of curiosity and a friendly face can usually get the ball rolling:

Some friendships seem effortless:

Like those that are clearly built on a common interest:

...or those that share common personalities:

Sometimes friendships develop in the most unlikely of places:

...and these are the ones that often turn into something truly special:

Some relationships thrive on the "opposites attract" principle:

Occasionally relationships come into your life completely by chance:

and then delight you daily with their perfection, making you wonder how you ever lived without them:

Then there are those friendships that grow ever-so-slowly but, one day, take a huge leap forward in trust, taking the relationship to a whole new level:

There are others, still, that may always need to work hard to prevent misunderstandings and work out the kinks:

Bottom line, you just never know where a friendship is going to develop:

As long as there is trust, the possibilities are limitless:

So never rule out the chance that a friendship might form:

... for you might miss out on something amazing:

And so, in a bit of a sentimental summary, as fortunate as I have been to witness the relationships that have grown here on Critter Farm over the last year, I have been equally blessed with the friendships (online, in person, long-standing, new and rekindled) that have grown in my own personal life over this last year. 

If I had to choose one adage to best express my experiences these last twelve months, I would choose "when one door shuts, many others open".  I have truly lived this lesson this year.  As 2011 ends, I am very thankful for the people who call me their friend.  My life has been enriched because of you. 

Happy New Year.
 ♥