goat note

I'm sure you are on tenterhooks, wondering what happened with the five bags of raw cashmere I sent to be assessed at the Cashmere Goat Association show in Maine.

Unlike you and I, the goats couldn't care less.
Fiber? In Summer? Not of interest.
They are busy with other things.
Hay. Oats. Browse.
The loose mineral feeders.

Azalea after a visit to the mineral feeder

Dara, ditto

What?

You aren't on tenterhooks about the fiber assessment either?
You weren't even wondering?

Well that's good, because it will be quite a while before I can share the results.

Shortly after mailing the package, I got an email from Maine asking if, after the CGA judging, I would like to send my fiber on to the Canadian Cashmere Producers show at the end of August. One of the Canadian cashmere breeders attending the US show kindly offered to transport any US entries across the border for the Canadian judging.

A rare post-publication editorial note, after reading several comments and thinking I may have misled you:

I love it that YOU love my goats so much, this sounded like an achievement on their part!  :)  But no, the offer came before the judging in Maine. A Canadian cashmere person made a very generous gesture to all the US cashmere breeders, eliminating both the risk and the expense of shipping their fiber to the Canadian show.
But thank you for thinking such nice thoughts about my gang o'goats :)

This unexpected opportunity seemed too good to pass up, so I paid another five entry fees and on they went. The only "down" side: the judge's comment cards from the US show are travelling with the fiber. I will not see any of the assessment comments from either judge until the fiber is mailed back to me in September! So, I just have to be patient.

Fortunately, cashmere goats are excellent teachers of patience. They teach it very, very well.

Just not by example.

~~~~~