Got Your Goat?

I was biking home today, and went to take my usual short-cut through an empty lot everyone in the area uses to access the little park that our street butts onto, when I saw the gaping holes in the fence were fenced over. As I emerged guiltily from the empty lot, two people walking by (with cameras) said hello to me and told me not to hurry away because the goats were coming.

"Goats?" I asked.

"Goats."

So the couple's neighbours invited me into their house (which was halfway ready for American Thanksgiving - more on this holiday later hopefully) and took me to the back deck and pointed over the fence, where, many goats were nibbling daintily. Families in this neighbourhood rent goats once per year to eat all the noxious weeds and keep the risk of winter grass fires down. The goats are from Wyoming and they travel the country to provide this service, at the rate of $3 (US) per day. This is real, people. I HAVE SEEN THE GOATS!

Deer on the Porch

This was a few weeks ago, but not an uncommon occurrence

"I opened up my eyes to see
A land of sunny rocks and funny trees
I guess (Yes,) I'm on the moon again
A heavy earth exchange a lighter breeze
Got no coat and got no money
A pair of tennis shoes to last through May
A crater for an outdoor pool
A few good cats to help me pass the day"

Porch by Widespread Panic (a band I've never heard of before)

The deer down here are Mule Deer, not White-Tailed Deer. From my super scientific observation, the Mule Deer have slightly chunkier bodies, big long donkey ears, and of course, no cute white flag tail. To me this gives them a more ungainly and dopier appearance. Which makes them both more and less cute at the same time.

T.G.I.F... M.B.

Tasting Grand or Ickily Formulated Microbrewed Beer

Coconut Joe & College Football.
(I didn't really watch the football.)

• What kind of beer? Coconut Joe. Coconut Coffee Stout.
• Where is it brewed? Papago Brewing, Scottsdale Arizona. (A suburb of Phoenix.)
• Alcohol content? Not listed, but it felt substantial.
• Tasters' rating? You may be squinching your noise up in suspicion, but I assure you, this hearty beer deserves its G for Grand! Strong stouty taste (reminiscent of the Half Pints Stir Stick Stout) with a toasty little coconut undertone. Yum! Even Mr. Prairie, proclaimed coconut hater, smiled after his sip.

Phoenix, Arizona

Cactus, cactus everywhere!

Some friends from home were visiting Phoenix for a few days, so we jumped on a cheap flight from Allegiant Airlines and stayed with them. Allegiant is one of those airlines with very few frills, rush seating, $2.00 soft drinks, but enjoys the added bonus of using a smaller airport in Phoenix, which is a relief when you're new somewhere!

All cacti are succulents,
but not all succulents are cacti!

The first thing we did, upon arriving, was visit the Desert Botanical Garden. A little expensive, I thought, (free if you're in the military though, at least on Remembrance Day [Veteran's day here]) but it turned out to be huge. There are many different kinds of cactus, by the way. 

Cactus skeleton

After viewing the cacti, I saw my very first live NHL game, for $20. This included a free drink!

Petroglyphs, department store Chinese Murals, Frank was a man of many inspirations.

The next day, we visited one of Frank Lloyd Wright's estates, Taliesin West, (Tally-essin) where we enjoyed the 1-hour panorama tour. What did we learn? Frank's summer home was not a very polished place. It was made in the late 30's, out of whatever building materials he could find cheaply, by him and his students, as a testing ground for his ideas.

Can't find work? Start your own school, train architects,
and have them build you a  home, just like Frank did!

For all of that, it was still a very impressive site!

Mr. King, I understand you so much better now.

I think these storm sewers could inhale anything they wanted from us.

I can totally picture a creepy clown lurking under there, can't you?
*Shudder* I know I'll be hovering very far above the toilet seat when peeing for the next little while.

T.G.I.F... M.B.

Tasting Grand or Ickily Formulated Microbrewed Beer

Even a sepia filter could not save my terrible photography

• What kind of beer? Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale. With a touch of pure maple syrup.
• Where is it brewed? Idaho Springs, about 100 miles from here. 
• Alcohol content? 4.5%.
• Tasters' rating? G for Grand! Not too sweet, not too strong, not too light. Just nice!