Wanderings & Wonderings 015

Books & Goats (repeated, like Boots & Cats)

Hi, I'm Niquelle, part-time traveler, full-time nature lover. I find joy in sharing about my adventures, big and small, as I wander around wonderland. In addition to essays and poems, I share weekly reflections with more details of my whereabouts and some recommendations, magical moments and encounters, current reads, and more. I hope some of my work inspires you to wander & wonder too! ✨

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Whereabouts:

This week I hosted my second Women Who Explore event — a dog hike! Minnie and I made all the preparations in the days leading up to it. Doggie first aid kit? Packed! Raincoats? Check! Goodie bags for all the furry participants? Of course! Despite the fact that the weather early that morning was dubious, we forged ahead with the plan. Four folks signed up to join us for this off-leash adventure, but as the start time neared, the attendance list waned. I had sent (what I thought was) a reassuring email reminder the day before, with recommendations for gear, trail conditions, and encouragement to join us. Turns out my written rally didn’t persuade most, but one woman did show up, and I was so glad! E was brave enough to come out, even with the threat of rain, and we had such a lovely time hiking over 3 miles in fair weather. Sitting around the low 70’s, it felt surprisingly mild, compared to how hot it’s been. We found dozens of frogs, a meadow fall of Black-eyed Susans, and saw several sweet pups along the way. Although E wasn’t able to bring her 15 year old dog, she was able to take a bag of treats home to him, and I have a feeling he probably appreciated that more than he would have liked hiking away. The weather really was in our favor, and about 1/2 mile before we were back at our cars, a light cooling rain started falling. We welcoming the refreshing drops and hustled back to our cars just in time, before the skies opened up, dumping buckets and buckets.

Scenes:

At the farm this week, there were neighborhood kids visiting and getting to know the goats. As is common, almost everyone who sees (or hears) the goats is excited to meet them. This group of kiddos was no exception, and they were eager to feed the goats some of their favorites — oak leaves and knotweed, yum! One young boy, was equal parts curious and nervous about being around the goats. “They gonna bite me?”, he kept asking, as if soothing himself and sharing his anxiety in equal parts. “They won’t bite you,” I reassured, “and if they do, they only have little flat teeth on the bottom, near the front. They don’t have two rows of front teeth like us,” I shared. Comforted, he got right up close to the goats and tried to steal pets as they grazed. He hung around long enough that the goats got comfortable with him, too. A couple even attempted to use him as leverage to stand and reach the oak leaves that were otherwise too high for them. While he was giggling about goats standing up, bumping into him, and thankfully, not biting him, more visitors joined along the fence line. I set my library book down on a chair and went over to greet them. I invited them to offer snacks of green leaves from outside the fence and they happily obliged. While I was distracted from introducing the goats, and relishing the joy that they bring to everyone who meets them, I hear an unusual flutter. As I turn I see what’s making the noise, I spot one of the goaties (as I affectionately call them) literally taking a page out of my book. Not just testing or tasting, as they’d done all morning, but ripping and pulling an entire paragraph from it! I was shocked and quickly walked over to reclaim the paperback. Thankfully, they started reading eating from the back, and only tore out the “also by this author…” page, as well as the final page, that’s always left blank.¹ I’m glad the damage was relatively minor, and I’ll be able to repair the pages, as best as I’m able. Honestly, I can’t wait to return the book, and explain to the librarian that, in fact, this was a book you could really sink your teeth into. 🤭

Poppy, mid-chomp

Reads:

What book did the goats try to read, you must be wondering… Well, after finishing V.E. Schwab’s newest book, which I loved, I’ve been tearing through — no pun intended — Wild. It’s an oldie (but so far, seemingly), a goodie! Thanks to my dear friend, A who suggested it when I recently put a call out for recommendations. It was a big hit when it came out over a decade ago, and even made into a film, which I haven’t seen yet, but I’m really into it. It’s part memoir, part trail journal, by a woman (Cheryl Strayed) whose life is in shambles, and so she decides to hike the PCT². Kind of on a whim. Nowadays, you might not think too much of that, but this was back in the mid-90’s, when very few people were backpacking the PCT, let alone as an inexperienced solo female. It’s been pretty amazing and encouraging. And a little, well, wild. I’ve always thought about hiking the AT and/or PCT, but up until now convinced myself I’d need someone else to do it with. Maybe I’ll reconsider once I finish Cheryl’s account? Only time will tell, stay tuned.

Q’s:

1. Are you someone who likes to stick to hiking/outdoor plans, regardless of weather?

2. What books are you devouring lately?

3. Do you enjoy solo or group hiking more?

Until next time.

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My Substack is free, and always will be, but if you want to contribute to fueling my adventures beyond liking, commenting, or sharing, you can do so below:

1. Does anyone know why that’s common practice? Is it to protect the works, buffer them from goats and other curious creatures, or unfortunate book-destroying situations?

2. Pacific Coast Trail: which runs along much of the West Coast of the US (though inland). It spans from the Mexico/California border up to the Canadian/Washington border. It’s approximately 2,650 miles long.