Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: goats

  • You’ve Got To Be Kidding

    You’ve Got To Be Kidding

    a shedload of wine & a farm full of goats

    You’ve Got To Be Kidding, the follow on to Thirty Thousand Bottles of Wine and Pig Called Helga is a leap into the real world of tree change, full of moments all too easily able to be related to life’s journey. In Todd and his partner Jeff’s case, their tree change from city life to country life on Block Eight, a 100 acre winery in the Hunter Valley, was one that began an often times hilarious journey into the world of ‘farming’, Air B‘n B, tourism and wine production, that hit a massive snag with the arrival of the summer fires of 2019-‘20, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Barely making a comfortable living from their acreage, they filled their life with friends and the addition of more rescue animals, all of which Todd fell madly in love with and Jeff simply took in his stride. The couple realised they  had to take stock of their life as farmers on Block Eight, add up the real balance sheet, find a way to sell off their shed load of quality red, and somehow manage to keep the Ark afloat, sick animals and all during the year that was 2020.

    Their idyllic lifestyle was under review, as it had been under threat for some time. No matter how they tried to manage their non-existent budget, somehow, between Todd needing to rescue a few more animals and Jeff’s love of purchasing cushions, it just never seemed to meet in the middle.

    But what next, as it is not easy to find somewhere else that can house two men and their collection of beloved family members, all of whom have become very used to a good life, with purpose built accommodation, thanks to Jeff and the best of feed, overseen by Todd, on a daily basis.

    Full of light hearted fun, real strength of purpose and determination to make everything come out all right, You’ve Got To Be Kidding makes you laugh at the antics of their beloved animals, cry at the sadness that can be life and gasp when the unimaginable needs to be dealt with, all making up a day of life down on the farm, and the wonderful world of ‘country living’ for real.

    If you are after a real feel good story that captures the very essence of the old adage ‘be careful what you wish for’, Todd Alexanders You’ve Got To Be Kidding, strips the ‘dream’ bare, with heart, honesty and hilarity.

  • Goat’s Coat

    Goat’s Coat

    “Let me tell you the tale of Alfonzo the goat, who was terribly proud of his lovely new coat.” This is how the story of a goat and his coat begins. The gently coloured pages with stylised drawings show us how the goat handles trouble and desperate friends. For one so proud of his coat, which is admired by many, it would be so easy to walk away.

    To stroll about the countryside and show the world his coat, Alfonzo begins his parade. It isn’t long before he comes across a family of frogs who have lost their home. They are desperate for a solution to their problem as they are stuck on the river bank. Alfonzo unpicks a pocket in his coat and helps the frogs turn it into a boat which they can sail away in. The new coat wasn’t quite so smart now, but Alfonzo had helped a family in great need.

    The story continues, with other animals in distressing situations. Alfonzo helps them out where he can, at the expense of his wonderful new coat. Just when he is about to return home, it begins to snow. Now the goat is really in trouble. The message we see in this story shows how kindness is often repaid, and good things can happen to those who have a commitment to caring for others.

    The story is told in rhyme, which is delightful to read. “The hen was upset-she’d lost one of her chicks. Might this be something Alfonzo could fix?”  Indeed!  The text size is large enough to read easily, broken up by illustrations or being spread over the page. The double spread illustrations really bring the story to life and add to it in subtle ways. It is always lovely to see a message of goodness and caring being passed on and reciprocated.