Being a friend is a very important part of life.  There are good friends, best friends, not so good friends, friends with whom you have to watch your back or your language, and those friends that you can be yourself with totally.  Goats have friends, but mostly goats have family.  You always have to watch your back with a goat friend, if you are a person or a goat..... it doesn't matter, goats are goats and grain is king, so, stay out of our way if there is food involved, no matter how good a friend you are. (Ask wench sometime, she's ended up on the ground a few times - pretty funny if you ask me)

Anyway, what is all this friend talk leading up to?  Well, a few things....... first and foremost, it's about ME.  Frankie.  I'm saying so long to a couple of friends this week.  Geronimo and Warbux are traveling up to Ohio to start a new herd for some nice folks.  They will be having an adventure, and we will be having just one buck in our herd.  That's PLENTY.  The two little boys, Lazarus and Silas (although they should be called Spin and Marty because Laz spins around when he is getting his grain.. funny) will get neutered in August and then go to Pennsylvania to live with our friend Charlotte.  Willis will have some big hoofs to fill, but I'm sure he's up for the task.  It's sad to see him hang around waiting for the seconds all the time.  Now he'll be the main man - er - goat, as the case may be.

Wench has been busy as this is the fiber show season.  First it was Powhatan, then a couple weeks later Toano, and this week Dickson, Tn.  Look for her in the Pavilion at the Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival - Memorial Day weekend on Friday and Saturday.  I am happy to report that our work has been warmly received.  Although she sells the shirt off my back, she is also getting the word out about local fiber and how GOATS are the most important fiber animal.  She brags about me and how awesome I am, and shows my picture to everyone she meets.    At least that's what she tells me.....   see how happy these ladies are after hearing all about Frankie and his flerd? 

These ladies, a mother and daughter (hard to believe, they look more like sisters!) just purchased some of our African Market Baskets.  This photo is SUPPOSED to show the baskets, but, AS USUAL, my marketing department did not do it right, so, I am pretending that they are just happy to have heard all about me.  Better luck next time wench.  holy mackeral, she can't take a picture.  Anyway, enjoy your baskets girls!

So, speaking of friends, wench was really lucky to have her life long friend, Aunt Patty, join her and Aunt June at Toano, and not only that, Aunt Patty and Uncle Gary opened their home and heart (and kitchen, YUM, uncle Gary is a gourmet) to wench and Aunt June for the weekend.  Girls just wanna have fun, as they say, and a good time was had by all, and may or may not have included some adult beverages... in any event here's Aunt June at our booth at Toano:

Aunt June is a really good friend.  She wrote up a sock pattern that we are supplying with the purchase of any of our sock yarn!  We love Aunt June.  Here's her sock: (Frankie's Favorite Foot Covering)

Get your free sock pattern!  Take a look at our store and then wait for wench to update it (sheesh!)  after the Dickson Fiber Festival this weekend.  After Dickson, the next event will be the High Point Quilt Show in August, so, let's hope that slacker wench gets a chance to dye more yarn, wash more fiber, update the website, and all the stuff she is supposed to do between now and then.  If she gets the alpaca washed, and the merino dyed, then be looking for new yarns this fall... she'll drop it all off at Blue Mountain on the way to pick up my girlfriend Hailey!   It's hard to get good help ya know.

Anyway, we have big big big news coming your way - a new fiber festival is being put together by friends, so more on that as plans firm up.... a new yarn is being previewed at festivals this season and will be debuted (softly) at the quilt show and hit hard at SAFF, a 'menage a quat' four local fibers (featuring me, of course) and a pattern designed JUST for us!  how exciting!  keep watching for more news on that front... and, in the meantime, remember - to have a friend you must be a friend.  

I consider you all my friends, because, who doesn't want a goat for a friend?  Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking!