A new home. The Belmont Goats — the 14 goats and one chicken I've been watching, following, and visiting for over five years — are settling in at North Portland's University Park neighborhood, at about N Syracuse and Macrum and across the rail road cut from the Peninsula Fred Meyer. The owners and volunteers have fenced off a square of grass that will be goat-friendly (chicken-friendly, too), and the herd will graze there for at least the next couple of years.

They aren't accepting visitors yet — the main shelter needs to be disassembled, moved from Lents to the new site, and reassembled (the herd lives in a small temporary shelter for now) before the site officially opens — but looking from outside the fence is allowed and encouraged, as long as people DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. I figured I should reiterate that. Anyway. I drove up the site this morning, before buying groceries at the aforementioned Fred Meyer, and walked the perimeter. I got these not-very-good shots, but I feel they whet the appetite.





Soon, visits and goat-scratching. Maybe even holding Juniper the chicken in my lap, if she's OK with it. And another reason to visit St. Johns, North Portland, an interesting part of town that I've been appreciating more and more as I've lived here longer.