My Wichita Falls Neighborhood Invaded By 100s Of Goats

This September Friday afternoon, around 4, I looked out my kitchen window and found myself surprised to be seeing goats. 

Six or seven goats.

Weeks ago, or was it months, I recollect reading that some local goat herder was going to be herding a few goats on the slopes of Holliday Creek to cut down the excess vegetation in an environmentally friendly way.

But, no goats showed up, til today.

The Circle Trail runs adjacent to Holliday Creek, at my location. My vehicle is parked adjacent to the Circle Trail.

In other words, it was a short walk to get a close up look at the goats.

Well.

Imagine my surprise when the full scope of the size of the goat herd came into view.

Not six or seven goats, but what looked to be maybe a couple hundred goats, on both sides of the creek.

The goat version of barking is a pleasant sound when it is dozens of the barkers doing the bleating. The goats seemed to be having a mighty fine time.

A temporary electric fence, well, what the signage claimed to be was an electric fence, with a warning not to touch, or try to pet the goats, kept the goat herd from venturing on to the Circle Trail seeking greener pastures.

Above you can see the temporary electric fence crossing Holliday Creek, blocking the goats from heading north

Traffic over the Holliday Creek Southwest Boulevard bridge was being affected by the surprising spectacle.

The crowd of goat lookers continues to grow.

In a town a tad shy of interesting tourist attractions, this goat herd should provide one for its duration.

If only the town had an actual local news covering newspaper that would let the locals know there is something to take the kids to see at Weeks Park. Lots of parking at that park, easy to find, accessed off Southwest Boulevard, just drive past the fire station. 

Are the goats staying overnight? There was no visible goat hauling vehicle to be seen. It must have required multiple such vehicles to haul so many goats.

UPDATE:

Local NBC TV, KFDX, also has an online version, Texoma's Homepage, which is actually what amounts to being a good local news source, unlike the online version of Wichita Falls only print version of a newspaper, known as the Wichita Falls Times Record News.

This Friday morning Texoma's Homepage has an article, and video, about my neighborhood goat invasion...

City of Wichita Falls deploys goats to tackle tall grass

The article, in its entirety (minus the video)...

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The City of Wichita Falls welcomed lots of little landscapers to help combat tall grass Thursday morning.

On Thursday, September 18, about 500 goats and some sheep were set loose along the shore of Holliday Creek near Weeks Park to enjoy an acre-sized buffet of tall grass.

City of Wichita Falls public information officer, Chris Horgen, said ‘Goatscaping’ is a viable option to get into places mowers can’t. The goats will be grazing around-the-clock for two to three weeks, and Horgen said the benefits go beyond being eco-friendly.

“It’ll reduce wildfire. You know, it’s a wildfire mitigation tool because we’re gonna get some of this high grass that’s fuel for wildfires in the winter to come down, with this, because they’ll eat these to the roots,” Horgen said. “This will be everything that’s behind us that these goats and sheep are eating will go to the roots of the ground.”

Horgen said an electric fence and a shepherd dog are on hand to keep the four-legged grass munchers from getting into trouble.

Officials ask residents to keep their distance and to keep pets away from the goats and sheep. The goats are corralled in a one-acre area at a time and will be visiting for a few weeks.

Something Fishy In My New Wichita Falls Neighborhood Not Found In Fort Worth

From around the age of 5 til I was around the age of 18 I lived across the street from a city park, that being Maiben Park in the little town of Burlington, Washington.

From around the age of 18 til about a month ago I did not live across the street from a city park.

Where I am currently aboding I don't even have to cross the street to be in a Wichita Falls city park known as Weeks Park.

An extremely short distance from my abode there is another park. I have seen this park referred to as being South Weeks Park. Or maybe South of Weeks Park. All I know for sure is this other park is not directly connected to Weeks Park.

One sees no signage naming this other nearby park when one is visiting that park. But, if one wanders around the park eventually one sees a big boulder with a plaque attached. Which is what you see above.

On the plaque one sees the closest thing to a park name that I have found.

KID FISHING & CASTING POND

This Fishing Pond is regularly stocked. During the warm time of the year the stocking is Channel Catfish. During the cold time of the year the stocking is Rainbow Trout.

This park was the first park I saw upon my arrival in Wichita Falls. It intrigued me the first time I drove by it, due to being surprised to see a large number of people fishing, including two of what appeared to be old ladies. This reminded me of my Grandma Vera, who loved to fish.

The day I took these pictures there were not too many people fishing. About a week prior, on my way to the nearby Walmart, I was surprised to see dozens of kids fishing. The next day I learned this was a regularly scheduled Wichita Falls city program.

Kids can fish without needing a license. People who are not kids require a license.

As you can see the Fishing Pond has a lot of that Wichita Falls requisite.

Benches.

This town must have more benches, per capita, that any other town in the world.

In the above picture, in the background, above the fountain, you can see a gazebo atop a grassy knoll.

The grassy knoll did not look to be much of a hill climb, but looks proved to be slightly deceiving.

The population of Wichita Falls is about eight times smaller than the town I lived in prior to moving here.

Why is it Fort Worth has no stocked pond for kids to fish in? Fosdick Lake in Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park would make for a wonderful stocked fishing pond. Of course, the lake would need to be de-polluted so the Not Safe To Eat The Fish You Catch signs can be removed.

Fort Worth is sadly lacking in the parks department.

Literally.

I think I may have mentioned that lacking in the parks department thing before.

Above you are looking at yet one more thing you will find lacking in most Fort Worth city parks. A restroom facility with running water.

In this case a non-controversial uni-sex restroom.