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6 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | OCTOBER 2019 By Theresa Rossetti, Resident For those of us not raised in Southern California, there are things I'm sure we expected when we moved here, and some we didn't. We probably expected the weather, maybe not as hot as we've experienced; the traffic, either better or worse than where we came from; the cost of living, again either better or worse and, I'm sure, a host of other things. But what didn't we expect? Among a number of things that I didn't expect, goats stand out. Oh, I knew goats existed. I visited them in the Bronx Zoo and the Catskill Game Farm. They were cute and you fed them with little pellets you bought from a dispenser right outside their pen. I saw pictures of them climbing mountains in Switzerland. Nowadays, I appreciated them for their cheese. In theory, I knew that they were used to clear scrub from vacant land. What I didn't know was how vital they were to fire prevention. Recently, the LA Times had an article about Laguna Beach goats. Last year they used 150 goats to clear potential wildfire fuel zones. This year they've brought in 800! Due to the soggy rainy season we had, some of the invasive weeds and grasses had grown over seven-feet tall. When first introduced to the fields, the goats couldn't be seen. The only way to know they were "working" was to watch the stalks waving and then disappearing. Usually the herds are allowed to wander from North Laguna to the south in time to clear the land before the Pageant of The Masters. This year, they were picked up and moved south, then transported back north to continue their gastronomic work. As well as doing great work to prevent fire devastation in California, goats are used to calm horses and cows. That explains the supposed origin of the title of this piece "Got your Goat." If you steal someone's goat, you've annoyed them. Speaking of annoying people, next month I may tell you about why people find me irritating on social media. Hint: it has to do with hoax-checking. December's issue is already reserved for my rant about Hallmark movies! GOT YOUR GOAT By Gloria Carrillo, Resident On August 10, we hiked to the Erie Maxwell Trail in Idyllwild. Eight of us hiked about five miles, we had fun and Smokey the Bear even made an appearance and gave me a big hug. We also went to support Idyllwild since the fires. Please come out with us and let's hike and support this beautiful land together. Hiking Group

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