Goats Are Back to Neary Lagoon

As soon as we were back from Madison, WI, in June, I walked to Neary Lagoon to see if there was any goat action. As luck would have it, I saw a City Parks and Recreation colleague setting up chicken wire fences along the wooden ramp. 

"Are goats are coming?" asked I.

"Yes, they are coming this Friday. But they are not goats this time, but sheep," the colleague informed me. 

I was overjoyed nonetheless. Since 2016, our family has been following those diligent goats that tackle and clean wild grass and bushes in Neary Lagoon. As long as they can graze, I really did not mind if they were goats or sheep. "How long are they going to stay," I asked again. "Until next Friday," he replied. I thanked him profusely, and left fully content. It turned out that we had goats after all this year. Moreover, two Pauls and I returned to the Lagoon more than once. 

This Year's Goats

We loved to see our browsing friends for multiple reasons. Annual grazing goats have been the Lagoon's maintenance guardians for many years. They do a much more thorough cleaning job than humans. After goats who have stripped and uprooted weeds and shrubs, the land has a better chance to recover and be nourished with goats' rich droppings. Their work not only benefits the land, but also provided a golden opportunity for winged creatures, particularly countless swifts who were darting from one direction to another, delighted at catching disturbed insects that had nowhere to hide, but to be devoured. 

Leni in July 2023, Neary Lagoon

Visiting Goats is an integral part of our family tradition. Since 2023, Paul and I  have been taking Leni, and now Paulie to the Lagoon, in order to let them learn firsthand about their four-legged friends, in addition to their pet hamsters and rats. Two siblings have indeed developed a tender love for those lovely animals, their habitats, family bonds, and love.

Paulie Feeds His Favorite Doe 2026

It is always exciting to see our annual grazing goats return, but sad to see them leaving when the two sides of the wooden ramp become poignantly quiet and empty. Only their dark droppings, and stripped twigs remind us of their quick visit and thorough cleaning work. 

See you later, our friends

NASIG 2026: A Year in the Making

On the night of June 5, Paul and I landed in San Francisco Airport. We both heaved a sign of relief and triumph, while waiting for our shuttle to the Burlingame Airport Parking. A year of patient planning and efforts finally came to an end. 

For some reason, the NASIG 41st Annual Conference (June 1-5, 2026) holds special significance to us. Unlike worthy undertakings such as the magnificent Yellowstone as Dr. Sawhney had kindly suggested, the trip to Madison, Wisconsin embodied several milestones for both of us. It is another great test for Paul's endurance after our March visit to Dallas. It is also a dream coming true for me, after writing about American political scientist and the first legislative reference librarian, Dr. Charles McCarthy (1873-1921). His profound influence over the California State Library is detailed in A bright star over the California State Library: the life and work of Laura Steffens Suggett  Since our conference took place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union, we saw first hand Dr. McCarthy's alma mater where he received his Ph.D. in 1901, with the Wisconsin State Capitol Building in the not so far distance. 

Wisconsin Capitol Building 

I picked out and attended a series of interesting workshops such as 

• Cataloging Comics and Zines
• When the Past No Longer Serves You: Updating ER Workflows and Procedures
• Teaching Old Data New Tricks: Using AI to Solve Legacy Metadata Problems in Serials and Government Documents
• AI-Suggested LCSH Creation for Print Library Materials Cataloging Workflows
• Impact of Transitioning from IP-based to Federated Access: a Case Study on Reducing Support Requests
• Understanding Wikipedia's Epistemology, etc.

A Team Working on AI-Suggested LCSH Creation

NASIG is not all about attending sessions, and meetings. It is truly fun to mingle with other attendees at its reception evening, ice cream socials, and vendor interactions. If you can form an intimate circle of like-minded folks, it will be incredibly inspiring. We are fortunate to have formed such a group that consists of David F. from University of San Francisco, Paul and me. Three of us sampled many an eatery along State Avenue, and beyond like Ahan Restaurant at 744 Williamson Street, where David treated us both. 

Paul and David Studying Ahan Menu

We were finally picked up by the parking lot shuttle, and then FSD-ed to our house. Mountains of work was awaiting us. At the Work-front: I was embracing meeting preparation for the June cataloging meeting, weeding, and spending against multiple deadlines of fiscal year. At the Homefront, Paulie was coming to live with us the day after. He is to join his Boys and Girls of Santa Cruz County. There would be more challenges and joys, as usual.