Hold them as much as possible, when putting out food, go in and pet them, if they squirm away your not holding them enough. Sit in their pen as much as you can stand it at this age. When they get older you won't need to do this since they will already be used to you. This is the critical age where they figure out if they are part of your heard or you are just an outsider who feeds them and goes away. This is especially serious when your child want to touch them and they feel the little one is an outsider and they need to 'protect' themselves. The first time they try to even playfully butt you, be very very stern and say NO point with your finger and maybe even touch their nose saying NO. Horns and human children are the worst thing ever. Its too late to disbud them but you need to be careful to train your child as much as these goats. I have all horned goats, my pygmy is the worst to use them on outsiders, dogs, or even a little bush he finds annoying. His horns are his way of communicating. Not with me or hubby but with strangers, family members, outside dogs etc. Please educate yourself on the dangers of horns and buy Carolyn Eddy's Practical Goatpacking book. I know you won't be goatpacking but you can learn so much of how to train your goat, how many words they can learn and the discipline it takes to create a well loved pet. You can train goats to do much more then they will show you lol

According to the Sunset Western Garden Book, creeping fig is very agressive and can be a problem--best to pull it off every few years so you can still use the garage--also not recommended for south-facing walls (page 351 of 2001 edition)--might not be the best choice. It's very delicate and beautiful when young but gets heavier and coarser over time. I've got Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) on my concrete walls. It's the plant that gave the name to the "Ivy League" colleges. It loses its leaves for a few weeks in winter (leaves turn red first--brilliant color). You would only need 1 plant. I pull it all off every 2 or 3 years to the ground (it comes off with a gentle tug) and it all grows back quickly. It gets very lush and looks good. Real ivy (genus Hedera) can be a pest--it spreads all over and rats like to nest in it. If you want a small, fairly clean tree what about dwarf Citrus? Evergreen, good screen, and the smell of citrus blossoms is just heavenly. Plus the fruit. 12-15' size you are looking more at a medium shrub rather than a tree. Most things sold as trees will get much much taller and at 1' away from the fence you don't have much room. Look also at Prunus caroliniana 'Brite and Tite', Nandina...I think this forum's FAQ has a list of 'narrow screen' plants you might want to check out.

I've grown this one in a pot for a year, haven't seen blooms yet, so I can't judge personally; I've read descriptions that run from saying it's one of the best of the genus, to others that use that most elusive description, "lightly fragrant." It's supposed to be very variable from seed -- some seedlings grow straight up, like mine, others more horizontally, flowers are different size and are either cupped or open and star-shaped. It can definitely be pruned to size and shape; I think it can get up to 15 feet tall in its native habitat, but can be kept at 6 feet, particularly in a pot. blooms in spring, with scattered repeats during the summer, which I hope is true in my case! I've also read one description that says it's the hardiest of the michelias, potentially hardy in the ground down to zone 6, if it has a long, hot summer to "ripen the wood," whatever that means, but I think for most folks in the states zone 8 is safer. Hope this helps -- I like the look of m. figo but have never been sold on the scent -- we'll see if this one does it! Jim

"Average time in our area from listing to selling similar properties is 11 months. We don't have 11 months since we have found the home we want to buy and those sellers are anxious to move as well." Nothing makes people hurry like a bargain. And your first price sounds like a reasonable starting point to get an 'average' response -- but that's not soon enough for you. So you need to make your house look like a bargain. Since people are looking on the Internet, that's where I'd concentrate first. GREAT photos there (combined with an attractive price) should pay off big in showings. If you post a link to your house, posters here will be happy to give you their opinions.