...And Then There Were Five!

As you may recall, our family summer time "project" this year (and maybe beyond...) consists of a couple of goats.

Well, so far these fair beasts have been saddled with blame for a poison ivy infestation the likes of which our family has never seen and the threatened dissolution of the lifelong relationship with some nearby family members.

Ab and AA have adapted pretty well to the new found responsibility of feeding and watering the goats, however they leave the grazing part to Dad and the "keeping the pen clean" part of their responsibility lasted through one turn - I think.

Despite the woes, a fragile bridge of mutual respect was beginning to be forged and it appeared that I might get to keep the guys. . . that was before the guys started inviting their friends over...

On a recent Sunday afternoon, AA and Ab pointed out that some extra goats had joined Floyd and Thunder.  Sure enough three goats ... mostly female had sachet through the woods to their crib.

We don't live in a neighborhood but there are houses within walking distance so I inquired at one and learned that somewhere way back in the thick woods there was a pasture that was reputed to hold goats.  However, if there was a house- he did not know nor did he know the owners.

After spending the afternoon with our guys as they grazed in the woods, the trio moved on across the road to my in-law's home.  There they stayed the rest of the day and that night, congregating first in their carport and later under a patch of pines.

My mother-in-law called 9-11. 

I guess that was merited because for a time they were standing in the middle of the road and stopping traffic.

Our friends in blue did some checking but did not locate the home of these "3 Nanny Goats Gruff". 

Meanwhile at our house the discussion came up about just keeping the new goats and starting a herd. . .

.... that was the response I got.

The following day was the Monday after Independence Day so Grandmother and Papa set out to find the owners of the goats.  They were inspired in part by the fact that the goats had developed a taste for Grandmother's flowers.

With bloodhound-like instincts they eventually tracked down the owners who came that night and captured (with lasso's) two of the goats.  The third came back to my house.

Roberto - the owner - was tired of trying to hem in the fugative goat and didn't want to take the chase to my house.  So he made me a fine offer: 

"you have two goats?"  ...I nodded.

"you want three goats?!" - I hesitated ...

"you can have her!"

- I think my life -including my 21 years of wedded bliss - passed before my eyes.

I declined.

The white goat with black spots or "Calico" as I dubbed her, stayed with us for the better part of a week, grazing with my goats and then running around the outside of Floyd and Thunder's pen when I put them up for the night.

I noticed that my two began to act a little more aggressive with each other as they began to notice that their new found friend was a lady.  Calico began to warm to me a little, edging a little closer from time to time.

She didn't know that my plan was to catch her and then give her rightful owner, Roberto a call.

On the last night she was with us, she came very near the open gate where I was standing.  The boys were oblivious since they were occupied with the sweet meal I had just put out.

One of the guys - Floyd I think - rammed the other and that scared her back to her place behind the pen.

The next morning she was gone.  We haven't seen her since.

Perhaps she found her way back home through the thick woods.

But even now, if you look closely you can see in Floyd's eyes a certain far away look ... thinking maybe upon what could have been.