A WOMAN AND HER GOAT...

SO...I HAVE A GOAT. LIKE MOST OF THE ANIMALS I INHERIT...IT HAS A STORY. SO, THIS IS THE STORY OF MY GOAT.

I HEADED INTO BASIN FEED TO PURCHASE SOME RABBIT FEED FOR CONNER'S BUNNIES...YES BUNNIES..HE HAS TWO. THEY ALWAYS HAVE SOME SORT OF ANIMAL IN THERE FOR KIDS TO LOOK AT...IN HOPES THAT SOME PARENT WILL GET SUCKED INTO THE DRAMA AND PURCHASE THAT ANIMAL FOR THEIR CHILD SQ WILLING WITH DELIGHT. THAT DAY THEY HAD A BIN WITH PUPPIES, UGLY ONES, AND A BIN WITH TWO GOATS, PIGMY GOATS. NOW I HAVE SEEN THESE GOATS BEFORE AND THEY ARE SORTA CUTE...FOR A GOAT. ANYWAY, THE GIRLS WERE WITH ME...WHICH WAS PROBABLY MY FIRST MISTAKE. THEY WERE COOING OVER THE GOATS. A NICE MAN STANDING IN LINE BEHIND ME WAS HOLDING THE GOATS STILL SO THE GIRLS COULD PET THEM. I PROCEEDED TO PAY FOR MY SMALL BAG OF FEED AND CHATTED WITH THE TELLER WHILE WE WATCHED THE GIRLS PLAY. TAYLOR, TURNED TO ME AND SAID," MOM...CAN WE GET THIS GOAT? PLEAAAAASE." I SAID, WELL IT IS KINDA CUTE...BUT NO. JUST LIKE CHILDREN THAT DON'T SEEM TO EVER HEAR YOU THE FIRST TIME...SHE ASKED AGAIN.. AND LIKE ANY MOTHER I TURNED TO HER AND SAID," HONEY THOSE GOATS ARE 100.00 DOLLARS AND IF I HAD A SPARE HUNDRED I'D BUY IT...BUT I DON'T SO..NO. " I THEN PAYED FOR MY FEED AND STARTED TO HELP THE GIRLS GET THEIR COATS ON. THE NICE MAN BEHIND ME PAYED FOR HIS STUFF, TALKED TO THE TELLER A BIT, THEN LEFT. JUST AS I WAS PRYING MY GIRLS FROM THE GOAT BIN THE LADY CAME OVER WITH A BOX AND LIFTED A GOAT INTO THE BOX. I SAID," OH THAT MAN MUST HAVE BOUGHT THIS GOAT." THE LADY THEN LAUGHED AND SAID," NO MAM...THAT GUY BOUGHT THIS GOAT FOR YOU!" SHE THEN HANDED ME THE BOX...WITH A GOAT INSIDE...STARING AT ME...YES WITH THOSE EYES...I KINDA LAUGHED AND SAID." OH WELL, THAT WAS SURE NICE BUT I CAN'T AFFORD TO FEED IT." THINKING THAT WAS MY OUT. SHE THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME I DIDN'T HAVE TO FOR SOME TIME BECAUSE THAT NICE MAN....OH THAT NICE MAN...HE ALSO BOUGHT ME A 50 LB. BAG OF GOAT FEED. I JUST STARED AT HER. BY NOW THE REALIZATION THAT THIS GOAT WAS A GIFT HIT MY GIRLS AND THEY WERE SO EXCITED...I MEAN WHO GETS TO TAKE A GOAT HOME...IN A BOX...EVERYDAY. NOT MANY FOR SURE :)

SO TO MAKE A LONGER STORY SHORT... THEY LOADED FEED AND A BOX..WITH A GOAT IN IT..INTO MY CAR AND SAID THE MAN SAID TO HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS. YES MERRY IT HAS BEEN. I STARED AT THIS GOAT ALL THE WAY BACK HOME...IT SAT NEXT TO ME IN THE CAR. I HAD TO LOCK IT IN MY BATHROOM TILL BRANDON GOT HOME TO BUILD IT A PEN. I'M NOT SURE HE WAS TOO EXCITED WHEN I CALLED HIM AND TOLD HIM I HAD A GOAT IN THE BATHROOM THAT NEEDED A PEN. BUT REGARDLESS..A PEN WAS BUILT. AND THE GOAT ONLY ESCAPED THE BATHROOM TWICE WHILE IN IT. TOOK ME 30 MINUTES TO CATCH IT...MAN THOSE THINGS ARE FAST! AND THEY JUMP!

SO NOW OUR GOAT HAS A NAME...BELLA.
SHE LIVES IN A MAKESHIFT IGLOO NEXT TO THE RABBITS BEHIND THE HOUSE. MY LANDLORD DOES NOT KNOW...HEAVEN HELP ME WHEN HE DOES KNOW. SHHH! :) FUNNY THING IS LATELY BELLA HAS ESCAPED HER PEN. AND EVEN FUNNIER WHEN SHE DOES SHE SITS ON THE BACK PORCH AND WAILS LIKE A BABY. THEN WHEN I GO OUT SHE RUNS BACK BEHIND THEN HOUSE AND INTO HER PEN. WHENEVER I HEAR HER WAILING I JUST LOOK OUT THE DINING ROOM WINDOW AND SURE ENOUGH SHE'S SITTING ON THE PORCH CRYING FOR ME. ONE NIGHT SHE MADE ABOUT SIX LAPS AROUND MY HOUSE..WITH DOGS BEHIND HER...BEFORE WE CAUGHT HER. WE TIED HER TO A TREE THE OTHER DAY SO THE KIDS COULD PLAY WITH HER. SHE BALLS LIKE A NEWBORN UNTIL YOU PICK HER UP AND THEN SHE STOPS AND JUST STARES AT YOU WITH THESE BIG GLASSY BEADED EYES THAT ARE MOST LIKELY SAYING, THANK YOU FOR RESCUING ME FROM THAT PEN AT THE FEED STORE...I'M SURE IT'S SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO...MY LOVE OF LIVING IN THE COUNTRY IN AN OLD HOUSE IS DEFINITELY TESTING ME LATELY. I HAVE DEFINITELY LEARNED A FEW LESSONS THIS TIME AROUND.

#1 DON'T TAKE YOUR KIDS TO THE FEED STORE..ESPECIALLY WHERE NICE MEN MIGHT BE WAITING TO BUY YOU SOMETHING!

#2 DON'T EVER EVER EVER TELL YOUR KIDS YOU'D BUY IT IF YOU HAD THE MONEY...CAUSE ONCE AGAIN YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MANY NICE PEOPLE ARE JUST WAITING TO SPEND THEIR MONEY ON YOUR KIDS!

#3 WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE COUNTRY EXPECT TO HAVE PEOPLE DUMP THEIR UNWANTED ANIMALS ON YOUR PORCH AND EXPECT TO HAVE LOTS OF ANIMALS CAUSE IF YOU LIVE IN THE COUNTRY YOU MUST LIVE ON A FARM! ???

#4 DO NOT LET THE BIG BEADED GLASSY EYES PULL YOU IN! YOU THINK YOU CAN RESIST..BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT YALL WOULD HAVE DONE :)

#5 EXPECT THAT EVERY ANIMAL YOU BRING HOME..OR TAKE IN AFTER SOMEONE DUMPS IT...EVEN IF IT STAYS OUTSIDE...THEY IMMEDIATELY ASSUME YOU ARE THEIR MOTHER. AND THEY WILL CRY FRIENDS...THEY WILL CRY FOR YOU AND YOU WILL PICK THEM UP...EVERY ONE OF THEM...BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MOTHERS DO.

AND EVERYONE NEEDS A MOTHER. EVEN IF IT'S NOT THEIR OWN.