Goats might be gone....

Bruce and I have been contemplating our goats for a while now. It makes things complicated that our backyard has been taken over by barnyard animals. Don't get me wrong, its been a fun experience. A learning experience. And I am glad that I had this time with them that I have. But we made the decision that things would just be easier if the goats went to a home more suited to livestock. The dogs would be happier to have free run of the backyard again.

We attempted to contact a local farm that has a petting zoo, but they are closed for the season, and although Bruce left a message, nobody ever called us back. Several months ago, while I was still trying to make up my mind if I could actually part with my goats, Bruce ran by the farm where he bought them from originally. That guy said it was no problem, he would take them back. But...a couple of months have passed and when Bruce contacted him this past week, this man was selling off all his goats, and was no longer interested in taking them back. Yikes! We were beginning to get a little bit worried that we were stuck with goats for life. And goats live a good 10-15 years.

So, in a last ditch effort, I put an ad on Craig's list this evening. That was around 7pm. A dozen emails, and half a dozen phone calls later (who knew goats would generate so much interest??? Maybe it was the FREE part?) I think we have found them a good home. Bruce has interviewed and asked questions while we tried to match them with a good family. Under NO circumstances would I let my goats go to someone who planned to eat them. That was my major concern. But the people that we decided to grace with our precious goats have a farm with horses, other full-sized goats, plenty of pasture/farm land and 2 daughters (ages 10 and 14). These little pygmy goats were going to be for the girls. We got other offers of people who wanted to use them to clear lots, mainly because goats eat almost everything. But it was the family with children who made me feel the happiest about this whole situation. So, we will see. They have confirmed that they definitely want them and want to come on Monday to pick the goats up. If they don't show, then...I will go back down the list of emails and see if we can figure out someone else that might be a good match. A few of the others seemed Ok. One lady assured me that she was a vegetarian, so my goats were not in danger of being eaten. But how can I be sure that she wasn't lying? haha

Actually, I am surprisingly not sad about it. I think our goats get somewhat bored out there in our backyard. Its spacious, but not for grazing and foraging. I think they will enjoy being on a farm with horses and other goats. And I KNOW they will love the attention of kids to play with them. I think its a much better situation for them, and so....I am ready to let them go, and be happy that I think they will have a good home.

Which leaves us with only 2 dogs, and 2 cats now. That is almost like a normal amount of pets....isn't it? LOL.

Hurt

We lost Scarlet today. She would have been 17 years old this coming spring. And that is old for a dog. We have had her since she was just about 2 months old. Jeanne gave her to us. To Erica, actually, for her 10th birthday. She had a long full life, and lots of love from her family. Its been difficult watching her suffer from really bad arthritis, and a loss of appetite.

We have been trying to postpone the inevitable as long as possible, carrying her in and out, and to the water dish. But it was becoming painfully clear that she was not happy, and her quality of life was not good. At 17, we couldn't expect things to improve. So...with the help of our vet, Dr. Kuhn, who has been so wonderful and supportive with all of the geriatric dog care that we need, we scheduled euthanasia here at home. And that....hurts. Its hard. Its right, and its compassionate, and its humane. But still, it leaves a hole in your heart. We will miss her.