THE BRAVE LITTLE GOAT

My amazing wonderful Precious:

My unicorn with glorious horns,

a little white beard, and split hooves.

You were so aptly named, for precious you surely were.

 I loved you so much.
Birth date reckoned 1996 
Died 2-21-2012

   You and Cowboy were my “first born”. We went through a lot together, you helped me to get on with my life after Gary died. When I first saw you at the Boulder Humane Society I fell in love with you and knew immediately you were the first animal to be rescued, then Cowboy ran up “take me too, take me too.”

       You were laying with the front end of your body in a wheelbarrow, your hooves, three of them because you only had three feet, were terribly overgrown and your long beautiful white mohair was a big matted mess. You had blood sucking lice and were sick. I looked at the lice under Gary’s microscope, yikes.

        I learned to love goats because of you and Cowboy. You suffered through me learning how to trim hooves and what to feed you and we spent hours every year trimming your hair. You were scared of the buzzy thing so I cut it by hand with a blunted scissors and you were so patient. We played the radio and listened to the oldies. At first you were strong enough to stand on the big wooden spool that made it a lot easier on my back but later I just sat on the floor and you stood on an old chaise lounge pad. I tried to spin the hair with a drop spindle but wasn’t very good at it. Now I have all those bags of hair but not you.

     You are the most noble, gentle, courageous, and kind animal it has been my privilege to care for. You learned to cross the little bridge at the first place so smart, so brave, and ran up the ditches with the best of them. When I broke my pelvis and was on a walker we were a pair to draw too hobbling across the field. The one time I put the donkeys and you guys together, Jack went down in the ditch and his head was ground level and you head-butted that donkey to pay him back for chasing you around, talk about a gutsy little gal, that was you.

 

   After 13 years I guess I should have more stories to tell about you and the times we had. But they were just simple and glorious days of companionship (a tremendous gift) and smiles, it went by so quickly.

   You came home in Craig’s horse trailer and walked all the way to the barn. You always did everything I asked of you. One day you took it in your head to climb the steps at the house with four doors. We played Goat Show Barbie and Cowboy Ken. I thought you bit me once but you were just trying to eat my flannel shirt.

We should have called first, Cowboy.

                                                  I don't think anyone is home

     Your favorite treats were animals crackers, especially the elephants because, hey they are the biggest. You looked so cute in your little red coat. The ducks and goose liked to sneak in the barn and eat your chow and mess up your water. You ate their cracked corn to pay them back. Lolly goose also liked to pluck at your hair, you would stand there and let her as if you were getting a beauty treatment.

      Please forgive me if I ended your life before you wanted. I hope it was relieving your pain, the indignanty of your brain outliving your body, ending the struggle and giving you peace. If there is any cosmic justice you now have 4 feet and are running around with Cowboy.

I love you.

From my arms to the Goddess……Cowboy and Bill are waiting. 

MOM