Some lose touch. I lose goats.

When I was told I was allowed to leave a personal story on the Gypsy's Dream blog, I was first stunned and then frightened at the prospect of appearing before so many of her fans. She has led you through the journey she and I take on a day to day basis without one iota removed, and it is not often that a story exists without her presence. But, here I am with a short tale that happened while Venus* was away. She was so tickled by its content, that she graciously gave up her seat as host to you all to allow me to share it from my first person perspective, and I am honored.

OK, enough thanks. Let's get to it. So yesterday (Monday) I was home alone with Ayden. I happen to have Monday's off now and spend my time with Ayden while Venus* is at the library. I do what I can in her absence. I let the chickens out, feed and water them, and then move to the goats for the same...typical things that need to be done, and things, I am finding out, that are becoming more and more enjoyable to do.

The babies have gotten to be a decent size to where we felt that it was time for them to venture out with the rest of the pack (I mean herd) into the wide open range of the back pasture. This past Saturday was the first day we let them out, and they did quite well. We laid out a blanket and had the joy and bruises of little baby goat hoofs bounding all over our backs, legs, shoulders, heads, etc...fun fun. Everyone stayed pretty close to everyone else.

So, yesterday when I let them out, I wasn't as skeptical as I had been about them getting lost, or dropping into an unknown well, or finding yet another mystery hole in the fence to which a goat could escape. I flew the gate open and watched as the newbies once again ventured into the wide world and then proceeded with the rest of my chores for the day (Mon. is my cleaning day). I kept peeking out at them just to make sure that none of my prior concerns had taken hold of our little ones. All was well, until...

I was in the middle of cleaning...what room I forget...when all of a sudden I here this blood curdling scream from the outside. It was the agonizing wail of a baby in trouble. No. BABIES in trouble! I rushed out of the house leaving Ayden behind in a trail of juice boxes and fruit cups to see what terror had enveloped my little ones. I couldn't see anybody as I bolted across the yard expecting the worst. As I leaped the fence I was greeted with an unforgettable sight.

On one side of a small ditch that occupies a part of the back pasture were Tiny and Sable wailing their heads off. On the other side of the ditch were all nine other goats wailing in response to the wailing of the "lost" two. Now, let me explain...this ditch is about a foot across and only about two feet deep. To walk around to the other side via the thirty foot gap at its beginning would take a person...ten steps tops. But by the way these creatures were carrying on, you would have thought that Hell itself stood between them and these poor helpless kids.

It only took Tiny and Sable a few seconds to notice me, but when they did it was as if someone had just pardoned their death sentences. They ran over to me (ten steps and they were already on the other side, mind you) licking and rubbing and crying and needing to be held and comforted. Everyone else bounded over making the same gestures while adding a butt sniff here and there (mostly Tierra) to the saved souls. I could hear and see Louie tug on his suspenders, lean back and guffaw, "Hot dog! Didn't think you were gonna make it!" as Sahara and Lucy harmonized in a sweet rendition of "When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder".

Within seconds, everyone returned to their normal grazing schedule, only after realizing their miscalculations of the ditch and the slight humiliation that inevitably followed.