Running of the Goats

     If you have never used mass transit then you may not understand how sometime life can get complicated.  I live on an island so my transit is a ferry to mainland.  It is a very short commute, it takes longer to load the ferry than it does to cross over the river.  Never the less missing the ferry means another 30 min. to cross.  Being retired is Ok for this problem unless it is an appointment you are trying to get to. 

     Now the goats are mostly a wonderful distraction from all the chaos in the world at the moment.  But sometimes, maybe more than I want to believe they are a pain in the ass.  I love them but when push comes to shove there is no shoving from me without a lot of work on my part.     There is a real love for the garage by the goats, as that is food storage.  The big 2 car detached garage is use to store the car, tractor, mowers, miscellaneous and the food.  Hay is not the big draw it is the grain.  Chicken food is a fav. and of course it will kill them to get into.  Sweet feed for the horse is another fav. Not as toxic but still if they eat enough, not good for them and can kill if they get to much. Damn goats eat like they are starving so they will eat 25 lbs or more if not stopped. 

     Getting the car or anything else out of the garage is a huge undertaking, when the overhead door opens they all race to get in the garage as I am trying to get out or in.  I have a foot and a half on either side of the car when I back in the garage which is not problem unless the goats are trying to squeeze between the car and the door way.  It sets off my sensors and all I hear is beeping and goats running  everywhere, add 50 + chickens and now you have chaos. Now getting out is a matter of prep.  Get into garage turn on car fasten seat belt and open the door.  The race is on.  I try to hug the right side of the garage and going slowly I open the driver door to narrow that space that they can squeak through on the left.  Now it never works.  I have tried to bump them with the door but they just duck and go under the damn thing.  So remote in hand, car in park, I have to chase them as they are running around the mower and a then a lap or two around the wheelbarrow. On a good day this is exasperating. Now I am having some knee, leg and back pain that I have to go to therapy for, making this jaunt around the garage miserable.  I'm cussing all the way.  I hope my neighbors can not hear this because no language is barred from the activity. This is not a quick activity and if I need to make that ferry for an appointment I need to start early. Some days speeding down the causeway and hoping they see me coming and hold for one more minute for me to make it, is cause for great stress.  It's a 50/50 crap shoot if you make it on that ferry or not.

     Getting the car back in is just as nerve racking and tiring but now you add a lap or two around the car as I am trying to chase them back out. They do not go together they split up and go in different directions hoping one will score and the others can get in on the spoils of war. This game of catch me if you can is not for the weak of heart.  As I get one out, then go after the other 3, the first one come back in. I can literally chase them till the old leg gives out on me. No way to get them to all go out at the same time. I am taking this personally as a direct attack on all my senses.  I thought the Damn Dogs and kids was bad. Huh! they can't hold a candle to the Damn Goats. 

     In two weeks 2 more goats arrive.... I keep telling myself that I just love them and can not wait till I have 6 goats.  I think it's too late to stop lying to myself.  I will have to learn to swear in a different language, maybe that will help. Really I was hoping for meds for this lunacy I have willingly got myself into.

     

  

 

Elliot a Horse rescue (Easter 2018

Being in the rescue world for so many years it just becomes part of you. It is so natural that I don't even have to think about what I am doing I just push on. I am stepping down from my rescues board as I prepare for the final chapter of my life, Retirement.  I have been searching and preparing for this time for a few years now. I have chosen to start a small homestead to keep me busy and allow me time to enjoy a different laid back life.
     By the time I found my retirement home on an island in the North bordering Canada I was dreaming of all I could do and how I would live.  I spent many nights a week reading and educating myself on homesteading and animal care.  I wanted to raise a few goats and chickens and needed to do lots of homework.  As time gets closer to my retirement in Oct. 2018, the home work turns into dreaming about all the choices of goats and chicken I could raise.  Who knew there were so many different kinds of goats and chickens to choose from.
    With all of the Internet searching I was doing, I came across different cows and horses that where also very different than I had ever seen before. One night I came across a Miniature Carousel Horse and it intrigued me so much I went on a new search for these amazing little guys.  I had no idea there were many kinds of small horses, So on a trip to Iceland I saw the Icelandic ponies and became smitten with them. When I returned home I found Face book pages with miniature horses and ask to join to learn more about them.
    The first night I was excepted into one of these pages I came across a few pictured of different horses and mules that appeared to be in an on line auction. I scrolled down and found a miniature horse and the caption was "If this little guy was any smaller he would fit in your pocket". Well that caught my eye and I started to read more, then moved down to the comments. The first thing I read is "some one needs to help this little guy". Wow! what the hell is this.  The comments just kept going with help this guy, who can transport, where is he, wish I lived closer, and so on. These are the comments that smack of a rescue, but I have no idea what this is I thought auction????  I searched the page that made the post and was shocked to find it was a kill pen, just one more place that made me loose my mind. I went back to the post in hopes to learn and understand the need for a kill pen.  I posted in the comments how does a person get these horses. That was the point that I fell off the edge of the rabbit whole, the point of no return.
     I learned that night March 27 that if these horses where not bailed out my March 29th they would be loaded up and taken to some place to be euthanizes and used for God only knows what.  I did not sleep well that night knowing the fate of these horses. The next day I found that I was being  tag by others on the post to contact the pen and get more details to bail a horses out.  I sent a message but did not hear back. I was tag late in the afternoon to see what I found out. I said I was not contacted. 15 min later I was contacted. Many folks were really wanting some one to bail out this mini. A few messages back and forth and the ball was in my court. I either said no, I can not help and the horse dies or I dig in and bail this guy out. I have no idea how to take care of a horse no matter what size.  Now I know I can learn but where could I keep it till Oct. It is after noon on the 28th and I have to pull a rabbit out of my hat quick.  Through a flood of "How and where" in less than 5 hrs. I had to make this happen. All my horse friends live in other states my friends close was not ringing any bells, when I remembered a post on the face page for the island I will move to. I saw a fellow islander shoeing a horse and thought they may have horses or know the folks that do.  My worry about asking folks I barley knew for help was a long shot but I had to try.  I believe that if it's meant to be it will happen and happen it did.  Turns out my fellow islander once raised minis and was happy to help me out and board Elliott till I make my final move this fall.   The kill pen held him for 24 hrs. and that gave me the time to prep van for horse transport of 700 miles. I drove to Kentucky met a man who had the horse in the bed of his truck, we loaded him in the back of the van and drove back home. At 4 AM getting the horse into my back yard so I could get a few hours sleep was a little more difficult than I thought.  Then it started to snow and I new I was never getting him on the porch out of the snow. My life with hairless dogs would not let me leave him in the yard with out something to keep him warm. You know Necessity is the Mother of all inventions, so I grabbed a hunk of fleece and tied it around him and went to bed. 5 hrs later when I woke up and looked out back, Elliott was munching on grass in his fleece blanket, I fell out he looked so funny. All I could think of, is what my neighbors are going to think seeing him out there. Now getting him back into the van was, well lets just say we could have won a nomination  for best comedy. We got him to the island safe and sound and we got home at 1:30 in the morning.
         My higher power truly takes care of me and watches over me as I jump into animal rescue.
        Thank you to Deb and Greg you are truly good people.