Part One
The other day actually it was night when I was in my pajamas, the goats decided that the brush on the other side of the fence looked much tastier than what was in their enclosure. They decided to remedy the situation by bulldozing the fence and getting to the much tastier morsels. I got them all back in, I thought. I had Pearl my herding dog do an outrun into the woods to look for stragglers. Did I mention I was in my pajamas? She was gone awhile and then came back empty pawed.. Get it pawed not handed? I digress, I tucked everyone in for the night and did what any hard working goat wrangler would do, I went to bed... The next day while the goats were happily munching on the brush in there new enclosure, I said to myself sure hope all the goats are here. You see it is impossible to count a goat herd. Every time you try they move and trade places so you lose count and have to start all over again. Add to this 8 foot high dense brush that they are buried in eating away and well, you get the picture. So early afternoon the next day, I was out cutting down scotch broom stems that were remaining in the old enclosure.. As they are basically small tree trunks and I like to cut them down to have a much more finished look to the job. Up drives Bill and Sara. 2 of the folks that I am working for here at the Navy land. They jump out of the car with big smiles on their faces and say. You have an escapee to which I said WHAT!.. Yep our truck driver found it a ways down the road and he is keeping an eye on it.. I was like DAMN! "Guess one got lost during the coup the night before." Now, keep in mind that there are more coyotes per square inch at this place than there are deer practically and the fact that Ray, that,s his name made it through the night without becoming a meal was nothing short of a miracle. So I got my trusty escape goat kit consisting of a lead rope, bucket with a little hay in it and my little red shepherds crook and my trusty dog Pearl and we jumped in the car to go find Ray.. We drove and drove and drove for what seemed like at least a mile all the while Bill and Sara telling me how "fun" this was and the most excitement they have had in like forever. Finally we come upon the big semi truck sitting along the side of the road. I got out to find my goat and there was no driver.. I thought "huh" he must be out with Ray down the road a bit. Nope couldn't find him. I called out HEY! I am here for my goat, nothing... I got back in the car and we drove down this windy road. Finally we see the truck driver huffing and puffing as he is walking back up the hill. He said "I lost him" " he ran into the tall grass at the bottom of the hill and I could not see him." The guy kept apologizing that he lost him.. So, we went down to the bottom and sure enough Ray was nowhere in sight. I called him the way I call the herd GOAT! In a high pitched kind of obnoxious yell over and over but nothing. I put rocks in my little goat capture bucket and shook it.. They think it is food when I do that and usually will come running but nothing. Bill walked down to the beach that was right there and said after awhile "I think I see him" I was like, Yay! So I go to where he is to have a look. He says he is down there and I said where and he's says see by that big rock and tree on the beach see that black spot? I was like holy crap he is that far away that he is a black spot? I still couldn't see him. I took Bills word for it and we started hiking down the beach. I finally see the little black speck which is Ray.. we keep going and going and going and i am like "what the hell is he moving away from us? "Apparently so says Bill". I yell GOAT until my throat hurts and shake my stupid bucket full of rocks but nothing. Ray has vanished. Bill says, " he can't get off the beach because there is a cliff and it goes on for a very long way.. I though well that is a relief at least he is kind of contained. We got to the place Ray was when we last saw him by the big rock and the tree but he was not there. I sent pearl up into the brush and trees that were on the lower part of the cliff and she was sooo good. She came back without him.. At one point Pearl took a tumble down the hill and rolled onto the beach, jumped up and headed for a splash in the water.. She was ready for a break and so was I. I just kept thinking how scared it must have been for Ray out alone in the woods all night.. I could only imagine how freaked out he must be. I was starting to worry that we were not going to find him. We walked about 1/2 mile down the beach before we decided to head back. We wanted to get in the car and drive further up to where we could get to the beach and walk in from that direction. Just in case he had beet feet to the other end..
End of part one
The other day actually it was night when I was in my pajamas, the goats decided that the brush on the other side of the fence looked much tastier than what was in their enclosure. They decided to remedy the situation by bulldozing the fence and getting to the much tastier morsels. I got them all back in, I thought. I had Pearl my herding dog do an outrun into the woods to look for stragglers. Did I mention I was in my pajamas? She was gone awhile and then came back empty pawed.. Get it pawed not handed? I digress, I tucked everyone in for the night and did what any hard working goat wrangler would do, I went to bed... The next day while the goats were happily munching on the brush in there new enclosure, I said to myself sure hope all the goats are here. You see it is impossible to count a goat herd. Every time you try they move and trade places so you lose count and have to start all over again. Add to this 8 foot high dense brush that they are buried in eating away and well, you get the picture. So early afternoon the next day, I was out cutting down scotch broom stems that were remaining in the old enclosure.. As they are basically small tree trunks and I like to cut them down to have a much more finished look to the job. Up drives Bill and Sara. 2 of the folks that I am working for here at the Navy land. They jump out of the car with big smiles on their faces and say. You have an escapee to which I said WHAT!.. Yep our truck driver found it a ways down the road and he is keeping an eye on it.. I was like DAMN! "Guess one got lost during the coup the night before." Now, keep in mind that there are more coyotes per square inch at this place than there are deer practically and the fact that Ray, that,s his name made it through the night without becoming a meal was nothing short of a miracle. So I got my trusty escape goat kit consisting of a lead rope, bucket with a little hay in it and my little red shepherds crook and my trusty dog Pearl and we jumped in the car to go find Ray.. We drove and drove and drove for what seemed like at least a mile all the while Bill and Sara telling me how "fun" this was and the most excitement they have had in like forever. Finally we come upon the big semi truck sitting along the side of the road. I got out to find my goat and there was no driver.. I thought "huh" he must be out with Ray down the road a bit. Nope couldn't find him. I called out HEY! I am here for my goat, nothing... I got back in the car and we drove down this windy road. Finally we see the truck driver huffing and puffing as he is walking back up the hill. He said "I lost him" " he ran into the tall grass at the bottom of the hill and I could not see him." The guy kept apologizing that he lost him.. So, we went down to the bottom and sure enough Ray was nowhere in sight. I called him the way I call the herd GOAT! In a high pitched kind of obnoxious yell over and over but nothing. I put rocks in my little goat capture bucket and shook it.. They think it is food when I do that and usually will come running but nothing. Bill walked down to the beach that was right there and said after awhile "I think I see him" I was like, Yay! So I go to where he is to have a look. He says he is down there and I said where and he's says see by that big rock and tree on the beach see that black spot? I was like holy crap he is that far away that he is a black spot? I still couldn't see him. I took Bills word for it and we started hiking down the beach. I finally see the little black speck which is Ray.. we keep going and going and going and i am like "what the hell is he moving away from us? "Apparently so says Bill". I yell GOAT until my throat hurts and shake my stupid bucket full of rocks but nothing. Ray has vanished. Bill says, " he can't get off the beach because there is a cliff and it goes on for a very long way.. I though well that is a relief at least he is kind of contained. We got to the place Ray was when we last saw him by the big rock and the tree but he was not there. I sent pearl up into the brush and trees that were on the lower part of the cliff and she was sooo good. She came back without him.. At one point Pearl took a tumble down the hill and rolled onto the beach, jumped up and headed for a splash in the water.. She was ready for a break and so was I. I just kept thinking how scared it must have been for Ray out alone in the woods all night.. I could only imagine how freaked out he must be. I was starting to worry that we were not going to find him. We walked about 1/2 mile down the beach before we decided to head back. We wanted to get in the car and drive further up to where we could get to the beach and walk in from that direction. Just in case he had beet feet to the other end..
End of part one