Monday, September 21, 2009

Goats

Our barn walls had cracks between every board and Daddy wanted to close them up before winter came. He bought a lot of 1 x 4's and started nailing them over the cracks. It made the barn resemble a cherry pie. With its red sides and the narrow white strips that were nailed over the cracks.

Daddy gave us children each a hammer and several nails to help nail the strips to the barn. It took several days to get it done since Daddy only worked on it in the evenings after he got home from work.

Once it was done it was nice and snug inside for our horse Jim, and Jenny the cow.

David was having problems with a hiatal hernia and some one had recommended using goat milk would help him, so Daddy built a pen to keep several milking goats. There was an elderly man in the neighborhood that enjoyed going to livestock auctions, so Daddy asked him to buy several goats for us.

Several days later he drove up with two nannies and a billy. We put the nannies in the pen Daddy had built and tied the billy to a post until Daddy could build a pen for him too. John and I used to run home from school and go to the barn to feed the goats. It was fun letting them nibble grain and bits of hay from our hands.

One afternoon we were once again feeding the goats. I was bending over to gather bits of hay from the floor, when to my dismay the billy bumped into me. I wanted to quickly get out of his way but was horrified to discover that I couldn't because his horns had slid up inside the back of my coat and by now the billy wanted to get away from me as much as I wanted to get away from him. He was bleating loudly, but my cries were even louder as I dangled helplessly from his horns. I couldn't touch the floor with my feet or my hands as he swung his head wildly trying to get rid of the unwelcome burden.

John had run inside to get Mom and she hurried out to my rescue. She managed to open my coat and I tumbled to the floor as the billy goat hurried in the opposite direction still shaking his head and voicing his grievances. Mom checked to make sure that I was alright and then sat on a bale of hay and laughed. I had never seen her quite so amused before as she sat there rocking with laughter. I wasn't quite able to see what was so hilarious but seeing her laugh like that soon had us children laughing too as we headed for the house to prepare supper before Daddy got home from work.

Mom told Daddy all about it at the supper table that evening and everyone laughed again. But from that day forward the billy and I mutually avoided each other as much as possible.


The barn looks forlorn and sad and very weather beaten 20+ years later. The new owners cut a hole in the side and moved my little playhouse to the side of the barn.

15 comments:

  1. Makes me re-think about getting goats at least a Billy eh? Really I would love to have goats but I do not have that option of where I live now.
    Again thank you for this lovely post of your childhood. I do enjoy them so much!

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  2. The barn looks beautiful. I love weathered stuff.

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  3. Oh my word - I can picture that whole thing taking place!!! As I was reading, of course I was hoping you were OK, but I thought that sounded SO funny because he was as scared as you were! That billy goat sounds gruff. ha ha Glad you survived to share that story! ☺

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  4. this could be a scene from little house on the prairie. i love your stories!

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  5. I love the look of the old barn. It is beautiful to my eyes.
    The billy goat story is so funny. I am sure it was a bit scary at the moment it happened but what a great memory!

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  6. You told that story so well! I can picture you hanging from the horns. I'm sure it was terrifying at the time, but funny in retrospect. The poor billy goat was as scared as you were!
    Interesting to see the old barn. That's a cute little playhouse, too.

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  7. Funny! Too bad there wasn't a video camera around.

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  8. That's a photo worth framing! Great story, too.


    Diana

    P.S. Come pop in for a little "Fall."

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  9. That's a photo worth framing! Great story, too.


    Diana

    P.S. Come pop in for a little "Fall."

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  10. Wonderful story! I'm glad you weren't hurt by the billy goat. It was funny looking back at it. Lovely picture of the barn, and playhouse. Thank you for sharing it!

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  11. Oh you made ME laugh out loud, too! What a picture! The barn makes me sad now though without all the love that once occupied it....

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  12. It's still a grand old barn filled with memories.
    Your story made me laugh, I can just imagine how surprised you and the goat were!
    Sunny :)

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  13. Oh what a fun story! You had me laughing picturing you on the end of a billy goats horns! YIKES! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
    Blessings~

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  14. Yeah, I found another good blog to follow. Thanks for stopping by my blog so I could discover yours!!
    Belinda

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  15. Hello, Thanks for stopping in to my blog. We have some good friends who were Amish, as a matter of fact Bro Albert was in our wedding. I look forward to reading your blog.

    Paula

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment. I love hearing your thoughts.