The Tides of Change

The End of a Goat Era

If you like this post, please make sure to hit the ❤️ , and share!

If you’ve been following my writing for a while you know that I tend to swim upstream, choosing a difficult path toward a goal. Usually smiling through tough times, and making jest of it as I go. It’s hard to know exactly how I’m seen by other people but I’d say generally I’m someone who stays pretty positive. Almost to a fault, as I don’t often open up when I’m struggling.

Positive People

I prefer it that way. Positivity breeds positivity and it shows in the people who are here. We’re a community of open-minded, kind, outside-of-the-box thinkers. Focusing on the good, and using the bad as an opportunity to learn or solve a problem. I love that, and I’m thankful you’re here! This month marks the 2nd anniversary of Wild Life and I’m thrilled to be sharing with twice as many people as last year.

The world is covered in a fresh layer of snow, making it feel like a truly clean slate. It’s a New Year. I can feel the tides of change, making me very excited for what’s to come. Those tides, however, have both ups and downs.

Saying goodbye to Dash was an inevitability. Though I’m sad about it, in the tides of change, I consider it an up. Pic Credit: My future sister-in-law, Katelyn

The End of a Goat Era

Dash was a wonky goat. From the day I brought him home, he had some sort of unique mystery issue. I treated him for various things, from mineral deficiencies to potential foot problems, with limited success. His first summer here I watched him get stuck on his back on open ground, flipping around like a goat breakdancer. As I walked up to help him, he stood up and shook it off.
“You’re a strange goat” I said to him

A few days ago I was telling a good friend about how well Dash the goat was doing.

While Curt was away, just before the cold snap I was doing my morning ‘chores’. I noticed that Dash seemed tired. Standing and eating, but feeble. He got worse quickly and before the end of the day, I had a decision to make. It was time for Dash to go.
From a bleating, eating, continuous health quest to just.. gone.

This, of course, is part of the whole picture of farming. With many lives to tend to comes death. As I sat in the snow next to his body I thought about how strange it is to mourn a goat. I’ve enjoyed my share of goat curries, yet here I sat in the snow crying over Dash. A wave of relief washed over me. He was a neutered, half-meat breed male.
I bet he never imagined he’d live out his wonky-goat days on a mountain.

‘Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. Life's so unpredictable. You never know when the next high or low will strike you. The trick is just to flow with the tide.’

The Kindness of People

In an unusual move, I reached out on social media to tell people that I was having a bad day (paired also with the anniversary of another sad day) and the response was overwhelming. Though I hadn’t mentioned Dash the goat, the outpouring of encouragement and kind words was truly incredible.

I would have pushed through with the support of Curt and my family on the phone, but the support of friends and digital friends made a huge difference. I learned something. I want to be better at that. Offering real, heartfelt encouragement for people in their moments of need. I’m often overly empathetic but finding the words is difficult. I applaud the people who are so good at it.

A Clean Slate

Saying goodbye to Dash was a low and his health issues will always be a mystery, but his going to the big farm in the sky was a blessing. I’m glad he’s in a better place and now that part of my focus can be put elsewhere. A low becomes a high, and though I’m not glad he’s gone, it’s a good thing. Other critters to attend to, things to build and a New Year to run headlong into.