Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Strange Morning

What a very, very strange morning.
Not strange as in Wes Anderson called, but strange as in I heard a horrible, terrifically loud, insane bellowing coming from next door. Like a man bellowing. In horrible pain or anger.
Shitfire!
So I went over there and I sort of knew it had to be a goat-situation in that goats sound way too human and I thought maybe one of them was giving birth, but no, that wasn't it.

Somehow, the largest goat had gotten her hoof caught in a branch. How this happened, I'm not exactly sure but I suppose she'd risen up on her hind legs to try and eat some green leaves and gotten her hoof caught in a little vee of the branch and when I found her, she was lying on her back, with that leg stretched up in the air, looking as if she was dead but then rousing herself to try and pull the hoof out which must have hurt like hell because that was when she bellowed. Every effort she made was just wedging that hoof in tighter.

The rest of the animals were freaked out, huddled up in a bunch on the other side of the pen and even the roosters weren't crowing. Not even Elvis in my yard. In fact, the chickens were refusing to come out of their house. It was a scary, scary sound.

What to do? What to do?
I had to get over the fence so I dragged over a tall chair from the garage and my weeding bucket and put that over the fence, climbed up on the chair, stepped over the fence onto the bucket and with my heart thudding I went to try and untrap the hoof.
That branch was way up there

and the goat's leg was stretched tight and the hoof was wedged in like nobody's business and for a moment, I thought I was going to have to go back and find something to cut it with. The branch, not the hoof.
But, I tugged at it and it snapped (again, the branch, not the hoof) and the goat was free. She scrambled to her feet but I think that foot is probably broken.

Anyway, I got back over the fence and dragged the chair back to the garage and my heart is just about calmed down. I actually panicked! I did. My mouth went completely dry. It was like finding a human in a bad situation.
Here's the goat:


I called and left a message on my neighbor's answering machine, telling her what had happened. I'm sure that she and her husband are at work.

Mr. Moon came in just after I'd gotten back in the house and was having a second cup of coffee. He'd been down at the neighborhood auto shop with a car.
Then Jessie drove up. She's heading over to Gator Bone to pick up her mandolin from Lon who was fixing something on it. Here she is, talking to her daddy as he's leaving the yard.


This child is leaving me. In a few days. Really. I had convinced myself that it was two weeks before she was leaving but no, it's next week. The beginning of next week. And Mr. Moon and I will be going up there too. I'll be leaving the state! Oh, wait. I'm leaving the state today, too, to go to Thomasville with Kathleen but that hardly counts.

Jessie showed me a painting she did last night. She's taking it to Lis. LIS, DON'T LOOK!

"I was just trying to teach myself to paint," Jessie said.
"Where did you COME from?" I asked.
"From you," she said.
"I don't know how," I said.

We came in the house and I heated her up some of last night's nacho supper. Yes. I made nachos for supper. With leftover chicken and corn and black bean salad and chopped tomatoes and onions and jalapenos and not too much cheese.
"Yum," she said, carrying her bowl out to the car to eat on the way.
And now she's on the road and I'm here and Pearl's still alive and I've given her an aspirin and her breakfast and she's okay. I know we have to take care of her soon but it's going to take some time and planning and digging a deep grave and oh, babies. Life is so complicated sometimes.
Right this second I'm still a little terrified, remembering the way the goat sounded and knowing that I had to do something about it and I'm so proud of Jessie and I'm also so sad that she's leaving and I'm feeling like I need to help Pearl on but I know there's no need to rush. She's not in too much pain, at least as far as I can tell, she's eating, she spent a lot of time up yesterday, even trotting around the back yard.
I keep telling myself that it's going to be fine when she goes. FINE!
But who knows?
There's been an awful lot of emotion going on here lately and I suppose I will be fine and so will Mr. Moon and May and Hank and Lily and Jessie but again- shitfire!- that dog has been with us forever. And I'm not putting off her demise. Okay. Maybe I am. But just for practical reasons. See? I'm pragmatic. I'm practical. Gotta dig a grave. That's going to mean busting roots and that means Mr. Moon has to help and he has to take care of business today and I'm going to Thomasville and, and, and...

Obviously I have my panties all in wad. Everything's fine, including the goat. Especially the goat.

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming soon.
I promise.

Love...Ms. Moon

27 comments:

  1. You are a GOAT SAINT!

    And I loves ya.

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  2. Damn Jessie, all talented and shit.

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  3. I can imagine that sound. I can also imagine a statue: Mary, Matron Saint of Goats.

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  4. the bird is a beauty but the goat rescue that's as close to heaven as most people ever come in their lives. goats can be friendly as puppies and also really nervous and kickish. Well done, well done.
    xo

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  5. I love Jessie's painting.
    Your kids are all so crazy talented and sweet.
    Oh Mary, you saved that goat, you are AWESOME!!!! You rock. I know that feeling. I unwrapped a donkey from a tangled hammock once. Not as heroic, but still. Hope the goat is okay.
    Hang in there.
    Breathe.
    Love Steph's statue!

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  6. cries like that shake our very souls...they shout wake up! pay attention, life is fragile.
    they cry out..be there for each other! paint birds, follow your heart, climb over fences, reach out beyond barriers, make a difference.

    mary, you always do!
    thank goodness...
    you always do!

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  7. Ms. Bastard-Beloved- Haha! Goat Saint! The Church probably already has one of those.

    DTG- I know. But so are you all. I look at all of you and wonder where you came from. Heaven, I guess.

    Stephanie- Matron Saint of Goats. I love it!

    Madame King- I was a bit afraid of the hooves but she didn't try to kick at all. She was terrified.

    Bethany- I would be much more worried about untangling a donkey! Goodness!

    rebecca- I had no choice. It was one of those situations. No choice at all. Bless you, sweetness.

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  8. I missed where you were going 'out of state' but if you pass through Missouri, you BETTER send me an e-mail to let me know when so we can meet!

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  9. Good goat saving work, Mary.

    As for Jessie leaving, well... it'll all be ok.

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  10. PS - I love that Bethany rescued a donkey!

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  11. You were a hero this morning! I think that says a lot already.

    The sweetness of our children as they grow up and even away...is alway with you. I know that feeling though when they are away how much you want to see them in the flesh. Thankfully we have phones, the computer and Skype. So even when she has left you can call her up...

    Oh Pearl...the time will reveal itself Mary.

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  12. Aww, bless you for saving the goat! What an adventure! You have a lot going on--both a lot of stuff to do and a lot of stuff to feel. ((hugs)) to you, I think Jessie's leaving must feel so surreal.

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  13. Can I come live in Jessie's room?

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  14. i thought, in the beginning, that you heard the same bellowing that i hear at night sometimes. it's a cry, a hollar between a dog and a cat, my guess is that it's a fox, but maybe it's a bob cat. or a cougar? we live in the same neck of the woods and so i thought you'd answered my question...but nevermind that...the goat is rescued.

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  15. If you can, and are willing to, save a goat from a tree climbing incident (without a firearm),
    you can accomplish just about any damn thing you want.

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  16. I wish I'd been there to see you save the goat. You are amazing.

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  17. Oh, Mary.....thank you for saving that poor goat.....(and for saving me from having to fly to Lloyd to try to do it)

    You just can't help being Saintly......whatta gal!

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  18. What a great picture!

    I'm sending you a big hug for Jessie leaving and rescuing the goat.

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  19. I read this post this morning and was wondering how the goat was. Maybe she will give you some goat's milk for saving her!

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  20. Dearest Mary, I'm so glad you saved the goat.

    My best friend and I were house sitting for a weekend years ago. They had two cats. We'd only been there about an hour and the cats started chasing each other and one of them Dave managed to get his head stuck behind the radiator. The more he struggled the more stuck he got. His head was completely jammed in between that and the wall. We tried everything to get him out, even putting vaseline on the radiator! In the end we called the fire brigade who ripped the radiator straight off the wall leaving two big holes. We then had eleven firemen in for tea. We had to call them back the next night, but that's another story.

    How beautiful is Jessie? Your children are so lovely.

    I'm even worrying about Pearl but as you say if she's eating and walking around, it's not time yet.

    Thinking of you. Love you xx

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  21. Rebecca- NC. I don't think Missouri is inbetween here and there. My geography is a bit shaky but I'm pretty sure.

    Jo- I love that Bethany saved a donkey too!

    Ellen- Yep. I gotta learn to Skype. I think I can. Pearl just ate a big bowl of bread in tuna juice- her favorite. And egg and dog food. And she's standing right here now. So...

    Lora- It does feel surreal. Completely. Hugs back, baby doll.

    SJ- There is no bathroom up there- just saying!

    Thug- Howdy! Fox? Coyote? I'm thinking maybe you're hearing a coyote. Or a wildcat. Could be. Huh.

    Magnum- There was no time to think about it. Plus, the goat was very sweet.
    Much easier than going to the mall. Believe me.

    Elizabeth- It probably looked pretty funny. Me running up and down the fence trying to figure out how to get in yelling, "Hang on, hang on! I'll be right there!" and the goat literally hanging by a leg.

    Lo- I AM NO SAINT!
    Not even close.
    Trust me.

    Mwa- Accepting hugs now.

    Birdie- The goat is fine. Not even a broken leg. No milk, though. They don't milk their goats next door.

    Christina- Cats are the worst at getting stuck! Eleven firemen to tea, eh? Sounds very, very interesting!

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  22. Maybe it isn't time for Pearl yet. She still has a desire to live. And the goat, well, I am glad that you helped the poor goat.

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  23. Syd- It's hard to justify sending her off when she is up, mobile, mostly makes it outside to pee and poop and loves to eat as much as she does. I swear. How many times can she rally?

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  24. Mary Moon, Savior of Goats.
    It has an excellent ring to it.

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  25. That IS a strange morning!

    I am not sure what to else to say, except I'm proud of your heroic goat saving in the face of panic. That was smashing!

    xo

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  26. I can see you adding a goat or two to your brood.
    Yeah for goat rescue!

    Maybe all Pearl's back and forth dying drama is a sign that when she does pass, she will just slip away in her sleep.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.