An Important Lesson

My middle child, and only daughter at home these days, went out to help me feed and milk last night since my husband was going to be late getting home and in the process she learned something very valuable.  Always Latch the Gate!

I was finishing up with the milking, and she had collected the eggs… what few there were since we have some sort of bandit stealing eggs these days.  The donkeys were waiting for their hay and the kids were finishing their meal in their dining room. (stall)  Balvenie had been moved back to her pen since the not-such-a-good-mama when the girls were babies decided to be a too-good-mama and let them keep nursing though they are now four months old. 

I asked my beautiful daughter to pop into the house and bring back the cordless drill so that we could make a quick repair to the gate while I finished with Gerie.  She is so wonderful and did just that, even taking the eggs with her to go ahead and get them in the house.  When she returned, I was releasing Gerie from the stand and my daughter said “Um, Mom?  We have a problem.” 

I asked her if she had trouble finding the drill.  I could get it if needed.  She said, rather awkwardly “No… that’s not it.  Here’s the drill.  But I … well… the girls are in the back yard.” 

A vision of baby goats cavorting in the back yard filled my mind, as did a hilarious vision of trying to round them up!  So the next question was a giggling “Did the babies escape their stall already?!” 

“No Mom.  Penny and Lulu are in the back yard!  I didn’t latch the gate because I was only gone for less than a minute!”  Poor girl was really a little upset and embarrassed. 

Gerie was done and turned loose, and Melanie picked up a lead rope ready to go bring the miscreants back to the barnyard.  That’s fine for Lulu, since she is one of the sweetest donkeys ever born but Penny is only two years old and leads like pulling a Toyota behind you!  Plus, both girls were so excited at the grass “on the other side of the fence” that they were feeling more than frisky! 

I picked up another lead rope and tucked Gerie into her own stall for a few minutes.  We proceeded to the back yard and opened wide the now repaired gate.  As predicted, the ladies were more than reluctant to return to their own side of the fence and dodged and skipped about like acrobats.  Finally, up by the raised herb bed, Lulu sighed and waited for me to loop the rope around her head like a makeshift halter and lead her back to the barnyard.  I swear, she was pouting!  I was ready to drive Penny back into the barnyard if she wouldn’t  allow herself to be haltered but Melanie kept the gate open.  Lulu laughed out loud and ran back to the greener pasture of the back yard. 
 

Once I stopped laughing I showed Mel how to swing the rope to drive the girls back.  After a protesting kick or two, thankfully not making contact with anyone or anything important, Penny started to move off.  Anywhere except near the gate!  Lulu just ran like she was queen of the world!

We did get them in the corner nearest the gate finally, and Mel took up a steady stance by the entrance while I pushed from behind. 

She swung her rope wide, beating the ground in a steady low thump and at last my lovely long ears were back in the pasture!  Mel looked at me and said “Yeah… I’d rather herd goats!” 
 

She’ll never forget that lesson though!