Billy

I haven't gotten much done around here (including on the computer) in the past couple of days with all that's been going on, except for this quick layout tonight. Kit Credits: Background from Heartstrings baby boy kit by Blushbutter, and red heart was a freebie Blushbutter sent through her yahoo group.

Sunday my favorite goat...our oldest Billy died. He was only 2 years old, (we got him when he was almost a year old) but according to the vet, he had lasting effects from the disease he had when we got him (no, we didn't know about it when we bought him, or we never would have). I don't totally regret getting him, because I grew to love him a lot, and he taught me that even the old stinky billy's are lovable. He never did get real big and husky like boar goats can, and the vet said he was probably stunted, and had liver and kidney damage, which caught up to him, now that its starting to get cold.

I have been so upset over his loss, because I did adore him. He loved to come see if I would give him anything to eat, when I would go out there (well all of them do, but he was one of the most insistent) and if I did get some food for them, he usually ended up with a lot of it, cause he was a pig, and wouldn't let the others up to me to get some. It was always fun to try to sneak some to the others while he was munching. I will miss his cute little face, and how he would cock his head when he looked at us a lot of the time.

Its times like this, I wonder why I get close to our animals...but I know I will again, it just hurts when they die on us, especially when they are still young. I'm not close to all of them, in fact really there is only one other one that I adore (my star of the barn layout), the others I like, but mostly they are just goats. Some (like our other little billy that my Dad gave us, and bunny which was one of our first babies), I really like, but they aren't as special to me. Billy was the one I always looked for, and who could worm treats out of me the most.

When I think of how wild Billy was, when we got him, yet how tame he had gotten, it still amazes me. I didn't know if we would ever get to where he would come right up to us like he did, but he learned to trust us, so he would. The vet said we gave him an extra year, that he probably wouldn't have had, had we not bought him, cause the idiot that had him before us probably wouldn't have nursed him back from near death, like we did. I can't help but still be mad (REALLY MAD) at the idiot who sold him to us, and how he didn't take care of him, because if he had known what he was doing, and how to take care of goats, Billy would probably still be with us, and be healthy. I am however grateful to God for that year (or so) that we had him, even though it hurts, because we got so much enjoyment out of him.

Now we have to go looking for another billy, so we have a backup, and an older one than we have now, cause the one we have now isn't even a year old, and didn't seem to interested in the nanny's when the last several were in heat...so he may need a few more months to mature. So we want to get an older one, so we can have as many babies running around in the spring, as possible. Unfortunately, finding another that I will like even half as much, might be impossible, but I guess the important thing now, is the babies that I love seeing running around in the spring. Hopefully we have some nanny's from Billy, so we can keep them in his memory.

Between the loss of Billy, shopping, getting new tires for the truck, (Why do the big money items always have to bunch up?) and just not feeling like doing anything on the computer, I haven't been on it much, even answering e-mails has been put on hold, till I can be a little more cheerful. Sorry if you have been wondering where I was....I'll try to get to them tomorrow! Least I'm not feeling like crying all the time today. Take Care my friends, and thanks for listening.