Just Another Day, I Suppose

Fencing is so important whether you are on a farm, hobby farm or just have a dog to keep in your yard. The kids and I had delivered my reports to town (over an hour away). On the way back, I called my husband and asked him to check on the baby chickens for me...nobody to look in on them for over 3 hours-how horrible. I pulled down the final 1/10 mile of the driveway to see my husband walking toward the car. I rolled down the window. "Everything okay?" I asked. He just shook his head. "What?" I asked panicky now. "Cherry's gone." I booked it to my parking place, and hopped out of the car full of groceries in the back seat, in my beaded flip-flops, and took off power walking to the garden, where I was hoping she might have gone since that is where I let her free range while I do work in the yard. Nope. I walked toward the animal yard-her fence. In the back, there was evidence of where she had climbed on the fence, probably trying to get to the branches of fresh leaves and bent it down enough to jump on over.

So the trek began walking in the wooded land behind where she could feast on lots of bramble. Looked like a possible trail back down toward the driveway. Sarah was coming towards me. She asked if I wanted to switch my flip flops with beads and heels for her boots. Yes, please. Even though sockless I took off walking down the driveway, up the old driveway near the outhouse. The neighbor's dog was barking oddly up by the highway. I walked quickly, catching and passing Bruce.

A mile later I see the dog, no sign of a goat in that yard, but it was barking towards the woods across the driveway. I stopped and listened past the barking. Yep. In the distance there was Cherry's cry. I ran past the freshly dug pond and through more woods until I came to a neighbor's house, unfamiliar who it was. There were cars there, but nobody out and about...except Cherry standing there crying looking lost but not a scratch on her. Thank you, Lord.

As I approached, I began thinking, how am I going to get her home. No rope leash of any sort. I certainly couldn't carry her. So when I got to her I gave her a big hug. So, I started walking away, like we do in the yard, clicking like one would for a horse ( I do that often). She came running my way. No problem. She followed me back to the driveway where we saw Bruce heading our way. Realizing we were pretty much okay, no harm, no foul, reality set in. The clouds were dark and the wind had picked up greatly and my sockless feet were not in my broken down boots, but Sarah's boots and the skin was rubbing of my heels. Well, a half-mile to go and boom...sky opens up and down comes the rain that we have needed badly. I had to smile as I started to jog the rest of the way home with Cherry tripping under my feet the whole way.

And of course half way there I realized I left the window down in my car. I knew the kids would not think to check it because I NEVER do that. Seriously, until it is paid for the windows stay up going down the dirt driveway...Crumb-monkey!!

I led Cherry into the chicken coop- the always faithful fence. She would have to share Henny Penny's side since the baby chicks are in the other coop. Got Cherry situated for the evening. I rolled up the window on the car, went in and got out of the soaking clothes and boots. Once those boots were off, ouch!! Nice hole in my heel (like my feet were bad enough being dry and cracking! ick!). Well, I don't have to wonder about what I need to do tomorrow. Goat fence repaired-priority one! Yep, just another day. *sigh*