I’m back at blogging. Indeed, it’s a dog’s life.

This morning, Alys and Pete got up early, which seemed odd to me because Alys got home very late last night. There was some talk about a new goat, but I didn’t pay it much mind. It was well into the evening, and I was tired.

Anyhow, this morning, after doing their chores and eating breakfast (Pete always insists on eating breakfast, no matter what), Alys and Pete loaded Ryder and me into the truck and we headed out. It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining, and the air was warm.

Shadow and Sassy size one another up

Soon, we were headed in the direction of Claudia’s place, where we go for agility. I got excited because it had been some time since we’d had class. Ryder snoozed. We came to the turnoff to the place, and Pete kept going. This was really odd. We went a few miles farther and turned into a long driveway. I immediately smelled goat, then saw a few hanging out in pens. Why, I wondered, were we going to a goat farm when we had two at home?

Alys and Pete disappeared for some time, then when they came out, they followed Mike, who I later learned was one of the owners of Cottonwood Creek Farm, over to a pen. He let a small goat out of the pen, and she followed him over to our truck. Ryder, now fully awake, watched intently, as Mike loaded this goat into the back of our truck. Pete and Alys said goodbye to him then drove off. Neither said much, but Alys, she looked kind of smug, like perhaps she’d pulled one over on Pete.

We got home and Pete put us dogs in the house. We stood side-by-side and watched out the kitchen addition door window as this goat followed Alys into the yard. Right then, Ryder and I knew what was going on. Our owners had acquired another goat.

Ryder was more mystified than I was. She wondered why they’d opted to get a third one, after all, the other two were more than enough. Ranger had company, and Alys had a milk source. Plus, Pete isn’t all that fond of goats.

All afternoon, that goat, who I finally learned was named Sassy, short for Sastrugi, was the center of her new owner’s attention. Ryder said that it wasn’t fair, that we had to be inside on the nicest day of the year. Then, to add insult to injury, Alys went to ride the horses, leaving Pete to work on his ongoing project, the chicken coop. That goat, she then attached herself to Pete, wouldn’t leave his side. And when he went inside, she let it be known this was unacceptable by making this sound that Alys later said was bleating.

At dinner, Alys explained to Pete that this goat is very attached to people – she was used in goat yoga and was in the goat area at the Alaska State Fair.

Pete fixed up the pen in the front area so she couldn’t get out. This is where she’s spending the night. I know that if Alys had her way, that dang goat would be in the house. Just as well. Goats stink.

Next: 260. 9/20/21: The Path