Stormy died this morning. I checked on her before going to tend to the ponies, and she did not look good. She was lying on her side with her head at an angle. I told Pete to call the veterinarian, which he did. Veterinarian said that he’d be here late in the afternoon.

We made her more comfortable. Then after breakfast, Pete went to check on her. I was upstairs. He said that she was dead. I went outside and verified that he was right. We put her in the sled and got her out of the pen. Pete got the tractor and took her to the burial area.

The good thing was that she didn’t have to remain in pain until Dr. Kaiser got

Stormy and Ranger watch Tyra cross some sticks

here. She let it be known that she was not doing well by bleating very loudly. This is what I had a hard time dealing with.

Stormy died right as Pete and I were arguing. I suspect that it was just a matter of time before she passed on, but I do think that my negative energy was what put her over the edge. I wish that I’d been with her, and that in this respect, the passage was easier.

She was a great goat, very calm, very loving. The most memorable event was the Alaska State Fair. She knew exactly what to do when she was in the ring. And she won the conformation division. She was also a good mate for Ranger. They slept together and kept one another warm.

I had pictured Stormy and her offspring, NOAA Wether, and Sastrugi, playing in the yard. So unfair, for this to happen right at the onset of spring.

There was no anticipated miracle.

Ranger was confused. I do not think we’ll get another goat. A goat and a border collie are a bad combination. This means that Ranger is going to be on his own. I decided that I will be his companion, and I’ll do more things with him. I’ll have him with me when I’m out with the horses. And I’m going to do some agility with him.

I don’t know what we’ll do come winter, because he will have a hard time of it if he’s alone. He’ll get cold. Maybe I’ll get him a goat coat. If I had my druthers, I’d bring him into the house. Maybe I will.

I am of course feeling despondent. All day I kept thinking that I had to stop what I was doing and go check on her.

Instead, I did what I usually do – went to town and stocked the bookcases, and got another bookcase going in the Native Health Center in Sutton. Then I came home and went for three rides. The horses are glad to be back on the trails. Peaches’ Loop and Tin Can aren’t rideable yet, but they will be in another week. It’s also the calm before the 4-wheeler storm.

Altogether, just a sad, sad, day. Once again, I say, with great love comes great loss.

Next: 127. 5/8/21: A Conversation with Ranger