Month: April 2020

The seventh of April 2020

goats

Social distancing, lockdowns and quarantines are difficult for all. To stay connected, perhaps hold onto hope and find solidarity amongst people across the globe, a Facebook group has emerged called View From My Window. The rules are simple – you post where you are in the world and the view from your window – as we are all must stay inside as much as possible. People from all over the world have posted lovely pictures, but yesterday someone posted one and has kindly given me permission to use it here.

I am pleased to introduce you to Zippy from Killiechronan, Isle of Mull, Scotland and his brother George. Their human friend, Jean O’Donnell shared the first photo and sent along a few others to share.

The sixth of April 2020

goats

My whole life I have been a square peg in a round hole. I always marched to the beat of my own drum, I always looked for the road less traveled, and never tried too hard to fit in. I saw these quirks as my strengths in life, and many times they have been strengths and are what makes me who I am.

However, if there was any time to bravely be a sheep, it is now. Listen to the scientists, listen to the health experts, wash your hands, stay inside, wear a mask, keep away from others and you will save lives. It is that simple. Your time to shine, to party, to interact, to hug and embrace will come again, so long as we all do our part now.

The fifth of April 2020

goats, pigs

Although it is no longer March of Pigs, I cannot help but share what I find to be an inspirational story about feral pigs in Canada. Originally imported from Europe in the late 1980s for meat, these noble creatures have truly made the great north their own. They mate with domestic pigs, live off the land and build their own above-ground structures known as “pigloos.” They have a special combination of wild and domesticated traits that have helped them become 600 pound super pigs. Amazing.

The third of April 2020

goats

Many years ago, while I was trolling the depths of the internet, before our family ever knew it would eventually relocate to the UK, I discovered something wonderful. It was the Oxford-Cambridge Goat Race, hosted by Spitalfields City Farm in London. Every year, one goat representing Cambridge faces off against one goat representing Oxford race across the farm to a crowd of delighted caprid enthusiasts. It was an instant addition to my bucket list.

About three years ago, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend, and we were lucky enough to enjoy the 2018 and 2019 races as well. The 2020 race has been postponed in light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, and we hope to see the goats again!

The second of April 2020

goats

Sometimes you just need to seize the opportunity and find some joy in the world. That is what a herd of mountain goats in Wales did a few days ago. Although humans across the UK are in lockdown, the Prime Minister did not extend the new rules to combat the spread of SARS-COV-2 to goats. Thus, the gang of goats saw their opportunity to descend upon the town of Llandudno. Locals (who I assume were following social distancing protocols and noticed the goats on essential errands or the one hour of outside exercise time per day) found the goats roaming the streets and hanging out as though they were meant to be there all along. And perhaps they were.

I would most of all like to thank the many people who shared this amazing story with me over the past few days. This story brought me great joy, as does the fact that people reach out with goat related shenanigans. Please note that I did not take any of these photographs.