Story Podcast

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the narrator's spring break plans were canceled, including a trip to the Bahamas. Instead, their family decided to get a herd of goats. Initially unsure about the idea, the narrator eventually found joy and learning experiences in taking care of the goats. They now have 30 goats and are happy with their decision. It was a sunny spring afternoon in March of 2020. I was a junior in high school in Corvallis, Oregon, and it was supposed to be spring break. However, school had been canceled the week before because of the new outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. My family should have been on our way to the Bahamas, but we had to cancel last minute because of the recent travel restrictions. I wanted to go to the Bahamas anyway. I think we could have made it there. We just might not have been able to come home, but I was fine getting stuck there. My dad had been thinking about getting a herd of goats because he had been talking to someone in his office that owned them. My family even went out to visit the goats at the co-workers' farm. We thought the baby goats were pretty cute, but we weren't sure if we wanted them. My dad thought they would help keep my brother and I busy while we were out of school, even though we didn't know that it would be canceled for the rest of the school year. Originally, we talked about getting a dozen babies, but then they had 25 that were ready to go, so my dad decided to get all of them. My mom, brother, and I still weren't convinced that this was a good idea. Growing up, I had always wanted a dog, but the kind of dog I wanted always seemed to change. Sometimes I wanted a husky, or a German Shepherd, or a miniature Australian Shepherd, but then I started looking at smaller dogs that were hyperallergenic like Havanese. My parents didn't really want a dog inside the house, though. My mom is allergic to animal fur, and my dad just isn't a big fan of dogs. Our family used to be on the go quite a bit, too. Besides being in school during the day, my brother and I both played sports and always had some type of practice or games in the evening. We always used to be gone quite a bit on the weekends, too, so my parents didn't think we would be able to give a dog as much attention as it would need. I've always been disappointed that I could not get a dog. I remember feeling smeh when I first heard we were getting goats. The family we bought them from was delivering the goats that afternoon. My dad, mom, brother, and I were waiting down at our barn, wearing our work clothes and rubber boots. A pickup truck drove down the gravel driveway and backed up to the corral. In front of me was a herd of 25 baby goats in an animal trailer. In the background, I could hear a lot of high-pitched baaing. I was excited for them to open the trailer door and watch the little goats run into the barn. I remember smiling and laughing as I watched them. The new goats definitely kept us busy as they kept escaping, getting their head stuck in the fence, and even headbutting the neighbor's windows. But two and a half years later, we still have a majority of our original herd, plus some babies from 2021 and 2022. At the moment, we have 30 goats. Even though I wasn't overly excited about getting them, they have actually been pretty fun and also a good learning experience. I'm happy we got the goats after all.