It was warm on June 17, when I was born in the North Carolina mountains. They tell me that I was the first one born, because I have 2 sisters, Goldie and Holly, and a brother I call Uppy.
My name is Pansy because my mothers name is Tulip. I also have a Granny Joanna(I call her Gran) and a Gramps named Mike. They love me very much.
I live with Gran and Gramps with a lot of other goats. I drink my Mommy's milk to help me grow strong, but I also eat a special feed that has medicine in it to help me not get sick. I also get to go outside and eat green stuff, and I get hay when I come back to my room at night. Gran even gave me a shot, which hurt for a minute, and told me that it would keep me from getting sick. Gran called it a "vaccination" and said even human kids get them too to help them to not get sick.
One day Gran and Gramps told me that I was going to go to a place called Tennessee to live with a new mommy, and a daddy too. I told them I didn't want to go to a strange all by myself. That is when Gran told me that she would never send me somewhere alone. She said my Aunt Gabbi and Uncle O'pea would be coming too so I would have someone to play with.
One morning when I was five weeks old Gran said it was time to go and meet my new mommy. I was very scared, so Gran held me while Gramps drove the truck. It seemed like a long time, but we were there before you knew it. As we arrived, Gramps blew his horn, and a lady came walking out of the barn, waving. She had a big smile on her face, came over to Gran and picked me up. It wasn't too bad, even though I was afraid. She spoke very softly to me and even scratched my ears. Then she gave me a bottle that Gran had brought. I was only used to drinking from my goat mama, so it was confusing at first. Then I figured out that it was my milk and I drank and drank and drank. When my belly was full, I quit drinking.
After I ate, my new mama told me she was putting me in a safe place with Gabbi and O'Pea to take a little nap. It smelled all fresh and the ground was soft. She had bales of hay in the back corner so we could climb up on them and lay down. She put fresh hay in our room for us to eat, and she cut locust leaves, pine branches and blackberry leaves for us to eat. Yum, Yum! They were so delicious. I decided that this might just be a nice place after all.
I told Gran and Gramps goodbye, and that I would miss them. I think Gran had a tear in her eye especially because she was leaving Gabbi. I think it was because Gran fed Gabbi from a bottle from the day she was born because her goat mama was sick. Gran gave me a kiss and told me she would come and see me again soon. I promised her that I would be a good girl.
After Gran and Gramps left, I felt a little bit sad, but Gabbi said we were starting a new family here, and that there would be more little goats for me to play with soon because she was going to be having babies. She said I could be a big sister to them, and look after them. Then I suddenly didn't feel sad anymore, because I was going to be part of a big adventure! Mama brought a big white dog into the barn and told me her name was Maggie. She said Maggie was really just a puppy, but that when she got even bigger that she would stay with us and help keep us safe. She told us to be patient with her until she learned what her job would be. I told her I would try, but that she was lots bigger than me. Mama told me not for very long because I would grow very fast.
For the next two days, Mama fed me warm milk from a bottle, and I ate grain and hay and green stuff. She took all of us outside and we followed her out into open place with green trees and lots of green stuff to eat. Gabbi showed me the things that were good for me to eat, and the things that I shouln't eat. I think O'Pea just eats everything! He is a big pig and tries to push me away from the good things to eat. Mama tells him not to be a bully, and then she finds me a place where I can eat good stuff too.
The next day after I ate my breakfast, Mama told me there were more members of the family. She picked me up and took me to the gate and I saw really big animals that I had never seen before. "Those are horses", Mama said. "While you are little you must stay on this side of the fence, because Abby and Leggs are very big and might accidentally step on you. When you are bigger, perhaps you can go out into the pasture with them."
Then one morning I told Mama that I really missed Gran. She told me she had an idea. She said that she had something called a "computer", and that I could talk to Gran even though she was far away. She said I could send her something called an "email", and that she could send me a message. I told Mama that I didn't know anything about those things, but she said she would help me. So I told Mama what I wanted to tell Gran, and then she typed it into an email and sent it to Gran. A little while later, Gran sent a reply to me, and told me she was going to see me soon.
I told Mama that I liked sending emails, and she said I could have a "blog". She said I could tell lots of other people what life is like living on a farm and growing up there. I told her that would be fun if she would help me. She said she would, and that the first time I wrote in my blog that I needed to tell everyboy "Hello". So that is what I am doing today:
"GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS!"
I will write more soon, but I must take my bedtime bottle and then go to sleep. Nite, Nite.
Love,
Pansy
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