Bimbo

[shanmonster]

When raine_storm was a baby, we discovered she couldn't drink cow's milk, so we got ourselves a small flock of dairy goats. One of them, Heidi, was a champion Alpine goat. She had a small white kid with black spots and tiny little budding horns. Her name was Bimbo, and she was my goat.

This was around the time when Sesame Street would show a little film clip of a girl about my age running around with her pet goat calling, "Thumper! Thumper!" She was the first tv character I ever related to.

My family took the goats to county fairs and goat shows. Heidi cleaned up at all of them. She produced a prodigious amount of milk, and had to be divested of it twice a day. And even then, her udders were swollen with the stuff. I showed Bimbo at one of the fairs, and she won a big red ribbon.

I was very proud of Bimbo, and ran all around the fairgrounds with her in tow. I was showing her off to everyone saying, "She won first prize!"

Everyone would look at the goat, read the ribbon, laugh, and then tousle my hair. Bimbo would rear up on her hind legs and dance around, bopping her head all over the place.

Of course it ended up that Bimbo had won worst in show, but I was proud of her, nonetheless. Not all goats dance.

Bimbo went on many grand adventures with me, or as grand an adventure as a four-year-old can have in her own backyard. She'd follow me to the chicken shed where I'd collect eggs (my first regular chore). She'd gambol through the trees with me, play hide and seek and tag, and one of my favourite games was Snow Goat. In Snow Goat, she'd hold still, I'd pack snow all around so that only her face protruded, and then I'd run away. When I'd call, she shook, and the snow exploded and cascaded as she bounded toward me. Sometimes she'd wear a hat, until she shook that off, too.

The odd thing is that I have no recollection of whatever happened to the goats. I don't remember them dying, leaving, or being sold or eaten. Perhaps they were spirited away by goat faeries. Perhaps Bimbo is dancing about under an elf hill.

Right.

Comments

[nymphie.livejournal.com]

When I was born, my parents had a goat named Shirley (Lavern had recently died.) I don't really remember her, just a flash or two feeding her. I wish I had memories like you had of Bimbo. Goats seem to be neat animals and dang if I don't love their cheese! :)

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I used to have a pair of algae eaters named Laverne and Shirley. Maybe they were the reincarnation of your goats. The fish met with a bad end when my Dad thought it would be a good idea to add a crawfish to the fish tank. The fish were gone in the morning, and I saw what crawfish look like when they smile....

[nymphie.livejournal.com]

Oh no! I had those fish too, only our's were always called "Mr. Grump" :).

[phil-in-a-box.livejournal.com]

I got a crawfish and it ate a couple of my girlfriend's spotted dojos. She was mad at me. I loved those dojos, but I was awfully impressed with my crawfish; he had clearly turned out to be even more awesome than I had thought.

[fourcorners.livejournal.com]

Your animal stories are so fantastic. Each story populated by the most unique critters with enormous personalities