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goats and graves by randy mazie
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The “Free” Lawnmower
When living in Florida, I owned property that included a tiny orange grove of 100 trees. A definite challenge to keep the grass around the trees cut, until the day we bought a goat. The goat very efficiently ate all the grass.
However he also developed a crush on me. Early each morning, he’d be waiting to chase me to the chicken coup. His horns were wicked but he was just being playful. I got my morning exercise and he got a sweet pat on the head. The lips of his mouth would curl back and he’d smile. So a win – win for both of us!
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A true story and a part of my life, raising my children. The goat had rather substantial horns that curved and he was young and very frisky. Absolutely a challenge to make it to the chickens each morning with him chasing me.
Hope you enjoyed the story. You should join in the fun. To write a flash fiction (approximately 100 words) for Friday Fictioneers. Just click on the link for all the particulars. Your excellent hostess Rochelle will guide you through the easy to follow steps! Thank you Randy Mazie for the photo prompt for this week.
Thanks for your visit, have a great day and better tomorrow,
~ Penny
The Why About This 
Love this story, Penny, so cute! And a goat would come in handy, but my hubby enjoys the job, so for now, no new playmate for Copper! 🙂
Thanks Lauren, I’m thinking Copper would not be very thrilled with Max (the goat) for very long and your hubby beats out Max completely in the loving department (based on what your write about your cool partner in life. 🙂 ) xx
🙂 🙂 xxx
I had a dog, it ate my shoes if it could get at them. Perhaps he was a goat in his previous life? 🙂
Perhaps he was! Goats will eat anything, I know, I watched mine do it! 🙂
aww adorable story 🙂 really sweet
Thank you kz, not in the moment but fun to remember now! 🙂
Great take Penny.. and so nice with a real story. Must be a great lawnmover,
Thank you Björn. Max (the goat) was an excellent lawnmower and garbage disposal (accidental) also! 🙂
So, you didn’t get his goat, you got your goat?
🙂
Scott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2013/07/13/friday-fictioneers-71213-a-very-grave-nanny-pg13/
Hi Scott, Nope I didn’t get his goat, lol! 🙂
We had a goat once. Until it pinned my sister against the house. Luckily we found a farmer to take it. Kids are fun, but old goats can be scary. 🙂 Enjoyed your story. It brought back some funny memories.
Yes they can be “nasty” also Honie, totally. I’m glad you found a good home for him though! Like you I try to remember the fun parts! Have an excellent weekend! 🙂
They just want to have fun but can do a little damage whilst doing it… love this…
Yes they are definite eataholics, lol!
Dear Penny,
Lovely story. i have thoguht often of getting a goat to ‘mow’ the lawn. Will revisit the subject based on your loving recollections.
Aloha,
Doug
Hi Doug, nice to “see” you! Look for a “passive” one. Well okay most are contrary but there are some goats way more gentle than others. “Max” in my story, not so much! But amazing with the grass and cans, and paper and ….
Musta been your pheromones. lol
You know what, I honestly wondered about that. And it does sound pretty silly too, lol!
😉
What a funny memory. That was a great idea to buy a goat for helping take care of the grass!
Thank you zooky! It worked exceedingly well. Max (the goat) also took care of all the open areas of the property. 🙂
I just pictured all of that & smiled!
xx 🙂 🙂 xx
It was not necessarily hilarious in the moments of chase (well not for me, anyone else watching perhaps, lol). Yes Max was a piece of work! He’d hide sometimes around the side of the house and try to surprise me (it worked a few times too, unfortunately)! Still he was adorable for all that! 🙂 xo
As one who raised goats for a while, I can appreciate your story. That lips pulled back smile really created a vision. Good job!
Hi Linda. Thanks. Yes, if you’ve raised goats, you know exactly what I’m talking about! 🙂
Goats can be vicious little critters!
Yes. I understood that rather quickly with “Max”! He was contentious quite determined!
Cool! A smiling goat sounds like fun 🙂
Thanks, he was lots of fun! 🙂
My favorite story today! Did your goat have a name?
Yes he did “Max”! And he “treed” me (had to climb a tree, lol) a few times too! 🙂
That is so funny! I’ve always thought goats rather strange creatures (and I am a Capricorn!)
Well there you go (the Capricorn part, lol!). And Max apart from being um…frisky, was adorable!
:^D
I’m all for four-legged lawn mowers!
Yes, amazingly efficient they are indeed! 🙂
LOL what a wonderful way to start my day …reading this wonderful story!
Hi Len, thank you dear friend. Max was a very interesting animal, to say the least, I’m so glad you enjoyed my story! Love and hugs to you. 🙂 xx
I’ve contemplated a goat or sheep for the same purpose, but don’t really have enough land to make it worth it. I guess in your story, the headstone represents the death of the grass. 🙂
Have a great day, Penny,
janet
Hi Janet, I’m not sure of your acreage but it is amazing how much grass, weeds, etc, one goat can eat! Very efficiently. The headstone represents the probability of what could have happened to me. His friskiness including swinging his curved horns around “if he got in front of me” and attempting to butt me with the points, luckily I was agile enough to move quickly, lol! 🙂 Honestly, the goat reminded me of “Max”, and I couldn’t resist writing about him!
This is such a sweet story:) wonder what the smiling goat would look like:) enjoyed this
Hi Padmini, I have a picture of “Max” (the goat) but couldn’t locate it, I’m still looking for it, if I find it, I will add and let you know. His horns curved and were quite awesome! 🙂
Max is a nice name:)
What a beautiful tale! 🙂
Thank you, very much! 🙂
AnElephantCant help considering
That goat had a whole lot of sense
When it comes to Penny
It seems that so many –
Like AnElephant – have no defence
It was unusual actually, when we realized the goat had a “thing” just for me. Now it may have been because I was the early bird who got up in the wee hours of the morning to feed the menagerie of animals. Just don’t know, but it was a standing joke in the community about “Max” and his interest in me! Thank you for the lovely compliment! 🙂 xo
Dear Penny,
Sometimes truth is just better than fiction. I really enjoyed this story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Hi Rochelle. Certainly nothing to do with the photo prompt, excepting the goat that is included in the photo, but it did prompt my memories of “Max”! Thank you, I am pleased you liked it! Take care of you, Penny xx
Sweet little story! I love the line about the goat smiling.
Thank you Gabriella, actually rather “offputting” at the time, but friends and neighbors thought it was hilarious! Especially the sound that “Max” (his name) made! lol 🙂
Enjoyed that little reminiscence. Well done.
LOL. I have this image of you legging it to the chicken coop with the goat close on your tail 🙂
That is precisely what went on, every single morning, I got really creative with the 500 yard dash too! We had a plethora of critters, too. bunnies, ducks, horse (Christina’s), 2 pigs, Petunia and General Lee, and 2 calves for a period of time, oh and as mentioned earlier 100 chickens (and 2 roosters). I think I haven’t forgotten anyone, lol! 🙂
Haha You really were an Old MacDonald (or Young MacDonald lol)
True life story Penny. Goats will do that, get attached. Obviously your sweetness was a major factor.
Thank you, for the lovely compliment. We never did figure out what his “thing” was with me in particular, a little weird actually, but fun too! 🙂