Little Bear's Adventure

Once we had the donkeys loaded on Saturday morning, we closed the partition and set up the back half of the trailer for the goats.  We put hay in their feeder (strapped in front of the partition) and put down a thick layer of shavings.  We loaded Bear and Thistle first since, as usual, they were mobbing us for attention.  Whiskey went in next and then I chased Cowboy around for a good little while before cornering him in the goat shed.  We tumbled him into the trailer with the others, closed the door and Brett headed out the gate.

I climbed into the Subaru with the cat, in her carrier, next to me on the passenger seat and the dogs in the very back.  Sedona was relaxing on the bed we put back there while Kersey took in the sights.  Sedona is eleven so she's been there, done that.  Kersey is three going on one.  She actually growled at a semi that got too close to us at one point.  The rabbits went to a new home at the last minute with some little kids who are excited to have them so they did not make the journey with us afterall.

We stopped a few times on the way up and the animals were all doing great: calm, quiet, and relaxed.  At the last stop we made for gas, I noticed that Little Bear was laying down, wedged between the feeder and the partition.  His head was under the feeder and he wasn't moving.  I climbed into the back and checked on him -- he was fine, just taking a nap.

We pulled into Oak Creek Ranch at dusk and parked.  We opened the back door to get the goats out and there were only three.  I peeked over the top of the partition and there was Little Bear on the donkey side.  He had pushed himself into a corner, behind the donkey's hay bag, and was shaking.  The donkeys were looking at him with mild interest.  Fortunately, he was laying against the trailer escape door so we opened that and slid him out.  Brett walked him to the goat area and I followed with Thistle.  Bear, who adores Brett, was walking with his shoulder at Brett's leg.  Every few steps he would lean into Brett's leg and then wag his tail.

The goats, like the donkeys, are loving their new pasture.  It is full of grass and weeds and berry bushes.  A real goat parardise.

Sunday morning, I discovered Bear outside the goat area.  He had copied the deer who push on a weak part of the fence and slip under.  Bear followed me to the gate and happily went back inside with the rest of the herd.  I dragged Brett over to see if he could reinforce the fence (of course he could).  Bear saw Brett, made a bee-line for the weak spot, and in a blink of an eye was back out loving all over Brett.

We made a visit to the hardware store down the street and Brett fixed the fence.  No more jail breaks for Bear.  I wasn't able to get any pictures of the rascal.  He was constantly in my face, nibbling on my elbow, or otherwise too close to the camera.