I checked in on a Facebook page tonight for CLUCK: Charlottesville League of Urban Chicken Keepers. I joined this group a few months ago after stumbling on it and, being both a believer in urban chicken keeping and a hopeful future urban chicken keeper, I became a fan.
So there I am, looking through recent wall postings when I see someone posting a link to a blog devoted to petitioning the Charlottesville city council to allow residents to keep goats.
Now, those close to me know: I love goats. Possibly my proudest moment to date as a mother is hearing my then 20-month-old son shout this very phrase during his first encounter with said creatures earlier this year. And yes, he was more repeating what he'd heard his mother say on multiple occasions than actually expressing his own opinion. (Though he has come to truly love goats and, ever since our recent visit to a nearby county fair when he spent an hour and a half in the petting farm, one of his favorite statements is, "A baby goat! We did see a baby goat! We did! We did!")
To further illustrate my goat obsession, I offer this other brief anecdote: In 2007, on our first trip together to Lithuania, Egidijus asked his parents' next-door neighbor if we could come over and visit with her goats. And she was like, "O-kaaaay," because to her it is just a goat. But to me? A little horned friend.
So, I see this link to this goat petition and I click on it because I will sign any petition in favor of goats. And what do I see at the very top of the page?
"Tuesday, September 7, 2010
I didn't even know there was a plan afoot to legalize in-town goat keeping and lo and behold, THIS VERY NIGHT it was approved. Talk about instant gratification.
The joy I felt at reading this was. . . ridiculous, really. I jumped up and down. Repeatedly. While pointing at the computer screen. And yelling, "Goats, goats, goats! I can have goats!" Egidijus and Silas just sort of watched me with bemused (maybe slightly frightened?) looks on their faces.
We had already been talking seriously about keeping chickens here starting next spring. And with my goat friends (having just one would be cruel, no? Two at least!) we'll have a regular backyard barnyard starting up.
Let the name brainstorming begin...
