AN ENIGMATIC AND POIGNANT JOURNEY AROUND MY AGEING AND EVOLVING MOTHER! PART 19.

After all, come rain or Sun, I would have to wake up early in the mornings to take the goats out to be fed. 

Always being careful to tie them in such a way that they could have as much feeding spaces as possible.  

But without the risk of them going every which way between the trees, and risk hanging themselves as their tethering rope wraps itself around the trees. 

There was also the traumatic occasion when, having left one of the goats on Backra's land one morning. 

A massive dog belonging to one of  the owners of large local sugar estate, traveled some distance to get to it and savaged the goat. 

Leading to my dear mother having to sell it to be butchered. Upon returning from school to be given this devastating news. 

I became upset enough to walked to the nearest largest town where the man who bought the mortally wounded animal lived. 

It was too late by the time I got there, and I do not remember the details of what unfolded after that. 

The more enjoyable aspects of having goats and pigs and caring for them, included them becoming pregnant and having young ones. 

Feeding and observing them growing up and, in due course, repeating the reproductive process. 

If all of this sound matter of fact, it certainly was not what I experienced. It does not reflect the sense of amazement I experienced feeling a goat kid in its mother's belly. 

Or my then bewilderment when I first observed a dark pouch protruding from the vagina of my first female goat.