Pygmy Goatopolis 2011: An Update.

So last night was interesting. Sadly, Charlie the adorable pygmy goat is no longer living with us. What happened was (I realize that I didn't really explain how the goat ended up in our suburban back yard) that Ricky had something about wanting to get me a baby chicken (!!) to his boss. His boss said, "No way! Get a goat!" and Ricky, knowing about my love of all things tiny and adorable and hooved, agreed. Knowing that our awesome HOA wouldn't let us keep him, Ricky and his boss agreed that we'd keep him for as long as we could, but probably for just a week, until I go back to work. He wanted me to have something to play with while I'm still stuck at home. How sweet!! While we were at an even that Ricky was working (a weird Jimmy Buffet show, live-streaming from Tampa to a huge screen at this massive party at Margartiaville on the beach here) his boss came by and dropped off Charlie the pygmy goat along with a bag of goat feed. When we got home, he wasn't actually in the yard, he had somehow escaped the Alcatraz of a backyard that we have dog-proofed and was two yards down. The women living at that house found him, and decided to put him in our neighbor's yard, because she had a fence. Weird, I know. Anyway, they were in their yard and yelled, "Do you have a little goat?" to which Ricky replied, "Yes."I was confused. We don't have a goat.Is there a goat on the loose in the neighborhood? Have they mistaken a dog or cat for a goat? I don't know, people are stupid.Is this some magical moment where I've somehow used my mind powers to will a goat into my life?Either way, it was awesome. For about three hours.As it turns out, we're not really set up for a goat. He alternated between head butting our dogs (hard), head butting our glass door (also very, very hard), and standing in the yard bleating as loud as his little lungs would allow. Adorable, yes. Practical? No. The only way he would be quiet was if I sat on the porch and he laid in my lap. Again, cuter than anything I've ever seen before, but I wasn't about to sleep sitting up on my porch.Actually, I was about to, but after a little thought I decided not to. Ricky called his boss and he came and took him back to the farm. I'm happy that he's with all the other goats, and he has a little goat house to live in, free of vicious Westies that want to eat him. I cried! I had him for three hours and it was like forever.Now I really want one. And that is the end of the goat story.