Goodbye, my little Lofa

I screamed.

I had just turned on the barn lights to do morning feedings. It was the first day of spring and the rain had just broken into clouds with sun breaks, the air was warm enough to be coatless.

I turned my head to the right, and there as usual in the first stall, was Stevie, on his crippled knees looking content. Rudy was to his side, looking brightly at me, but down to the left was a little black body, wearing a warming jacket. Without even touching him I knew he was dead. It was Lofa.

That's when I screamed.

I screamed in shock, like a person walking in on an intruder. I cried and wept over that little dead body, I'd really grown fond of him. There had been no warning he was dying, or in danger of going into a bad state. I've worked with enough of these elderly goats - or goats who came from malnourishment or needy situations - to know that they can take a turn for the worse really quickly. But Lofa had been eating well and was active. I always checked his eyes and gums daily when I'd give him his morning hugs, just as a precaution to see if he was getting anemic. The night before he died, I said my usual good nights to him - he just loved to be hugged, and would lean into you and rest his head in your side. It was supposed to rain, so I put his little jacket on him for some extra warmth, even though he showed no signs of shivers.

There was no sign of distress in his body, except for diarrhea. I can only make assumptions and it is always hard to not know exactly what killed an animal in the end. I often said that Lofa was not a very strong goat. We'd had a scare with him not long after he arrived last June, where he was really sick, and the vet concurred it was anemia. I had dealt with this before with Aunt Bea and knew how quickly they can die if they don't get treatment, so I got him rebounded in a few days. He wasn't as old as Bea so that helped. He might have had blockage in an intestine from a thorn, glass or any small object he picked up while eating. This happened to a yearling sheep and the vet did an autopsy where we found the blockage - but we never could determine what caused it. And that sheep became ill two days prior to her death.

It is what it is.

When I got to the barn, the animals were as stoic about another death as I had seen them in the past. They mourn in different ways than we do. They move on much more elegantly too. The rains returned, and I turned a bucket upside down, took a seat near Lofa, and watched the animals eat their hay while chickens scattered in and out of the barn. It never ceases to give me comfort when one of the animals dies - how the barnyard goes on. My good byes to Lofa were weepy, he was such a special little fellow. Lofa was a talker, no matter where he was in the barnyard, if I entered at the gate, I knew exactly where he was because he'd start talking. He was bowlegged like no other and his front teeth always protruded a bit, sort of like he had dentures. He reminded me of a little old man in Florida, walking the beach all bowlegged with skinny legs and mouth slightly ajar.

When I got to the barn and found him around 8 am, his mouth was still warm. This killed me as it indicated he had died shortly before I got there. My heroics might have only prolonged what nature had in store. His little body did what it could. I buried him with a sprig of daffodil and some pussy willows to celebrate spring with him.

As I walked back to the house, it dawned on me that five years ago on this same day, early in the morning, my father died. He was in home hospice and had told my mother he hoped to live to see Spring. And he did, if only an hour or so of it. Perhaps Lofa was ready long before this too, and knew this first day of spring had significance on many levels for so many.

Little Lofa, you never gave any trouble to anyone and were such a joy to have with us. You gave Rudy comfort too after he lost Teats, and your friend Raggedy was able to gain courage at your side. I will miss you, little man!

It all seemed extra sad and heavy today.

Lofa arrived from a neglect case, along with Raggedy Man, in 2012. He had first been rescued by New Moon Goat Farm Rescue where many of the goat Misfits have come from.

The Christmas Garland Festival!

Last year, a follower of Apifera sent some lovely vintage fabrics and a gift of a felted garland she made. One thing led to another and before I knew it I was sharing the garland with the barnyard and then sharing the photos with followers.

The happiness it seemed to bring to so many in such a simple way left an impression on me. So I declared it a new holiday tradition - The Christmas Garland Festival.

I hope you enjoy the slide show - thirty plus images of the Misfits and then some. Wilbur the Acrobatic Goat chose to observe versus participate - one must not force garland wearing. Raggedy Man would have nothing to do with it, and he was much too busy flirting with The Head Troll - flirting is a kind word.

In the end, I garlandized The Dirt Farmer. The man doesn't take a bad picture, does he?

Lofa love

Little Lofa seems to have fully recovered from his anemia and is eating, walking, and doing all Lofa like things in true Lofa like fashion. A huge collective sigh of relief. Amazing when an animal has been malnourished in the past how much havoc is played on a little body.I've been putting a little jacket on Lofa in this colder weather just to give him some extra heat. I had purchased it for Old Man Guinnias but it was too small, so am glad it is being put to such good use.

Lofa was adopted by Apifera after New Moon Goat Rescue took him in from a neglectful situation. Feel free to sponsor Lofa or the other Apifera adoptees at different gift levels.

From cat to man and woman, to old man and goat

A couple's beloved pet cat fell ill and it was discovered he had cancer. So they opted to treat the cat with chemo. They visited the cat each and every night of his stay at the vet as he went through treatment, sharing their memories and love with him. One night, they got a call that the cat had quit breathing, and they rushed in to say their final goodbyes before he was euthanized. The vet bill was very high and they now had to start replenishing their savings.

Soon after, the couple went to the hardware store to purchase items to make a proper burial marker for their beloved cat. The woman waited in the car and she saw an older man struggling to strap a heavy welding tool he'd purchased to the back of his bicycle. Nobody was stopping to help, so the woman approached him. Even she was unable to help the man, and when her husband arrived he suggested they drive the man home and then return for the bike and then drive the bike back to the man. This was a good hour back and forth and the older man felt grateful, but insisted on giving them $20, but the couple refused the money.

After the couple returned home, the woman flipped back her seat to retrieve a bag and there was the $20 bill where the old man had secretly tucked it.

Even though they had their own vet bill to recoup, she wanted to pass the small donation onward, and thought about her local Animal Welfare Society - but while reading her favorite blogs, she came upon my story of Lofa, and passed it on to me, sharing this story.

She never got the man's name, but sent a note to the building manager who said he would pass on her note that his money was now helping an old goat in need.

A cat named Blue shared a life of love with two people I never met, who help an old man who helps them, and that helps a little goat and her caretaker far way in Oregon. The circle of love, I'd say.

Lofa rebounds!

Raggedy man shows off his ZZ Top Moment as Little Lofa stand by.

Little Lofa has rebounded and is eating like a little vacuum cleaner to make up for lost time. For the last week he has eaten well and shown much more strength. He still has white eyes though but I swear I'm seeming a teeny bit of pink.

He still runs the risk of getting knocked down and having trouble getting up, but I've been watching and the couple of times he was accidentally pushed over, he stayed upright and could get up. His runny nose seems better too and his personality is back, as he greets me with his little Lofa love bleats at morning feedings.

I think after trying so hard to save Aunt Bea, and then have this happen to Lofa just brought it all back home - I'm just one person with two hands and one heart. You can only do your best - with your vet at your side - when you take on a creature that didn't have the best nutrition in the pas. Lofa is getting up there in years, turning 8 next spring, but I'm glad New Moon got him when they did, and we in turn could help.

SO thank you again to everyone that helped Lofa! He felt the love and so did Apifera.

Update on little Lofa

Lofa's blood test for Johnes came back negative. This is a huge relief as there is no cure or treatment.

Now I just need to keep slowly trying to get energy into him to get those red blood cells reproducing again. An iron shot today for good measure. A little propyl glycol for a few more days.

He's still slow to eat, but is eating. Still weaker than he should be. But this could be a month or more. Of course there could be hidden reasons - tumors or cancer - but we will proceed with positivity and except what we get knowing we have done our best. It takes time to get that blood working right again. I did learn from my vet - and had read this = that just because you have a negative fecal doesn't mean there isn't an overload of parasite in an animal. Since Lofa came from a previous horm where his worming might have been zilch or lax, he still could have been treated by New Moon [which he was, they always worm and delice arrivals and keep them quarantined for observation] and showed up here with worms. He also had another but of topical sucking lice which I treated about a week before the vet came, but I might not have been aggressive enough since at that time he was healthy.

So I will be keeping my eye on this love called Lofa. He gets plenty of hugs and atention!

Thanks to everyone who chipped in to help! [Lofa is too weak to send out his thank you gifts, but I put Raggedy in charge, chaperoned by The Head Troll. Expect them in a week or two].

Love for little Lofa needed

Lofa is still not well and is on his fifth day of medication and shots. I am just heartsick about this one. The vet was here on Wednesday and we haven't gotten the blood results back but are treating him for what we hope is just anemia from worm overload and prior malnutrition.

Lofa came to us via our friends at New Moon Goat Farm and Rescue. He and his herd [including little Raggedy Man] were relinquished by the breeder/owner. I do not know the whole story - one never does in these cases - but I do know they were mismanaged, loaded with worms and lice, had signs of rot and were very thin. Raggedy arrived a sack of bones and I'm really pleased he is putting on weight, his coat is much better as is his skin. They had been at New Moon for a couple months and the lice and worms had been taken care of.

But Lofa started declining a week ago. I didn't wait to call the vet on this one. After my experience with Aunt Bea - another malnourished rescue who sadly couldn't pull through despite heroic efforts on the part of the vet, Bea and myself - I knew anemia can take a malnourished goat down pretty fast. He's been getting daily shots of B12 and penicillin as well as we've hit him hard with daily oral wormers.

He is standing, but last week he couldn't get up when he was pushed over at feeding. This morning I sensed he was a hair better, but he mainly just stands in what I call 'the sick goat stance'. His hair is puffed up due to the anemia, although I felt that was better today too. He is still not finishing all his ration.

I once told a vet that I wanted to be a place that could take in hospice animals, since vets or sanctuaries often don't have the man power to hospice animals. Once again, the intention I released tot he universe has been brought to me. I do believe that I somehow attract certain animals that simply need a place to feel safe so they can die. Not every animal that comes here is dying, but many have been due to old age and malnourishment or a combination of the two. I always tell a sick animal it is okay to move on if they need to. But I told Lofa I want him to fight with me and live.

Raggedy is quite sweet too - his face reminds me of an angelic painting. He checks on Lofa regularly and sleeps with him too.

If you'd like to help defray Lofa's vet bill, please do so. Lofa will feel the love.

Gift Levels

No gift $5.00 USD Lavender gift $25.00 USD Art card $25.00 USD

Head Troll prepares barnyard for the Fourth

The newcomers, Raggedy Man and Lofa, are new to the barnyard but they are quickly learning that The Head Troll is prepared for any kind of disaster or event. But The Head Troll is also entrepreneurial and is having a quick sale of last year's safety equipment for this year's Fourth. It's America.