Moo, Baaa, Maaaa, Wha-huh?

Out hiking with a group today, I stopped to tie my shoe and one of the male hikers went around me, continuing on the trail, but also making sure to say this to me:

"Bahhaahaaaaa" [use whatever inflections you like. it was meant as pleasant]

I did not understand, so in that understanding (not, 'repeat yourself'), I asked, "What?", with highly quizzical look on my face to go with the question.

He repeated the noise, as if to aid my understanding and that all made sense with that repetition.

I suppose because I didn't laugh and because I was wondering if this was a rude thing going on, he decided to explain himself: "You're the goat-farmer."

"Oh. Oh, yes." I wish I hadn't said "Yes", but the odd encounter threw me.
I would have liked to explain that:

1. I farm in terms of fruits and vegetables
2. I am not a goat farmer
a. My goats are all male and ...are also fixed.
b. I don't milk my goats, make goat-cheese or breed goats (see above, a.)

3. My goats are companion-goats, and are trained for hiking.



But most of all...
....if you have a dog and I know it,
do you want me to come up to you
and
bark
and it be a wonderful inside joke between us?


It's
not
that
weird.
(to have goats. it would be weird for me to bark at you...i ...think??.....)


It's different.


But it's okay to start a conversation: "how are your goats?" "what kind of goats are they?" "what do they eat?" "how did you train them?"


I understand that this man was socially awkward, but it's often the socially awkward who kind of, in a way, speak for everyone else who's polite (see: "MAMA SHE'S FAT!"). So feel free to ask questions. They're my therapy animals to me, since a dog was going to take forever to get approved, be a year+ process and expensive--I'd have to be on disability to qualify.



Note that my dear goats were not *on* this hiking outing, but that this particular man overheard me talking about my goats to someone else (who said, "SO YOU'RE THE GOAT-PERSON!") BTW, *that's* more than okay. If *you're* a "dog person"...sure, I'm a goat-person, even perhaps THE goat-person...


Imma really gonna have to start
"The Snack Brothers"
blog
for Snicker, Doodle and NutterButter.....