20240705_170058

i didn't want to write any of this,  give it words.    But i think i  should.   Everything now will arise from this moment.  And things will be changed.

The first Watch Duty Alert came at 11 01am    ten acres grass and oak woodland,  moderate rate of spread   by  11 p,  3000 plus.  Both able bodied males had left that morning to go visiting…Phoenix and New Mex.    It was the four of us.   Jenny, Alyssia,  Emrie and Me.   Jenny was coming from work.  A   E   and me were to get Goats into the corridor of the Curry House.   j and A struggled to pull the "goat boat" forward  from where it had been blocked for 3 years.   They  finally did.   The loading,  one by one with Tay's long horse lead and a lot of coaxing went as smoothly as could be,  considering.  We rolled down the driveway down stopping at Jack's to open his gate,  open the door to the feed shed there.   Wish him well with pained hearts.  Emrie had questions.   We drove toward Gridley…the fairgrounds   were on a 45mph stretch of highway just out of town   Alyssia first with the Goats,  Jenny next,  me and minnow.  Puppy in a carrier with Alyssia,  her 2 dogs and her cat.   jenny braked hard and veered to the right.   

i saw a white form coming out of the trailer    hit the pavement    bounce    hit the pavement again  then roll to the side of the road.    It got up.  Stood a second then took off down the steep embankment.   It was Onday.  Jenny came running and i was running along the top of the embankment calling to her   Onday,  Onday….she ran    A young woman ,  Alyssia's age and Energy came running as did a man from a truck.   She yelled to Jenny to GO,  help with the trailer,  she would do this and she ran down the embankment,  as did the man       she ran behind Onday till she suddenly stopped and i said jump!  she'll let you hold her and she did and i threw the Tay lead down to the man who put it on her.   They made their way up and the young woman said we'll put her in your minivan.   Ok and we did and  i said something like….i cannot say,   and she said she had had Goats and turned and left.   

a couple weeks ago Jenny and her man did the CHECK on the trailer…tires,  lights,    Jenny's  new divider gate to keep some first loaded from the rest if needed.   Into that part we'd put Onday,  LuckyStar ,  the old ones and Celia who has a chronic bum leg.  i am known as someone who engages in catastrophic thinking.   Which might be true,  but also might not.   I try to work with it.  I let them do the readyness check.  Did not question.  Trusted.   Did it occur to any of us to check the entire floor?   No.  and that single small part at the right corner  of the front….went through.

within some moments Celia who had also fallen out was loaded in Jenny's car and Lucky Star was squashed with all the others in the back.  Now standing room only.  We drive.   to the fairgrounds in Gridley which was           enpty and quiet.   Error.  so we turned went back and drove to Camelot arriving well into the dark were everything was different  but got signed in and the Goats unloaded and they made it clear,  time for us go go away.  They asked as i filled out the papers with names of each and gender,  if any were injured and  i  said probably so they put Onday and Celia together.    I got a call early next morning from the Vet who was there,  the same really great and wonderful Vet,  Sarah Lynn,  of all other evacuations  who remembered them,  remembered us.  She said she had checked Celia's leg fully and it appeared to be maybe arthritis or something similar and she had prescribed  Meloxicam which they were starting.   that we should ask for remaining pills when we left and then call her and she would continue to prescribe on going.   I said….but Onday,  Onday??????   she said with the exception of a few scrapes,  Onday was

fine.

Snowbunny was jenny's first Goat.     Onday and her two brothers Iko and Iko were the first kidding.   I named them.  Nancy…go to UTube and listen to Iko Iko  Dixie Cups

This has turned my whole world around.   I close my eyes and see it over and over,  her falling, bouncing,  falling bouncing on the pavement

 

 

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26 responses to “Onday. First morning Back”

  1. Nancy Avatar

    (((Oh Grace))) I’m listening now.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBl2G8Bd-aI
    I can’t imagine. I can’t. My heart is there with yours.
    Process this however you need to, in the best most healthy way for you. I am so grateful they are all okay…that you ALL are okay… and that Helpers were there when you needed them…on the road, the amazing Vet…each other.
    I know you all did the best you could for your animals in the moment and will find smart and safe ways to move forward and take care of one another.
    Love, love and more love
    PS Trigger Warning for you at my blog. My way of processing. Don’t go is you don’t want to.

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  2. Marti Avatar
    Marti

    It is important grace that you could put these words here; that you had the willingness to share this with us. I hope that in doing so, it has helped you to put it here.
    Onday, Celia, and the rest are back on the hill, with you. All I can think of is that you all are safe. I also think of what I wrote a few days ago and what Nancy wrote here, how when there is such deep need, helpers come; they come when you least expect. In time, maybe the movie reel of the fall can change to the reality that all are safe.
    The takeaway for me here is that it was, and is, important to trust each other. Each of you have a part in the whole of tending the herd. You all have such strength and courage to accept the reality of the need for readiness, as the season of fire comes. You all, full measure, give your best, each and every time. Things happen and in time, we learn from them and continue…
    Now to lighten up a little: as some of you may know, when Celia was born, I asked grace to name her for my beloved salsa queen, Celia Cruz, who danced like the Queen that she was and will always be. It is hard to learn that goat Celia now has arthritis. I do not know what causes this condition but maybe, just maybe, goat Celia lived up to her name and got a little too exuberant in her moves…!

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  3. Liz A Avatar

    I believe that telling about a trauma is one way to get beyond it … especially when all is well at the end

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  4. CatherinE Avatar

    This whole experience is bound to take a toll on your nervous system. You need to rest and regroup. Telling the tale(s) is part of it. I keep thinking about the moment you said Jump! to the young woman. Your knowledge of what to do in that moment, what would work with Onday, the solution everyone needed – that wisdom is something you can trust. PS I love the song Iko Iko, I have it on my phone.

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  5. Tina Avatar
    Tina

    Grace .. that your story came with an amazing ending. That people / guardian angels were there to turn this living nightmare into a miracle .. thank you for telling it.

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  6. Beth from Still Life Pond Avatar
    Beth from Still Life Pond

    Grace, thank you for sharing this, for trusting us to hear it, and for letting us process it with you. It makes the “I think I can” all the more powerful. Please take care of yourself in the ongoing heat. Love.

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  7. Peggy McG Avatar
    Peggy McG

    Yes, as everyone has said, Thank you for sharing! It truly is a way to process the trauma in your mind by sharing. It makes me wonder how just at the right moment people are there to help and “have experience” with the situation. And isnt’t it amazing how during crisis we can be calm enough to think and react appropriately. So very glad all turned out well. Super big Hugs!!

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  8. Carol Gabbert Avatar
    Carol Gabbert

    Tears , that this is real, tears that you experienced this, tears that Onday and Celia are fine. The strength you share, the courage you show always makes me pause. It has from day one in New Mexico. You make me believe that maybe under the difficult circumstances that life deals, I also could summon courage and strength and be of use. That the when it counts, all I need will be there and I will act . You show me so much Grace., deep bow of respect.
    Gratitude for a “goat Angel “ who was there to help when it counted

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  9. maria Avatar
    maria

    the fatigue resulting from the many efforts of the past few days can now be felt in all cells. The only way to assist you and your family now and restore body and mind is peace and love for each other… which is very strong. We the blog friends who come here share this love and embrace you all.

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  10. Yvette Avatar

    Thank you for sharing Grace…..
    There are angels and you are one of them.
    I hope the shock can leave your bodies …All of you!
    1001 kisses

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  11. grace Forrest Avatar

    Alyssia shares the most amazing photographs…just stunning, so not any trigger

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  12. grace Forrest Avatar

    Celia has one of those perfect AMPLE Nigerian Dairy bodies, heavy bellied, skinny legs. The Meloxicam helps ease. She is no longer young.
    and take away…i have none yet

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  13. grace Forrest Avatar

    this is truth. i didn’t want to, but knew i should.

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  14. grace Forrest Avatar

    yes..that pause and Jump! i can see that over and
    over, too.

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  15. grace Forrest Avatar

    it was…nightmare into Safe. Safe. Safe.

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  16. grace Forrest Avatar

    i’m doing all i know how to do. ….. a lot of guessing
    have never imagined this heat….only way to know anything is to live through it

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  17. grace Forrest Avatar

    yes…all that you say here….when i Re SEE, i see us
    following her along the embankment…totally focused on her movement but quiet so strange….

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  18. grace Forrest Avatar

    yes. enough to say.

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  19. grace Forrest Avatar

    i think about these things you say here

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  20. grace Forrest Avatar

    we have not talked about it yet.

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  21. dee Avatar

    I think I stopped breathing reading this. Good god. Like others I want to thank you for sharing. I truly hope getting it down helped settle the nerves. The heat and evacuation ALONE would have been a lot.

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  22. Deb G Avatar

    So much Grace… I am guessing that all of you are feeling so much about this. Big hug…

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  23. Jan Avatar
    Jan

    Amazing Grace……that is all,I could think of….you are amazing grace….i want to sing the song…..thank you for sharing your life….i, too stopped breathing as I read the post……how grateful I am that you and those around you were able to do this …for the goats …for the family,and for you…..sending comfort and love to all of you …..

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  24. Dana Avatar

    Me too, Grace, me too…a sharp intake of breath when you describe the fall that is re-playing in your mind, and now in mine as well. The adrenaline that such a shock would generate will take a while to dissipate. I join the chorus urging you to be gentle with yourself. Thank goodness the goats weren’t hurt.

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  25. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    Gosh darn. What I wrote doesn’t appear here. Again. What am I doing wrong? I will try again somewhere.

    Like

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