When Jupiter died several weeks ago and the dark-fleeced Smokey was left as our one remaining sheep, the vet suggested we think about adopting another critter. Sheep are social animals, the vet said. Smokey needed a buddy, or a buddy-ette.
We put the word out to the local community, asking whether anyone had a sheep or a goat that needed a home. “Putting the word out” around here has always meant a trip to the local feed store, where all manner of information has been exchanged: Looking for someone to farm-sit while you go on vacation? One would ask at the feed store. Need worms for your worm bin? The folks at the feed store could direct you to the local worm maven.
There was a time -- and this was perhaps only five years ago -- when a friendly chat at the feed store could answer most any question a gentleman/gentlewoman farmer might come up with. On the rare occasion that conversation didn’t yield an answer or a solution, one could always post a note on the cork bulletin board outside the store.
It seemed just a tad too high-tech, then, when it was via an email last week that one of our neighbors connected us with an Internet bulletin board for local farmers. We learned about woman who had some goats that needed a home, and we found our newest pet, Pumpkin. Don’t get me wrong...I’m not a Luddite, and certainly I’ve embraced my computer as a valuable part of my life. Heck, I don’t go an hour without checking my email.
I’m just not at all sure that Smokey would be happy if he knew that we’d found his new goat girlfriend via what amounts to an online dating service. Smokey is kind of a private fellow and a traditionalist. I think he’d be upset if he knew we found Pumpkin via critterdate.com.
