This story is about a family pet: Billy (the Goat) Verigin.
My father (Wasyl Verigin) had a soft heart. A visit to a farmer friend near Pelly, Saskatchewan resulted in him accepting a gift of a baby goat. “Your young family would love this animal as a pet”, was the farmer’s convincing words as the young goat “kid” was loaded into the wagon box and travelled with my father to our surprise on arrival.
Of course, we instantly loved him and who would not.
Here is a photograph of Billy about three (3) months later:
Billy enjoyed playing with his horns which were always “itchy” and he would allow me to handle him this way. My dog “Duke”, was just a puppy and we formed a triumvirate for all types of games in a friendly manner.
Billy would pose as if he were to charge and I would put my foot up and he would lightly “bump” my outstretched foot. So this would be repeated depending on the time available. Sometimes, Billy would get a bit aggressive and I would run to a nearby poplar tree as he then charged the tree. He would rear back and playfully charge the tree again while I stood casually behind. The way I understood the “game”, Billy was exercising his “combat” skills and aim. This exercise too, would end when both the animal and the human tired.
A) FAMILY RODEO EVENT
Billy got older and my two bothers Lawrence and Russel decided they wanted to play that same game. They were older and were able to reciprocate his “bumps” with harder hits to his horns. Soon the game became rougher and my brothers realized they may need to retreat into the poplar trees and use them as shields to ward off Billy’s aggressiveness.
It was a sunny spring day and the scene unfolded like so:
- I was seated on the top rail of the corral while my sister Mary stood by the barn, cautiously observing that she might need shelter quickly should Billy decide to expand his attention.
- The “game” became more and more serious and Billy was of the opinion that he wanted to hurt the bigger boys and that the usual game with Elmer had exceeded normal limits
- So both Russel and Lawrence also realized this and decided to make a retreat for the house with Billy hard on their heels.
- Mary was also on her way to house, too, but she never was much of a track star and so Billy passed her easily as he had no argument with her
- I kept sitting on the corral rail with a vantage point better than any show at the Calgary Stampede
- The entry door to house opened directly into the kitchen where our mother was on her hands and knees washing the floor using our father’s discarded size 54 Stanfield’s underwear as her floor rag
- The harried prey were hard pressed and not able to close the exterior door but decided to make a sharp left into the Dining Room to escape Billy’s horns
- Billy hopped the two steps unto the entry landing and was full speed when he passed the door
- His eyes recognized our mother’s rear end and applied all four legs into a braking action, with no traction, trying to slow down before he connected with mother
- That is when mother turned around with goat and mother making eye contact
- Billy knew that he would not be on the winning side of this encounter and there was the sound of hooves clicking on the wet vinyl floor as Billy tried disparately to turn his carcass around head out the entry with the long reach of the customized floor rag slapping him on his behind
- In the midst of the my mother screaming, the goat made it to the gate to the barnyard and stood there waiting for my brothers to come back out so that he could even the score
- The boys were looking out the window as mother provided a good tongue-lashing to my brothers all the while for endangering the lives of their younger brother and sister.
I now wish I had a movie camera to capture all this for America’s Funniest Videos.
B) THE “PROFESSIONAL” BREEDING RAM ENCOUNTER
Our farm kept sheep to add to our mixed farming enterprise. Two yearling ewes matured and our father decided that they needed breeding to expand the flock. In reality, he was planning a shishliki and at least one lamb could be sacrificed to satisfy his taste.
And so one early spring day, he asked a neighbour if he could “borrow” his ram for a few days for breeding purposes.
I still recall the sunny day with temperatures still hovering below zero with all the cattle on the South side of the barnyard enjoying the bright Sun. Billy lay on his stomach with his left front leg folded under in his usual relaxing pose. Yes he was chewing his cud and every once in a while, he would stretch his head back to permit his horns to scratch that itchy spot on his rear end.
He gave a disinterested glance at this ram that jumped off the wagon box to survey the assembled animals. He quickly noted the two ewes and was quick to realize his purpose for the visit. There was the posturing and sniffing which I noted from my favourite perch on the top corral rail.
Obviously, there is a code amongst animals and for whatever reason the ram, decided that Billy was a possible breeding competitor for the sheep flock and needed elimination. (The truth was that Billy never paid attention to the ewes.) The ram then started backing up from Billy in a straight line for about thirty (30) feet or so. The rest of this rendezvous then unfolded like so:
- The ram started pawing the barnyard cover of snow, straw and animal droppings all the while with his eyes fixated on Billy
- If Billy noticed that he was the focus of the ram’s attention, he did not seem to be at all concerned and continued in a relaxed mode
- Suddenly the ram charged, hopping and bouncing off his hooves as he picked up speed
- Just about the time when collision of ram with goat was to occur, instantly Billy jumped straight up.
- As the ram was passing, Billy bopped him on the head with his horned armed forehead.
- The ram was stunned as his legs buckled, causing him to slide for about ten (10) feet with his momentum
- He crouched there as if wondering what hit him
- After a few minutes, the ram stood up on his feet and started backing up in a straight line that took him past Billy who was back in his relaxed pose
- The ram established himself in about the same original charging spot and started pawing the ground cover again as he re-established his bearings and resolve to do better this time.
- His charge was a repeat of the first one
- Billy bopped the ram again as he was charging by.
- This time the ram slid and lay there for a much longer time after which he got up and found himself an isolated spot in the yard and peacefully enjoyed the Sun for the rest of the afternoon
- The rest of the animals seemed not to pay any attention to this adventure.
My father was interested to find out how the ram was doing and came to check. He asked me if the ram was successful and I gave him an update on the entire event.
My unimpressed father was not able to control his temper very well and immediately ran to the house to get the rifle in order to exterminate poor Billy who interfered with nature and my father’s intent.
There was the usual pleading of mother who cautioned him for shooting a beloved family pet.
So Billy survived for a few more years until the next saga but the ram was transported back to the neighbour with his purpose not achieved.
C) BILLY MIXES WITH LOGGING CHAINS
In the winter, my father harvested poplar trees in the Government Pasture abutting our farm. He would be able to fall the trees and haul them into Pelly (about 3 1/2 miles) for customers with wood stoves. Once his customers accumulated enough logs, a large saw would be brought in with a crew and the logs would be “bucked up” into firewood that would fit the individual stove sizes. Bolts wood be split and piled to season for Fall and Winter use.
The bobsled used was designed with a front and rear bunk that can be set apart to suit the load and interconnected accordingly. There would be stakes that were set into the bunks to hold the logs in place. My Dad had chains about 16 feet long that he would wrap around this load about three (3) times and cinch each to tie load as a unit during the haul.
These chains then were my Dad’s pride and joy. He would hang one near the barn door as there was always a need to pull something from time to time and a chain would be handy.
One day the chain was missing. Our Dad came to the family and asked who took it and what may have happened to it. Well no one could answer the question as no one had taken same.
A new chain was hung on the same hook and this was repeated until five (5) chains were missing. Was it the neighbours “borrowing” our chains?
One day as I went into the pasture to bring the cows in for milking, I found one chain. How did it get there? The mystery was soon resolved when we found Billy trying to resolve the “itch” between his horns and moved his horns along the chain. The chain would lock in the narrow section of his horns. Billy then tried to shake it loose to no avail. Off he went into the woods to circle a tree that would catch the chain end at the trunk (usually a willow) and allow him to unshackle himself. These animals are bright!
Our “thief” was caught in the act!
A search of the pasture was rewarded with all chains found and accounted for.
This was another time that Billy was threatened with death and found a reprieve with Mother begging Dad to “back off” from shooting Billy.
I could carry on for many more stories but the notorious Billy The Goat Verigin lived to an elder goat age. In 1958, My Dad passed away and the farm was sold as I had already gone to attend University and the farm was too much for Mother.
My Aunt Lillian loaded Billy on the back of their pickup and off to Buchanan he went. I was told that the coyotes eventually made short work of Billy as he was a wandering animal and possibly searching for home.
There are many more humorous incidents but I will cease here.
Completed, Wednesday, May 06, 2020, 1710 hours EWV