Small Town Neighbors

Sometimes I feel kind of sorry for my neighbors. They just never really know what they're going to have to deal with on any given day. Just the other day, for instance, my neighbor drove by the house and saw that the llama and all four goats were standing on the lawn. They were supposed to be in the pasture, of course, but the gate had opened and they just decided to head out for some greener pastures.

Luckily, this neighbor knows me and he knows my family. He went up to my sisters' house and said to her, "Your goats and llama are out." To which my smart ass sister replied, "I don't have a llama."

She then sighed and said, "I guess it's my sisters' animals." She then did what we do in our small town, tight knit family and she called my Dad. She explained the situation and he said he would go to my house and handle it. My neighbor even offered to help! When I got the call from my sister, I immediately called my Dad to hear this, "Dammit llama, what is your problem?" Lots of heavy breathing, shouting instructions I couldn't quite make out, a little swearing...

"DAD!!" I yelled into the phone.

"Oh, yeah, hi. I'm trying to get this stupid llama back into the pen. The goats were easy but this thing is not."

"Whatever you do, DON'T try to touch him," I said, "He hates that."

So my Dad and my neighbor spent the next 20 minutes chasing the llama. Did they have better things to do that day? I'm sure they did but when you live in Dexter and you see some loose farm animals in the yard, you stop and you put them in. My other neighbor told me about the time he had to stop and catch one of my sisters' cows and put it back in the fence. I've also had to round up horses, sheep and even a stray chicken every now and again. Last spring, one of my neighbors called me to ask if anyone in the area was raising pea hens because he had a few of them turn up at his place. I immediately recalled that the neighbor just around the corner from him had mentioned getting some not too long ago. Connection made.

And this is why I live here. This is why I stay here. This is why I make this my home. It truly does take a village.....