We were all set to go camping at Lake Murray State Park for our family vacation. We strategically sent our older kids up ahead of us early Friday morning to claim a spot for us, because we knew it would be busy. Here is when our whole course changed. Every spot at the state park was full. So I called a good friend and we ended up having a blast camping on her little farm. We went framping!

Turns out there was severe weather where we would have been camping. God loves us and goes before us. He is our shelter in the storm even before we know that we are going to need a safe haven to gather in! My Father continues to amaze me! There might have been one other tiny reason God wanted us to go framping. You all know how I dream about goats? Well, maybe I needed to see life with goats up close and personal. Like right outside the door of your tent, personal!

Let me introduce you to Chuck, who was our constant companion on our framping adventure. Chuck is not quite a goat, but not exactly a dog. As long as we are making up words here; he is a gog. You know how a dog will come up and lick you, push their head against you, angling themselves in just the right spot for a scratch? Well let me just say right now, that I am so glad that gog doesn’t have horns!

When all the dogs go in at the end of the night Chuck is right behind them, heading in to claim his rightful place on the couch, I am sure. When the door shuts him out, he stands there, staring in, with the most dejected, but determined look in his gog eyes. Wait for it; there’s more. He waits till you are not looking and then….HE LETS HIMSELF IN! You think I am making this up, but no. He is a most clever gog!

My friend had to design a gog proof gate outside her back door, complete with a gog proof latch because he came in one day and ate her birthday cake, her flowers and slept in her bed!

This is what happens when you get just one goat. He turns into a lovable gog. So naturally my friend went out and got two more goats. Now the fun had really begun!  Watching goats is like watching a circus act. I am talking serious entertainment here! They jump and climb on EVERYTHING! We had goat prints (and other things) on our ice chest, camp stove, camp chairs, ect ect. You get the idea. We even had to put our tent behind a chain link fence because we were told the goats would taste it, step on it, basically turn it into their playground.

O.K. so here is the part that pretty much stopped my goat dreams in their tracts. In the morning, EARLY in the morning, the goats alerted their human that it was time for her to get up out of her comfy bed to feed them and spend some quality time together.

The sound they made was shrill and insistent. It increased in pitch and frequency as they waited for the appearance of the farmer. It was rather like an alarm clock that is missing that snooze button!

No snooze button just to hit with the palm of your hand. To put it into perspective the farmer down the road raises roosters. The crow of 50 roosters couldn’t hold a candle to the wailing noise of the goats.

Now, my friend, the farmer in this story, came out with a smile on her face, a cheerful skip to her step, fully dressed and ready to spend time with her goats. Let me just say here, that I am certain, that would NOT be my reaction. Nor would it be the reaction of my neighbors. Alas, perhaps goats just aren’t for me.

While my friend hasn’t had much trouble with her goats getting out of her fencing, I think the case might be different in my little backyard. I couldn’t help but notice that goats seem to get bored easily. Couple that with their determined nature and their crazy jumping ability and you have a goat loose, creating mayhem in the city. Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed to me the look in their eyes says, “I dare you to try to contain me!”

I am afraid my dreams of having a few goats have been replaced with nightmares of the kids and I chasing the mischievous creatures, against traffic, on the busy street we live on. I am going to have get something else to replace my goat obsession with. I know, sheep! I can hear my Heavenly Father whispering, “You know that friend I gave you that has a farm with sheep? Why don’t we go camping there soon. Just a suggestion.”

I am thankful that My Father walks before me in many different situations in life, even when I don’t think I need Him to.

We are also so thankful to our sweet friend for letting us go framping on her farm and letting us play with her kittens, dogs, rabbits and goats! We miss them all, especially Chuck! It is not just anyone, who allows 7 crazy noisy people into their life, and loves every minute of it. Thank you, Vera!

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