I remember the animals we had growing up.  When we were on the ranch during my youngest years, there was the usual assortment of farm animals.  Later, after we moved to a more "suburban" home, there were still many animals around.  During his lifetime, my father kept the quantity and type of animals somewhat in check.  After his death, my mother gathered many animals which were heretofore on the "do not bring home" list.  Most notable on that list were the goats.

    My mother grew up on the prairie of South Dakota in very hard times.  Goats were some of the most inexpensive animals to acquire and the easiest to keep.  She has many memories of life in those early days.

   Some of my early memories include animals as well.  I remember my mother crying when the family milk cow "went to town."  I also remember my father's unhappiness when my mother brought home some geese-they were on the "do not bring home" list.  

    In recent years my mother has put together quite a collection of critters and some family members think she goes a little overboard.  Her herd consists of thirty or forty chickens, a dozen ducks, several geese, some rabbits, two dogs, a few nanny goats, and a room full of canaries.  Add to that an occasional lamb or calf and the "litters" of all of the above.  She lives on a one-acre lot with numerous outbuildings which were put together during my father's lifetime.  As the years have passed, this property is no longer in the country.  It is now surrounded by other homes on much smaller lots.  You could say my mother's little farm is an island in the middle of the city.  She is still very active but as she approaches her eighty-second birthday, she has slowed up a little.  I have tried to encourage her to reduce the numbers of her herd, but to little avail. 

    As I reflect on mid-life issues, it is hard for me to ignore my own behavior.  Since leaving home, I can recall my own collection of animals: a fox, numerous dogs, cats, cows, horses, chickens, turkeys, and yes, even my own herd of goats.  I am also the owner of a small herd of buffalo-for what reason I am not sure.

    Granted, I live on an operating ranch, but there is something here I cannot seem to escape.  I am my mother's son.  While I possess some of the qualities of my father, that other part of me seems to be here to stay.  That is not a bad thing, just something to take note of as I live my life.  I would do well to heed the advice I give to my mother.  Maybe a little moderation wouldn't hurt me.

    We all take after our mothers and fathers.  We share many of their attributes.  We live our lives in much the same ways our parents lived theirs-for better or worse.  Some people go through life insisting they are not anything like their mothers or fathers.  Those folks are generally the ones who most closely resemble the qualities they did not like in their parents.  I have found that the more I realize how much I resemble my mother and my father, the more at peace I am with myself.

    No matter who you are or where you were raised, there is one issue that you cannot escape.  You will always be the keeper of your mother's goats.

To order copies of MY MOTHER’S GOATS Please send
One copy of My Mother’s Goats at $12.95 
Two copies at $9.00 each
Three or more copies at $7.00 each

Shipping/handling $2.00 per book

Please mail payment in cash, check or money order to
Gordon Howie
23415 Bradsky Rd
Rapid City, SD 57703

Gordon accepts a few engagements each year to share music, stories and motivational messages. If you are interested, contact his office at 605-393-2334.