Are goats afraid of spiders?

Checking the attendance roster for my Kindergarten Sunday School class this week, I heard a commotion across the room. "Teacher, Teacher, come quick! There's a HUGE spider in the legos!"

So what does this have to do with goats? You'll see. I could say that I calmly walked to the lego corner and took care of the problem. This would be a lie. Actually, I stood petrified by the door, frantically debating whether to activate the Intruder Alert or simply scream for an adult helper from across the hall and abandon my young students to the arachnid. Fortunately, my panicked prayers were soon answered another way as I heard, "Oh, never mind. Isaac killed it."

During our Bible story lesson that morning, I asked the kids to share things which made them afraid. I got the usual responses - the dark, lightning storms, growling dogs, being lost from my parents - as well as the more disturbing responses of people with glowing red eyes and getting a small alligator as a pet and then it grows so big and eats my whole family. (Hey, just get a kitten, okay??)

What are goats afraid of? Mine are terrified of cats. Heavy rain. Very loud noises, like me screaming and throwing water bowls at them (not often, but sometimes they drive me so CRAZY!) And for Elliot - being locked in The Chokey.

If you haven't read Roald Dahl's classic Matilda, you should. At least watch the movie...if only to understand the terror felt by evil Miss Trunchbull's young students when she locked them for hours in a cramped dark closet inhabited by creepy crawly creatures...I imagine it a bit like the shelter in the above photo where Emerson is taking a nap - and where I accidentally locked Elliot for half an afternoon recently.

Elliot had already gulped down his noon bucket of warm water, but pokey Emerson was still taking tentative licks with his tongue, testing the temperature, the vinegar concentration...and then Ellie went nuts and started butting at him and biting my jacket in search of treats, just go away and let him drink before I freeze to death out here, you stupid animal!!  Frustrated, I shoved Elliot inside and latched the door, and then the mail truck came with a package and the phone rang and I made some hot cocoa...and he was only in there a few hours before I remembered - but now Elliot always sleeps safely on top of the house. Sorry, sweetie!!

Birthday greetings to this pair of crazy kids. Seven years seems like, well, an eternity...best goats ever.