What did you do today?

[Mike]

Took my kids and two goats out yesturday for woods pancakes.  It went well.  However had a experiance.

We took out our new Alpine, Garbie.  He is 4 y/o and has not been worked much.  Initially I had him on his lead and kept possitive control of him the whole time.  Then I decided to get brave and let him go, just to see what would happen.  Terrible idea!!!  He did a about face and headed strait back down the trail.  I stopped him with my goat Steve once, but I could not get ahold of  his lead. So off he went down the trail.  I had my kids and chasing him down was ot going to work so I just went back to our day camp and packed up gear.  In the back.of my mind I had a tiny hope he had just gone back to my truck. I remenber reading that Alpine have a good trail memory so maybe, just maybe he just would be at my truck.  It took about a hour to pack gear, kids and get back to my truck.  Guess who was patiantly waoting there?  Garbie!!!  Standing there ears forward, almost smiling, happy to see us.  He actually walked down to meet us.  I went from full anger to amazed in seconds.  I had read about goats getting loose and just heading to the trail head.  Well it really happens!!  Lesson learned, dont let go of Garbie for awhile