As a young girl Linda traveled around the country with her family, her father worked for a defense contractor involved with the missile silos installed in the western part of the country. They often lived in motels or rented houses, they relocated two or three times a year, they traveled in a pickup truck with a camper shell on it.
There was no room for a pet like a dog or cat but her Dad agreed to have a parakeet, they were small, didn't require a lot of care, didn't make a mess or loud noises. Chipper traveled with them for several years, he or she was family.
While in the Navy we had two dogs that we couldn't keep.When we came home from the Navy Linda wanted a pet. She got another parakeet that we had for several years, then a string of dogs and one parrot followed over the years. When we moved into our last house the parrot had passed away, I was through with pets but I couldn't say no to her for very long,reluctantly I gave in and let her have another dog which I still have. Lizzy is sixteen years old now, a mixed breed Cocker Spaniel and Labrador who very well may out live me.
Linda had a soft spot for all animals whether they be beast or fowl and they need not be her animals. One of the reasons we bought our last house was the trees that shaded much of the yard and provided food and sanctuary to the birds and squirrels. She would sit for hours with Lizzie by her side and watch the squirrels scamper across the lawn and the birds raise their young in the trees. Humming birds fought fierce duels as they guarded the feeders scattered around the yard and sometimes were a nuisance as they hovered with in a few inches of your face checking out some red clothing item you were wearing.
There was a young couple, Ryan and Lindsay, that moved in next door, they were newly weds. We were privileged to watch them start their new life together. It wasn't long till they had a baby boy then a baby girl but the real surprise came from the animals the couple acquired. There was Bogie the Golden Labrador, he was smart, well trained and obedient. Bogie had been Lindsay's fathers dog but for whatever reason he now belonged to Lindsay, he was a happy dog.
One day Ryan knocked on the door. It seems they had been to a birthday party that weekend. The men had gone into the garage for some fresh air, when they walked out they saw a full size goat looking at them, to be more specific, a nanny goat. The goat was quite friendly and a thorough search of the area failed to turn up an owner so Ryan was there to ask if we would mind if they kept the goat in their back yard. Annie, as they named her, became a spectacle in the neighborhood, everybody had to come by and check her out especially the kids.
Annie was gentle, at least as gentle as a full grown goat could be, she craved human attention and would go to anyone who paid attention to her and that is where Linda came in. Linda and Annie took a liking to each other very quickly, Linda would feed her weeds she pulled from the lawn and scraps of potatoes, lettuce and other vegetables from the table.
Not long after Annie arrived, I helped Ryan build a chicken coop for the four hens he acquired, they all had names but I forget them. The hens were kept in a fenced and covered area and only let out to roam the back yard occasionally. The chickens like Bogie and Annie soon became a part of Linda's daily life, she would sit on the back deck and watch them scratch the dirt and leaves for bugs, worms and the occasional small snake and like Annie she fed them table scraps.
One weekend Annie disappeared along with Ryan, Lindsay and the kids, this was unusual and Linda was concerned that something had happened to Annie. It turns out that Annie had been taken to a show and tell for a nephew or niece and was returned several days later..
A few days later I was helping Ryan split some wood in his backyard, I told him how concerned we had been when Annie went missing, Ryan apologized and promised to let us know if they took her away again. I explained to Ryan the relationship between the animals and Linda, how she enjoyed their company and how when she came outside they would come running to the fence in hopes she would have some tidbit for them. Annie, Bogie and the chickens were all running loose in the yard as Ryan and I worked splitting logs. All of a sudden it was a mad dash for the animals as they ran from one side of the yard to the other and waited impatiently at the fence for Linda. As soon as the stampede started, I got Ryan's attention and pointed to the rush and said "see what I was talking about". Ryan got a good laugh.
By the time Linda passed away in 2014, Bogie had died as had the original chickens but Annie was still there. For weeks after Linda passed when I went out the back door Annie would look my way expecting Linda and some goodies.
Ryan and Lindsay moved to a new home and took Annie to a farm owned by a friend, she spent her final days grazing in fields with goats and other farm animals.
It matters not their breed, gender, size or color the relationship between humans and animals is uncanny. Their brains may not be as big as ours but their hearts know no equal, I think Linda thought more of her animals than she did some people for sure they thought a lot about her.
