I read an interesting little article in last week's Beacon Hill News. It seems that Seattle City Councilman Richard Conlin wants to amend the laws so that goats can be kept within city limits, just like dogs or cats. I like this idea. I've long been a fan of goats, as they seem to have an aura of humorosity that you don't find in most other farm animals. And back in China, the sound of a herd of goats going up or down the mountain, bells clunking as the scrambled along, brought a feeling of peace and contentment that you don't get when listening to a dog or a cat. And then, of course, there's the aspect of yard care. A good, sturdy-footed goat would be an excellent lawn mower amongst the hills of Seattle.

Of course, even if the Council would do something as smart as allowing goats to live in our fair city, my wife wouldn't let me get one. She's a cat person, I'm afraid, and were we ever open our doors to a mammalian pet, she would hold out for a cat. The daughters wouldn't back me up either, for fear that they might happen to trod upon a goat pellet while strolling in our nicely manicured yard. sigh. What can I do? If only the city would pass the pet ordinance and set up a public grazing land, kind of like a P-patch. Then I could keep my goat in the garage and lead it out to graze every day at my neighborhood G-patch. But I'm sure that would never be....

Labels: community, nonsense