Passing of our Grand Dame Ebony

This afternoon at 4:12 pm the lead goat girl Ebony passed away in her sleep. I had just been in the barn for the 1 pm bottle of her baby Wynonna and nothing seemed out of place. Ebony was enjoying her heat lamp because there was a chill in the barn and so I kept her lamp on. I gave her the head scratching that she got every time I was in the barn and she licked my hand as always. She was snuggled in her hay bed and all was right with her normal routine. So imagine my shock to come in three hours later to find her in the same spot but with eye closed and still as can be. At first I thought she was in deep sleep but I could tell by the mood of the other goats that their friend was gone. Everyone was talking to me quickly - they had to tell me all at once - they do that, like a bunch of kids who want to be the one to tell the bad news. As I opened her pen Wynonna came running from her pen with Olivia and Opal and wanted to be picked up immediately. I picked her up and she buried her head in my jacket collar and shock like a leaf in the wind. I calmed her down and hugged her while I checked with the other hand for a pulse on her Mother. Once Wynonna was fed her bottle and placed back into her pen I had to go about the business of removing Ebony from the barn and calming the rest of the goats. I miss her already but she lived a wonderfully long life - 19 years total with 15 of them here. We have been through much more great then sad. Her and I have talked over the past year about how we are both getting up there in years and how life has been full. I knew that this was going to be our last year together but still it does not make the loss any less. She has been my rock when life threw me some hard times and I always could count on her lending an ear when there was no one I wanted to share my thoughts with - she was like the best girlfriend you could ever have because she never judged me, just listened with care and gave unconditional love even when we disagreed over amounts of treats she wanted or how much time I could sit on the cold hard barn floor so she could snuggle in my lap. Her start here was not easy - she was a mean, cold, single minded goat who was more then a handful. Slowly we grew a bond that within a year I could not remember what life was like without her. She cared for her kids with great skill and love while keeping the herd in line. She produced the most incredible smokey taupe down and stood like a champ for me to pluck it out. I knew it broke her heart not to be able to care for Wynonna but I think deep down inside her she knew that I would gladly take over so she could rest. I will do my best to honor that Great Grand Dame and raise her girl the way Ebony would - with a strong hand and kind heart. Love and Light to you Ebony - You are forever in my heart