Last year at this time, the farm was hit with one blizzard after another. This year, we gave some of the storms to the Mid-Atlantic. I always had mixed feelings about the goats, who I called the Jeering Gallery.

I loved their personalities, brains and energy. They did drive me crazy with their nearly constant yammering and mischief-making. Do not have farm animals smarter than you are. Ultimately, they found a better place, a 4-H family in Vermont who love them dearly, more than I did. I miss them sometimes, their braying and challenging.

But mostly, I remember them as part of a time when I nearly lost control of the farm, and a good part of my life as well. I find looking back that I do not regret the experiences that make up my life. I wince at some of the things I did, but they were also things I needed to do, and things that worked for me in many ways. I don’t look back as much, or beat myself up as much. And I am glad these lively creatures found a good farm to live on and stay together. It’s good to look back, but not too much. I think we will have goat notecards one day.