Never say never

If five years ago, heck even one year ago, someone would have told me that someday I would have a dead animal hanging on my living room wall I would have laughed in their face. This is where the saying, "Never, say never" comes from. After many long hours and a lot of hard work, mostly on Layne's part, Tanner and Layne finished mounting their goat and sheep. About a month before they were done Layne asked where we were going to put them when they were done. I sarcastically said, "The front room, I'm sure." This is where my sarcasm and my family's lack of getting my sarcasm has gotten me in trouble.

So when the time came, before I knew it there they were mounted on the living room wall, in all their glory. And after Layne worked so hard on them what could I say. I actually don't hate them, and this was one battle not worth fighting. I actually won half of it without saying a word. Evidently goats are notorious for smelling bad, both alive and dead. After hanging in the living room about a week and after repeated dousings of OdoBan and air freshener, Layne couldn't take the smell anymore and the goat is now in Tanner's room. It will blend right in since his room is a toxic wasteland. We are very careful not to have any open flames near Tanner's room.

I think Layne did a good job for his first taxidermy project and I think I like the looks of the sheep better than a deer or elk. The problem is now I have set precedence and who knows what could end up on the wall next. I have had a lot of women and even some men say, "You let him do that? Do you like it?" I just nod my head and quote the Brad Paisely song that says, "It's not a lie, it's love."