Billy Goat Gruff

Dear Diary,

There is a little farm not far from me that has the sweetest goats.  I stopped to photograph this Billy who had the most amazing beard!  He was preoccupied with scratching his head on a tree but he paused long enough for me to make this photograph.

He reminded me of a story my grandmother read to me, The Three Billy Goats Gruff.  It featured a nasty troll that lived under a bridge.  For the longest time afterwards I was convinced there was a troll living under my bed!  I would jump into bed, trying not to get too close so he could grab my foot and pull me under.  One day, my grandmother lifted up the bed spread and showed me.  There was only a "dust bunny" under there.  She told me that because he could never catch me he withered away and died!

My favorite childhood stories were those by Thorton Burgess, especially Old Mother West Wind.  I loved all the characters, like Reddy Fox, Bobby Racoon, and Jimmy Skunk.  I think that is the origin of my naming fetish.  All animals are distinct personalities to me and deserve distinct names.  Now, trolls have a much different meaning but they are just as nasty.   The only difference is that now I know you just face them down and they wither up!