MASSEY—Many will remember the Halliday family and their menagerie of animals on their Assiginack farm located near Rainbow Ridge Golf Course. That special time has caused pharmacist and author Lynn Halliday to capture it in writing with a children’s book series, ‘Goat Tails,’ featuring the adorable and mischievous goat Scruffy and his barnyard friends. The first book in the series, ‘Scruffy Finds His Way,’ is available now.
Ms. Halliday explains that Scruffy is an amalgamation of all the family goats. “(Goats are) great characters because they do such zany things,” she notes of her muse.
The author lovingly recalls her time on the Assiginack farm, calling it a great growing place for children and adults alike with plenty of learning opportunities at every turn. The farm will also be fondly remembered by many a 4-H-er who would have attended meetings there.
At its heart the ‘Goat Tails’ series is about the adventures of Scruffy the goat, who is forever getting into trouble as only goats can, and life on a family farm.
“I present, in story form, a picture of children,” Ms. Halliday explains. “Children, like goats, are curious. We can teach lessons from this little goat—to be loving, treasure and teach your children—that no matter what they get into, they’re still loved.”
“(Scruffy’s) mischievous and rash behaviour got him into tons of trouble, but along the way he discovered that no matter what he did, no matter how lost he felt, the Maker was there, waiting for him to ask help,” the book backgrounder notes.
One of Scruffy’s adventures is based on a real-life tale from the farm. One of the Hallidays baby goats went missing for seven days after it had escaped, tearing off across the nearby golf course. Despite the pleas of ‘Stop that goat!’ and the golfers’ valiant attempts, the goat disappeared into the bush. For seven days, the family brought the mother out on a lead when she would bawl for her baby to come home. Seven days later, the little goat finally returned to his mother’s cries, unscathed.
Ms. Halliday has also authored two non-fiction books about her own adventures, ‘Stuck on the Rocks Again’ and ‘Finding His Way.’
The Goat Tails books are available at print Shop Books at The Expositor Office, at Remedy’s Rx drugstore in the Espanola Mall and at Robinson’s IDA in downtown Espanola. Ms. Halliday’s second book in the series, ‘Super Scruff,’ will be out later this summer.
For more on Ms. Halliday and her works, visit plynnhallidaybooks.ca. Fun ‘Goat Tails’ activities and contests can also be found there.
