Goat -- check

When Richard and Jennie first moved to Gavle, (city about 1.5 hours north of Stockholm) we heard about a Christmas tradition of a goat.  Yes, Santa (or Tomten as he is called here) rides about the heavens to bring presents to children, on -- a goat!  So in the mid 1960s the city of Gavle wanted something special for their Christmas celebration -- they made a goat.  It is 13 m tall and made of straw.  It is unveiled on the first Sunday in Advent and -- if it survives the Christmas season -- it is removed in early January.  But a giant pile of straw has, of course, many problems -- like people who want to burn it.  Those people have been successful 37 times, but today, for the first time in real life.  I saw the goat.  For years we have been watching the live goat cam on the internet, but this morning we walked to the town square which sits next to the river and library, and admired the mighty straw creation behind its double security fence.  Yeah Goat!  Bucket list check!