Windsor Plywood French Creek: The Pulse Community Podcast is brought to you in part by Windsor Plywood in French Creek, specializing in hard-to-source interior and exterior home finishing products, including flooring, doors and mouldings, and exterior project materials such as yellow cedar. Windsor Plywood French Creek carries high-quality, responsibly sourced products and is committed to providing outstanding value and personalized one-on-one service to all of our customers: homeowners, do-it-yourselfers, renovators, builders, designers, craftsmen, and contractors. Regardless of the type or size of your project, Windsor can help you bring your vision to life from start to finish. Let Windsor Plywood in French Creek help you with your renovation, new build, or building project. Visit them online or call 752-3122.

The Ballad of Peter & Gracie: Peter and his dog raced here and there, through fields so wide, with dreams in their pockets and stars as their guide. Every day's an adventure under the open sky. In their world of stories, time just flies by.

Peter McCully: Peter sat in the backseat of the car, watching the scenery on Highway 4 roll by. They were driving from Parksville to Coombs, a trip that Peter had made many times before. Gracie sat beside him, her white, fluffy tail wagging with excitement every time they passed something interesting.

"Are we almost there?" Peter asked.

"Just a few more minutes," his dad said. "We need to pick up some fresh vegetables from the market."

Peter's eyes lit up. The Old Country Market was one of his favourite places in Coombs—not just because of the delicious ice cream, but because of something much more unusual.

Gracie seemed to sense Peter's excitement. She stood up on the seat, pressing her little black nose against the window, her ears perked forward.

"You remember this place, don't you, girl?" Peter said, scratching behind Gracie's ears. "Wait until you see what's on the roof."

As they pulled into the parking lot, Peter pressed his face against the window. "There they are!"

On top of the market's roof were several goats—real, live goats—walking around on the grass-covered roof as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Gracie spotted them immediately. Her entire body went rigid with attention. She tilted her head first to the left, then to the right, her dark eyes fixed on the goats above. A small, confused whine escaped her throat.

"I know, Gracie," Peter laughed. "It's weird, isn't it? How did they get up there?"

His dad smiled. "Why don't we find out? I bet someone inside could tell us the story."

Peter clipped Gracie's leash on, and they walked toward the market. Gracie pulled gently on the leash, trying to get closer to the building. She kept looking up at the roof, her tail wagging uncertainly. She'd seen plenty of animals before—squirrels, raccoons, even deer in their neighbourhood—but she'd never seen animals walking around on the top of a building.

Some tourists were gathered in the parking lot, pointing up at the roof and taking pictures. One goat was munching on grass contentedly. Another was standing near the edge of the roof, surveying the parking lot like a furry, four-legged security guard.

Suddenly, that goat let out a loud "Maaaa!"

Gracie jumped, and then barked once in response: "Woof!"

The goat looked down at Gracie and made another sound. "Maaaa!"

Gracie barked again, more insistently this time. "Woof, woof!"

Peter giggled. "Are you trying to talk to the goats, Gracie?"

Gracie looked up at Peter, then back at the goats, as if to say, "But they're talking to me!"

Several tourists turned to watch the exchange, smiling at the curious white dog trying to communicate with the rooftop goats.

Inside the market, the air smelled wonderful—a mix of fresh bread, flowers, and all sorts of interesting food. Gracie's nose went into overdrive, sniffing everything as they walked. But Peter was on a mission. He spotted a friendly-looking employee restocking shelves near the entrance.

"Excuse me," Peter said politely. "Can you tell me about the goats on the roof? And also, why did one of them talk to my dog?"

The woman's face broke into a warm smile. She looked down at Gracie, who wagged her tail.

"What a beautiful American Eskimo! And yes, the goats do seem to like chatting with dogs. They're quite social animals. Would you like to hear the story of how they got up there?"

Peter nodded eagerly. Gracie sat politely, looking up at the woman with her intelligent eyes.

"Well, that's quite a story," she said, kneeling down to Peter's level.

Gracie immediately took the opportunity to sniff the woman's hand and then gave it a gentle lick of approval. The woman laughed and petted Gracie's soft white fur.

"The goats have been part of this market for over 40 years. It all started back in 1981, when the owner wanted to create something special—something that would make people smile and want to stop and visit."

"But why goats?" Peter asked. "Why not dogs like Gracie?"

Gracie's ears perked up at the sound of her name.

The woman laughed. "Dogs are wonderful, but they wouldn't be happy living on a roof. Goats are actually perfect for this job. They're natural climbers. In the wild, goats climb up steep mountains and rocky cliffs. They have special hooves that help them balance on narrow ledges, so a sloped roof with grass on it? That's easy for a goat."

"There's grass on the roof?" Peter's eyes widened.

"There sure is. Come outside and I'll show you something."

They walked back out to the parking lot. Gracie immediately started looking up again, spotting her goat friends. One of the goats was closer to the edge now, and it looked down at the white dog with interest.

"Maaaa," said the goat.

Gracie's tail began wagging furiously. She made a small whimpering sound, almost as if she were trying to ask the goat a question.

"I think Gracie wants to go up there and meet them," Peter said.

"I think you're right," the woman said. "Dogs and goats can actually be friends, you know. On farms, they often live together. These goats need to stay up on the roof where they're safe, and Gracie needs to stay down here where she's safe, too."

The woman pointed up at the roof. "It's called a living roof, or a green roof. The owner planted grass and other plants up there. It's good for the environment because it helps keep the building cool. And the goats? Well, they're the lawnmowers."

"The goats mow the lawn?" Peter giggled at the thought.

Gracie looked up at him, and her mouth opened in what looked like a doggy smile, as if she found the idea funny, too.

"Exactly. They eat the grass and keep it trimmed. The goats get fresh grass to eat, and the roof stays neat and tidy."

Peter watched as one of the goats moved across the roof, nibbling at the grass. Gracie watched, too, her head moving to follow the goat's path.

"But how do they get up there?"

"There's a special ramp at the back of the building. Wanna see it?"

They followed the woman around to the side of the building. Gracie trotted along happily, and when they rounded the corner, Gracie suddenly stopped and sniffed the air intensely. Her nose had picked up the scent of the goats much more strongly here.

Sure enough, there was a long wooden ramp leading from the ground up to the roof. It had railings on both sides to keep the goats safe.

Gracie headed toward the ramp, wanting to investigate.

"No, girl," Peter said gently. "That's for the goats, not for dogs."

Gracie sat down, but she kept staring at that ramp with fascination.

"The goats can go up and down whenever they want during the day," the woman explained. "At night, they come down and sleep in a cozy barn where they're safe and warm. Taking care of animals is a big responsibility. The goats have people who look after them every single day. They make sure the goats have enough food and water, check that they're healthy, and give them lots of love and attention."

Peter thought about how he helped take care of Gracie—making sure she had food and water, taking her for walks, brushing her fluffy white coat, and playing with her.

"Just like I take care of Gracie," Peter said.

As if understanding, Gracie looked up at Peter and wagged her tail, and then licked his hand.

"Exactly like that," the woman agreed. "Every animal deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. I can tell you take wonderful care of Gracie. She's clearly a very happy, healthy dog."

Gracie seemed to puff up with pride at the compliment.

"The goats have become a symbol of Coombs," the woman continued. "People come from all over the world to see them. They're famous! The Coombs goats have helped put our little community on the map."

"From all over the world?" Peter was amazed. "Just to see goats?"

Gracie barked softly, as if she, too, was surprised by this information.

Just then, one of the goats let out a loud "Maaaa!" from the roof, and Gracie immediately responded with an enthusiastic "Woof, woof!"

Peter giggled. "I think they're saying hello to each other."

"Animals have their own way of communicating," the woman said. "Dogs bark, goats bleat, and they seem to understand that they're both trying to be friendly, even if they speak different languages."

Gracie wagged her tail so hard her entire back end wiggled.

Peter and Gracie found a bench where they could watch the roof. His dad went inside to do the shopping, and Peter studied each goat carefully. Gracie sat pressed against his leg, watching just as intently.

One goat was clearly the leader, walking around the roof confidently. Another seemed younger and more playful, occasionally hopping and kicking up its back legs.

"They're kind of like you and me, Gracie," Peter observed. "We're best friends, too."

Gracie looked up at Peter and licked his cheek, making him laugh.

They sat together in comfortable silence as the goats went about their business on the roof. Gracie lay at Peter's feet, her head resting on his shoe, content to rest in the warm sunshine but still keeping one eye on her goat friends above. Every few minutes, one of the goats would look down and bleat, and Gracie's ears would perk up. Sometimes she would answer with a soft "Woof," and sometimes she would just thump her tail on the ground.

Peter's dad emerged from the market carrying bags of vegetables.

"Ready to go, Peter?"

"Can we stay for just a few more minutes?" Peter asked. "Gracie and I are watching the goats."

His dad smiled and sat down on the bench, too. "Sure, we can watch for a while."

As they walked back to the car, Peter took one last look at the roof. One of the goats was standing at the very edge against the blue sky. The goat looked down and bleated one more time.

Gracie stopped in her tracks, looked up, and gave one final bark—a goodbye to her new friends.

"Thank you, goats," Peter whispered.

In the car on the way back home, Gracie had curled up next to Peter, her head resting on his lap, tired from all the excitement. Peter stroked Gracie's soft fur thoughtfully.

"Gracie," he said softly, "maybe you and I could become famous like the Coombs goats someday."

Gracie's tail wagged, even though her eyes were closed, as if she were dreaming about her goat friends.

"What would you two be famous for?" his dad asked, smiling in the rear-view mirror.

Peter thought about it. "Maybe for having adventures and telling stories about Vancouver Island. We could help people learn about all the special places here, just like the goats help people discover Coombs. And Gracie could make friends with all kinds of animals."

At the mention of making friends, Gracie opened one eye and wagged her tail harder.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Peter," his dad said. "This island is full of stories waiting to be discovered, and Gracie seems like the perfect companion for adventures."

Gracie sat up and put her paws on the window, looking out at the scenery passing by, as if already looking for their next adventure.

Peter hugged Gracie close. "We're a team, aren't we, girl?"

Gracie licked his face, which Peter took as a definite yes.

And Peter decided that he would always remember to look at his world with curiosity, appreciation, and wonder at all the special things that made Vancouver Island home—and he'd do it all with his best friend, Gracie, by his side.

The Ballad of Peter and Gracie: Peter and Gracie, the finest of friends, with tales of wonder that never end. In the pages of books or stars above, they find their magic in laughter and love.

Windsor Plywood French Creek: The Pulse Community Podcast is brought to you in part by Windsor Plywood in French Creek, specializing in hard-to-source interior and exterior home finishing products, including flooring, doors and mouldings, and exterior project materials such as yellow cedar. Windsor Plywood French Creek carries high-quality, responsibly sourced products and is committed to providing outstanding value and personalized one-on-one service to all of our customers: homeowners, do-it-yourselfers, renovators, builders, designers, craftsmen, and contractors. Regardless of the type or size of your project, Windsor can help you bring your vision to life from start to finish. Let Windsor Plywood in French Creek help you with your renovation, new build, or building project. Visit them online or call 752-3122.