susanne
dB
As some of you know, I recently took an unplanned vacation at the "spa"...er...in the hospital with a bad infection (cellulitis). I returned home with an extremely sore leg and strict orders to keep my leg elevated (easy to obey, as it was excruciating to do otherwise).
Staying indoors was unthinkable, and while I spent many hours lounging on the patio swing (with my constant companion, Sophie the maltese cross, to hold me down), I wanted to be out with my horses, and as I always do, I found a way.
We had wanted to fence our lawn for grazing, and a sale on step-in posts at a local feed store gave us the impetus. We already had electrical tape and just needed to tie in to the hot wire on our existing corrals.
Within minutes (all the time I could be on my feet), I had the lawn fenced in, including our picnic table.
Mingus and Thelonius were the first ones to enjoy the mouth-watering green grass (after first determining the apple trees had many weeks to go before they would be interesting). A dry spring and early summer meant actually not-so-rich grass, and lots of hand-grazing meant they were ready for a fair amount of grazing time.
They hurried out onto the lawn, anxious that I might change my mind, then busied themselves presenting a pastoral scene worthy of an impressionist painting. I gathered my old couch cushions (being a packrat does pay off on occasion!), my coffee carafe and cup, my Heike Bean driving book and the phone and created a comfortable if not stylish bed upon the picnic table.
Since not even mom can compete with grass, I was actually able to read for just a bit before dozing off in the shade of the apple tree, but my nap was soon interrupted as I awakened to someone ruffling my hair. Keith was not due home from work for hours, so I was fairly certain it was one or two of my other favorite men. I opened my eyes to see a bright bay head directly over me. Mingus nuzzled me, whispered sweet nothings in my ear and sighed happily. (Don't let on that you know, but despite my many "naughty Mingus" stories, he's actually a big mama's boy!)
Not to be left out, an impish strawberry roan soon joined in. For those who have never met Thelonius, his constant expression is one of sweet orneriness...he's that little red-headed prankster from grade school. While Mingus was bent on showing his affection (or was he scratching his chin?), Thelonius was on a more important mission: knock my coffee off the table. If I tried to take a sip, he tried to help by bumping it. If I set my cup down, he reached for it immediately, ever hopeful of sending it flying.
Mingus soon sauntered off to court the other great love of his life -- food...he is, after all, a gelding. Thelonius on the other hand refused to give up. To catch me off guard, he took breaks from his antics to lick my arm, but quickly returned to that elusive goal: keeping the world safe from coffee cups!
Sadly for my "roanry" boy (if you've seen Team America, you know where that comes from...), I soon finished my coffee and had the presence of mind to move cup and carafe to the opposite bench. I almost took pity, he looked so disappointed, but then I saw his eyes light up. I heard first one thump, then another, as Thelonius spotted my shoes and swiftly knocked them to the ground...
Later that evening, when I had returned two very contented horses to the dry lot/corral, I decided to take two lawn chairs (one for me, one for my leg) in to sit with them. All spring and early summer, Mingus and I had spent hours ground driving and lunging, and he had basked in the constant attention and exercise (this is a horse who finds it easier to trot than to stand still). He so obviously missed being the center of attention, and as soon as I sat down he began trotting around me in ever-widening circles, lacking only the lungeline.
After several circuits, he turned from the far corner and ran straight for me. I had no worries of being knocked over -- just a fear of falling off of my chair laughing. For a gorgeous horse, Mingus can look like a complete goober. He ran to me with his head down low, ears askew, and a look of unmistakable rapture. I swear I heard him call to Thelonius, "MOM'S HOME!!!" He then mugged me with horse hugs, nuzzled my hair, and then stood with his head pressed between my back and the chair.
Meanwhile, Thelonius licked my knees contentedly.
While in hospital, I constantly told my doctors and nurses that I would heal much more quickly if I were home with my horses, dogs and cats; as I prattled on I saw their eyes glaze over, but I spoke the truth. There is truly no medicine as powerful as the love of one's animals (well, except perhaps that of Keith!)
Staying indoors was unthinkable, and while I spent many hours lounging on the patio swing (with my constant companion, Sophie the maltese cross, to hold me down), I wanted to be out with my horses, and as I always do, I found a way.
We had wanted to fence our lawn for grazing, and a sale on step-in posts at a local feed store gave us the impetus. We already had electrical tape and just needed to tie in to the hot wire on our existing corrals.
Within minutes (all the time I could be on my feet), I had the lawn fenced in, including our picnic table.
Mingus and Thelonius were the first ones to enjoy the mouth-watering green grass (after first determining the apple trees had many weeks to go before they would be interesting). A dry spring and early summer meant actually not-so-rich grass, and lots of hand-grazing meant they were ready for a fair amount of grazing time.
They hurried out onto the lawn, anxious that I might change my mind, then busied themselves presenting a pastoral scene worthy of an impressionist painting. I gathered my old couch cushions (being a packrat does pay off on occasion!), my coffee carafe and cup, my Heike Bean driving book and the phone and created a comfortable if not stylish bed upon the picnic table.
Since not even mom can compete with grass, I was actually able to read for just a bit before dozing off in the shade of the apple tree, but my nap was soon interrupted as I awakened to someone ruffling my hair. Keith was not due home from work for hours, so I was fairly certain it was one or two of my other favorite men. I opened my eyes to see a bright bay head directly over me. Mingus nuzzled me, whispered sweet nothings in my ear and sighed happily. (Don't let on that you know, but despite my many "naughty Mingus" stories, he's actually a big mama's boy!)
Not to be left out, an impish strawberry roan soon joined in. For those who have never met Thelonius, his constant expression is one of sweet orneriness...he's that little red-headed prankster from grade school. While Mingus was bent on showing his affection (or was he scratching his chin?), Thelonius was on a more important mission: knock my coffee off the table. If I tried to take a sip, he tried to help by bumping it. If I set my cup down, he reached for it immediately, ever hopeful of sending it flying.
Mingus soon sauntered off to court the other great love of his life -- food...he is, after all, a gelding. Thelonius on the other hand refused to give up. To catch me off guard, he took breaks from his antics to lick my arm, but quickly returned to that elusive goal: keeping the world safe from coffee cups!
Sadly for my "roanry" boy (if you've seen Team America, you know where that comes from...), I soon finished my coffee and had the presence of mind to move cup and carafe to the opposite bench. I almost took pity, he looked so disappointed, but then I saw his eyes light up. I heard first one thump, then another, as Thelonius spotted my shoes and swiftly knocked them to the ground...
Later that evening, when I had returned two very contented horses to the dry lot/corral, I decided to take two lawn chairs (one for me, one for my leg) in to sit with them. All spring and early summer, Mingus and I had spent hours ground driving and lunging, and he had basked in the constant attention and exercise (this is a horse who finds it easier to trot than to stand still). He so obviously missed being the center of attention, and as soon as I sat down he began trotting around me in ever-widening circles, lacking only the lungeline.
After several circuits, he turned from the far corner and ran straight for me. I had no worries of being knocked over -- just a fear of falling off of my chair laughing. For a gorgeous horse, Mingus can look like a complete goober. He ran to me with his head down low, ears askew, and a look of unmistakable rapture. I swear I heard him call to Thelonius, "MOM'S HOME!!!" He then mugged me with horse hugs, nuzzled my hair, and then stood with his head pressed between my back and the chair.
Meanwhile, Thelonius licked my knees contentedly.
While in hospital, I constantly told my doctors and nurses that I would heal much more quickly if I were home with my horses, dogs and cats; as I prattled on I saw their eyes glaze over, but I spoke the truth. There is truly no medicine as powerful as the love of one's animals (well, except perhaps that of Keith!)
