First the Dynamic Duo then The 3 Amigos

I don't know what to write about tonight. My heart is heavy. Tomorrow I am taking Holly to the vet to have her put to sleep. It is very hard. She was Bill's dog and they really loved each other. And we love each other too. She sleeps by my bed when she can. It was at one time every night. Now she sleeps in the living room on the rug that must be more comfortable for her.

At night she cries from the pain. It is time to relieve her suffering. I have cried over this dog in a way I have not cried since my Dad and Bill died. Each of those loses were extremely hard. Tomorrow at this time her suffering will have ended. She had a good long life but like all lives, it seems all too brief. I have suffered already from this hard decision.

So tonight I want to write about something else that had happened this week. Something that offsets the pain of what is happening with Holly. It is exciting to watch my weanlings and to take note of their development. First there was the Dynamic Duo. Those two were Celine and Blaze. Blaze was born 3-31-09 and Celine was born 5-22-09. We just went through the weaning process with the two of them and it was a circus around here trying to keep them separated from the mares. I think I have documented that rather thoroughly. They seem to have gotten over that already and the mares don't notice them being gone so much now either.

Those two have been buddies in the pasture all summer. I have watched them form a friendship and get to be real pasture buddies. Blaze always seemed to be showing Celine the ropes. One day I saw him go upon the big pile of dirt and watched as she followed him up. He was in the lead going to the pond. He was in the lead as they gaited down across the field. He was in the lead when the gate to the barn was opened and they were allowed to go in to eat from the feed trough. They had formed their herd of two and he was the leader.

Lately I brought another weanling into the herd. She has been away from the other two. She has had some congestion and has been getting over a cold so they have been away from each other. Today they were allowed to go out into the round pen together. So now the Dynamic Duo have become the Three Amigos. At least I hope that is what is going to happen. They had the usual getting acquainted ritual. Sniffing each other and then keeping their distance. They are fun to watch. I leaned on the round pen and watched them check each other out and then go about the business of eating the grass in the round pen.

Before the sun slid down over the trees on the western horizon, we went into the round pen and led them back into the barn. I took Celine first. We have a set of steps that is three good steps high setting in the barn. It is my desire that every horse that comes from our farm, will be taught to park by those steps or other similar mounting blocks and stand quietly to be mounted. I walked Celine up by the steps and ask her to stand there quietly. She stood there long enough that I was able to praise her for being a good little filly and then I walked her away. She did really well walking into the barn. She was very quiet and attentive.

When I went back to the round pen, my brother, Bob had the other two. He had been walking them around the pen. I gave him Ann and I took Blaze. Ann walks quietly and isn't any trouble to move but Blaze is full of fire and vinegar going back to the barn. He wants to run. He wants to lead me. He wants to get to the barn as soon as possible. I ask him to stop by the steps. He sniffed them and then attempted to go the other direction. I made him back up 6 or 7 steps and then ask him to walk up to the steps again. I repeated that several times. He finally got the idea that it would be easier to just stop there and stand. He wasn't in the correct position but we will work on that. It is a start.

Bob had put Ann in her stall and had set down on a bag of shavings. Blaze saw him right off. I let him stand there. His ears were standing forward in Bob's direction. He nose flared as he took in the smells in the air. Of course, Bob had just been holding him in the round pen. He had even walked around the pen with him but now Bob was setting in the barn on those bags of shavings that had not been there earlier when he left the barn. Finally Blaze seemed to process all the information and decide he was safe. I then led him into the stall and gave him his grain.

What a day. What a blessing from God to be able to watch these two babies learn to get up and walk and now here we are several months later and they are happy healthy weanlings soon to be yearlings. We have taped them to chart their progress. We are keeping records of weight gains and height gains. Blaze is the tallest and Ann is the heaviest by less than 10 pounds. Celine being the youngest is shorter and lighter than the other two.

My brother will be with me for a time. God has blessed him with the glorious colors of the leaves this fall. He has enjoyed the peace and quiet of the farm and spending quiet time in prayer and reading his Bible. Nature really does speak to us of God's love and gives us just a little taste of heaven. His soul is being refreshed by God's mercy and living for a time in this quiet place. There is work he can do here. He helps with feeding. It isn't much of a chore. But his hands are busy and the animals work their magic on the souls of those who work around and with them.

Bob helps me with the cooking and cleaning up after meals. He does a lot of little things that make my day go smoother and my life more pleasant. We get along really well together. Neither of us feels that the other has to have constant attention. We each use our time in whatever way that suits us. I have enjoyed his being here with me.

I hope your days are happy and productive and that you take time to enjoy the change of seasons and the sunrises and sunsets. I hope you look up into the sky and see the big beautiful moon hanging in the sky. I hope you take note of all the wonders around you. Can you look at the nature around you as if you had been blind all your life and are seeing it for the first time.

God bless and keep you in his loving care.

Regards

Mary


Then Jesus said unto them, "I am the bread of life, he hat cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst".

John 6: 35

There are times when you can trust a horse, times when you can't and times when you have to.

Anonymous