Country Life

Country life is great. Not only do you have the beautiful views, the space and the animals, but you have neighbors who have the same interests as you. Yesterday as we were on the way to Chico to get a small load of hay ( the driveway needed one more sunny day before moving the trailer) and grocery shop we got a phone call. Love those cell phones!!! "Are you missing a black bull with horns?" No. Why, do you have one? "Yes, it's on my front porch looking in the window and wants to come in." Not ours, but try Mr. So & So. Sure enough a rancher who puts his cattle near us in the Spring was missing a bull. By afternoon Mr. Bull had been returned to the herd. I bet in the city no one would have called to try to locate the proper owner of a wandering bovine.
Last night the dogs would not stop barking because Maggie B the mini mule has now claimed the breezeway and back deck as hers. She demands food all the time and clip clops to the back sliding door to make sure we know she is there. After tossing aside the chairs we put on the breezeway to deter her- seven times- Jim finally built a temporary rope gateway to keep her out. Of course, that means we can't get out that way either, and feeding this morning will take longer, but at least peace reigned for the night time.
Sugar the mini hinny has now decided people are good things. She lets us pet her all the time. It took her over 4 years to become accustom to us. Posey still won't let us near her.
Toby, Tango and Tawny are adjusting well to their new herd. They trot up to the fence when the tractor arrives and eat with various horses. Juan had had enough of confinement and yesterday he came out to rejoin the Backyard Bunch. There are 11 critters- 4donkeys, 2 mules, 1 mini mule, 2 mini hinnies, 1 pony and 1 miniature horse- who roam the back yard at liberty. Jim needs to finish the fencing so we have some "people space." It should be interesting at the bar-b-que Sunday.
Sparkle, Ruby, Babe and Lacey continue their barn life. They are getting lots of extra groceries without having to compete with anyone else. We are very concerned about Babe. She is on our watch list. She has not been able to regain her weight after having the strangles last year. She is an old Pony of the Americas.
Patches has been darting out the door whenever he gets a chance. He is unwise to the ways of our cat killing dogs and we have to watch him all the time. Actually, our dogs don't kill all cats, just the ones who annoy them. Our four barn cats are safe as is Honey. I think Patches would annoy them, so he must stay in. He will be in kitty jail when we have folks who come in and out and don't know his wily ways.
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