Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Lovestead menagerie shows growth


Today could be the day. Miss Lily of the Selle Valley (full name coined by Bill), my new Appaloosa filly, may be on her way to the biggest shock of her young life. She was supposed to leave Billings, Montana, in an 11-horse trailer this morning. Could be she was the sole horse too cuz the Thoreson's were dropping off other horses in Billings, which they'd picked up in Texas. They were planning to have their truck serviced yesterday and hoping to hit the road to Sandpoint today.


Of course, leave it to North Idaho. When weather cooperation is needed, weather does not cooperate. That's often a given, and anyone who's lived here for as long as I have will simply say, "Deal with it." That's precisely what I'm doing, even though I'll admit to letting a cuss word fly from time to time while overcoming the increasing obstacles associated with slop.

After Bill spent the weekend building a nice board gate to the outside for Lily's box stall, snow started sliding off the roof along the side of the barn. Yesterday I dug out doors both morning and night to let Rambo and Casey out and to let Rambo and Casey in.

I even prepared for smotheration (Iz that a word, Stephen Colbert?) while shoveling the two foot berm of snow in front of Rambo's stall door yesterday afternoon. That foot-deep remaining blanket of wet snow on the roof's edge above threatened to fall on me all the while, but I out-shoveled its tortoise-like motion and got out of there in time.

Needless to say, Miss Lily will not be exiting her side door for a while. I'm hoping the rest of the snow will slide off today so that I can do some major shoveling at those oft-deposited berms. Besides the door problem, Miss Lily will also have to learn how to walk. Her arrival at the Lovestead will signal her first experience of ice, snow and general slop. This morning Casey almost slid on his behind as he hit a patch of water-polished ice while coming out the big barn door.

If well-seasoned Casey is sliding, I know Lily's definitely in for an awkward moment or two as she develops her new methods of travel. She's used to hard Oklahoma ground and lots of sunshine. She's been eating in a pasture and frolicking around her fields at Royce's Appaloosa farm where she's spent her young life. I'm figuring this melting slop and ice will be about as bad as it gets. Nonetheless, she'll have to adjust to some fairly restricted travel during her first days here.

After all, you don't just turn out a new horse with the rest of the herd. It's a gradual process of getting everybody acquainted and making sure all surroundings are safe for all involved when noses get in the wrong places and the shoving, pushing, kicking and squealing to establish pecking order occur. I did talk to Rambo and Casey about showing some hospitality and manners as they get acquainted with their new little sister.

Life won't be all that bad for Lily. She'll get more than enough attention from her new brothers and her new family of humans who intend to love the heck out of her. I don't know what Lily's future will be. Even if she turns out to be just another pet at the Lovestead, she won't be just another pet. Like all the rest of the menagerie, she'll work into the dynamic, and she'll become a much beloved part of our family.

Bring on Miss Lily of Selle Valley!!!

2 comments:

Word Tosser said...

I sure hope you have your camera by the door, so when the truck drives up you can grab it as you fky out the door,and start shooting ...too bad MISS Annie wasn't home for this..

Word Tosser said...

that was suppose to be fly...out the door