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Friday, May 31, 2013

Who would have thought...

that horses like to play ghost.

See the lumps and bumps?

If we go to the other side we'll see who's lurking there.

 It's the mighty Midnight, Heartland's resident pony. He decided hanging out under this cotton blanket was an enjoyable thing to do. One day he was under there and Molly and Judy (the Heartland guard donkeys) were walking by and he stuck his head out and spooked them badly...they took off running. It's fairly certain he was smiling.

The chain link enclosure was set out in the field to provide some cover/protection for a little cotten-tail mom who decided to have her babies right there, the cover was for protection from the sun, Midnight decided to use it for other purposes.

When he saw me, he had to come out to see what I was doing.

Heartland is also now the residence of a gang of ducks who were saved from a bad situation by the mighty Jeannie, the director of the bunny rescue.

They're pretty large now but came to us as babies. Queenie is short for drama queen, she has a quack that can be heard several miles away and is prone to go into a dither just for fun. Donnie is of the same "breed" as Queenie but is much mellower. Bubbles is a female mallard and a little nervous. Arnold, the wonderful Arnold is of the pekin tribe and is a real treat to behold. He is stately and dignified and seriously smart.

Shamefully, one day while I was hosing down the bedding I decided to give Arnold a spray...he was peacefully paddling in the little water container they have outside and he jumped out and ran to the end of their enclosure. He then turned and looked me right in the face and proceeded to tell me off. I was very contrite and apologized and also a little spooked. There was absolutely no doubt he knew what had happened and who had done it. I learned my lesson, no more teasing of Arnold.

It is a real joy to get to know these duck people. They are interesting and really attractive. Brad (president of Heartland) is building them their very own area and once they are settled in there they'll have their own little duck village. The bunnies were rather alarmed when they first heard/saw the ducks but now they are accustomed to the new folks. Midnight was/is fascinated by them and often hangs out around them when they are outside.

The destruction of our planet and the destruction of our fellow beings by humans is depressing beyond belief. Opt out of being a destroyer and go vegan...please. And...when you're feeling down about all the horror...go visit your local rescue/sanctuary and hang out with those who have been saved. I promise you that you will get a real lift...especially if you manage to become friends with someone new.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just reading this post made me feel better. I really love ducks! So glad they've found a home, even if people think spraying them is funny :)
Thank you for this.

Laloofah said...

What a fun and playful post! Midnight hiding behind the sheet and frightening Molly and Judy was too funny, and I have no doubt he was grinning a wicked grin after scaring the girls!

I hope that Arnold has forgiven you by now, realizing that you meant no harm - don't ducks love water? - and were just trying to have fun. :-) Ducks have so much personality, I really miss getting to watch them like we did when we lived in the cottage by the river.

At the same time I'm enjoying your wonderful photos and delightful narrative, I'm terribly concerned about your safety and that of everyone at Heartland as I listen to the news about the violent storms and tornado there in Norman and OKC. I'll be glad to see you back on your blog and fervently hope for a report that all is well with all of you!

Bea Elliott said...

A peek-a-boo-playing Midnight! But of course it must be fun to hide under a sheet in your own little world. What a hoot!

So you got put in your place by Arnold! I'd heed those ruffled feathers too! Queenie reminds me of my Hope she chatters loudly and nonstop as well. I always imagine she's saying "And then I went here. And then I did that. And this happened to me. And then.. and cluck, cluck and more cluck".

Bubbles looks so sweet. Gentle. And Donnie so handsome! They are all goregous!

Thanks for sharing a small portion of the lives of your friends at Heartland. You are all fortunate to be in each other's good care.

Bea Elliott said...

ooops - "gorgeous" ;)

Laloofah said...

Hey VE! No need to publish this, I just wanted to let you know that Bea has kept me posted on your well-being and that of your Heartland friends. We are both relieved and grateful, and hope you didn't suffer any property damage.

Bea sure thinks the world of you, btw! :-)

Sending lots of love and hugs...

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting DEM. Well, I really didn't know how Arnold would take the spray...I thought maybe he would like it...that wasn't the case and he straightened me out.

I enjoy hearing the ducks. When I was stationed in Italy years ago there was a pond just offbase and at night sometimes the ducks who lived there would be restless...you could hear one duck quacking then a bunch of ducks quacking...it sounded like someone was telling a joke or story and then the others were laughing/responding. Very cool. :-)

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting Laloofah. There is an abundance of personality out at Heartland from all the beings there. And yes, Arnold is schooling me well. :-)

Thank you for your concern for everyone.

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting Bea. And a little spelling confusion among friends is no biggee. :-)

You've nailed Queenie perfectly...she's very vocal. :-) They all are gorgeous.

Midnight is a treat to be around and I'm glad I was able to share some of his uniqueness with you.

Fortunate is exactly the right word to describe being around all the Heartlanders. :-)

joan.kyler said...

Anyone who says animals don't have emotions either hasn't spent any time with animals or is blind. I've seen the animals I've shared my life with be happy, sad, grieve, tease, and laugh (if not the way humans do, but still a laugh). Some of them have better senses of humor, as do some people, and some are serious and anxious (like I am!). I love them all.

veganelder said...

Thank you for commenting Joan. You are exactly correct and I don't even give much slack to those who haven't spent time with animals. If they, based on no experience, decided that animals haven't emotion then they have some real problems with their world view and their thinking. For those familiar with other animals and still haven't seen the gamut of feeling there...then they aren't looking or...as you say...they're unable to see.

I have to admit that I'm much more likely to enjoy a non-human animal's company than I am a human animal's company. There are human animals I like and some I love but there are way too many I'm not real taken with. The reverse is true for me for the other sorts of animals... :-)

joan.kyler said...

I agree with you completely. I'd much rather spend my time with almost any animal other than humans. That's a broad statement. Most animals are far more interesting than humans.