Friday, July 22, 2011

The Fan Man

It hardly seems possible but yesterday the temperature broke a heat record. It seems it soared to over one hundred degrees, virtually eliminating the possiblilty that it may snow in the next day or so. This is fine with me. I don't care for the accompanying insects, which make a meal of my legs, but what can you do.

The Haflingers are so damp with perspiration they look black much of the time. To that end the woman has installed fans in front of their rooms. Molly is an old hand at the fan routine and stands, lower lip drooping, forelock blowing in the breeze. She is still wearing an ice boot in the evenings and she quite enjoys it.

And then there is Chester. He likes the whole fan idea but regards it as an interactive toy. He moved his pile of hay in front of it so he could enjoy the breeze and then had the brilliant idea of inserting some long strands of hay directly into the machine. The results pleased him immensely. The fan said "braaaap", particles of hay flew everywhere and the woman leapt into action. She moved the fan further back and gave him a lecture on the dangers of electrical devices. She had no sooner turned around than he was bouncing his Jolly Ball, which was tied to the front of his room with a rope, off the front of the fan. The woman removed the ball. Chester had to content himself with allowing the breeze to blow under his upper lip, which he extends upwards, letting his eyes roll back in his head. He has likewise discovered the great joy of turning his posterior to the fan, elevating his tail, and letting the breeze waft over his unmentionables. That boy is a heathen at heart.

Owing to the firey furnace in which we find ourselves, we have been moved to an altered schedule. The last two evenings, we have been brought in, the horses bathed, iced, fanned etc. and then put back out when it is dark. I was so shocked that initially I refused to countenance the change and had to be wheeled outdoors like a trolley. Chester was so excited that he ran around in the dark yelling and Molly just grunted and went off to graze.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

The fat lady tried to switch our schedule too but we would have none of it. We stood at the gate and honked like lost White freightliners until she stumbled out and returned us to our dark, stuffy (safe) box stall. The neighbours probably thought we were being murdered.

The brown goddess (Annie) has free access to her stall day and night so she doesn't understand our conundrum. What we would really like is to have ALL the stalls open so that we could trash hers, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

Since her alarming vaccine reaction episode, she has gotten quite quirky and has totally rejected all fly-protection paraphernalia, including fly masks, fly sheet, bug hat etc. She was only recently convinced to accept a lightweight fly mask.

As for us, we are left naked to the ravages of every insect. Without our voluminous winter coats, we look like skinny little moose and the flies love us!

Camryn said...

Camryn here: Your Chester just cracks me up. To funny airing his boy parts. I just hope for all your sakes he doesn't get the idea of farting!!!
Mom's taken to hosing me off in the heat. I know I'm supposed to appreciate it, but I don't at all. I've got a ceiling fan outside my stall an a fan in barn aisle. None in my stall, I'll have to talk to Mom about that.
Hey, guess what Mom has turned my blog over to me. Seems she thought she was boring (she is) and felt I could liven it up a bit (I am) All thanx to you :)

Dougie Donk said...

I think you should be glad of the warmth, as we are still suffering horizonal rain! The woman insists that it's summer time & that we should stay out 24/7. She has no idea of how I suffer...

Camryn - I thought your name was just a re-spelling of the male Scottish "Cameron." Having now looked at your blog, I apologise unreservedly - you are FAR too pretty to be a boy :)

Camryn said...

Thanks Dougie Donk, I'm blushing now. I do have a Tennesee Walker friend named Cameron, it gets kind of confusing!

Denise at Autumn Sky said...

Chester sounds like the sort who would enjoy running through the sprinklers with reckless abandon.

billie said...

Oh, dear - you are having a heat wave too? Yesterday and again today, around the hottest part of the days, a little storm cell popped up right over us and we got rain, which helped cut the heat some. Tomorrow is another hot 3-digit day, but then it looks like we might get back to normal July temps.

Chester sounds like a very funny young man. And I am still chuckling about Fred and Ginger honking like lost freightliners at the gate! Redford would have just loved that.

Whoever gets a break in the heat first needs to send up a shout and do some kind of hoodoo dance for the rest of us! (I'm sure Molly knows how to hoodoo dance, Sheaffer, but you might have to join in to make it work)

ponymaid said...

F and G - I must admit, no one has ever referred to me as a skinny little moose - over-stuffed footstool, but not moose. Molly and Chester actually took the door off the run-in last night by wrenching it from it's hinges and splitting it in two. That may put an end to this night turnout nonsense. Annie has obviously been traumatized by this vaccine attack - it may take her awhile to accept fly prevention in any form. Stud Muffins might help.

ponymaid said...

Camryn - it sometimes takes humans a while to realize the obvious, such as the fact that we equines are invariably better raconteurs. Your blog looks magnificent. The horses are accepting sponge baths but immediately afterwards rush off and roll in the dust, making them look like primitive equus-mud pit specimens.

ponymaid said...

Dougie - horizontal rain is just unspeakable - and she makes you live outside?? Quick, call the Queen. I'm sure she will intervene. Camryn is quite a looker isn't she? I expect a comment from Buddy in Nevada any time now...

ponymaid said...

AutumnSkyRanch - the very thought of Chester and a sprinkler is making me feel faint. Just think of the collateral damage...He would undoubtedly demand one of those inflatable waist circles as well as goggles and those fin things for his feet.

ponymaid said...

billie - I will certainly notify you when the heat wave breaks but as to a hoodoo dance - maybe I will ask Jack to take care of that. He's sure to know about those. I believe those strident insects who tormented you a month ago have arrived here. It's enough to give one tinnitus.

BumbleVee said...

ahahahah....the mental image of Chester turning from face to the breeze to bum to the fan breeze had me laughing out loud .... you guys.....what fun you have over there.....

ponymaid said...

Vee - Chester is a busy, busy horse. He is also a particularly gaseous horse so we are quite relieved when the fan is blowing his noxious emissions away from us...

Buddy said...

Hay Sheaffer - long time no whinney! Well I don't have a stall - so I'm out all the time. I do get hosed off every evening with the temps here at over 100 degrees most days. Sure does feel good!

Your fren,

ponymaid said...

Buddy - we seem to have the same weather these days but possibly more humidity here. The horses enjoy the hosing routine - I reject it utterly. In fact, I am hanging onto the last of my winter coat, just in case a blizzard should try to sneak up on my person...

completecare said...

Hi Sheaffer,

My human and Our Girl Friday went on a road trip last week and stopped in at PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary where they were welcomed by Jack, Russel, Patsy and of course PrimRose herself. From all reports it was a very enjoyable visit. It was a very hot day but all the donkeys, sheep, pigs etc had shelter from the hot sun and were quite comfortable. I think the humans suffered from the heat more than the donkeys. Many are like you, Sheaffer and are holding onto their winter coats just in case there is an unexpected snow storm.

Your fan,

Willy

Finn the Wonder Pony said...

Hi Sheaffer,

Sorry to say that I think Chester would be fun to hang out with... Bear in mind, I have only just turned 7, so am still an adolescent at heart. I hear that ponies are not required to *grow up* until in their late teens, if ever...

The Venerable CindyLouWho taught our woman to not change our schedule, but to give us free access to the barn all day. We are locked in our rooms from time to time, just to keep Pnut from making threatening faces at me, sending me running from my room out into the buggy sun/heat. We are likewise incarcerated at night b/c there are vicious mosquitoes at night here. I can stand the little pests, but Pnut insists on rubbing them off on my person. (It's almost as trying a life as yours.) So we sleep inside with our beloved fans.

On the bright side, (for me!~) we have each done our Big Competition for the Summer.. I was Second in my Horse Driving Trial and The Princess Pnut was LAST in her Cowboy Race!! The Woman says she's very proud of us both... b/c Pnut did all the obstacles this year (sloooowly)... But I was SECOND in my Whole Division of Training Level Horses and Ponies!!! (not bragging or anything...)

Stay alert for those rogue snow storms my friend!

Your Fan,
Finn the Wonder Pony

ponymaid said...

Willy - did they not take you with them? No? I'm shocked, frankly. Think of the report you could have given! I'm glad the humans had a good time - did they bring you any souveniers? A framed portrait of the lovely PrimRose at least?