Monday, October 15, 2012

The Diva Has Arrived

For weeks now, Herself has been dropping hints and making veiled references to a new barn resident but we have been able to ascertain nothing as to the origin, gender, age or even species of this being: for all we knew a gnu or wildebeeste could have been en route.

A few days ago off they went with the box on wheels in tow and were gone for hours. Our friend Jamie arrived and put us to bed at the usual hour but still no sign of the resident humans. Just about the time we get our night feed, there was a commotion and bright lights shone outside in the laneway. I should mention that it was a particularly foggy evening so I assumed the worst ie. we were being invaded by hideous creatures of the night. I was proved correct when Herself hove into view, road-weary and coated in food residue and tea stains.

She turned on the barn lights and said " I have a surprise for you boys". She returned leading the most beauteous creature I have ever beheld. She is a subtle beige colour with black mane and tail. She is long of limb (from my point of view) and refined of visage. Wilson bellowed a loud greeting and I began what I thought was an appropriate salutation comprised of muffled grunts and whuffled moans.

She froze at the doorsill, eyes bugged out and nostrils flared, staring at me in disbelief. "WHAT IS IT?!", she shrieked at Wilson. Wilson was beside himself and began a chorus of "Comeincomeincomein!". This went on for awhile with her shrieking 'WHAT IS IT?!" and Wilson nearly standing on his hind legs, trying to convince her to enter the barn. I whuffled and moaned and still she stayed frozen in place. 

The Woman got a pan with treats in it and managed to get the Beauteous Creature's front feet into the barn. Meanwhile the male human crouched beside me and encouraged me to remain silent for the time being. Thus was Franny, for that is her name, entinced into her room, step by step.

She has never lived inside at night and has taken some time to adjust to the idea. She spent the first two days threatening to murder me but I deduced this was from stress and not personal animosity. We are now on most cordial terms. Wilson is a new man and strides around the paddock muttering "I gotta babe, I gotta babe". I am embarrassed on his behalf but she seems unbothered. She is very self-assured and thus is able to completely ignore Wilson's attempts to call dibs on anything that strikes his fancy. When he tries to hog the hay rack or salt block, she simply sashays past him and says "UhHuh". He doesn't know what to do about her sang froide and pretends it hasn't happened. I am enjoying it all immensely.

Franny hails from Iowa and thus had a long voyage and a border crossing to arrive here but she says the vista of corn and hay fields makes her feel quite at home. I wonder if she understands that when autumn comes, winter follows hard on it's heels...

8 comments:

billie said...

Oh, my, Sheaffer - what a beauty Franny is! I can imagine Wilson is overcome with ... whatever it is geldings get overcome with... it sounds like you have established your role with her and can now relax and report all the news to us as things unfold!

About all I have to report to you is that fall is upon us (my favorite season) and the equines here are in avid pursuit of acorns.

Dougie Donk said...

How wonderful that you now have a female companion!

Tammy keeps our little herd in wonderful order, selecting the best places to roll and graze & coming over all maternal & protective when Dennis gets too race-horsey in his games with me. You'll love it.

Lucky Billie with fall & acorns. We just have more rain, interspersed with periods of sub-zero temperatures & frost. I am VERY glad the woman is tucking us up in blackets & stabling at night. I hate winter..

Dougie Donk said...

That should of course have read "tucking us up in blankets" Sorry!

billie said...

Dougie, I had an image of some fancy Scottish black plaid plush blanket otherwise known as a "blacket!"

Even the Corgis are eating the acorns! It's an obsession around here right now!

ponymaid said...

billie - Acorns? I know I would love those as much as your crew seems to - I enjoy dried Oak leaves very much indeed. There must be some magical or medicinal quality to acorns to make them so appealing to so many species.

ponymaid said...

Dougie - Don't tell me the rainy, foggy fall nonsense has begun already. How horrible. Franny is indeed beginning the takeover of our daily routine and Wilson is, as he says, "Totally chillaxed about it". He speaks in riddles. Franny is as unlike Molly as can possibly be but I admit I like her almost as much. I still miss La Molly, although I understand she is doing quite splendidly. I can say with certainty that mares don't like to wrestle and that they are prone to bossiness.

Dougie Donk said...

Billie, we have no such indulgences as special Scottish plaid, just whatever is tough enough to survive races with Dennis and wrestling with Flynn.

Needless to say, that is quite a demand & the woman utters many Anglo-Saxon words when she brings us in of an evening! It offends my Puritan leanings, but what can I do?


Sheaffer - mares do not wrestle as they seem to think the only serious business is to get on with grazing. I can understand that view, but I think serious business needs to be balance with some fun, whenever the rain goes off!

It is not so much the onset of "rainy, foggy, fall", as the continuance of the summer we had. The only real differnce is that the days are even shorter.

Sigh. I wish I lived somewhere warm..

Denise at Autumn Sky said...

Oh I think this is wonderful news for you and the entire farm. Life can become so dull and routine without new energy stirring things up a bit. Franny is a lovely name. I look forward to tales of her new life with you, Sheaffer.