The Girls Get a Turn

Brett has been taking Flash and Mufasa up to the back pasture for the past few weeks.  They graze under the oak trees during the day and spend the nights back down in their pasture. The fence is low in a few spots so it isn't a good place for escape artists.  Brett worried about putting the girls up there because Lucy was a jumper in her previous life.  I didn't think she would jump out -- she doesn't love to jump and she likes to stick close to Pistol -- who is definitely not a jumper.  I decided to give it a try today.  I planned to work in the garden all day so I would be outside keeping an eye on them.

I led the girls up to the pasture together after breakfast.  They were both good; Lucy was looking around trying to figure out the plan.  Pistol walked placidly beside me.  She's a wonderful, level-headed mare.  Once in the pasture, I removed their halters.  Pistol dove into the grass.  Lucy put her head up and lifted her tail like a flag while she proceeded to trot/float around the pasture checking it out.  Pistol didn't look up from the grass.  Lucy floated a few steps, came back to Pistol, ate a few bites, and floated off again.  Eventually, she settled down next to Pistol and grazed.

Meanwhile, all hell was breaking loose in the boys' pasture.  What the heck were the girls doing up in that pasture?  And why weren't the boys invited?  Unfair!

Mufasa ran laps, skidding in his turns at the fence line facing the direction of the back pasture.  Once, I saw him spin so fast that he was almost laying on his side.  Flash stood watching but didn't join in the gallop-fest.  ...until I walked back from the upper pasture, towards the gate to the boys pasture where I would turn, cross the bridge and go into my garden.  Flash saw me coming and let loose with a loud whinny, then trotted over to the gate and thrust his head over expectantly.  Take me!  Take me first!  I laughed so hard, I almost cried.  Sorry Flash we aren't mixing boys and girls together.

Throughout the day, peace reigned.

Every few hours Flash would call loudly to the girls and Lucy would answer.  I planted lilies in the flower bed and dahlias by the barn; mulched everything, fertilized the fruit trees and weeded.

Our resident Canada geese spent most of the day in the empty girls' pasture, but they did wander around the driveway a bit too.

At dusk, when I closed the hen house door, I saw a wild turkey walking across the bridge.  This little ranch feeds my soul.