The Critters, Sharon, and the Hummers
Things seem to be progressing nicely around the hilltop. Everybody is glad to see Sharon home again, and it’s certainly good for her recovery, when she stands in front of Old Momma to visit with her.
The old cow seems to relate to her voice. Mr. Boo comes up every couple of days to get grain, and is rewarded with loving pats. This interaction with the animals is having a positive effect on her therapy, and, of course, her ultimate recovery. Because it’s good for Sharon, it’s also good for me.
Part of her interactions are with our flock of hummingbirds. If there has been any consistency in the number of birds feeding on our porch, it has been completely inconsistent. One week there are tons of birds, probably in the 50 to 60 range. The next week, it seems we’re down to 25, and with no obvious reason. Others with feeders are telling us the same thing. At the moment, I’m feeding about 30 to 35 birds, which is unusually low for this time of year. There have been years when I’m hosting 90 to 100 birds, but not this year. Because we both enjoy the hummers coming and going, I’m filling feeders every other day to keep up with the ones I have.
We started at a new therapy facility in Bakersfield on Monday of this week. The Centre for Neuro Skills was recommended to us by Encompass Health. It was referred to as a “gymnasium for the brain” by her counselor. They will spend most of the first three days this week testing her to determine her needs. When they’re able to quantify her “shortcomings” by testing, they will then have a much better idea where to concentrate their therapy efforts. Though the results are a bit distressing to Sharon, she pushes forward. She realizes the results will be worth the effort.
During her periods of “home therapy” with her collection of critters, she hasn’t been out to pet the horses yet. Though it’s easily within her physical ability, it’s both a bit of a walk, but more importantly, it’s also on uneven ground. Her steps are pretty secure on the level. She’s cautious, and tentative, even when it requires something as simple as a curb. This means I get the carrots and then drag the pans back within reach, not so she can reach them now, but so I can.
One day last week, the little appaloosa filly, Ruby, surprised me. We have constructed a small pen with a gate, so we can feed Spirit without having the horses intimidate her and steal her grain. Even when I close it, I have to hold the rope tied onto the gate. Both Strawberry, the big Belgian mare, and Ruby will bump and pull on the gate with their noses while Spirit is munching contentedly on grain inside.
One day I’d tied it off and walked away. I thought it would keep the horses away from Spirit. When I looked back about 2 minutes later, the horses had “nosed” the gate enough to loosen the rope, which let the gate swing open. Of course, they’d promptly hurried inside, and drove Spirit out of their way. They proceeded to clean out her pan. Obviously, I was going to have to do something different if Spirit came up to be fed at the same time.
One recent afternoon both horses came to the fence, begging for their grain. Usually they stand along the fence in front of the house, where their rubber feed pans have been dropped. Strawberry was waiting in her usual spot, but not Ruby. She’d found a new location. Because the gate was wide open, she stood inside the pen where Spirit is fed.
Since Spirit was nowhere to be seen at that moment, I poured the grain in Spirit’s pan, then shoved it under the gate to Ruby. Strawberry watched me carefully, but chose to stay in her spot, waiting for me to pour her portion of feed containing two pieces of carrot as a special treat.
I watched both horses eating peacefully, and thought, “Feeding Ruby in the pen might be a good idea.” It would keep her from trying to steal at least one bite of Strawberry’s feed before hurrying over to her own pan. It would also prevent Ruby from trying to quickly snag one of Strawberry’s two pieces of carrot. Of course, the animals changed my mind.
Since then, Ruby doesn’t seem to want to go inside the pen. Maybe it’s because she can’t steal a bite of Strawberry’s feed. Or maybe it’s because she doesn’t have the chance to steal one of the pieces of carrot.
This past Sunday afternoon I went outside to feed the horses, including of course the two pieces of carrot for each. However, Ruby managed to pilfer one of Strawberry’s pieces. Ruby then turned around behind Strawberry, as she hurried toward her grain pan. She munched loudly on the purloined carrot, and appeared quite selfsatisfied. She expected to see two additional carrot pieces dumped into hers.
No problem. We’ve played this game before. I know how to fix her thievery.
I removed one of Ruby’s carrots and carefully dropped it in Strawberry’s pan. Then I stepped over and poured Ruby’s grain, containing only one piece of carrot.