mammals in a mal mood

So much for alliteration: "mammals in a mal mood." But it's true. Today, April 25, is just one of those icky, cold and damp days when the cats, horses, and pigs and I just stare, scowling, at each other. We are all irritated by the weather and its stifling effect on leisure activity in the great outdoors. The cats can't prowl the woods. If they do, they risk returning home dripping with raindrops collected from the bushes and undergrowth. The pigs can't stand to get even their feet wet, let alone risk water on their backs, so they are hunkered down in their houses--all eleven of them--probably getting on each others' nerves. The horses don't mind this kind of weather too much, but they're still bored because Edgar and (I (their major form of entertainment) aren't outside tending the fruit trees, the greenhouse, racing the golf cart back and forth from our farm to the farm across the street. So, for the equines, there's not much to watch--only stare at the vehicles swishing past on Cherryville Road.

Edgar's on emergency call this weekend, so he's incapable of truly enjoying the day, regardless of the weather. He went out at one AM last night to tend a horse with colic, but today, so far, there has been no emergencies. Still, we can't go anywhere--like for a visit to NYC--for fear of being interrupted with an emergency. We must stay in the area.

I realize we need rainy days for growing crops, gardens, grass, etc., but I am irritated by a wasted day like this: not much rain, just dreary, coldish, and not enough moisture to be productive. Yet it's yucky enough to keep me indoors--even inside I have goose-bumps. The house cats have taken their seventy-eighth lap around the house--through the kitchen, down into the living room, back out and through the office where I'm composing this post. And they glare at me as thought it's my fault the weather is too bad for them to go outside. I never get any breaks. Elliot passes by, scowling, and I yell, "I can't help it! It's not my fault." Then, he disappears around the corner, trying to find something interesting to do.

One thing, however. This weather is affording me some time to write another post on my blog. I am waiting to hear from Louie Jay's mom so that I can write a follow-up to his story. I heard he's all set up with his new set of wheels, and he's wearing himself out flying around the backyard with them. As soon as I find out more information, I'll have another story for you.

So, have a good day. Stay warm and dry.

one winner of peacock-naming contest

This was a tough decision, and I really liked all the jewel names like amethyst, and alexandrite, but I tend to name all my animals people names because, to me, my animals are like little people. I purposely didn't give that hint in the beginning. So, what really appealed to me was using the prefix "pea" with another syllable to form a human name. Therefore, Cindy Sproles won with her "Peater."

So, I still need three more names using "pea" somewhere in the name and with it forming a human name.

Okay, so the contest is still on. Nah--I'm not wild about "Peabody." The "pea" can also be in the middle or end of the name, too.

I know: I'm fussy. But I'm going to have to be calling these birds by these names for a bunch of years. I need to like them.

Create away! Deadline is May 3, 2010. Thanks. Congrats to Cindy Sproles, too. Thanks, Cindy.

Eastern Horse Expo

Hi, everyone,

Before I put on another blog about Louie Jay, I wanted to tell you what a good time Edgar and I had at the Eastern Horse Expo in Agricultural Hall at the Allentown Fairgrounds this past weekend. It's always fun to be in the company of like-minded people, and we were--all horse nuts. My husband and I had a booth there both for his veterinary practice, E.J. Balliet and Associates, whose patients are mostly horses, and for promoting and selling my books. I met many of Edgar's clients, sold and signed a bunch of books, and watched some live horse demonstrations put on by Willow Brook Farms on training horses with the Parelli Horsemanship method. It's always a good thing to be able to better communicate with your horse, and that's exactly what the Parelli method teaches. Other booths at the expo showed or sold tack, horse trailers, and even cremation services, which have been available for years for small animal owners, but which have only begun to serve those persons who need to dispose of a dear, but very large, pet, in a way that is respectful of the animal and agreeable to the owner.

I look forward to seeing an even bigger horse expo in fall and urge everyone--even those without horses--to sit ringside and learn the tricks that make horse ownership such a pleasure as well as a challenge.