A Weekend at Whimsical Pines Farm

Friday

I have to wonder how we keep animals alive until they’re old enough to get senile. Seems we have the unfailing ability to pick the most challenged of the litter. Since our Great Dane, Zep, was a pup, every chance he’s gotten, he’s run like he doesn’t have a lick of sense. At almost 11 years old, Friday was no different.

Someone left the gate open, and he ran like a striped ass lizard. He went through the woods, and the last Kay saw of him, he was headed up the hill in the neighbor’s pasture doing the poop walk.

There was finger pointing. Who left the gate open? Everyone was blaming everyone, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault.

My husband and Kay were backing out of the driveway to go looking for Zep when he popped out of the woods. I got down on one knee and sweet talked him until he was close enough to grab his choker.

We have all checked and double checked the gate this weekend.

Saturday

My youngest daughter, Elyse, goes to the barn about 15 minutes earlier than her older sister, Kay. We communicate with walkie talkies while they’re at the barn. Even though the barn is in sight of the house, I can’t see the kids, so I want check ins. During evening chores, I talked to Elyse on the walkie talkie to let her know she forgot a doe in the pasture. After that, I noticed she still didn’t let the doe in. When Kay was heading to the barn, I let her know a doe had been left out and needed brought in.

When Kay opened the barn door, she heard Elyse’s loud, shaky whisper:

“Kay, are you here? There’s a skunk in the barn!!”

Kay spotted a big ol’ skunk with the cutest skunk face wandering around the barn, Elyse hiding underneath the countertop, complaining of a hurt knee. When Elyse saw the skunk, she scrambled to hide. She dropped to the floor and hit her knee so hard she had to drag one leg behind her as she scurried. So, there she sat, hunkered underneath the countertop, crying and afraid to move, waiting for her sister to rescue her.

All us holler folk know to give those stinkin’ ass bastards a wide path. But in a moment of pure panic, Elyse decided her safest bet was to curl up under the countertop.

The skunk went into a stall in search of food. Kay talked Elyse into quickly finishing barn chores and letting the last doe in the barn. Kay came to the house, laughing, telling the story, and Elyse had tear trails streaked down her dirty little face. After her shower, Elyse relaxed on the couch watching TV with an ice pack on her knee.