Finally Friday...

Pals

It's here. It's Friday. (Holy crap- it's FRIDAY already??) I managed a solid five hours of sleep in a row overnight last night, and the world looked better this morning. We managed to beat the rain this morning, with our now routine stall mucking, hand walking and grazing, which Sonny Bunz was VERY happy for. It rained so much yesterday that we had to skip our walks. No point in dodging lightning, right? (That would be just wrong- to have either one of us be hit by lightning...)

I sit here now, looking out the window to see my horse safe in his shelter, munching on his hay. Thunder rolls in the distance, rain is starting to fall, but I know where my horse IS, and that he is safe. The horror is slowly starting to fade- a little bit. I still have not yet gotten to the point where I can leave him with no one home. The thought makes me feel literally sick to my stomach. At least I don't feel like passing out anymore - that has to be a step in the right direction.

This week has been an education on so many levels. So many.
"But MOOOOM! I don't wanna leave the grass!"

One of the biggest things I learned? My Dog Is A Wimp! Don't get me wrong- Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog ROCKS. She is the sweetest ol' girl a family could ask for and we love her tremendously. But a guard dog she is not. In fact, generally the only time she barks is when I vacuum.

Now normally, Good Ol Jo will go pretty much anywhere with me, and is not more than ten feet from me. However. She has apparently drawn a line in the sand, and if it is dark out, she won't go out. Period. I have tried all week long to get her to venture out with me to check on the horse in the still of the night. Know what she says? "Yeah, right Mom. I don't even LIKE the horse. And it's DARK out, in case you had not noticed. Everyone else is sleeping, and I am headed back to my couch."

Rotten freaking dog.

The next thing I learned? This is more a "remembery" actually, and that remembery is I Hate Cleaning Stalls. Regardless, Sonny gets his picked and cleaned several times a day. I can't stand the thought of him needing to lay down, and not having a clean bed. That would be like asking one of my Little Mens to sleep in a dirty bed- just not going to happen.

The next "remembery"? Rehab is intense. It is time consuming. And it is a JOY. A new stage to this is I now have a wonderful helper. Cub has been out there, hands on, with me every step of the way. From grooming sessions, stall cleaning, bedding back, bucket scrubbing, and walking, Cub has not missed a trick. He keeps an eye on Sonny, and gives me reports while I muck, and he asks tons of questions about what we are doing. Wrecking Crew? Well, he comes out, pets Sonny, and wanders off on his merry little way. Cub though- that boy loves this horse. (Geesh- brings tears to my eyes just thinking about the two of them together.) Cub will even pop up and look out the window to check on Sonny, from which he gives me a full report. "Mom, you need to pick that pile of poop up before Sonny steps in it."

For Sonny's part, I think he is pretty happy to be home. He is getting all KINDS of attention, and is enjoying his local celebrity status. He thinks he is ready though, to do a bit more than those hind legs are willing to just yet. (Today for instance, he was doing his "sneak up on the dog" routine while he was grazing. Jo was flopped in the grass, about eight feet in front of us, and Sonny was carefully slowly sneaking up on her. He still can't pounce on her, but he was trying to at least scare the snot out of her. You could see the wheels turning..."If I go slow, with my ears up, she'll never know I am going to get her...") When he can flex both hocks enough to reach up and kick at those nasty green headed horse flies, then I think he'll be OK to start turning out. Until then though... well, he still has times when his back end seems to loose communication with the front end and it gets weak and very wobbly. He gives me a work out slapping those flies off him while he grazes! Cub even gets in on the action- "Oh! There's one Mom!" and, "NICE SHOT Mom! You got that rotten bugger!"

The rains fall here at Command Central, the Little Mens are quiet, and Jo is sleeping - again- by my side. Sonny is happy, dry, and has loads of hay in front of him.

Life. Is. Good.

Happy Hoofin', Y'all.
~MM