Sept. 30, 2002 ~ My instructions
were to "just open the gate and let the heifer out into the back pasture." Sounds easy enough, doesn't it? One would think so. But goofball Horny Heifer apparently threw herself against the gate, in her desperate attempt to go visit the bull. And while she didn't get out, she DID manage to bend and twist the metal rod which was holding the gate shut after she broke the board we'd been using. Gate wouldn't budge, not one millimeter. Huh. "Better get a hammer," I thought. Went into the barn, where all the hammers were conveniently hiding or in the witness protection program... but there was a big sledge hammer. Big and heavy. But it turned out to be necessary, so it was good that I found it. After about five minutes of pounding, I got the gate open, and Miss Totally-Innocent-Surely-you-don't-think-I-did-that?-Formerly-Horny-Heifer trotted happily out into the pasture. Uttering not a word of thanks, I might add. For now we can just use a chain to keep that gate shut, until we can get a suitable piece of wood cut.
Yesterday I was ushering Dakotah out into the pasture, and he waited for his usual hug and kiss, then lingered. After allowing a suitable amount of time to pass, I patted him and said, "Let's go, Bongo Pongo." As in bong-go pong-go. Now, where did that come from? What's a bongo pongo? And I called Misha a similarly silly name this morning, though thankfully I have forgotten that one already. Is this some sign of early dementia, calling one's animals ridiculous names? I mean, more ridiculous than usual. We ran out of good names long ago, and now have a number of pets named Barn Cat 1, Barn Cat 2, etc. College Boy suggested that we could name some of those barn cats Bongo and Pongo, but really, I don't think it would be the same.
Misha stole some of the barn cats' food this morning, and I stopped him from eating it. Mostly out of habit, I guess. Instinctively, I still think of him as being on a special diabetic diet, though those days are history now. I gave him his own bowl of the illicit food, and he ate about two bites. Either it didn't taste as good when he had permission to eat it, or he was full. Doesn't take much to fill him up.
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