Adjustments

Animals do not understand daylight savings time...ok, neither do I...and it's tough for all of us to adjust. To further complicate being fed at what they perceive as the wrong times, I rearranged barn accomodations yesterday and am requiring the equines to assume different places when I command "go to your house," a prerequisite for being served.

George and Alan seemed secure and healthy enough to end their quarantine period, hence their corral was moved so that they could access a stall in the barn. And Hank and Lyle seemed comfortable enough with their new herdmates that they have regained access to their corral and can reach out and touch the burros through the pipes. The shuffling has proved to be pretty much a non-event. George and Alan seem far more interested in touching noses with Willie the goat than either of the horses. The north fence of the burro corral is also the south fence of Smooch's territory, and Alan and Smooch have gotten into it a few times, chasing each other up and down that stretch. My current biggest fear is forgetting to close a gate and Smooch getting in with the burros ... Smooch would lose, as burros are notorious canine haters.

Alan is now eating chunks of apple out of my hand - another step closer to letting me touch him somewhere other than his nose. George, meanwhile, would sit in my lap if I'd let him. I have a plastic patio chair that I move into the burro corral several times a day, just to sit and watch and wait for Alan to approach me. George sees this as an open invitation to share my space. He walks up behind the chair, pushes into it with his shoulder, then flexes his neck and wraps his head in front of me. It's like a big burro hug. I put a halter on him for the first time today - left it on for just a few seconds. He didn't object but I could see him thinking, "What's this for?"

Alan let out one half-hearted hee-haw this week, when he saw me come out of the house to serve breakfast. When I show up an hour late by his clock tomorrow, I expect I'll hear alot more from him.