Greener Pastures (or just different pastures)

We have now moved to Boulder, leaving the horses on pasture together.  Snickers, Angel, Luna and Tequila are all in a large pasture with 9 other horses in New Castle, about ten miles from Silt.  I moved Bella over with Charlee, the lone horse who lives at Lisa's house.  They are close in age and temperament and are keeping each other company.  Both seem quite happy about that. 

Bella and Charlee

Charlee, giving the "Flemen Response" to Bella being in heat
(curled upper lip)

On the other hand, I am not.  There is a big empty space in my life, a lack of exercise and purpose.  I don't have to feed anyone but people, I don't have to bring in or turn out any horses.  I don't have to wake up in the morning.  I don't have to muck the pens or check water tanks.  While it's kind of nice, in one sense, it also feels kind of wrong.  Shouldn't I be doing something at 8am?  Or at 5:30pm?  No one greets me with an obnoxious nicker whenever I pull in the driveway, or looks longingly at me.  There is no one to hug, or to observe in the pasture.  There is no one to groom or give carrots to.  No one comes tearing in from the back pasture to see what we are doing.  


Oh how I miss them!  

Bella, Tequila and Charlee (both photos)

Two things make it worse: we never found the cat after he ran off on our last night and the people who moved in are pretending to be horse lovers and are also pretending to help us find the cat.

Angel at the new pasture

Luna, also at the new pasture

Let me explain.  Our cat, Nemo, is borderline wild.  He warmed up to me but was skittish around other people.  I am not the kind of person who is proud of this, and in fact wished he wasn't so shy.  But, that's how he was.  The last night we were home, packing up the trailer to take the last load, the new renters and all kinds of people showed up to walk through the house.  Maxine (not her real name), the new renter, claims to have seen him (but we doubt this since she had no idea what he looked like and other cats used to stop by).  She SCREAMED "There he is!" and pointed.  If you are a cat person, you know why this is just all wrong and irritating.  Ever since then she claims to have seen him several times and told me she would lock him in the garage and call me right away.  That was a week ago, and now I know my husband was right - she was probably lying to make me feel better.  

Nemo

Last week (before she promised to lock the cat in the garage) I stopped by the old house to visit with Maxine, who told me Nemo comes by around 4pm.  Kind of weird because he always came home around 5 or 6pm, when I fed the horses.   Whatever.  Anyway, I visited with her for several hours and noticed that her horses didn't come to the gate to visit with her, or nicker, or run up when I pulled in.  My horses always ran up when anyone pulled in, just like dogs... Her horses shyly came to the fence only when I went out on the pasture to look for the cat.  They seemed to love the attention.  


Yes, I know, perhaps I am reading too much in to things, but from what she told me (and didn't tell me) and the way all her animals acted, and all the things she told me about my cat (yes, my cat!) I think she bends the truth.  I don't think she's good with horses, either, but maybe her husband is.  She is a pretend cowgirl! (Cue music).


Yes, this may be sour grapes over not living there...  Having someone who doesn't appreciate it like we did only makes it worse. Having someone who pretends to care about helping find your cat is even worse.  Yes, I am saying some mean things in public, but I don't think people like that should go Scot free. Plus I haven't told you her real name... and I won't.  I could have said much worse, you know?  She mentioned three or four times how she would rather be back in Idaho.  I agreed.  

Dun horse, Luna and Snickers (Dun is a new friend).
 They are watching what is happening below:

Angel and Tequila running circles around the other horses, lol!
Note how their legs are moving almost in unison...