Floods & Thunder

It was about 12:30 a.m., and I heard Bear (the dobie) on the step between the stall and our bed.  A little bit annoyed, as I was almost asleep, I told him to knock it off.  He persisted with his whining, and then I saw the puddle.  I couldn't believe he had an accident, so I Iooked a little closer and could not believe my eyes.  There was water gushing into Honey Bandit and DaBubbles stall.  It looked like someone had turned on a couple of bath tub faucets.  There was water on the floor under the straw, and Bear didn't want to stand in it.

So I got up and with my slippers on, mumbling just a bit (ha ha) and started into the stall.  Just then I heard the most fabulous, intense thunder that literally shook the building.  I absolutely love the sound of thunder, and the lack thereof in California is one of the reasons that I had wished to stay in Pennsylvania.  It's like God is reminding us that he is all powerful.   Honey Bandit did not share my enthusiasm for this noise, as he thought it meant he should jump through the wall.  So I quieted him down, all the while amazed at the pounding of the storm on the roof.  It was a sound I could have really enjoyed had not Honey Bandit's stall been trying to float away.  I trudged out into the down poor.  It was like standing under a waterfall.  I was soaked through my jacket in seconds.  The mud and water was up to my ankles and cold rivers of water poured down my back.  I have to say I was not in the best mood that I have ever been in.  I might even have said a couple of words that were not so nice.

It took about half an hour to dig the trenches enough so that the water would run around the building and not into the stalls.  We had been doing okay for the most part with our make shift hospital/nursery through the winter.  However, there have been several times where if we did not realize ahead of time that we were going to get enormous amounts of rainfall, we had some serious issues.  But last night took the cake.   For the first time in a long time, HB's stall was soaked and once again uninhabitable.  So I stayed out in the lovely evening downpour, sloshing through the mud and the muck as I tried to redirect the flood waters.  I have to say that once again it has occurred to me that if I were ever to move to a more "nursery friendly" location, I would probably not miss being at the receiving end of all the Shingletown runoff.

I finally got the mess cleaned up as best I could.  Then, when I was finished muttering about the inconvenience etc. etc.. I said a big fat prayer that HB wouldn't catch a chill.  This morning we completely emptied the stalls so they could dry out.   At this moment he has had a lovely day where he got to go outside and play in the sun for a while, and is contentedly munching away in his fresh, clean, and yes, reasonably dried out stall. 

Honey Bandit is getting more and more bounce in his step.  His confidence is growing, and often times his attitude reminds me of a teenage boy.  When he has to do something he doesn't really want to, he will kind of toss his head and give you that look.  It is comical, because it is so clear that he is giving me attitude.  He is starting to push the mini's around.  This is actually quite a big feat for him.  I think that is also what is boosting his confidence so much.  He thinks he is a big shot because he can push the mini's around.   Wait until he meets Chilly Pepper.

His coat seems to be getting darker around his neck.  His mane is actually starting to grow and his tail is also growing quite a bit.  Except for his "starvation tummy" (it sags because the muscles were all eaten when he was starved and the vet said in a couple years it might be normal again), he looks pretty normal.  (Funny how our tummies sag cuz we eat too much and his sags cuz he starved.  hmmmm  what's up with that?)  He has more energy when he runs and plays, but of course has nowhere near the amount the mini's do.  But he definitely has more than he did.

The three of them are enjoying the fact that they have a little more room to romp and play in, now that we have expanded their pen.  There is still a very large mountain lion around the neighborhood.  He is spotted in the surrounding area on a semi regular basis.  He walks along the road and is supposed to be huge.  So the "small, young kids" aren't going out to play unless we are watching them.  Since the cat already had a bite of DaBubbles, I don't want him coming back for more.  (Last Thanksgiving we were eating dinner when something crashed into the chain link fence, moving it 15 feet or so, allowing Patches to get out and run around).  Thank goodness whatever it was "crashed into it" as opposed to making it over it.  So since people keep letting me know that the cat is still around in broad daylight, I will keep being a paranoid mommy.

I hope ya'll enjoyed the sunshine today.  I know we all did.  Off to get some rest.  Take Care and God Bless.

hugs
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