Animernal Instinct

I pulled the puppies out from under the barn where the stray Mama had whelped them. I never realized she had so many! But they sure are cute and I was glad to see she had done her job... now that they were in the middle of the open barn in an open crate I started to worry...after darkness fell and everything was quiet as I went to bed I lay there and heard( or imagined!) tiny squeals. I got up 3 times to listen and each time the Mama was by the front door, and not with her puppies. I had visions of tiny morsels for coyotes, foxes, coons, possums, and lord knows what else. Finally, around midnight I made the trek to the barn, found a big box and brought them onto the porch. Of course they escaped as pups are wont to do, but they were safe and sound in the morning. Tonight I made up the rabbit hutch, so after awhile I will lock them up away from critters and varmints that might do them harm.

When I related my story to my sister, she coined the phrase, 'Animernal Instinct'.

(PS, this afternoon a couple of coyotes loped across the pasture).

Note from the farm

Dear Ma and Pa,

Everything is fine here. I am sending a picture of the horse colt born this year. I know you have seen him before but I admire him and his color so I am sending it along. We added a litter of pups to the pack yesterday, a little black dog came a couple of months ago and had her puppies under the old coal bin in the tobacco barn. One hussy mare pushed down the fence to get with the stallion. She is fine but he got a cut on his leg and he is now up in the barn recovering. I haven't had my farm bushhogged lately and the weeds are so tall I can't see my horses anymore. One spot out on the ridge by the pond is bare and yesterday I saw my flock of turkeys hanging out. I know them by their meager numbers (about a dozen) and the one that is all white. I have not seen the foxes lately but I do have a snake in the feed room. I guess that means my mice population is at risk. I use my flashlight to check out the feed bags before sticking my hand down in them. I don't mind snakes but they give me a shock to touch. Your loving daughter...