The Frustrating Thing About Animals

Horse Eyelashes by Photos8.com
Originally uploaded by Photos8.com

I'm looking after my parents' place while they are away.

This means watering the gardens, feeding the cats, tending the chickens, and letting the horses in and out of the barn. And, for an apartment-dweller like me, this also means a certain degree of stress and frustration as I try to maintain control.

You see, in my little apartment, everything has its place and nothing is too surprising. I don't have any pets or small children and, even though he sometimes pretends otherwise, my husband IS capable of feeding himself. No one is dependent upon me for sustenance.

But here, I know that if the horses' water supply fails and I haven't checked it, they could die. If I fail to water the veggie garden, all my mother's hard work will wither. If I can't round up the chickens and get them safely put away at night, they'll be eaten.

And if I anything happens to my Grandmother's cats, I'll be dead. Because she'll kill me.

It's some heavy responsibility.

Which is why last night, after a nice anniversary dinner, I spent forty-five minutes chasing one idiot chicken around and around the garden. All the others found their way back into the enclosure, but not this one. Eventually she sprinted in, but only after two more had wandered back out.

I gritted my teeth and had to remind myself not to be angry at the chickens. It's not their fault. They're really just not very bright.

Eventually, I took a deep breath and unclenched my fists. I had to relax my need for control and order. I went into the house, sat at the kitchen table, and ate a ginger cookie. The dying sun pushed long shadows across the grass.

I waited twenty minutes and went back out to the chicken house. All six sat side-by-side on the roost and looked at me blankly: "What?"