A Couple Of Cute Stories

It was actually supposed to be Three Cute Stories, but by the time I walked from the barn to the house, I've forgotten one, so here's two.

Late yesterday afternoon I walked up to Stella's to see her last batch of honey - 48+ jars!  She and I sat and talked for awhile and as the sun went down I said I needed to get back down the hill and do my evening chores.  As we walked out onto her back porch, still talking, Peabody heard me from all the way down at our barn and started yelling at me.  I was late with his supper.  I hollered back.

"Pea-body!"

"Baaaaaaaa-a-a-a-a!"

"Pea-body!"

"Baaaa-a-a-a-a-aaaaaa!"

And Stella and I laughed ourselves silly.  It was amazing he still had the strength to yell that loud in his famished state ;-).  Poor silly Peabody.

This afternoon a friend came out to ride with me.  As we led Hickory and Gato out to the arena I had to explain why all the white buckets I use for riding markers were set out all over....not on purpose.  Well, not on my purpose.  

I'd picked up all the buckets when I mowed last and stacked them next to the extra jump standards just inside the arena gate.  A few days later I found several of them out in the arena.  Not a tooth mark on them, so I assumed the wind had tossed them.  I picked them up once again and the next day...back out in the arena.  No wind, but again, not a tooth mark on them.  

Usually if Hank hauls off something plastic there are plenty o' tooth marks ;-).  He likes "treasures" and if they are small, like a McDonald's coffee cup, he buries them in his Treasure Area aka the creek bank.  If they are big, he makes them small enough to bury.  The bucket situation was quite curious, but by that point, I felt like it had to be Hank.

Tonight, as I was finishing up evening barn chores, I caught him.  One by one moving each bucket back out into the corner of the arena.  I'm not sure what he's thinking as he unstacks each bucket and carries it where he wants it, but he definitely has a purpose.  And when he got them all set out, he walked away.  I wonder what he's doing...