18 April 2008
Sitting with a horse
Posted by bryanc under: nature; silvercrown .
I am sitting outside while writing this. It is a little over 40 F but in the spring sun it’s warm enough that I can sit in comfort. I am softly cooing to a timid horse, Zim, while he eats his breakfast. He had little human interaction while a colt so does not feel comfortable with our touch. If I reach out a hand to touch him he recoils and if I move closer he flees. I am hoping that by sitting here Zim becomes accustomedhttp://picasaweb.google.com/home to my presences and realizes that, although I look and act like a predator, I mean him no harm. His loud chewing indicates that he is used to me enough that he can at least ignore me.
I just finished feeding the other horses, the chickens, and the dogs. A piece of our jury-rigged fence was down and our older horse, Kyam, got into another corral that was blocked off so new grass can grow. He was happy to follow me to the barn where he got oats so I was able to fix the fence while he was distracted with his stomach. The chickens produced three eggs which were fresh enough to still be warm and slightly soft. The chickens are getting anxious to range free and the abundant insects are an indication that it is about time we allow them to. The problem with allowing them out of their coop is that not all remember to go back at night and we usually loose the majority of them to coyotes, skunk, weasels, hawks, or other predators.
In fact, as I was writing this I heard the roster release a string of alarm calls. While this was happening the dogs ran pass the chicken coop and out into the canyon with their hackles raised barking and growling. The horses at the barn did not seem alarmed but the horse I am with gave the commotion his full attention and stood in a posture of fright and agitation. There were too many possibilities that could have caused the event. There was no use speculating so I just enjoyed the show and made sure that everything was safe.
As I look over our property I think of my living conditions just a month ago. I was living in Seattle in a house with a back yard and a small front yard. It was within walking distance of Green Lake and Gasworks Park. For Seattle standards I was in a great location. But I was not able to see the horizon, only other houses and concrete buildings. I could not see the sun rise or set. If I went for a jog I would have had to wait for stoplights and cross walks or jet across the street and play frogger while young drivers tried to run me over. Green Lake was a small retreat but it was full of similar minded people who talked loudly or had children or dogs that made it impossible to stay quiet. I found myself enjoying Gasworks but only because I was slowly learning how to mental block the houses and condos in view and even caught myself saying “Wow, this place is so beautiful, you can barely hear the traffic.” To enjoy Seattle I had to actively tax my perception with a mental filter that selected certain senses to processes or ignored.
Here, at the CCR, I hear no machines or unwanted sounds. I only hear the sounds of courting turkey or nesting barn swallows and American robins. I can hear red-winged blackbirds staking out their territory or the nearby nesting red-tailed hawks piercing the air with their characteristic shriek. I listen to the frogs crock at the pond and can almost visualize a disturbance move across them as they subsequently quiet down and then start up again. It could be caused by the great blue herons or one of the many types of ducks that live there; the mallards, the ring-necked ducks, or the hooded mergansers. The flies, hornets, and beetles are out creating a rich set of constant vibrations that fill the ambient air. Soon the quaking aspen will be hosting a vibrant collection of leaves that tremble in the slightest wind.
Here, where I live now, there is no reason to mentally block any sound. There is no reason to train my mind to get used to certain disturbances. I don’t have to “put up” with noise, or pollution or congestion. I can take in all of my surroundings, with all senses, and be pleased with all of it.
