Christmas Surprises

First of all I have settled on the new photo header for my blog. Thank you to everyone who voted and commented and especially to CFS who sent me her version (which I really liked). I'd like to share this story with you. It is based on real events and is true, in spirit if not in reality. 

It was Christmas eve on Oakfield Farm and everyone was asleep. 

Or were they?.....Strange thumps and shuffling was coming from the tack room of the barn. 

Irish: Come on Carmen, stop poking your nose into the bins and come over here and help. I can't hold the paper and put the tape on at the same time! 

Carmen: Hold your horses (*giggle, get it?), I'm justing checking the quality of the feed. 

C'mon, I talked Ed into leaving the door open and I promised that we would be good. 

Who's Ed? 

You know, the male servant. 

Ohhhhhh. Okay, here let me hold this down while you put the tape on..

Dang it- now it's stuck to my nose. Humans make this look so easy. 

Well they do have hands. Here, let me help. 

More rustling, some mild swearing and then a loud sigh was heard coming out of the tack room. 

Irish: There it's done. 

Carmen: It looks very pretty. She's going to be very surprised. 

Let's go back to the stall. 

Just a second, let me grab a quick apple...

CARMEN! 

Okay, okay, keep your blanket on, it's just that I'm STARVING. 

Get in your stall while I close the door with my rump. 

*more rustling and the gentle sliding of stall doors. Carmen settles down into the shavings and Irish begins to doze. 

Irish? 

zzzz- much- yes? 

Won't she see that the latches on our stalls are open? 

Nope. Martin said he'd come by later and slide them closed. Now go to sleep. 

Irish? 

Now what? 

I'm glad that I came here even if there is too much snow. 

Yes, me too. 


On Christmas morning I was up and went to the barn. I  opened the tack room door there and was surprised to see a large wrapped present. The tag said it was from Carmen and Irish. I was really curious but I have my priorities and fed the horses and cleaned out their stalls first.   After I turned them out I opened the present:

The box promises that the hose is impossible to kink. We shall see because I have the uncanny ability to tangle anything. However, I love the length of it, how it's all enclosed and that it pivots.
The horses really understand what a farm girl wants....