What animals are NOT included!

My husband and I retired and moved to the country where we planned to have lots of animals. We both loved animals - of any kind ... or so we thought!

The city had always been Pat's home and I had not lived in the country since I was 12 so this move to a rural area was a big transition for us. We rhapsodized about the quiet of the country and the amount of stars we could see in the black night sky. Unlike our life in the city, our nearest neighbor was quite a distance away and we loved it!!

We'd just gone to bed one night, shortly after moving in, when we heard it. A high-pitched wail that made me sit upright in bed and nudge my husband. "Did you hear that?" I asked worriedly. He had but had no more idea than I what had made the sound. Suddenly the wail was joined a chorus of high-pitched Yip-Yip-Yip-Yip... I wondered later if our city dogs, who had thundered forth their objection to this obscene night noise, had instinctively known that our land was being crossed by a pack of coyotes. I was told later that coyotes would kill chickens, cats and lure dogs away and kill them. I decided right then that we didn't want coyotes - but want them or not, they were there.

We had inherited ten chickens and five guineas, along with their coops, were from the former owners of our 10 acres. My husband's job was to feed the chickens and I would gathered the eggs. Breakfasts were enjoyed all the more because the eggs had been gathered from our own hens. One morning there was a hen sitting on a bunch of eggs and she ruffled out her feathers at me when I tried to get close. She was definitely "broody" so I decided to leave her alone and fix a 2nd nest for the other chickens. Later that night we heard an awful commotion from the chicken coop. Pat and I went outside to check. The hen on her nest was making all the fuss. Somehow a big animal with a long scrawny tail was in the nest with the hen. I told Pat I thought it was a 'possum and I didn't think it would hurt us but how did we get it out? Pat went to the other side of the coop and the 'possum turned toward him - it's tail was sticking out towards me. I'm not too smart. I saw an opportunity and I grabbed the 'possum's tail and started to pull. The 'possum was clawing at the dirt, trying not to be pulled out, but I was winning! Suddenly he was all the way out and I had him by the tail. Oops! I raised my arm and hoisted him into the air but he kept swiveling around and going for my hand. Each time he would do this, I would allow my hand to drop slightly and he would fall several inches toward the ground. At this, his head would go down but almost immediately this maneuver would be repeated. "What do I do with him?" I asked half-hysterically to my husband. He was no help whatsoever because he was laughing too hard to straighten up! Finally I flung the 'possum as far as I could from where we stood and away from the henhouse. I decided we didn't need any 'possums.

I guess fire ants and mosquitos are not animals but we'd just as soon not have them either.

After 4 years I'd say we have succeeded in filling our place with all the GOOD animals that we can afford to feed. All of our animals, except one little donkey who was born on our place, are rescues. We currently have 7 dogs, 2 cats, 1 horse, 3 donkeys and, of course, the chickens.

"You and Pat are joined at the hip" a friend said. I don't think it was meant as a compliment but if we are that makes us four-legged too doesn't it?