Bubba and the Chocolate Farm 3- Heartfelt Horses- Where Love is Enoug

by Connie Foss

  What a reunion. It does my heart good to see the love between these two. “How are you, sweety?” Milt says, as he rubs Annie’s forehead, fondles her ears, and then hugs her around the neck. “You know what, Annie? It’s going to be just like the good old days now, for I have lost enough weight so you and I can go for a ride. I may be a bit clumsy for

  Annie looks at me, and I know she is apologizing for being jealous earlier. Now Milt will prove to her that she is his favorite, which is only right.

  “Jack, could you please come? You have a new student,” Meg hollers, and shortly Jack is with us. “I don’t think you’ve met Jack, Milt. Jack is our therapy expert and she’ll get Annie all tacked up for you. Jack, Milt is Annie’s or Annie is Milt’s, however you want to say it. Milt needs to get his right leg working better and to regain his balance.Annie and you are going to help him do that.”

  While Jack is getting Annie ready, Milt comes over to my stall and gives me the same nose rub he gave Annie.“Bubba, you are making my dreams come true, you know, with you and Annie producing the most beautiful foals imaginable. I know you’re disappointed that you can’t jump any more, just as Annie can’t, but what you’re doing now is even more important. Imagine how much joy you two are bringing into the world with your foals and with helping people like me get more out of life. In life, you play the hand you’re dealt, and that’s what you, and Annie, and I are doing. Bubba, this horse therapy thing is going to get me back in the saddle…my favorite spot in the world.Thanks, guy, just know that what you’re doing now is more important than jumping could ever be.” Milt gives me another pat, as his eyes grow moist.

  “Have a good ride, Milt. I’m going back to the house. Stop by for a cup of coffee when you’re through,” and Meg heads back up the drive. As Annie, Milt and Jack come by, I try not to notice how awkward Milt is in the saddle. Since he is an experienced horseman, Jack is the only one with him. Seeing this, though, I wonder if he is safe. Jack realizes the same thing, and she has them stop.

  “Milt, I think I didn’t handle this well. I believe you will get along better if I get us some more help. Georgia and Ruth are usually here, but I didn’t plan on using them today. So I will call the stable and get John to come help. Let’s go over here where the wall phone is.”

  After Jack hangs up the phone, she says, “You’re going to like John, Milt. He is a veteran suffering from PTSD and using the horse therapy to help him. It’s working like a charm, and he is now helping around the horses in all kinds of ways.You two will be good for each other.”

  “What can I do to help, Jack?” John asks as he walks quickly in the door.

  “First, I’d like you and Milt to meet. Milt, this is John. John meet Milt. Milt came to ride his horse,Annie.Yes, meet Annie’s best friend.”

  After the men shake hands, Jack continues,“John, Milt is in need of the therapy horses can give him. He wants to get back the full use of his right leg and regain his balance. Being an experienced horseman, he can take care of the reins, but if you could be on one side of him and I on the other, we can help the balance problem.”

  With that Milt’s life on horseback resumes, and I am tickled for all concerne. Little did we know what changes would occur for The Chocolate Farm with Milt around.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR:

  Progress

  “Hey, Milt, how are you this morning?” Bill hollers at Milt as he comes in the stable door.

  “Every morning I wake up less stiff and sore. I think getting back on Annie and using Jack’s expertise is just the ticket. I don’t have a lesson until this afternoon but I’m wondering if you would have a minute to talk.” Milt does seem to be walking a bit better, though he isn’t what you’d call spry.

  house and talk over coffee.”

  Huh. That shuts me out. I wonder what Milt has in mind. If it

  out sometime. No point in asking Tom or Mr. O, for they can’t go in the house and listen either. My day will be good anyway, for Lilly and I will have a nice ride and then there will be the afternoon with John and Brett and Ted.

  when John and Ted saunter slowly down the aisle, talking as they walk. “I’ve already found four outlets for the compost, and they’re going to let me know what quantity they want to start with. None of them argued about the price,” Ted tells John. “How are you coming with the bag source?”

  “Oh, that wasn’t any trouble. You know Larry over at the VA? His family makes dog food, the all organic that everyone is wanting. So he gave me the info on their supplier. The price is about what we had anticipated, and there is no requirement for a huge order.We can order just what we want to start with. I don’t know about you,Ted, but I think this has great potential.There must be more horse farms with the same problem that The Chocolate Farm has.”

  They are continuing to talk, but they’re also continuing to walk, so all too soon they’re out of earshot. I’m glad to get caught up on that project. It gives me something to share with Tom and Mr. O.

  It’s the end of an interesting day, and I am beginning to settle down for the night. Hap is already snoring, probably having fallen asleep reading his book. He sets an alarm to go off every hour so he can continue to make sure there are no prowlers or trouble-makers. It’s nice to know he’s here.

  hops up to pass the time.“Hey, Ole Timer, what’s new?” Tom asks as he begins his nightly grooming.

  “I don’t know much, except that I heard Ted and John talking about the composting project they’re working on.What do you know?”

  “Good to hear. I see they’re around here a lot, what with their work on the trail and everythin’. Did you know Ted set a coyote trap this

  put it whar any horse could step on it, so it couldn’t be in a pasture or in the lane. I kind a tagged along behind him jes to see whar he put it. I ain’t hankerin to get caught, so I needs to know whar ‘tis.Ya know whar that old broken down wagon is behind the breedin’ shed? Wal, he ended up burryin’ it thar.”

  “Huh, but that’s probably not in a path a coyote is apt to take, so

  I hope he sprayed lots of the scent on it,” I said as I thought about it. “He seemed to know what he was a doin’. Guess I’ll meander a

  bit. Could use a little rat steak about now. See ya’,” and Tom hops down

  and is gone.

  As I begin to doze, I remind myself to tell Annie about the trap

  and the compost tomorrow afternoon.

  It must be almost dawn when the peaceful night ends with yelps

  of fear coming from behind the breeding shed. Hap hears it, too, and

  soon is hurrying out the door toward the shed. Soon the yelps change

  to growls and Hap hurries in to use the phone, bringing Bill, who’s

  tucking his shirt in as he hollers at Hap,“I’m here, Hap. Show me where

  he is.”

  By this time everyone in the stable is wide awake, wondering

  what is going on, but recognizing the cry of the coyote. Percy says to

  me, “Well, that’s one less coyote Stella will have to worry about. He won’t come prowling around here any more. He could be one lucky

  dude, for Animal Control might take him to an even better spot.” Soon there is a woosh and Mr. O is sitting on my stall door.

  “Hiss-hoo, I guess you know what happened, right? Mr. Wiley Coyote

  met his match in the rubber jaws of a trap. I was sitting on the breeding

  shed roof when he came running toward the mare and foal pasture.

  stopped making that stupid noise, I asked him if he was okay. His answer? “I’m dying, I’m dying! Get over here and do something to help

  me, you dumb bird-brain.”

  “Oh, of course, I hurried right over,” Mr. O says sarcastically.“He

  should be so lucky. Hap and Bill are with him now, and Animal Control

  just turned in the drive. I’m going to make sure they don’t let that

  coyote escape,” and with that, Mr. O is gone.

>   CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE:

  Milt’s Idea

  “Okay, just to be sure I understand what you propose, Milt,” Bill is saying as he and Milt saunter into the stable.“You will establish a trust with the name Annie’s Friends, A Horse Rescue, with you as trustee. If you become incapable of managing the trust, your daughter Becky will

  The Chocolate Farm to manage the horse rescue.All expenses will be covered by the trust. Is that about the gist of it, Milt?”

  “Yes, basically,” Milt is saying as he nods his head. “The trust is already established. My lawyer set it up and did a land search and

  purchase.Their price seems a bit steep, but maybe it can be negotiated.” “Hmm.This is all very interesting, Milt, but comes as a surprise. I

  wish Meg hadn’t been gone this morning, but she had to take Brett for

  his physical therapy. Let me talk this over with her, and we’ll think about

  it.When we get back to you, Meg will probably have a ton of questions.

  Right now my head is reeling with the magnitude of your generosity.

  “I know, but this is what my wife and I always planned to do. When she died, the plan just lay there in the back of my mind, for I knew I couldn’t do it by myself.Then Bubba brought The Chocolate Farm into my life, and the plan again became a possibility. Becky is well established now as a lawyer and has given her full approval.”

  Well, isn’t this interesting. I can hardly wait to tell Tom and Mr. O about this.

  Later that evening, both Bill and Meg are in the stable talking. “Mom can only stay another half hour, Bill, so you need to get back to the house. I’ve had a tough day with Brett and need my time with Bubba. You don’t mind, do you?” Meg asks.

  “Of course I don’t mind, and this won’t take all that long. It’s just that we need to have a serious talk about Milt’s proposal.”

  “Okay, what I don’t understand is how we will be involved.

  home for it? How much are we going to be paid to run this service? I know our out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed, the feed costs and the hired labor, but what do we get for the responsibility? As I work on the books up at the house, I’m almost overwhelmed by the size of our commitments. How in the world can we add another huge responsibility?”

  Bill seems surprised by Meg’s negative tone. I can’t see his face but the silence speaks loud enough. I don’t need to see his face to know his thoughts. Finally Bill says,“I think you’d better talk to Milt. He will be here for another lesson tomorrow afternoon. May I send him up to the house then to talk to you?”

  “I’m sorry, Bill, that I’m not jumping up and down with joy about something you obviously are excited about. But that’s just the way it is. I’ll think about it some more and be ready to talk with Milt tomorrow. Right now you’d better get back to the house. I’m going to ride Bubba.”

  I hate it when Meg gets this way. She is a wonderful person and

  lucky to have such a patient, understanding husband.

  she puts me back in the stall, she is the gal I love.As she says goodnight, she has softened. I can only hope she will be more open-minded about this rescue idea when she talks to Milt.We shall see.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX:

  Moving Forward

  “Hey, Bubba, what’s goin’ on around here? It just don’t seem like home any more. The manure piles ain’t stinky and for the life a me, I

  I have to laugh at Tom. Apparently the composting efforts of John and Ted are paying off. It could be that having a neater stable is

  unhappiness stemming from an unhappy tummy?

  “Tom, are you alright? You don’t have any little kittens to feed

  enough to eat?”

  “Why would ya’ think that? Do I look skinny to you?” Tom comes

  right back at me in not a very happy way.

  “Well, no. It’s just that you seem kind of grumpy.That’s not the

  way you usually are.Actually, you seem angry.What’s going on,Tom? “Nothin’s goin’ on and mind yer own business,” he snaps back. ‘I’m sorry if my interest in you makes you mad, but I like you,

  and it hurts me to have you unhappy.”

  “Yeah, sure.Yur all tied up in a knot yur so worried.Aw, get off it,

  out if there is something we can do.This is sad!

  I don’t rest well, worrying about Tom, so I hear Mr. O come back at dawn. “Mr. O,” I whinny, “before you settle down, would you please come talk to me? I need to know what’s going on with Tom.”

  “Hiss-hoo, I have had an absolutely fabulous night, so I am more than willing to share my happiness.What do you mean,‘What’s going on with Tom?’ What is going on with Tom?”

  “I don’t know.That’s why I’m asking you. He is grumpy and hard to get along with, just like Percy used to be.”

  “Hey, I heard that, Bubba!”

  Oh, oh, that wasn’t very smart of me to say that with Percy right

  next door. “I’m sorry, Percy, but that is the way you used to be.Thank goodness your little roommate Patches has changed you for the better. Back to you, Mr. O…Haven’t you noticed how Tom is acting?”

  “Hiss-hoo, can’t say as I have, Bubba, but I haven’t seen his wife

  Angie around lately. Have you?”

  “Do you think something happened to her? He lost one wife a

  few years ago. Surely Angie hasn’t died, too,” I exclaim.

  “Hiss-hoo, we’re not going to solve this puzzle this morning, so

  if I may have your permission, I would like to retire,” Mr. O says.

  Soon dawn brightens into morning, and I hear Nancy’s cheery “Good Morning,” followed by grain dropping into buckets.Another day has begun at The Chocolate Farm.

  comes, he has me in the crossties, giving me a good brushing. “You, Sir Hershey, are going to meet a new lady this morning. We want you to make a good impression, so I’ll even braid your mane and tail for you. How’s that for royal treatment?”

  Ooh, I wonder who she is. John said a new lady, which means I haven’t met her yet.Today is starting out to be very interesting. In spite of little rest last night, I am suddenly full of enthusiasm.“Hurry up, John, “ I nicker,“so we can go meet her.”

  Oh, my goodness! As John lets me touch noses with this new mare, I am over-whelmed. She is so gorgeous. As black as Beauty with a shine that just won’t stop. She is really tall and with the most full and beautiful mane and tail imaginable. She arches her neck and her long foretop drops to cover her face.Then I hear her squeal.

  “Stop that,” I say to her, “I just want to say hello. Don’t squeal at me!”

  Then she wheels and lashes out with both hind feet, practically breaking the stall wall.

  “Well, Bubba,” John says,“I’d say this gal doesn’t want anything to do with you. It’s okay. She’ll change her mind. But, Bubba, did you see what a beautiful gal she is? In her Friesian breed, she is a well-known champion. Won’t a foal of hers and yours be spectacular, though? If it has her blackness with your white stockings and blaze, and her height. Whooee!

  “We’d better head back now though, before she breaks the wall down,” and John and I make the short trip back to my stall. On the way we see Tom, and I nicker to him,“Come see me please,Tom.”

  John is just latching my door when Hap walks around the corner and asks,“Have you seen Bill this morning, John?”

  “No, not yet. If I do, shall I tell him you want to talk to him?” “Yes, thanks, John. I’ll go put my thermos in the truck and be right back.”

  I wonder what that’s all about.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN:

  There’s Always Something

  “Morning, John, you sure beat me this morning. I overslept big time. Have I missed anything?” Bill asks as he comes in the stable door. “I took Bubba down to meet the new Friesian mare, and she was not happy about it. Just got back. Hap wants to talk to you. He just took his thermos out to his truck.”

  “Thanks, John. H
ere he comes now.”

  “Morning, Hap, you want to talk?” Bill says.“Everything okay?”

  “Well, that’s what I want to talk to you about. My daughter in Florida is worried about me. You know how kids are. They think just because you have a lot of candles on your birthday cake that you’re about to keel over. She insists that I need to come live near her in Florida. She’s found a nice senior care home for me. I’m tired of arguing, so I’m giving in, and that’s why I need to talk, to give you my two weeks notice.”

  “Well.This is a surprise. Hmm. Hap, this is not how you planned

  of worse things, but we’ll miss you, Hap. Not only because you are so reliable, but also because we like having you around. Two weeks, huh? I wish you well, Hap, and if there is any way we can help you get ready, just say the word.”

  With a handshake, Hap turns and walks out the door, while Bill shakes his head and says,“Fiddle.”

  “Bill, I’ve been wanting to talk to you, too, if you still have time,” John says.

  “Sure, now’s as good a time as any. Shoot.”

  “Ted and I are into this composting thing, and it’s going really well. So we’re ready to tackle the bedding situation. Whenever you say the word, let us know, and we’ll make the change from straw to sawdust. Your dump truck is working well on the manure side of things. No reason why it shouldn’t do well with the sawdust, with a little bit of truck washing in between.There are three sawmills in the area, but one of them sometimes has walnut trees in its mix, so we have ruled out that one. The other two understand that horses and walnut don’t go together and are willing to make sure any sawdust we buy from them is walnut free.Their prices are basically the same, but one mill is a little closer to us than the other.

  “Now to the trail. Ted thinks it might be useful to have a large square marked out on the ground with boards inside making four squares out of it. It could be a kind of game, to see if the rider could put the horse in a certain box.We would use two-by-fours, half buried in the sand. Is that something that would be useful? Other than that, if you have any more ideas, let us know, for Jimmy thinks the trail is almost ready to use.”