Each day, whatever the weather, I spend a little time sitting in my house of glass while the dogs gallop around my lawnless lawn. I usually have my lunch in there. I like to throw the doors open and watch whatever nature has in store for me. There is always something going on, especially if you pay attention to the little things, like a spider busying about in a corner or a frog lurking beneath the frosted leaves.
Today it’s bitterly cold again as the snows have come back with a vengeance.
Now as I sit in my little house of glass, eating noodles and toast, I find myself musing on my childhood when we lived on the top of a mountain in Wales, where I think my love of nature and animals began. Our lives are influenced by many things and I wonder if I would be the same person had I been raised in a city devoid of greenery and wildlife….
As a child, I was allowed to run wild and was, I suppose, almost feral!!! Today as I idly watch the dogs running, I find myself thinking about my older brothers’ seventh birthday. As a child he was afraid of every animal, bird and insect he clapped eyes upon. Once, he ripped his arm open trying to escape from a bull and on another occasion was almost eaten alive by stinging ants, yet still he followed me everywhere around that mountain looking for wildlife and adventure.
I digress….his seventh birthday. Now despite his fear of animals, my brother had a furry toy donkey that he carried around with him. He absolutely loved the thing and repeatedly begged our parents for a real donkey.
Now as it happened, on his seventh birthday a local farmer was about to put his donkey to sleep as he could no longer afford it’s upkeep, so my Mum, being an animal lover, decided to take it on and give it to my brother for his birthday.
You can imagine his excitement waiting for it to arrive. He was positively bouncing up and down with glee, clutching his toy donkey. Then the moment finally came. A trailer pulled up outside the front door.
Four men got out of the car and approached the trailer which was rocking back and forth really dangerously….and the most AWFUL pounding and thundering banging sounds were coming from inside.
What happened next is ingrained in my memory. The men opened the trailer and began what can only be described as a full scale battle with an enraged, red eyed, snorting, spitting, biting, kicking, bucking donkey, that had NO intention of being dragged out.
Brother stood there, watching the proceedings in abject horror. He was trembling and utterly speechless. Finally he spluttered, “That’s not a donkey, it’s a BLOODY horse, TAKE IT BACK!”
Well it didn’t go back. What it did, to my Father’s utter disgust, was to find to it’s way into our huge kitchen each evening where it would sit in front of the cooker getting a warm!!! And ….it was always sweetness and light with my Mum and I, but would spit at my brother every time he saw him, AND lash out at him with it’s back hooves often landing a sneaky blow!!!
Be careful what you wish for eh????????
Talking of musing in my house of glass, I had a brain wave there last week. Y’know my lawnless lawn that the dogs have wrecked??? Well I’ve decided to turn it into an orchid and add a few bird friendly trees like the rowan I’ve planted to the right of the trampoline, and a yew I found as a seedling, just because I like the fact that legend says it allows the veil between the living and the dead to thin……which is why the yew is often found in church yards.
And finally….I’ve just finished sowing all my wildflower seeds and once again I’m AMAZED at how tiny the seeds of giant plants are. These itsy bitsy specks will grow into Great Mullien wildflowers that are over 6 foot tall…….A good lesson for life eh??? From the smallest of ideas and thoughts great things can emerge…..
Thanks Linda. How lovely to know that you and your family had such wonderful childhoods being close to nature. I think it’s becoming a rare thing now.xxxxx
Sounds as if you had a wonderful childhood close to nature. Pity it’s changed for a lot of young people now. I’m glad mine had the run of the countryside too just as I did when a child and pleased that one or two of the grandchildren love nature. Love the story about the donkey and hearing about your plans to
grow more trees around your place which is an excellent idea. Have a good weekend!
Hello from the Green Planet blog:
Great little story. How long did the donkey last in your place? Still got snow? We are now officially in drought, the whole of the North island and probably soon into the South Island too. Its the worst drought in 70 years and the longest continuos hot period in Wellington since 1947. The farmers have problems.
Peter
Thanks Peter, we had the donkey seven years, and it was getting on a bit when we got it which is why I think it enjoyed the warmth of the cooker.
The weather is really scary, we have endless rain. I think the climate is changing for the worse worldwide now. I hope and pray you get rain soon.xxxxx
Hahaha couldn’t stop laughing at the donkey story!!! xxx
Lol….thanks Jen.xxxxx
I LOVED this post:). Something else in common, Wales:) xxxxxxxxx
Thanks Janet….yes the similarities sure are adding up!xxxxx
So – you are turning your grassless lawn into an ‘orchid’ – I guess you have magic powers then! Hilarious story about the donkey
Lol…..one has to aspire doesn’t one????? I certainly am going to give it a whirl……
Glad you liked the donkey story!xxxxx
How lovely to be able to sit in your glass house and ‘be’ outside but inside – lovely. As for the donkey in the kitchen….! How extraordinary! I have never heard of such a thing! :)) I do feel sorry for your brother… has he been adversely afflcted by the experience and that the donkey he’d so wanted didn’t like him?
Awww….!!! Hope you keep warm enough in your glass house….
I would love to live on top of a mountain somewhere…. that must have been absolutely wonderful :yes:xxxx
I love that….‘be’ outside but inside!
Lol, I really did have the oddest childhood, I think that’s why I’m such an eccentric now. I do wish I had a pic of that donkey sat in front of the cooker just like a big hairy dog, all the neighbours though it was crazy.
I think my brother is a lifelong donkey hater now……all Matilda’s fault!!!
I can see you on a mountain, you’d be happy as Larry! Yes!xxxxx
What a brilliant story! It seems that animals know those who aren’t afraid of them and know how to care for them, but your poor brother. :(.. turning your garden into an orchard is a lovely idea, I absolutely love orchards! Now all you have to do is to keep the dogs from racing over the saplings … 😉
Why thank you Gilly. Animals sure have a sixth sense where people are concerned. I think Matilda disliked men generally and must have sensed my brother’s fear. He sure hated that donkey!!!
I can’t wait to start planting fruit trees but so far the ground is frozen and looks like staying that way for the rest of the week. Drat and darn the cold!!!!
Dogs……huge sighs!xxxxx
Heartfelt musings;
A donkey with the strength of a horse, which warmed itself at a kitchen range and knew who to seduce to keep everything sweet. Very clever indeed, I would say.
The pix have a story of their own don’t they.
it is fascinating what forms us physically and emotionally.
Lo, one thing about Matilda was her intelligence. She was a one off that’s for sure. I think she was bi-polar!!!
Yes, pictures sure have a tale to tell.
Our childhoods certainly leave a stamp on us that we never shake off. Yes.xxxxx
Hi Snowbird, you can’t beat eating lunch outside whilst chilling out and thinking of times gone by. Dogs are such great company and if your lucky enough to have two of them, well you can watch their fun playtimes for hours. Love your Donkey story, my Mum used to tell me about the Donkey her Dad kept when she was little, he used to attach some sort of cart to it and take her for rides on Sundays.
Ahhhhh….food outdoors ALWAYS tastes soooooooo good! Our dogs are still in their puppyhood I think and NEVER stop playing. It takes hours to wear them out.
How lovely that your Mum had a donkey too, they are such lovely beasts, really intelligent and loyal….if they take to you that is!xxxxx
Beautiful, light, and gentle, like all your posts, Snow Bird! Thanks for sharing such fun, sweet memories…I’ve never been to Wales, except in my imagination, because I love the landscape so very much. Do you miss it?
We’re still getting snow, but it’s melting some days, too…your dogs look happy and your yard will be beautiful with the rowan and yew!
Joy to your day…Thank you for such a lovely post.
Ahhhhh, thanks Kitty. Wales is a beautiful place and I loved living there, a perfect childhood for me. I often think I’d like to live there again….maybe one day…..
Oh no…..MORE snow…..cripers! xxxxx
What a shame your brother was so afraid of animals when he had a childhood which would allow him to be so close to nature, I don’t think the donkey would have helped though. I think anyone could be forgiven for being a little bit frightened after witnessing that scene. A donkey in the kitchen, how I’d have loved that when I was a child, prehaps not so much now, my kitchen floor needs mopping enough with a dog in the house. I’d love a big enough greenhouse to be able to sit in there. Mine’s only 4 foot by 6 foot, but I manage to cram plenty of plants in there.
It is a real shame about my brother Jo, and the donkey finished him off. He spent years sneaking past it trying to avoid the kicks. Animals are odd aren’t they?
Lol, I don’t think I could cope with a donkey in my kitchen either! My parents had a huge old farmhouse style kitchen with red tiles on the floor. Fortunately, the donkey was clean while indoors!!!
It’s amazing how much you can cram into a greenhouse. Mine is really filling up…..xxxxx
A really lovely story about the donkey, although such a shame for your brother. I had an “outdoor” childhood too, and that has stayed with me. And I agree about sitting behind glass; it’s a way of feeling as though you are outdoors (when it’s still too cold to actually sit outside)
Thanks Wendy. It was such a shame the donkey hated him, I think he may have got over his fear of animals if the creature had been kind to him, as it was it was just downright spiteful to him.
How nice that you too had an outdoor childhood, it never leaves you does it…..once a wild thing always a wild thing.
It’s wonderful to have a greenhouse to sit in, especially in the winter.xxxxx
Absolutely delightful post…..ALL of it…including the lovely pics of your glass house and garden. Superb! Wonderful insight into your family life – especially the ‘tale about the donkey’….Splendid! Hugs! :)xx
Ahhhh, thanks Ell, you’re a real sweetheart! xxxxx
What a funny tale, though not for your brother! That must have spoilt your brother’s love of donkeys for life. Its been very cold this week, must be nice catching some sun in your glass house. Foxgloves are the same aren’t they huge towering plants but tiny seed.
Lol….my brother never forgave that donkey for all those sly little kicks it gave him and avoids donkeys to this day.
Oh it’s perishingly cold here too, which makes the green house an ideal place to sit in. Where IS Spring????
Foxgloves, yes, another perfect example.xxxxx
A lovely post which had me smiling when I read it, especially the story about the donkey.
Animals do sense when people like them or not and then make it known don’t they.
I never to be amazed at what grows from the smallest of seeds, and in such a short time as well. xx
Ahhh, thanks Flighty.
Animals certainly know how to read people, even wildlife has a knack of knowing when they’re safe.
It’s truly miraculous how huge plants grow from seeds that are almost dust…..I never get used to it.xxxxx
Your’re welcome, and my last sentence should read…I never cease… xx
I am trying, and failing, to visualize my mother putting up with a kitchen donkey. She’d be hollering “get your ass out of here!”
Hahahahahaha….BRILLIANT!!!!! XXXXX
Very interesting pictures. How nice to view the area from your glass house. But don’t you have some way of warming it up? The story of your brother’s introduction to the donkey was touching. I have known some donkeys, and they are so different from horses… some people don’t care for them much; they have a reputation of being stubborn, but I find that they have personality, and one can get very attached to them.
Thanks Shimon. I haven’t got a heater yet, but I’m always planning to buy one. I have to have the doors open as Sam crashes into the glass if I don’t, the dog is a real lummox!
Yes, as you say donkeys and horses are totally different. Our Matilda was stubborn, once she made her mind up about something she stuck to it, like forcing her self through the kitchen door each evening. I really loved her, shame she took against my brother though.xxxxx
Oh, your poor brother. I can’t imagine his terror when that donkey eyed him. Next time you head out to the glass house, maybe I’ll join you. Great stories!
Lol…he NEVER forgot that donkey, she haunts his dreams still!!!
I’ll pull up a pew and have a brew waiting for you, and between us we shall put the world to rights!xxxxx
I’ve been pottering in the greenhouse today, it feels a cosy place when it’s so cold outside. Especially when the sun is out and keeping it extra warm!
I loved the donkey tale too. Perhaps it was a man thing? I’ve come across animals before that are aggressive towards men but fine with women. Feel for your brother though!!
It really is like having a little room in the garden doesn’t it. I keep meaning to get a heater for mine.
I think you’re right about the donkey not liking men, she hated my Dad too. We called her Matilda.
Yes…poor bro….he never had much luck with animals, even as an adult his dogs would always run away.xxxxx
Goodness me. A donkey in a kitchen? I’m smiling at the very thought of it.
Lol…..the memories make me smile too. She used to just ram the back kitchen door open and trot in. And, it’s not easy to get a heavy donkey to move if it doesn’t want to!xxxxx
LOL Cracking little tale re the donkey. Would love to have seen him/her infront of the cooker 🙂
Thanks Miladysa. She was a funny sight and the trouble with donkeys is that they are stubborn, and once she got in there was no moving her. I used to fall asleep lying on her, she was gorgeous….well to me anyway!!!xxxxx