confident this will be fine.
Polly sat down on a bench and Tom followed her. "He's kind of like a big dog!" she laughed.
"They like a lot of attention. If you are here and not doing anything, they want you to be playing with them or touching them. These two were part of a family who treated them more like pets than anything. They'll take any love you can give them."
"What do you think, Andrew? Are you ready to spend some time hanging out with the donkeys?"
"Can I read down here?"
"Of course you can," she said.
"The donkeys like being outside, even in the winter," Eliseo said. "But, if you come down with some apple slices or carrots, they'll be right in to play with you."
Tom and Huck knew they were the center of attention and walked back and forth between everyone.
Eliseo led Demi back to his stall. "I need to go up to the main building and make sure things are in place for the reception. Sylvie hasn't called to tell me I’m needed, but I want to check." He shook Mark's hand, "Thanks for bringing these fellas home today."
Mark grinned, "I didn't give you much of a choice, but I knew they'd be happy here. And don't worry, Polly. They're in great health. My friends down in Malvern made sure everything was good to go before they left today. They are up to date on all of their shots and Marnie will get their health history into your file."
He started to walk out with Eliseo and Polly panicked. "Wait. Both of you are leaving? What are we supposed to do with them?"
The two men turned around. Mark was grinning and Eliseo simply shook his head. Mark said, "You aren't supposed to do anything. They've been fed and their bedding is in the stall. They won't want to be penned up, so we've shut the door to the feed room. They'll be fine on their own."
"But they just got here!" She hugged Tom's neck to her chest. "How can I just leave them alone?"
"Polly. They have each other and a new place to explore. You can stay as long as you'd like, but they don’t need you."
"But ..." Polly looked at Jason and Andrew for help and then laughed. She was arguing with two men who knew what they were doing and looking for support from two boys, one of whom had spent the last nine months avoiding the barn like a plague.
"Fine," she said. "But we're staying for a while. I don't want them to be scared on their first day here."
"They're already scared. Everything is different for them," Mark said patiently. "Just give them time to get used to the place. They have a lot to learn about living at Sycamore House. They smell those four immense horses everywhere. But they are smart and just need time to figure it all out."
"I can't make this any easier on them, can I?" she asked quietly.
"You already have," Eliseo said. "They need time. They aren't running away from you or the kids and they aren't showing any outward signs of stress. You'd see it in their ears or their tails. You need to be the one who is okay right now."
"Got it," Polly said. "I'm okay. I'm okay."
The men left and she was there with two young boys and two strange donkeys. The horses poked their heads over the stall doors to see what the excitement was about, but had all gone back to what they were doing before people showed up in their space.
Tom and Huck spent time sniffing the three humans, then wandered off to explore. Tom stopped in front of Nan's stall and she came forward and leaned her head down to sniff at him. She bared her teeth and he stood his ground. Polly was glad there was a wooden door separating them while they got used to each other. Pretty soon, the donkey wandered off in search of another adventure. Huck followed him into the stall they used to bathe the horses. There were quite a few smells in there, as evidenced by the animals sniffing all around the walls and floor.
"They don't play like Obiwan, do they?" Andrew asked.
"No, they seem to be pretty independent."
Jason hadn't said much.
"What do you think, Jason?" she asked.
Polly sat down on a bench and Tom followed her. "He's kind of like a big dog!" she laughed.
"They like a lot of attention. If you are here and not doing anything, they want you to be playing with them or touching them. These two were part of a family who treated them more like pets than anything. They'll take any love you can give them."
"What do you think, Andrew? Are you ready to spend some time hanging out with the donkeys?"
"Can I read down here?"
"Of course you can," she said.
"The donkeys like being outside, even in the winter," Eliseo said. "But, if you come down with some apple slices or carrots, they'll be right in to play with you."
Tom and Huck knew they were the center of attention and walked back and forth between everyone.
Eliseo led Demi back to his stall. "I need to go up to the main building and make sure things are in place for the reception. Sylvie hasn't called to tell me I’m needed, but I want to check." He shook Mark's hand, "Thanks for bringing these fellas home today."
Mark grinned, "I didn't give you much of a choice, but I knew they'd be happy here. And don't worry, Polly. They're in great health. My friends down in Malvern made sure everything was good to go before they left today. They are up to date on all of their shots and Marnie will get their health history into your file."
He started to walk out with Eliseo and Polly panicked. "Wait. Both of you are leaving? What are we supposed to do with them?"
The two men turned around. Mark was grinning and Eliseo simply shook his head. Mark said, "You aren't supposed to do anything. They've been fed and their bedding is in the stall. They won't want to be penned up, so we've shut the door to the feed room. They'll be fine on their own."
"But they just got here!" She hugged Tom's neck to her chest. "How can I just leave them alone?"
"Polly. They have each other and a new place to explore. You can stay as long as you'd like, but they don’t need you."
"But ..." Polly looked at Jason and Andrew for help and then laughed. She was arguing with two men who knew what they were doing and looking for support from two boys, one of whom had spent the last nine months avoiding the barn like a plague.
"Fine," she said. "But we're staying for a while. I don't want them to be scared on their first day here."
"They're already scared. Everything is different for them," Mark said patiently. "Just give them time to get used to the place. They have a lot to learn about living at Sycamore House. They smell those four immense horses everywhere. But they are smart and just need time to figure it all out."
"I can't make this any easier on them, can I?" she asked quietly.
"You already have," Eliseo said. "They need time. They aren't running away from you or the kids and they aren't showing any outward signs of stress. You'd see it in their ears or their tails. You need to be the one who is okay right now."
"Got it," Polly said. "I'm okay. I'm okay."
The men left and she was there with two young boys and two strange donkeys. The horses poked their heads over the stall doors to see what the excitement was about, but had all gone back to what they were doing before people showed up in their space.
Tom and Huck spent time sniffing the three humans, then wandered off to explore. Tom stopped in front of Nan's stall and she came forward and leaned her head down to sniff at him. She bared her teeth and he stood his ground. Polly was glad there was a wooden door separating them while they got used to each other. Pretty soon, the donkey wandered off in search of another adventure. Huck followed him into the stall they used to bathe the horses. There were quite a few smells in there, as evidenced by the animals sniffing all around the walls and floor.
"They don't play like Obiwan, do they?" Andrew asked.
"No, they seem to be pretty independent."
Jason hadn't said much.
"What do you think, Jason?" she asked.
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