Melissa Blake
Josie Tierney-Fife
English 9A
December 22, 2010
Furry Friends
The Chestnut Horse
My boots crunched against the ice as I walked. Darkness had fallen in the sky. I had only walked yards but my hand was frozen to the lead rope. I swung open the gate and pushed past Navi, her hollow eye socket staring me down as if she could see. I passed to get my favorite horse at the barn, Kai. He walked up to me, nuzzling my shoulder and I clipped the rope to his halter. I brought him out of the gate and carefully closed it before the mares could slip out. Kai floundered across the ice as we walked to the barn.
The glaring lights welcomed us: the smell of warm fur, grain, and leather. I tied him up next to an empty stall, knowing he would fight with the horse inside if there was food. After grooming his curly pelt, scraping the snow from his hooves, and tacking him I brought him into the arena. The big metal arched building, that shook with the wind, couldn’t be colder. Billows of breath filled the nearby air. I hopped on his narrow back and walked him around the arena. At thirty-four it took the old boy time for his joints to un-stiffen. I could have been riding higher level horses, but Kai and I got along perfectly. We both understood each other’s limits.
We followed the instructors every command; it was a standard practice day. No fancy jumping or galloping on a night so cold. Not to mention, they hadn’t fed the horses in his pasture yet. Trot! You can post better than that! I hated posting, but Kai had a bouncy trot. Change Direction! Canter! Faster! You, practice your jumping position over those poles! Okay, go there, then there, then there, over those, and back to there! Go back to trot! Kai wheezes and my hands stick to the leather. Canter! Change Direction! Canter, faster! Okay trot! Cool him down while I get his food.
I walked him and then slid off the saddle. My legs felt like jelly, my nose burned in the cold. I tied Kai back by the empty stall. I ran to my bag of stuff by the door and pulled out the sweet smelling molasses horse treats. He practically inhaled them off my hand. Once he actually inhaled my hand when I was giving him treats. When I pulled my hand away it was covered in horse silva and bits of horse treats. I rubbed the sweat off his sides, and kissed his arched face.The instructor came back with the food, and I stroked his shoulder, and left. Of course, he didn’t notice. The gelding was getting into his food so he didn’t care. I always thought it would be over eating that killed that horse, but it was neglect. The barn stopped caring for him well enough one summer, as a result he got sand colic twice. He was euthanized that fall, because he was too old to survive the winter, and he was too old to sell profitably.
The Purrrrrfect Pet
The little runt walked up to me; she rubbed her sand colored body against my legs. She stopped and stared up to me with two big, bug-like, orange eyes. I reached down to pet her skeletal body, and her fur felt like silk. The new cat named Zoe tried to rub her head against my chin but she missed. It would take her five years to master chin rubs. Her sister was in my mother’s arms. The bristled furred, white pawed tiger glared at me with distaste. Julian was the dominant one. This darker orange cat was much bigger and fatter too. I picked up her little sister and carried her into the living room. She purred a broken purr as she sniffled and shivered. I sat down with her in my lap and she fell asleep. Little did I know she would never sit in another lap again.
The next day, Zoe slept. She was sicker than her sister, riddled with colds and parasites. She stayed curled up on the couch asleep. Julian would play and play and play and play. For days, all she would do is cause trouble and get into stuff. My brother and I would run around the house with string, while a pouncing kitten followed. She was affectionate and playful, while Zoe sat in the corner and looked on with disgust. Only it did not last. Zoe would change when she felt healthy again.
Ten years later, Zoe is the best friend a person could have. The still diminutive cat loves me like crazy. She waits for me to come home from where ever I am and follows me around like a dog. From keeping me up at night with her cries for attention, to waking me in the morning. Nothing says good morning like a scratch on your nose and a cat in your face. Zoe is now the playful one, a fool who stalks imaginary flies and likes to attack any heads she finds. Meanwhile, Julian hisses if I near her. She is only a friend to my mom. Needless to say, I dislike Julian very much. With my cats’ different personalities, they fight a lot. Mainly because Zoe is not a little runt anymore. She may still be small, but she is fast and strong. Plus Julian is fat. She is no longer always dominant, causing many entertaining cat fights. The funny thing is, if you separate them from each other, they will cry. After all, they are sisters, and they love each other.
A Friend
I looked down from the stool to the fox-faced puffball at my feet. Susie smiled her wide grin and looked happily up at me with her clouded, bulging eyes. I reached down and scoped her up into my lap. I stroked her scraggily fur as she drifted off to sleep. She could sit in a lap for hours. Sadly, by the time she falls asleep, so have my legs. You can only sit at a stool for so long till you feet fall asleep. My grandmother came down the back staircase, all dressed in black. Susie stirred in my lap, so I set her back on the floor. Her twiggy legs stirred and she ran to Nana, slipping across the wood floor on her spindle legs. Nana sat down, taking Sue in her lap. She seemed happy for the first time in a long time, when she petted the dog. Of course, no one had been really happy these days. Susie smiled and wagged her plume of a tail until the limo came to pick us up.
It was late when we came back from my Grandfather’s funeral, Susie came to greet us. Nana took her outside to pee and was back inside in a few minutes. She sat down in her rocker by the window for a few minutes, with a rusty pomeranian in her lap. My family and I talked for a while and ate while she sat. Then my grandmother said she was tired, and I am sure she was. Everyone had had a long day. She picked up a grinning Susie and went upstairs.
My grandmother is very lucky. She had found the perfect little dog at the animal shelter a few months ago. She found Susie. A quiet, friendly pomeranian who is a friend to everyone she meets. A mangy looking mini fox with a sweet disposition. She may look kind ratty for five years old, but it is not her fault. She was previously a much neglected pet who just wanted some attention. She loves my grandmother and follows her around with an adoring gaze. She is just what my grandmother needed as she dealt with my grandfather’s poor health and death. A friend.
Josie Tierney-Fife
English 9A
December 22, 2010
Furry Friends
The Chestnut Horse
My boots crunched against the ice as I walked. Darkness had fallen in the sky. I had only walked yards but my hand was frozen to the lead rope. I swung open the gate and pushed past Navi, her hollow eye socket staring me down as if she could see. I passed to get my favorite horse at the barn, Kai. He walked up to me, nuzzling my shoulder and I clipped the rope to his halter. I brought him out of the gate and carefully closed it before the mares could slip out. Kai floundered across the ice as we walked to the barn.
The glaring lights welcomed us: the smell of warm fur, grain, and leather. I tied him up next to an empty stall, knowing he would fight with the horse inside if there was food. After grooming his curly pelt, scraping the snow from his hooves, and tacking him I brought him into the arena. The big metal arched building, that shook with the wind, couldn’t be colder. Billows of breath filled the nearby air. I hopped on his narrow back and walked him around the arena. At thirty-four it took the old boy time for his joints to un-stiffen. I could have been riding higher level horses, but Kai and I got along perfectly. We both understood each other’s limits.
We followed the instructors every command; it was a standard practice day. No fancy jumping or galloping on a night so cold. Not to mention, they hadn’t fed the horses in his pasture yet. Trot! You can post better than that! I hated posting, but Kai had a bouncy trot. Change Direction! Canter! Faster! You, practice your jumping position over those poles! Okay, go there, then there, then there, over those, and back to there! Go back to trot! Kai wheezes and my hands stick to the leather. Canter! Change Direction! Canter, faster! Okay trot! Cool him down while I get his food.
I walked him and then slid off the saddle. My legs felt like jelly, my nose burned in the cold. I tied Kai back by the empty stall. I ran to my bag of stuff by the door and pulled out the sweet smelling molasses horse treats. He practically inhaled them off my hand. Once he actually inhaled my hand when I was giving him treats. When I pulled my hand away it was covered in horse silva and bits of horse treats. I rubbed the sweat off his sides, and kissed his arched face.The instructor came back with the food, and I stroked his shoulder, and left. Of course, he didn’t notice. The gelding was getting into his food so he didn’t care. I always thought it would be over eating that killed that horse, but it was neglect. The barn stopped caring for him well enough one summer, as a result he got sand colic twice. He was euthanized that fall, because he was too old to survive the winter, and he was too old to sell profitably.
The Purrrrrfect Pet
The little runt walked up to me; she rubbed her sand colored body against my legs. She stopped and stared up to me with two big, bug-like, orange eyes. I reached down to pet her skeletal body, and her fur felt like silk. The new cat named Zoe tried to rub her head against my chin but she missed. It would take her five years to master chin rubs. Her sister was in my mother’s arms. The bristled furred, white pawed tiger glared at me with distaste. Julian was the dominant one. This darker orange cat was much bigger and fatter too. I picked up her little sister and carried her into the living room. She purred a broken purr as she sniffled and shivered. I sat down with her in my lap and she fell asleep. Little did I know she would never sit in another lap again.
The next day, Zoe slept. She was sicker than her sister, riddled with colds and parasites. She stayed curled up on the couch asleep. Julian would play and play and play and play. For days, all she would do is cause trouble and get into stuff. My brother and I would run around the house with string, while a pouncing kitten followed. She was affectionate and playful, while Zoe sat in the corner and looked on with disgust. Only it did not last. Zoe would change when she felt healthy again.
Ten years later, Zoe is the best friend a person could have. The still diminutive cat loves me like crazy. She waits for me to come home from where ever I am and follows me around like a dog. From keeping me up at night with her cries for attention, to waking me in the morning. Nothing says good morning like a scratch on your nose and a cat in your face. Zoe is now the playful one, a fool who stalks imaginary flies and likes to attack any heads she finds. Meanwhile, Julian hisses if I near her. She is only a friend to my mom. Needless to say, I dislike Julian very much. With my cats’ different personalities, they fight a lot. Mainly because Zoe is not a little runt anymore. She may still be small, but she is fast and strong. Plus Julian is fat. She is no longer always dominant, causing many entertaining cat fights. The funny thing is, if you separate them from each other, they will cry. After all, they are sisters, and they love each other.
A Friend
I looked down from the stool to the fox-faced puffball at my feet. Susie smiled her wide grin and looked happily up at me with her clouded, bulging eyes. I reached down and scoped her up into my lap. I stroked her scraggily fur as she drifted off to sleep. She could sit in a lap for hours. Sadly, by the time she falls asleep, so have my legs. You can only sit at a stool for so long till you feet fall asleep. My grandmother came down the back staircase, all dressed in black. Susie stirred in my lap, so I set her back on the floor. Her twiggy legs stirred and she ran to Nana, slipping across the wood floor on her spindle legs. Nana sat down, taking Sue in her lap. She seemed happy for the first time in a long time, when she petted the dog. Of course, no one had been really happy these days. Susie smiled and wagged her plume of a tail until the limo came to pick us up.
It was late when we came back from my Grandfather’s funeral, Susie came to greet us. Nana took her outside to pee and was back inside in a few minutes. She sat down in her rocker by the window for a few minutes, with a rusty pomeranian in her lap. My family and I talked for a while and ate while she sat. Then my grandmother said she was tired, and I am sure she was. Everyone had had a long day. She picked up a grinning Susie and went upstairs.
My grandmother is very lucky. She had found the perfect little dog at the animal shelter a few months ago. She found Susie. A quiet, friendly pomeranian who is a friend to everyone she meets. A mangy looking mini fox with a sweet disposition. She may look kind ratty for five years old, but it is not her fault. She was previously a much neglected pet who just wanted some attention. She loves my grandmother and follows her around with an adoring gaze. She is just what my grandmother needed as she dealt with my grandfather’s poor health and death. A friend.