Proof that Wally Is Better Than Rhett Butler

Though my "barn" has two stalls, both of them large enough to shelter two horses each from the rain and wind, Ginger claims both empty stalls for herself just as you would expect a self-important diva to demand.  My dear little orphan Annie stood outside in the rain and snow all the time.  Only in the most extreme weather would Ginger allow Annie to shelter in the least favored stall.  Though it is difficult behavior for a human being to witness, all of horse society evolved to protect and perpetuate the species.  Besides, humans have more than their fair share of survivalist self-preservation and underhanded, cut-throat behaviors.  (Units in a cube farm bear a remarkable resemblance to barn stalls, now that I think about it.)

Wally has also been relegated to sheltering outside the barn.  Poor guy.  His genetics stretch far back into the deserts and blazing suns of the Arab nations.  He is light of bone and carries no extra fat on his beautiful body.  There is nothing that makes him particularly well-suited to Kansas winters. But Wally is smart enough to figure if he must stand in the cold, then Ginger should, too.  He often takes shelter out in the pasture, and because she cannot let Wally out of her sight, Ginger stands in the cold rain as well.

This morning, as soon as I was awake and on my feet, I looked out to visually confirm two horses alive and well.  It is a well-established routine but made much easier by now living closer to the barn, and by the existence of the wonderful screened porch. It has been raining most of the night.  It is cold and dreary and muddy, and though it is May, it is more like November weather.  Through the gloom and mist in the pre-dawn light, I saw two horses in the same barn stall.  Side by side, both sheltering from the miserable cold rain.  I ran to get my camera to record Wally's triumph of charm and equine persuasion.  It was a terrible photograph.  By the time the light was sufficient to get a good photo, both horses had left the barn for their day job of eating grass.

I know better shots have been taken of Big Foot, but here is my proof that Wally is a charming genius, better than Rhett Butler.