ELMER TELLS OF PONY'S LATEST !!

Well, we found out we have a very smart pony - too smart.  When we were coming home from our church service, we waved at one of our Englisher neighbors who was talking with one of our Amish neighbors that got home before we did.  Our Amish neighbor was laughing, but our Englisher neighbor did not look so happy.

When we got home, Anna went inside and I took our carriage horse into the barn to brush and get settled down.  There in the barn was our pony.  I thought I had left it with all the horses out in the field.  Checked the fields and sure enough our other horses were there.  I couldn't yet figure it out when I heard Anna yell for me and it sounded urgent.

Outside Anna was standing by the buggy and said that our English neighbor was coming up the driveway and he did not look happy. In fact, he looked angry. Quickly I asked Anna if I put the pony out with the others and she said yes.  I explained that it was in the barn when Englisher got close enough to see and talk to.

Englisher was angry and said we had to do something about that pony we got.  I asked Englisher why he was so upset.  It seems that pony knows how to open the gate.  I said he had never done it before. He said it did it today.  They looked out in their yard and there was pony standing in their front lawn eating their lawn and flowers.

You have to understand Englisher.  His yard and her flower gardens are immaculate.  He spends hours of many days taking care of the lawn and his wife taking care of the flowers.  So pony eating their yard ruined part of his work. A good part of it.

Pony getting out was not all.  When pony opened the gate all the other horses followed him out.  Which ment there were six horses lose.  Englisher neighbor got a couple of other Englisher neighbors, rounded up the horses, put them back in the fenced field area, closed the gate and hooked it.  Shortly later, pony was back in his yard and the other horses were slowly moving down the driveway. Neighbors got them all back in fenced field except pony - they put him in the barn and tied him to make sure he couldn't get out.

I tried not to laugh.  I really did.  But I couldn't help it.  Also, I couldn't believe this little pony size horse could open the gate.  Of course, I did not say that to neighbor.  We put the pony back in the field, went inside and watched out the window.  Eli and his wife pulled in as we had invited them for supper.  After he got his horse settled, they came into the house and wanted to know why we were looking out the window.  I explained what happened.  Eli was just starting to tell Englisher how this couldn't have happened when pony walks over to the gate, lifts the latch, opens the door and goes off down the driveway.  Eli, Englisher and myself went, Englisher closed the gate so the other horses couldn't get out while Eli and I were running down the driveway to catch the pony. We caught pony at the end of the driveway before it went out in the road.

Now Englisher neighbor was laughing.  Telling how we should have seen ourselves run.  He didn't know we could run that fast.  Neither did we.

I put pony in fenced field, closed gate, chained latch to post and put lock on it.  The pony still tried to open it, but it won't open anymore.  Eli checked me to make sure the horse wouldn't be able to open this.

When we went inside Englisher's wife was there with Anna and Eli's wife, drinking coffee, eating pie. Anna said she would replace all the lady's flowers for her.  She could have them from Anna's greenhouse and if Anna didn't have what she needed in there, they would go to the store and Anna would buy what she wanted.

I asked Englisher what I could do for his lawn that pony damaged.  He told me to keep my horses out of it.

During last winter Anna and Englisher's wife had been talking.  Englisher's wife told Anna that her husband had a heat condition, but he still shoveled out his driveway and sidewalk.  He wouldn't hire someone to do it.  Anna asked if finances were a problem because we would sure help out. Englisher's wife said no, he wouldn't hire someone to do it.  Something about wasting good money.

So I told Englisher, when winter comes, I am hiring someone to come over and plow his driveway and clean his walks.  Englisher said we didn't have to do that, but he wouldn't turn us down.  So when winter comes, I will see if Michael, Edward and Thomas are going to do that job and if so, hire them for neighbor.  If not, I will have one of our son's go over there and do it for them.

When neighbor's left, Eli told me to get on my cell phone, call previous pony owner and ask him if the pony did this when he owned him.  Seeing Eli is Bishop and ordered me to use cell phone, I did as he told me and did not argue.  Sure enough, pony had done this at previous owners.  Seems previous owners children thought it would be cute if the pony opened the gate.  Asked us if we were returning pony.  I explained no and told him the whole story.  He started laughing, real hard.  He tried to tell us he was sorry about this or at least that's what I think he was saying as he was laughing so hard.  We told him we were not returning pony.  Just wish we had know this when we picked it up and would have been prepared for pony.  All of us were laughing.

So Monday, I went down and purchased a special lock for the gate so this doesn't happen again.

Seeing that Bishop Eli was coming for dinner, Anna had made mincemeat pies.  We had most of one after supper.  Anna sent another one home with Eli and his wife.  Knowing how much I like mincemeat she made one for us, too.  So I will be eating pie again.  Mincemeat this time.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer