This girl loves her animals. All throughout Scotland she found creatures, wild and domesticated, that she wanted to befriend. No fear of slugs or caterpillars has she, but an unreasonable one of bees and a reasonable one of horses and other very large animals. She can get almost any animal to come over to her where I cannot. Deer? Yes.
Horses? Also yes.
Chickens? Of course. But chickens are always skittish and silly.
Sheep too. Maybe it’s just that their brains are so very tiny.
She really enjoyed reuniting the little slugs with the parent. Or giant predator slug, take your pick.
Sometimes we found more lively creatures, like this bug-eyed frog in Glencoe.
And sometimes they were less lively, like this sheep whose final resting place was in the most beautiful spot possible, then disturbed by CH who carried the skull back to our B&B to present to the proprietress as a trophy.
Millie the dog went on several walks with us, with CH guiding her with constant encouragement and admonishment.
Some creatures were extremely tiny, others as soft as baby down.
One of our very favorites was this sow, who came trotting over when CH whistled. She, the sow, grunted happily while CH petted her and fed her grass. There’s nothing in the world like being fed fresh-picked grass by a little girl with braids.
The pets we met got lots of love too, from a random cat to Mac the border Collie.
My favorite by far was Spencer the horse. He walked over to us as we crossed his field, then nuzzled me and leaned into me as I stroked his nose and neck. He followed me across the leaned into me again, hugging me with his neck to keep me from leaving. Spencer was the most loving horse I’ve ever met. Maybe it’s the serenity he finds from looking out across the loch every day.
Writer, architect, father, husband.