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Welcome Animal-loving Readers!

Here’s our blog’s story

Mucking out stalls in the barn one afternoon, I stopped to consider what a lousy day I’d had. I leaned on the rake and looked out toward the pastures and nearby forest.

Off to the right, I could just see a brown-and-white Australian shepherd silently, deliberately moving a small herd of cows and calves toward a pen. In the aisle behind me, two playful orange kittens “hunted” a piece of green barn twine fallen from a hay bale.

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In the pasture nearest, three brown horses caught sight of me and started walking my direction: The boss mare in the group pinned her ears back, and the other two mares moved aside, letting her take the lead, so she could get to me first. (In the end, they each got the same-size carrot.)  At the edge of the woods, a doe and twin fawns grazed: Mom never quite relaxing, keeping an eye on the sheepdog, in case he turned, and she needed to guide her offspring into a getaway.

In one of those epiphany moments, I realized that in watching these animal scenes play out, I’d learned, or been reminded of, some of the things I want in my life. In the dog, I saw that slow, steady progress can be just as effective as a dramatic approach — or perhaps more so.  The kittens were a lesson in creating my own fun. The horses reminded me that I could achieve my goals without arguing along the way. The vigilant doe conveyed that ultimately, the only one watching out for my welfare is me.

Each scenario was mindful of one of the philosophies (mostly borrowed from 12-step programs) by which I try to live my life: Easy does it; keep a sense of humor; agree to disagree; first things first.

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I was feeling a little like Dr. Doolittle when my mare, Callie, whose stall I was standing in, gently nudged me from behind. It was as though she was saying, “It’s about time you got the message:  We animals know everything. If you’d just pay attention, you could learn a thing or two.”

Then I had to chuckle, because, “more will be revealed” was another of my mantras. I reached up and pushed her red forelock out of her knowing brown eyes and said, “You are so right. You and your kind are so much wiser than I am.” I swear she nodded her head in agreement.

To me, the beauty in what animals know, how they act and what they teach is the simplicity. (Wouldn’t you know: KISS [Keep It Simple Stupid] is another of my phrases to live by.) Animals don’t operate in a world of “what ifs,” or “I shoulds.”  They don’t worry about the yesterdays or the tomorrows. They don’t lose sleep over what someone else thinks of them. How smart is that?!

Back to shoveling and raking the stall that day, I contemplated all that I could learn from animals. It was an exhausting list: It was EVERYTHING. Callie lifted a hoof and pawed the ground a time or two – something she very rarely does. It was as though she was challenging me:  “Okay, you’re getting the message, now what are you going to do about it.” Back at her, I said, “Alright already! I hear you.”  She became my muse, providing me lots of ideas to write about. Thus, this blog was born.                                    

The thoughts behind the blog’s name:  Not only can animals teach us EVERYTHING, they mean EVERYTHING to animal keepers and animal lovers everywhere.

My goal is that you find AnimalsOurEVERYTHING!  interesting, amusing, and every once in awhile, inspirational. My hope is that you will keep the animals in your prayers and their lessons in your heart.

Please consider sending along your comments, ideas, or animal-lessons learned.  I’d love to share or spotlight them on AnimalsOurEVERYTHING!

 

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Meanwhile, the two Labrador retrievers  at my feet, the 18-year-old black cat downstairs, the gray-and-white cat out in the shop, the shiny black rooster and four hens in the chicken coop out back, the red dunn horse down the hill, and I – well, we will all be grateful if you become a follower of this blog. We’ll bark, purr, crow, whinny and cheer if you do.  Please consider suggesting to your animal-loving friends, that they subscribe, too.  Thanks for taking the time to read us.

 

All best, JANET (and her dogs, cats, horse and chickens)

Janet Herring-Sherman, creator/author of AnimalsOurEVERYTHING!, the blog