Alone in the Barn

In the barn, I was under the watchful eyes of Llambert the Llama, Lindsey the Bottle Lamb and her ewe lamb posse, a half dozen chickens, and two Haflingers. Yet, I felt alone. Gone was Mandy the Foster Dog, who has been my barn companion for nearly six months. Because my dog herded and snarled at Mandy, I kept Mandy in the barn with me while I fed the sheep, chickens, and horses. She was fine with that. She preferred being by my side. I became accustomed to latching stall doors so she wouldn't follow me to the chicken yard or horse pasture. But tonight, there was no need. I had no dog at my side. In a few days, Mandy will bond with her new person and fall into his routine, and I will develop a new routine that incorporates the foster puppy a little more. While happy that Mandy has a new home where she'll be the queen, I find the barn a little quiet and sad tonight as I go about the chores.