Yesterday he showed up here with a group of 5! people, presumably to meet Mag (and maybe he thought he neded backup to convince me my horse is dirty). I hid and ignored the doorbell. I think he might actually be crazy because German people are never friendly with strangers.
They must have hung out at our driveway entrance for 15 minutes. They were mostly young people, and one had a dog. They just stood there talking and staring at Mag. Finally they made their way up the street and I hurried to J's office (separate building).
I said, "Did you hear all that?" "Yes." (White Beard Guy is LOUD.)
Oh crap he just came back and I forgot about the candle burning where he can see it! Oh no!
*gasping*
OK he's gone. Whew.
"What were you doing, you could have come out and mitigated the situation!"
"I was hiding from them."
"I was hiding from them too!"
I cracked his office door open slowly and holy crap they were coming back! I waited another minute and checked again. I saw a flash of neon green and I knew Ani had arrived for Star Trek.
I jumped out and said, "Did you see those people?"
"Yes, the man told me that your horse is very nice."
No kidding.
***
If he weren't so odd, I like the idea some of you had that I should invite him over to clean Mag. I told J about it and we cracked up, "Joke's on you, White Beard, when you walk by the next day to see no proof you ever cleaned the horse!" *lol*
***
I found this lovely photo of some of Mag's family in Poland and it made me laugh. (Note the way the left horse's front legs are braced.)
"Whoa, is that pavement?"
"Could be. I stepped on pavement once, it was no good."
"Better not risk it!"
Photo by Patrycja Makowska
***
Update!
I found that photo so lovely I sent it to my photographer friend, Michi, who immediately emailed me back, "You won't believe this...."
And she sent me the following photo which she recieved today from a client of hers.
Cool huh? Four horses on other sides of the continent mimicking each other (check it out, even the splayed foreleg position of the left horse matches my photo!)
9 comments:
This sounds like that crazy German habit you previously spoke of where people do not knock on the door, but just walk in. But it surprises me that J would hide too. Is that also a German thing?
If it had been just the old man alone, would you have both had the same reaction? Was it the sheer number of people or the dog that had you hiding?
ND, Oh, I remember the incident where someone walked in our house. An old neighbor who felt he had the right to walk right in when I answered the door, cuz he knew the previous owners. He did ring though (no one knocks on doors in Germany for some reason).
J hid because he didn't care to be bothered from his work and he knows if it's important I'll come get him. Like me, he's not an extrovert.
I hid because I don't want to encourage the poor old guy. He came by 3 out of the last 4 days, and perhaps the 4th, when we weren't home. Also with that many people, I worry about our own security. There have been robberies around here lately (one where people were held hostage (tied up) in their own home!) so I try to keep the number of strangers visiting minimal. My tack room and our basement don't have locks on the doors. And every chimney sweep in town knows this!
The dog was on a leash, so I wasn't afraid of it. Also, it was a Chihuahua: )
You know, now that I think about it, there have been a few neighbors who I've met as they walk our hill. One of them actually was another admirer of Mag (he became my taxi driver). Another is an old forest ranger who drives around in a motorized wheelchair. Those two old guys are "normal" for Germans. Neighourly-polite but not over-the-top like White Beard. White Beard never told me his name (red flag) and only gave me a vague idea of where he lives, despite me asking repeatedly. Does he believe his smile and flattery will drop my guard?
You did the right thing. Discretion is the better part of valor. It’s good you can listen to your inner warning system. Sometimes I think having horses makes us more alert, especially if you have an Arabian!
#1 I'd be getting locks on those doors.
Would it help if you go out with pen and paper in hand and ask for their names? It's a fine line between being neighbourly and looking after your own security, let alone making sure your horse is safe. Let them know that feeding him ANYTHING is verboten!
KB, I wonder what you mean about it being an Arabian - are they simply more people-magnetic, or more likely to go along with a stranger? Curious: ) I think anyone could loop a line around Mag's neck and take him out, but then they'd reach the street and a UPS or Semi would go by, and Mag would leave for France.
Shirley, I'm accustomed going in and out of my house dozens of times per day without the need for keys. Most German doors lock automatically and require a key, but I cannot be bothered with that. There must be a better way. Isn't there an entry system by now that reads a fingerprint? I guess you also go in and out several times per day to take care of your herd. Do you use a key every time? The only precaution I take in this regard is to never open the door when anyone is passing by or driving by. They would immediately see that I've got no key in hand. I time my entry of my house with a break in traffic. Then again, we need to upgrade in some way.
Shirley, there is this common sign in Germany on horse pasture fences: Futtern Verboten. It goes on to say that if you feed a horse over a fence, it could colic and die. (true) It also goes on to explain how horses get cavities in their teeth from being fed treats.
HUH? Horses get cavities from treats? Please someone back that up for me. Perhaps I need to know more about equine dental hygiene.
Have any of your neighbors ever come by to offer treats/affection on your animals? How do you respond?
Our neighbors loved having Farah visit. I always had the treat bucket handy, so they could give her a treat. Here, doors are mostly unlocked. Strangers are noticed & someone posts about them to the local FB page. I'm with you though - if the hackles on the back of your neck stand up - time for caution.
Oh dear. He sounds like he's lonely and maybe has a love of horses. Maybe he'd like to help stack hay......
Connie, Iowa, Germany, same thing: )
Teresa, I know, it pains me to refuse him but I'm afraid of being into a compusury daily visit. Too old to stack hay, our insurance withstanding. How sad. If it were a teenaged girl, with pure honest horse craziness......that's not likely to happen here in the world of horseses and official riding stables (who all rub me wrong with their under-saddle side reins and such). What to do...
If he's actually lonely, and encountered all those (5) people on the way to my house, without knowing them first.......that's disturbing. But as I learned, he encountered Ani on the way and said, "Nice horse lives here!" So....????
I am highly suspicious of strangers and never answer the door when someone knocks, unless I'm expecting someone or a package that requires signing. I still look through the peephole before opening the door. Having this situation at home, on my property and with my animals every day would throw my anxiety through the roof. I am an introvert, and I'm also not nice to strangers that are getting into my space without my permission.
I would get locks for those doors too, especially given that he won't tell you his name nor where he lives. That alone would have made me confront him: "You know where I live. I need to know where you live." Add a padlock system to the doors so they don't automatically lock when closed, then lock them when you're not at home and at night when you're sleeping.
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