Dulcinea by the Duck Pond

Last Wednesday when we were coming back from San Antonio I saw a horse by the Duck Pond in the same spot where Claire used to be.  Remember Claire?

I had gotten up so early that morning and I was way too tired to have anything register in my head.  I commented to Mom that that horse looked familiar but that it was not Claire.

The next day I had to drive into town and when I saw her, it dawned on me that it was Dulcinea.  I am sure it was Walter's owners idea because her owner did not live with his father-in-law at the time.

There she was grazing away but with no water in sight.  I sure hope they brought her water in the evenings.

She was there at least that I am aware of, for three days.  Then suddenly she disappeared as did Walter from his corral.  Perhaps they are at his nephew's house?

At the nephew's house?

This past Sunday, August 11th his owner brought Walter back to graze at our house.  I was thinking perhaps he was going to let him spend the night as it was 9:15 p.m. and no one had come for him.

I was outside watering the trees when a shadow startled me.  I was deep in thought and did not notice him in our property.  He is a very tall man and he usually has his cowboy hat on but not tonight...so I had no idea who the shadow belonged to for a moment.

He was actually pleasant and thanked me for letting me bring Walter over.  Said he was going to feed him supper.  Of course I did not believe him but lord and behold since I was outside I actually heard him filling up the ice chest with his horse pellets...I also snuck over to the corral to make sure I heard right.  Sure enough he had fed him.

Monday I did not see him when I went to check up on him but thought nothing of it perhaps he was in front of their house eating weeds.  Went to Walmart and as I was making my way to the store noticed the kid looking my way.  I was in dad's old car and that is one vehicle in which you can not go incognito in Del Rio being red and 31 years old they know for sure it is me.  His father with his long legs was way in front of his little brother and himself.  They had Walter's trailer attached to the truck...but no Walter :-(

It is Thursday night and he is not back.  Perhaps he is at the nephew's house?  Wherever he is I hope he has water, food and shade!

Cautiously Optimistic

As I mentioned on my other blog, yesterday we went for our monthly shopping trip to Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico.  I went to bed late the night before and woke up early (for me) in order to do all the things required such as getting passports ready, loading ice chests, etc. etc.

I brought the car around to the front and I could hear Walter's owner hammering away in the shed he is constructing.  Walter was looking in the direction of the shed but he heard me and looked my way but then turned away.  I was happy he did that so his owner would not suspect we are buddies.

I was running very late and I calculate we left about an hour later at 12:05 p.m.  We live almost at the corner and when I turned to look toward his corral I did not see him...then I noticed he was laying on the ground much like a dog lays down to sleep except that horses sleep standing up!

By this time I had turned to the main street that leads out of the sub-division and is heavily transited.  I drove slow but I saw no movement and by now had cars in back of me so did not go back.  In a way I did not panic because about four days ago I saw him laying in the ground trying to get something off of his hind hoof.  This is not the first time I have noticed something was bothering that particular leg and I have told that kid so in more than one occasion.

We got back at 6:15 p.m. but Walter was nowhere in sight.  Where was he?  Did his owner take him to the vet?  I waited until almost sun down and drove my black car which unlike mother's cars is not easily recognizable and drove slowly by his house to see if maybe he was tied to the back of the house or to the shed...but I saw nothing!

By force of habit looked out the kitchen window this morning hoping to see him as I do every morning. At noon I saw his owner backing up a horse trailer very close to our fence line but Walter was not on board.  He also moved his junk trailers as if to block the view from the street to the corral.

Mother wanted to go see how close the horse trailer was to the fence. When we were on our way, we saw that the owner and his kids were outside and she decided she no longer wanted to go saying she did not want problems with the neighbors. I asked her "what kind of problems mother?...you are inside your property and within your rights to see how close that trailer is" but she declined.

They were outside all day it seems. It was late this afternoon until I was able to go check out the corral to see if there was any hint of what may have happened to Walter but all I saw was kind of a sunken place in the ground where I last saw him laying.  I am cautiously optimistic he might be at the vet but all this trailer movement around his corral does not bode well for his return.

Thank you for your visit to Walter's World.