So I put Gilbert in the little traveling carrier that the Chester County SPCA gave me when I adopted him (he barely fits into it now) and I packed a bag of baby carrots, and we headed over to Susan's farm. She had gotten up before daybreak to catch one of her chickens, which was sitting in a cage in the back of the pickup. She already had the horse trailer hitched up and loaded Scout without delay. I put Gilbert at my feet in the truck and we set off for the retirement home.
It was a beautiful sunny day, and the patio was soon full of residents eager to see our animals and hear our presentations (I hadn't been told in advance that I was supposed to make a presentation, but hey, whatever!). Susan had called in some kind of a major favor with someone else, too, because Adam, the huntsman from her foxhunting club (Andrews Bridge), agreed to show up in his full regalia, with "Oboe," one of their Penn-Marydel foxhounds.
Adam gave a great presentation about foxhunting and blew some of the calls on his horn (Scout looked up immediately, as if to say "Hey! I know that sound!").
Then Susan talked about her chicken, providing all kinds of graphic details about how exactly hens produce eggs (what can you do when a resident asks "So what's the rooster for?") and showing the different-colored eggs that the different breeds produce.
Then I wrapped Gilbert in a white towel, gave him a carrot to munch on, and spoke a little bit about him. Then I took him around and let the residents stroke him, which he bore with great patience. It brought tears to my eyes when I saw the love that the seniors lavished on the little critter. Several asked me to repeat how old he was, and what guinea pigs' life spans were.
One resident couldn't quite pronounce "Gilbert" and gave his name a definite French flavor that I think he quite liked. Another fellow, who I think must be on a restricted diet, asked me what Gilbert ate. I told him I feed him salad twice a day.
"Huh!" the man grumbled. "He'd fit right in here."
Scout stayed in his trailer, but the residents who were able went up to him and fed him carrots and apples. By the end of the afternoon Scout was actually full and showed no interest in eating any more carrots -- a rare event!
I can't speak for Oboe, Scout, the chicken and Gilbert, but Susan and I had a great time, and I hope we were able to provide the residents with a diverting afternoon.
P.S. What a sweet comment I got on this post: "A special place in Heaven awaits those who visit senior care facilities and amuse the residents, especially in the dementia units. On behalf of someone who has a family member in one, infinite and immense thanks."
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| Scout was tired of carrots and apples by the end of the day! |
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| Oboe makes friends with some of the front-row residents. |
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| Susan talks about the care and feeding of her chickens. |
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| Gilbert and Laurel eye each other warily. |
A special place in Heaven awaits those who visit senior care facilities and amuse the residents, especially in the dementia units. On behalf of someone who has a family member in one, infinite and immense thanks.
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