Week 361 (23rd to 29th July 2010 )
Madonna has a spot of fun
Early Friday morning found Madonna at the trough drinking water and 327 was hiding, or so he thought, behind a shrub with just his ears and eyes showing – keeping perfectly still. Every time he thought we weren’t looking he sneaked a peek over the top of the shrub ad as soon as either of us moved he sank back behind the bush out of sight. We of course pretended that we couldn’t see him and made a big show of looking all over. Madonna had in the interim finished drinking and could contain herself no longer and carefully stalked around the shrub and pounced. He was so focused on keeping himself hidden from us humans he didn’t hear Madonna’s carefully planted footsteps and leapt up in shock as she landed on his back. Having had his cover blown there was nothing left to do but come out into the open, which he did – muttering and moaning about her having spoilt his fun. She though it extremely funny and chuffed at him.
On Tuesday, whilst we were standing around Madonna had a short drink and then sniffed at the trough’s drainage pipe and then ever-so-slyly she opened it a little and the water spurted out. She gave the water a disgusted look and then chewed once again on the lever – opening it a little further. Grabbing the push-rod I managed to push the lever closed amidst some rallying mumbles from 327 who had come to see what we were doing. I had hardly done so and pulled the rod out when Madonna again marched up to the lever and looking me in the eye, she opened the tap again. Again I poked the rod through the fence but had to wait whilst 327 chewed on the end. He was, for the time being, unaware of the water spurting over his feet and only after he had convinced himself that the pole was not edible and turned to walk away did he realise that he was standing in a puddle and his feet were soaking wet. He looked from me to his feet, to the trough and back to me with a puzzled expression on his face and then, shaking his head he walked off allowing me to close the tap. Once again Madonna hurried closer and I had visions of repeating the performance the entire day. But after a sniff at the tap she walked on and I heaved a sigh of relief.
The next day 327 watched our approach and quickly scurried in behind his tree – there he lay in wait. Madonna lazed a little at the back fence with Princess and then came to greet us. 327 had in the interim forsaken his tree to pace. He took a moment to rest and Madonna tried to climb on his back but slid off when he stood up. He then made his way over to the trough and sniffed the outlet tap and I held my breath expecting him to chew on it. Instead he just had a drink. Madonna tried again to climb onto his back and he decided that the only way to keep her off his back was to keep moving and paced in front of the gate.