I step out into the chilly November air. It’s damp and everything smells like mud, manure, and horses. To my right, there is a flock of about seven guinea fowl scurrying into small paddock with two ponies, one dark brown and one dapple grey. Just about fifty feet in front of me, a horse hitched to a small buggy and cats are appearing out of nowhere. A sense of peace and serenity washes over me as I take all of it in. The absence of animals on campus is very stressful and being in such a haven is almost overwhelming. We are only just outside of Apple Creek, Ohio, the next town over from Wooster, but I feel as if I’ve been transported much much further.
We step into the dairy barn and are greeted by more and more cats, mewing and weaving through our legs. Dusk was gathering and the barn is cool and dark. I can see dairy cows through the open doorway at the back, milling about, ready for their evening milking. Cats of all ages scamper around our feet as our host, David, tells us about Amish farming. Frankly, I was very distracted by the cats and the cows, and I was devising a way to take the smallest kitten home with me. David mentions buttery mashed potatoes, and suddenly my mouth is watering and my stomach is growling. I can almost taste the creamy Amish butter and smell warm potatoes. When is dinner, again?
We exit the dairy barn the way we came in and head up the path to the open storage barn. There is an old rusted basketball hoop on the left hand wall and another leaning against a post in the middle of the floor. It smells strongly of sweet hay with undertones of horses and manure. It’s colder in this barn and the wind cuts through the holes in my loose-knit sweater. I hear children and turn around to see a boy, about five-years-old running up the path, an older girl, probably around seven, in a dress and rain boots chasing behind him. I watch them play hide-and-seek, chasing each other around the barn. I look up and see another boy, hiding in the stacks of hay bails on the wall. I stifle a giggle. Once again, I am distracted by friendly beasts.
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