Flora's New Summer Hat

Hello my dear,

I feel I really ought to explain myself before this gets completely out of hand.

By now, you've probably seen the photograph. In fact, if you're reading this whilst looking at the photograph, then you'll understand exactly why I feel the need to defend my reputation.

I had been quietly minding my own business, enjoying a perfectly pleasant afternoon, when somehow I ended up with a considerable quantity of hay balanced on top of my head. Before I knew it, the humans were taking photographs, chuckling amongst themselves and talking about "newsletter material".

It's all very unfair.

What makes it worse is that everyone else seems to find the situation highly amusing. Bart has been trying very hard to be supportive, but every time he looks at the photograph, I notice his great curly horns wobbling about suspiciously. I suspect he's laughing and trying desperately not to show it. Dennis, meanwhile, informed me that true elegance is subtle and timeless, which I think was his way of saying I looked ridiculous. He can be a little dramatic at times.

Rowan has handled the whole affair in a very different way. As herd leader, he has decided that matters of fashion are beneath his station and refuses to comment. This would carry much more weight if I hadn't seen him staring at the photograph for quite some time. Spotty has been the least helpful of all. Spotty simply looks at me, looks at the photograph, and then wanders off again. It's amazing how much amusement can be communicated without saying a single word.

The real irony is that I don't think any of them understand why this happened in the first place.

The sanctuary has become completely obsessed with hay.

Everywhere I go, humans are talking about it. They're discussing harvests, storage, weather forecasts, prices, deliveries and fields that have become brown and dry in the summer heat. Some seem delighted when a lorry arrives. Others look worried when they talk about next winter. There are conversations in barns, conversations in gateways and conversations over cups of tea. If a stranger arrived at the sanctuary today, they might reasonably conclude that hay had become the most important subject in the world.

After listening to all this for months on end, I naturally assumed that hay had become fashionable.

What was I supposed to think?

Of course, as I've listened more closely, I've realised that all this talk isn't really about hay at all. It's about making sure there is enough food for everyone when winter eventually arrives. We may be standing in warm sunshine today, but the humans always seem to be thinking several months ahead.

For us animals, the idea is very simple. We don't think about harvest yields or storage barns. We think about standing with our friends on a frosty morning with a full hay rack beside us. We think about the comfort of knowing that breakfast, lunch and dinner are already taken care of. We think about being warm, safe and content while the weather does whatever winter weather likes to do.

That's why I was so pleased to hear that the sanctuary has now secured 125 of the 350 bales needed for the months ahead.

To the humans, that's a figure on the Bale-ometer. To us, it's something much more meaningful. It's reassurance. It's security. It's the knowledge that so many people care enough about us to help prepare for challenges we don't even understand.

Every one of those 125 bales has been made possible by somebody's kindness. When I look at the coloured squares on the Bale-ometer, I don't see numbers. I see people who want animals like Bart, Dennis, Rowan, Spotty, me and all the others to be comfortable when the colder months return.

And that brings me to a small favour.

Many of you reading this have already helped. Some of you have donated, some have sponsored residents, some have bought gifts from the sanctuary shop and others have simply followed our stories and cheered us along over the years.

So this isn't really another appeal.

Instead, if this letter and my unfortunate hat made you smile, perhaps you might tell somebody else about us.

Perhaps there's a friend who loves animals but has never heard of the sanctuary. Perhaps there's a family member who could do with a cheerful story. Perhaps there's somebody who needs reminding that kindness still exists and that there are hundreds of rescued animals quietly getting on with life thanks to people who care.

Every supporter discovers Tower Hill Stables for the first time somewhere. Usually because somebody took a moment to tell them about it.

And if that happens to lead to a discussion about whether my hat was a fashion statement or a farming accident, then I'm perfectly happy for that debate to continue.

Although between you and me, I still think it suited me rather well.

With much love and many thanks,

Flora

Highland Cow, Hay Enthusiast, Collector of Interesting Ideas and Occasional Wearer of Questionable Hats 🐮🌾