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August 2, 2010

Life is Good Today!

Filed under: All My Posts,Horse Talk,Humorous Ponderings — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Dawn @ 11:56 am

Zac Brown’s “Toes in the Sand” ran through my head in a slightly distorted version as I sat in my backyard in the hot sun. “I got my toes in Harley’s nostrils, butt in a chair…” Yes, Harley found a new toy that day and once he thoroughly examined my toes and the chair they rested on, we both settled in for an afternoon siesta. The shadow cast by Harley’s head blocked the sun’s rays from my eyes and a droopy horse lip six inches from my forehead was my view. The gentle relaxed breathing of my favorite Spanish Mustang tickled my face as we enjoyed a special afternoon of bonding. Yes Zac, I agree – Life is good today!

The morning started with briefly checking on the horses. Harley was standing in his usual corner and received his usual scratch. Spotting mud on the bottom rail of the fence, I made a mental note to talk to my son about where he had been scraping his boots. Soon the grass was flying as I mowed and made more mental notes of what job I needed to tackle next. As the mower strew clippings into the pasture, the horses gathered to taste the tender morsels. Harley, near the fence, moved quickly away when the mower passed and it was then my heart started pounding. Harley was lame.

A nail in his frog was the probable reason behind the mud on the rail as my young colt tried to scrape the offending metal out of his hoof. Visions of an abscess tormented me as I soaked his hoof clean and made a few phone calls to the vet and farrier. Harley and I bit the bullet and pulled the nail, paying special attention to how deeply it was embedded and in what direction. Luckily Harley was a champ and never flinched as I pulled the thorn out of the lion’s paw. After additional soaking, dressing and wrapping – I turned the new vet wrap and duct tape king loose in the yard to graze where his feet would remain relatively clean. However, Harley being Harley, soon discovered the cornfield. After several trips to retrieve my errant little boy, I gave myself permission to take a break from the stressful day and sit in the sunshine…and keep a closer eye on my mischievous colt.

Surprisingly at that point, Harley decided I was much more interesting than corn or grass and came to visit. First the chair my feet rested upon was examined, tasted and knocked over. Then the real fun began as he discovered my bare feet. My big toes were inhaled and shoved up each nostril as far as they could go. My feet were licked and nuzzled to the point I was beginning to worry that my little horse had an obsession. He also decided toes were just like fingers as he offered his jaw for a scratch.

Finally relieved of his curiosity of something he had never seen outside cowboy boots, Harley placed himself by my head. After inhaling my breath – now slow and calm, he cocked a hip and fell asleep – shading my face with his beautiful head and drooping lip. There we sat, dozing in the sunshine with Harley standing guard over me as if I were a member of his herd. Before long, he also felt safe and lay down next to my chair like a good horse/dog for a nap.

What Harley and I shared under that hot summer sun – from his total trust in me to relieve his pain to the my trust in him not to eat my toes and the best nap time we have ever had – was a special occasion for us both. The bonding between us was etched in stone and gave just a hint of what will come as we eagerly hit the trails together.

Harley and I rewrote Zac Brown’s hit that day to “I got my toes in the stirrups, faithful Harley beneath. Not a worry in the world, many trails to see. Life is good today. Life is good today.

July 7, 2010

Life Lessons

Filed under: All My Posts,Horse Talk,Humorous Ponderings,On the Serious Side — Tags: , , , , , , — Dawn @ 7:07 am

In the hot sultry air, the blue roan impatiently swished his tail and stomped his foot – kicking at pesky deer flies nibbling at his legs. The other herd members were standing in the dark barn where flies were less active in their pursuit of a warm feast. Bottom of the pecking order, Harley seemed destined to stand and suffer in the heat but this intelligent gelding knew that time was on his side.

Soon lulled into a stupor by the droning of the barn fan and relief from insects, his herd mates fell asleep and Harley moved into action. Pausing slightly with each step, ear cocked and listening just in case his mates awoke, the blue roan backed silently step by step into the dark recesses of relief. Patience rewarded Harley with relief from the biting flies and hot sun and he too, rested in the shadowy recesses of the barn.

Did I teach him how to worm his way into the barn? No – this is something he learned by the school of hard knocks. After repeatedly being chased out of the barn by the older horses, Harley learned that rather than trying to force his presence upon the bullies, he could gain access by biding his time and yes, being a little sneaky.

Life lessons such as being bit on the butt by a dominate horse tend to be retained easier than being “schooled”. Perhaps like a child, a scraped knee or pinched finger leaves a more lasting impression upon the young and willful rather than telling him a certain action could get him hurt. Once on a trail ride, I was repeatedly alerting a young colt to holes in the trail. The colt was more interested in looking at all of the other horses walking about and gawking at the scenery than where his feet were being placed. Finally tiring of watching out for the young and stupid, I let the colt step into a shallow crevice. Stumbling for just as moment, the young and stupid turned into the smartest kid on the block and instantly started paying attention to where his feet were placed. The school of hard knocks once again won.

My first trail ride on Harley was also a learning experience. With the steady influence of his pasture mates along on the ride, Harley set off down the trail eagerly – happy to be out “working” with the big boys. When unsure, he would hesitate and wait for the others reassurance and then set off once again. His muscles felt hard beneath my seat – tense with excitement and seemingly ready to blow at a moment’s notice. The young colt’s hindquarters felt uncoordinated as he learned to carry my weight downhill and back up again. We traveled along a hilly prairie road and after pausing slightly, crossed a wooden bridge with ease.

Soon, my tense colt relaxed and softened his muscles beneath me and I too, relaxed as we traversed another hill. Now confidence and remarkable agility and balance were felt as we traversed up and down the hills. Many miles will be spent under saddle before Harley is finished but as we travel, the life lessons we both learn along the trail will be priceless – even if it takes a little stumble or bite on the butt to make us wake up!

June 3, 2010

Silence Speaking Loudly

Filed under: All My Posts,Family and Friends,Horse Talk,Humorous Ponderings,On the Serious Side — Tags: , , , , , , , — Dawn @ 8:26 am

The cheerful chatter of birds riding in on the fresh air through my open window woke me, the sun still hiding behind the horizon of the eastern sky. Fresh steaming cup of coffee in hand, its aroma mingling nicely with the scent of pine and spring air, I settled onto the swing on my deck and watched the sun rise. The horses, snorting in contentment, grazed upon the green pasture, tails swishing gently in the calm air. Harley’s raised head and perked ears alerted me to a deer walking along the river bottom – its tawny hide flashing gold in the morning sun.

Horses, when you listen, can tell you so many things by their body language – a shift of the hip, softening of the eye, swish of the tail. They tell you if they are happy, sad, confused or mad. Always on the alert for danger, their early warning system can tell you if there is a bear or an evil green ogre on the trail ahead. Looking through their eyes, you will find a fawn bedded in tall grass or a majestic elk topping the bluff on a far hillside.

Eddie’s body language is one of relaxation and love. Each time after being tacked up, Eddie turns and buries his large head into my stomach and requests his pre-ride hug. I wrap my arms around him and lay my cheek upon his forehead and breathe softly into his nostrils. Eddie sighs in contentment as if to say, “Thank you for taking the time for a ride with me today” and then waits for me to mount. I now use Eddie to give rides to children – Grace is his favorite little girl and tries his hardest to understand her requests. One day, Grace’s grandma came to pick her up after her lesson, bringing her brother and cousins along. The small boys were excited and eager to pet the large horse that stood quietly and lowered his head to their short stature. I showed the boys how Eddie loves his head hugs and they each took their turn – wrapping tiny arms around his massive head, Eddie sighing in contentment. The smallest boy however, was afraid and even in his grandmother’s arms, did not want to touch the large animal. Eddie seemed to understand as he quietly moved closer on his own accord and rested his nose upon Grandma Jen’s arm and quietly encouraged Ian to overcome his fear. The horse, ever patient but unrelenting finally coaxed the boy with his silent body language to pat his massive head. Eddie, once again content, sighed and moved back to the other children for more love.

Harley is the king of body language. Every emotion this spunky little guy feels is loudly proclaimed upon every square inch of his body. One day while lunging him in preparation for another training session, Harley was clearly not a happy camper. Stiff posture, a head toss and a mini buck or two told me something was up. Not one to get ruffled over temper tantrums, I continued to work Harley calmly through his spell. Suddenly Harley stopped, stretched out to pee and proceeded to empty an extremely full bladder. He peed…and peed….and peed! The relief on his face was hilarious as he finished his job and walked off into a whole new world. His body language now was relaxed, happy and alert and eager to do as I beckoned. He did give me a disgusted look as I laughed at my silly boy until tears flowed from my eyes! We proceeded to have the best ride ever – the relaxed young horse beneath me responding to my body language as we learned to read each other’s cues.

We can learn so much by watching our horses as they graze in the pasture, interact with their buddies and nature, and how they respond when you are working with them. By taking the time to listen to what your horse is trying to tell you in his not always so silent body language, your partnership with these intuitive animals will grow. Remembering that horses also read your body language and adjusting your mode of silent communication with your equine will take your partnership to a new level. Horses speak if we listen with our eyes as well as our ears.

May 8, 2010

Happy Birthday Old Man!

Filed under: All My Posts,Family and Friends,Humorous Ponderings — Tags: , , , , , — Dawn @ 7:33 am

Age matters – or does it? How old you are calendar-wise seldom equates with how old you feel. Some days I feel like I’m a young spring chick and other days….well let’s just say I don’t move as quickly as I used to.

I started thinking seriously about age the other day while taking my husband’s grandfather to the doctor. At the ripe young age of 95 – and soon to be 96, Grandpa is mentally sharper than I am and mighty spry. In fact, some days, I feel old in comparison to this man who really hasn’t changed in looks since I met him 30 years ago. Looking at Grandpa, I wonder if my husband will possess the same longevity. Recently knighted with the honor of reaching that half century mark, Steve sports only one or two gray hairs (that he claims) and isn’t quite ready for the walker….yet!

Hearing Grandpa speak about the days when he plowed fields with true four-legged horsepower makes me wonder if our grandchildren (which we don’t have yet) will someday sit and listen in awe as we talk of the days when there was no cell phones, IPods or personal computers. Steve (being much older than me) will enjoy telling the youngsters about the days of party line telephones and eight-track tapes. I’m positive that jaws will drop at tales of the good old days of Steve taking his rifle along to school (kept in an unlocked car in the school parking lot) so he and his friends could go gopher hunting when school was done for the day – without SWAT teams surrounding the area. Imagine the disbelief when they hear we survived not wearing seatbelts until we were in our late 20’s!

Yes, back in the good old days, bicycles were ridden without helmets, hand sanitizer was good old soap and water and McDonalds was more often referred to as a farmer in a childhood song rather than a fast food chain. Back “then” Capri pants were called Pedal Pushers, thongs were sandals and tattoos were only for sailors. We even survived life without cable – relishing black and white TV signals delivered by rabbit ear antenna which were frequently readjusted to “tune in” a total of FOUR different “snowy” TV stations.

It seems everyone, as children, is always so anxious to grow up and become adults but once we get there, we want to return to the youthful days when life was simple. Milestones such as losing baby teeth are applauded. I even find myself looking into Harley’s mouth with a gleeful giggle as his baby teeth are starting to wiggle. Then all too sudden, we get “long in tooth” and have to go into the vet for a floating and are left wondering why we hurt so bad the day after running, riding or putting in a hard day’s work. Just where did those summer days of youth go?

So do we feel our age? In regards to his half century of life, Steve says, “I feel like a 30-year old but my wife won’t let me have one!” Well, today – just for him, I feel like a 30-year old and if he ditches that walker – he might even be able to catch me! Happy Birthday Old Man!

January 25, 2010

Love of the Chase

Filed under: All My Posts,Horse Talk,Humorous Ponderings — Tags: , , , , — Dawn @ 9:36 pm

I looked out my window this morning to see a deer running at top speed through the pasture. Thinking the worst – a coyote or dog was on the chase – I looked in the direction the deer had come from only to see, Heaven forbid….Harley in hot pursuit! Luckily the deer leaped over the fence and even luckier, Harley stopped before doing the same, looking a bit perturbed that the game was over already. I shook my head and uttered something on the line of “problem child” and wondered if a horse chasing deer equates to wild game harassment!

My son, Kyle had also viewed the chase and just said, “Mom, you are going to have a lot of fun with him!” That statement sent me on a nightmare journey with visions of flushing deer on our rides and Harley, like a super hyper bird dog, taking up pursuit with me hanging on for the ride. I’m sure Kyle’s thought pattern followed more on the lines of “I wonder if Mom will let me ride him during hunting season? Sure would beat walking and trying to find the deer!”

Harley must have enjoyed the pursuit as he watched intently as any deer neared throughout the day. The deer must not have shared the same warm feelings however, as tonight was one of the first nights they did not come to my yard to feed!

Yes, Harley is definitely a horse who desires amusement and stimulation. Fresh snow or the sight of my camera and a minimal command from me prompts a fast run just to feel the wind in his mane and snow fly under his feet. My poor cat Fester is also fair game when she dares venture into the pasture. I’m wondering what will happen when my geese return in the spring as most generally, geese are not amused at being bothered and chased by pesky animals! Harley may just meet his match there!

Harley loves his treats and will wrap his lips around each tasty morsel along with your fingers and half your hand as he hovers up any stray crumbs, luckily he knows better than to use his teeth. He also has a soft spot for my Dad (who has a matching soft spot for his equine grandson!) and frequently knickers at “Grandpa” – something he has yet to do for me much to my chagrin! Harley chews over his thoughts as I teach him new things, his little jaw and mouth working overtime and his eyes squinting at me with questions as he absorbs a lesson. As long as I’m patient enough to let him figure things out, he will do as I ask…in his own time. And yes, Harley does have his mellow moments. A good hard scratch will cause his eyes to close in pleasure and a warm barn or sunbeam will entice Harley to lounge in the soft straw and take a good long nap.

Harley and I are anxious for spring – a time when weather will allow the lessons to progress at a hopefully daily pace. We’re dreaming of chasing up the deer and rabbits along long hilly trails in pursuit of a new partnership under saddle. I just hope the deer, cat and I survive the ride!

January 5, 2010

Enjoying the Storm

Filed under: All My Posts,Farm Life,Horse Talk,Humorous Ponderings,On the Serious Side — Tags: , , , , , — Dawn @ 5:11 pm

I pulled on my heavy wool socks then my insulated boots, insulated bib coveralls and brown duck jacket, a wool hat and heavy gloves. Feeling like that proverbial sausage stuffed into its casing, I clomped my way out the door to do chores. It was one of those record setting cold mornings where the temperature finally bottomed out at -34.

I had tucked the horses into the barn the night before when the temperatures started plummeting – even the house protested the rapid drop with its timbers making loud cracking noises as it adjusted to the temperature. The snow crunched loudly underfoot as I made my way to the barn. Lessons learned in past winters ensured that I inhaled slowly so my nostrils would not freeze shut and also send me into a coughing fit when the blast of cold air hit my lungs. My eyelashes quickly began to frost up giving me perfect white mascara. After scooping some oats into a bucket, I opened the barn door and was met with a gentle nicker from the geldings – always anxious for his morning feed. Their body heat had warmed the barn to a balmy zero degrees during the night and the boys were mellow and sleepy-eyed with pleasure.

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Air is sparse and feels much like the high mountain zone when you’re pitching hay into the feeder rescued from the previous week’s blizzard which piled the snow five feet deep into the corral. Soon, despite the frigid air, I was sweating underneath my layers. Steam rose from the heated water tank creating perfect frosty strings around its edges, goldfish slowly swimming in its depths. I paused to admire the perfect blue skies and the sunshine attempting to raise the temperatures a few degrees. A flash of blue from the still snow-covered pine branches caught my eye along with the shrill call of a Blue Jay in the still air – begging for their peanut breakfast.

Halters removed, the horses slowly made their way to the open barn door – pausing to take in the cold air outside. They stepped out and drank deeply of the fresh cold water – goldfish nibbling at their lips for stray particles of feed. Raising their heads, they alerted me to a magnificent white-tailed buck making his way to the shelter of the pines.

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Harley was the first to run – his youthful exuberance for life showing in the leaps and bounds he took as he plunged through the belly deep snow. His mottled coat of black and white melded perfectly with the cloud of snow rising from his flying hooves. Soon, the older geldings were enticed into participating in the game of snow tag as they ran and sparred in the frigid air. Clouds of vapor emitted from their flared nostrils as they snorted their pleasure.
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Yes, it would be easier to not have animals to care for in these cold winter months as I rubbed my fingers aching from the cold. But then I observed the geldings showing their uninhibited joy at their freedom to enjoy a sunny day – and found my own pleasure in the frigid days of winter.

December 1, 2009

Weathering the Storms

Filed under: All My Posts,Family and Friends,Farm Life,Horse Talk,Humorous Ponderings,On the Serious Side — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Dawn @ 2:27 pm

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! It’s amazing how fast the past year has gone. It was a year filled with many ups and downs for family and friends, but crisis and hardships were offset by extremely spectacular moments meant to be remembered and cherished for years to come.

I’ve made many good friends this year through the “new fangled” way of meeting and greeting people – Facebook and Twitter. One such friend met through Facebook but never in person is Mark Madsen, who just posted a very reflective statement, “Did you ever watch horses in a bad snow storm?? They turn their butt to the wind and snow and let it blow. When the storm is over they just shake off the snow and go back to eating grass. Hmm, sometimes you need to just shake it off and go on with living.” This is excellent advice for all of us from someone who has been through his share of storms. Mark has worked hard at shaking off that snow through the one avenue which works so well – by using the healing power of horses.

Storms can come in so many varieties – from a gentle cleansing rainstorm to an all-out raging blizzard, tornado or hurricane – but they never last forever. Farmers and ranchers have to deal daily with weather delays and worries – especially this past year with record cold, wet and now a delayed harvest. As of Dec. 1 as I’m writing this column, our corn is still standing in the field while we wait for the moisture levels to lower. This in itself creates a storm of itself of worry and stress – unharvested crop does not pay the bills. Do we let the storm creep under our hides or do we just turn our backs to it and wait for it to pass so we can shake off the worry and prepare for a new year?

Harley and I had a storm the other day…which sure surprised the heck out of me! But his training has been hit and miss between the weather and farm work so I probably had it coming. We quickly went from an eager walk to an “oh crap – what’s this all about” as we bounced our way towards my new rail fence. Not liking the thought of a fence post landing, I opted for the “Let Go and Let God” strategy and met with Mother Earth. This was followed with a Come to Jesus Meeting as we settled our differences first from the ground and once again upon his back. The day ended on a better note although we both were still a little hot under the collar. Time management issues with Thanksgiving and work once again prevailed to the point of Harley being ignored basically for a week until yesterday when I once again spent some time with my little gelding. By then, the storm had passed and we both shook the snow off of our backs as we enjoyed each other’s company.

Life throws a snowball at you on occasion – do you throw it back with a vengeance or do you turn tail to the wind and wait until the storm passes so you can shake that snow off your back and go on living? Fighting the storms normally makes matters worse but sometimes waiting the storm out can be hard for those of us lacking patience. One of my favorite quotes by an unknown author gives you another option, “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass – It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Find the Joy, Live the Joy, Be the Joy! And as always, look Into the Sunset for a brand new day.

MyBoys

September 10, 2009

Hang on and enjoy the ride!

Filed under: All My Posts,Farm Life,Horse Talk — Tags: , , , , , , — Dawn @ 2:30 pm

As I watch the leaves turn into fabulous shades of reds and golds, I can only wonder what happened to the summer. Not nearly enough hours were spent in the saddle and I feel like I am frantically grabbing the tail end of a rope being tugged from my grasp. Falling leaves are all too closely followed by snow flurries and frigid weather!

My 2-yr. old gelding, Harley has been the star of the show this summer. His antics are continually entertaining and his curiosity is insatiable to the point I wonder if anything will ever be safe from his inquisitive mouth and feet. During a recent fence building project, Harley “helped” by picking up the log chain with his mouth. He played Ring Around the Rosie by circling around the skid steer and climbing the mound of fresh dirt brought in to fill holes. He even sacked himself out with my son’s jacket…humorous until Kyle remembered his cell phone was in the pocket. After a brief game of tug of war, jacket and cell phone were safe from Harley’s grasp.

Ponying sessions with patient Eddie at the helm are met with Harley playing bulldozer with his nose leaving tracks in the loose gravel along the roads. Obviously Harley also thinks he has to help carry part of Eddie’s burden by holding Ed’s tail or lead rope in his mouth as we take our ride. With Harley’s personality, I’ve tried tailoring his training sessions to meet his curious nature. I’m continually in search of new objects and games to show him which are always met with reactions like “Can I taste it?” “Can I move it with my feet?” It is rare this bold pony shows fear. The trust and bond formed between Harley and me through these sessions are now helping with his first rides under saddle.

Harley isn’t the only student on the farm. This highly intuitive horse has required me to hone my body language skills neglected from years of handling more forgiving elderly horses. Whether it’s the older and wiser theory setting in or perhaps it’s just due to the knowledge that I don’t bounce as well as I used to in the game of horseback riding and spills, my own self confidence and trust seems to have waned through the years. Through watching this young horse test and build his own skills, I have been able to rebuild my self confidence.

In the game of life, according to Harley, we all need to take that “What if” out of the equation and meet each new venture with eagerness and anticipation. Turn off that nasty voice in your head which asks “What if he spooks?” “What if he bucks?” “What if I get hurt?” Ask instead “Can I taste it?” ‘Can I do it?” and embrace each new experience as a wonderful gift. Learn to trust yourself and your horse and turn your life into a joyful game. By doing so, you’ll be able to grasp the tail end of that rope and hang on for a wonderful ride Into the Sunset no matter what the season is.

August 14, 2009

I am a Mean Mom!

Filed under: All My Posts,Family and Friends,Farm Life,Horse Talk,Humorous Ponderings — Tags: , , , , , — Dawn @ 1:32 pm

I am a Mean Mom! Just ask my son Kyle how mean I was when he was growing up. I’d torment him by making him clean his room, eat his supper, brush his teeth and the list goes on. But one day, after he spent time chaperoning some young kids at a function, he came up to me with the astounding statement “Thank you for being a Mean Mom!” He finally realized the importance of discipline after spending time with kids who did not grow up with Mean Moms!

One of my fondest papers Kyle brought home from early grade school days was one he wrote about home life. And I quote in my sweet little boy pencil scrawled lingo, “Do not complain you are bored because Mom will give you more work to do!” Ah yes, I am a truly Mean Mom!!

My mean streak goes beyond my poor abused son… cats, dogs and yes even horses fall prey to my rules and regulations of how to behave throughout life. Many years ago, I had a wonderful Springer Spaniel named Megan. Megan had one vice – a love for garbage and that love happened as soon as I walked out the front door. She loved to tip the garbage pail over and then proceed to chew everything into pieces and scatter it across the kitchen floor…especially wonderful when there were coffee grounds and egg shells to mix in with the mess. Mean Mom finally broke that messy habit by placing poor little Megan into the garbage pail and telling her to stay! Whether it was the humiliation of it all or the fact the garbage suddenly wasn’t inviting after spending a whole 5 minutes sitting in the mess my Mean Mom tactics finally won and the garbage and my clean kitchen was safe from the garbage monster!

My horses have experienced Mean Mom also. Old Al quickly discovered he is not allowed to chase the other horses from my scratches or he would be chased away by the Mean Mom and not receive any attention at all. He also learned that if he did not behave while being ridden, he would have to work the dreaded circle pattern for “Hours!” Zippy learned that Mean Mom was much worse than the feared WATER. He found it amazing how Mean Mom never got mad, we just worked and worked until darn it…how the heck did she get me to stand in this puddle?

Being such a perfect boy, Harley hasn’t seen Mean Mom emerge too often but when the sunscreen for his pink nose comes out, he quickly discovered Mean Moms don’t get mad….but they do win out in the end so he might as well give in right away and let it happen. Harley recently decided that he saw absolutely no point in stepping into the trailer. He wasn’t scared, he wasn’t even particularly upset at my command to step up…he just stood at the gate and thought he would wait me out. Well Mean Mom emerged and made Harley work away from the trailer at backing, lunging and various other jobs until he decided inside the trailer was the one spot he didn’t have to work.

Yes, I am a Mean Mom but I love my “kids” and my kids love me! When I see the confidence and skills built by the hard work and respect Mean Mom demands, maybe being mean isn’t so bad – especially when it’s followed by lots of love and praise.

May 23, 2009

Giving Thanks

Filed under: All My Posts,Family and Friends,Horse Talk,On the Serious Side — Tags: , , , , , , — Dawn @ 10:52 pm

A double rainbow exploded with vibrant prismatic colors upon dark indigo rain clouds. In the glow of the setting sun, trees and grass lush with spring growth enhanced the pallet of colors with their soft pale and deepening greens. A crab apple tree’s pure white blossoms with its sweet spicy scent mingled with the aroma of fresh rainfall enriching my senses so long deprived by a cold winter.

It seems I have never seen such a splendid springtime in my life. Is it so beautiful and lush because of the excessive moisture of the previous fall and spring? Or is this spring so much more precious because of the harsh weather conditions and the turmoil faced in the past 9 months? One thing I do know for certain, this spring I have thanked God for each and every sunny day and every gale force wind that helped dry the soil. Thanks are given for the freshly planted fields of corn soon to sprout in the fertile earth, dark with recent tillage and smelling of rich intoxicating earth scent.

I also thank God daily for my family and friends – near and far, you are all angels bearing faith, healing, hope and laughter. I am eternally grateful to all of you and want to thank you for bearing with me during my time of loss. Your words of sympathy from so many corners of the world strengthened me and helped ease my troubled soul.

After the loss of Al, I mourned deeply…so deep I was not sure if it would end. I let my tears flow freely but I also pushed myself to ride and work with my other horses, knowing full well their strength would help me heal. Now I find myself feeling hopeful anticipation, excitement and a profound thankfulness for all that is about me. Al is still performing his miracles from above.

I feel a deeper sense of appreciation for each day, each flower, and each blade of grass that turns green with the warming sun. The noisy chatter of the birds and contrasting silence of the horses as I stand with them scratching their itches fills my ears. Horses have a silent language which speaks loudly of their desires and feelings. The pleasure of just the right spot being scratched shown by an outstretched head and quivering lip to the evil eye of Harley as he begrudgingly lets me rub suntan lotion onto his pink sunburned nose. I laugh at his glare and he forgives me when I apologize with a hug and a scratch.

Today, I found the strength to read my words written shortly after Al’s death and once again the tears flowed freely. Words my son said a few years ago came to mind. We had just had to put JD down, out first horse we had owned for 23 years. That day, I questioned why I have animals as I become so attached and the loss is so hard on me. Kyle remarked kindly, “Mom, that is what makes you the person you are.” Yes the loss is hard, but all the years of love, care and kindness makes me whole…it makes me ME.

I am a firm believer that people such as all of you (and my animals) enter your life for a reason…. you are God-sent angels who supported me and carried me during my time of need. I am back on the right path and being guided by the hand of God towards an unknown destination – one which I go to freely and eagerly. So many wonderful things await me and time is precious. There is much to do.
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