Spring Fever

I am so embarrassed to realize that I haven't posted anything since last year! Obviously either there wasn't anyone "out there" really following, or I lost what followers there were, or I am so fabulous that my followers are willing to wait patiently just in case I decide to drop some golden prose their way. I prefer to believe the latter, if you don't mind.

Now that I am just a "pet person" again instead of being a "professional horse person" I find that the daily routines with our horses really ARE different. It's a big change to go from having 20 horses to keep clean, fed, watered and happy to only having two (and of course, Tucker the donkey who requires zero maintenance and is just about the coolest equine to ever draw breath!)

Whisper the Wonder horse naturally stayed with me. Whither I goest, there Whisper shall go also. We had planned for him to be part of our wedding last month, but Mother Nature sent a tornado into our corner of Alabama instead of the bright sunny blue skies I had specifically ordered (my complaints to Her customer service department have gone unanswered). So, since Whisper wouldn't fit in our living room, where the wedding party finally took place, he had to be content with just being told about it, instead of taking part. I don't think he minded too much. Although he does like the taste of lavender.

Jazz Man is still with us. And I can't wait to be back on his back again for one of those famous Cadillac rides. I can't believe how long it's been since I've had my butt in a saddle. Almost 2 years. What with one health problem after another (of mine, Whisper and Jazz are as healthy as a... uhm... horse) there just hasn't been a good time to saddle up and hit the trails.

But, even if neither of us ever set butt in saddle again, these two will be sharing our life. On bad days, giving Whisper a hug or working on the perpetual tangles in Jazz's mane seems to make everything better.

I wish everyone could understand the peace that comes from spending time with animals. Especially these big-hearted big-bodied guys. Some of the best days of my life have been spent with a new rescue horse who understands how special positive attention actually is. I think the rescue aspect is the thing I miss most of having the stable. I am proud to say that over the short period of time that we were in business, we gave a life to over a dozen horses who would have been dog food had we not intervened. And each one of them has gone on to a permanent home where they are loved and adored and will never know fear again.

Unless Mother Nature sends another tornado our way.