Thursday Thoughts—#65
The Daily Game of Hide n’ Seek
I play hide n’ seek everyday with Duke. I never thought ‘finding’ a black horse out the field as challenging. Well, I am wrong. Were it not for his white socks he would be nearly impossible to spot.
A close eye is kept on the horses throughout the day. They can get in the most uncanny trouble. A friend once said, “You could put a horse in a padded stall, and he’d still find some way to hurt himself.”
Duke rolled too close to the board fence one pleasant afternoon and caught his hind legs between the bottom and middle boards of the fence. With hammer in hand we were prepared to remove the boards. As we stood by him quietly he got himself out of that mess with only a few scratches, and a small limp.
He disappears then reappears in the field as if by magic. Our two black miniature horses are the same way, but they do not cover as much ground the way Duke does. They tend to stay in much the same grazing space.
The pretty white shining star on his forehead is also a beacon of light in our daily game of hide n’ seek. Last but surly not least, is snow. He is always a dead give away in snow!
Can you find Duke?
He cannot hide when it snows!
The Tennessee Walking horse is a beautiful, well-tempered, smooth riding Gaited horse. He is our senior horse. I still ride him, though not far or long. I would have a whole field of this breed of horse if I could!
Thursday Thoughts—#64
Five Minute Friday Writing Prompt—Replace
I suppose there is a little gypsy in all of us? Why do I think I need to travel to experience joy over where God has planted me? Oh, to take a trip somewhere…how grand that would be, I find myself thinking.
But this past week-end re-opened my eyes. My daughter’s baby shower was held here at my house. Hosted by my long-time best friend and her most capable, energetic daughter. How precious and dear it was. The room was full of so much love I could hardly contain it.
Where could I ever find a place to replace that joy, love and caring that came from these lovely ladies? There is no place I could go to replace these moments in life. My heart is full. Glory!
Thursday Thoughts—#63
Five Minute Friday Writing Prompt—Moment
Wherever you are–be there.
I came across this thought a while ago and have held it in my heart ever since. It reminds me to live and be in the moments of life I find myself, sans the distractions that try to fill my days.
The cell phone is a daily culprit for keeping me from being there in my moments of life. Often I have found myself on it while ‘visiting’ with a friend, spending time with family, or sometimes out walking the dogs. Really? I ask myself. Just exactly where am I? Truth is I am on my cell phone.
I am allowing that device to steal my moments. Not anymore. It is put out of sight. It will not boss me or the precious times of my day. I will control it, not visa versa.
Wherever you are–be there.
Faith, Love and Hope
Faith, love and hope go a long way in this world. Even in the life of a little chicken named Sally Lind.
Chickens and horses get along well together around the barn. Chickens follow the horses around while grazing. They eat the bugs the horses stir up. They help compost the manure in the way they scratch through it looking for worms. It is a good set-up for the most part.
Horses move incredibly fast and sometimes even too fast for a busy chicken. High Hope came tearing into the paddock last week at feeding time, and Sally Lind was busy scratching around. She got stomped by High Hope.
I was in the barn and heard her squawk. She quickly limped into a corner of a stall and sat down. She was hurt.
I gently picked her up. No blood, her wings looked and felt fine. Nothing seemed too wrong, she just limped. I put her in the coop.
I called a good friend and long time chicken owner for instruction on culling her. But held onto hope, faith and love. She would eat when I set her in front of food and water. I kept her quiet and away from all activity and other animals.
About five days later I was prepared to ask my husband to cull her out the flock when I noticed a tiny improvement in her limp.
She steadily improved and now nearly two weeks later, she is fine and out with all of us! Such joy!
Yes, faith, love and hope go a long way in this world. Even with little chickens!
Lesson learned? Clear the paddock of all chickens before calling the horses in!
Thursday Thoughts #62
Thursday Thoughts #61
Barn Art?
I saw my first ‘barn art’ cheerfully hanging years ago in an older gals’ barn. She invited me to horseback ride with her once she observed I knew a few things about horses. Being a Clarke County horsewoman that rode with the Blue Ridge Hunts, not any ‘ole yahoo would be riding with her or on her horses. It was a joy and delight when she invited me to join her.
Many visits were spent before she invited me to call her by her first name or go horseback riding with her. Really, the only reason I was able to meet her was because of her massive grapevine laden with grapes and a mutual friend.
She was interested in giving her grapes away. Our mutual friend thought of me. Sometimes friendships take a while, don’t they? A fine friendship grew between me, a young mother with five rambunctious children and a lovely older woman who enjoyed life with her husband, dogs and horses.
It was her stable where I first saw barn art. Cute, hand painted signs about horses and dogs of course.
I do not have a photo of the first ‘art’ we hung in our barn years ago, painted by my daughter. I left it there when we moved. I’ve often wondered if it is still there.
Our barn here is much larger than the old one, so I have had great fun hanging my ‘art’ in it. Won’t you join me on a little tour?
Thank you for joining me.
one_local_gal 