love has no pride

The horse hasn't been out and about much lately because of the extremely cold weather choosing instead to hang on in the barn except to nibble on the hay roll or lick a hole through the ice in his trough. There was a roll delivered Tuesday and my brother stopped by to check things out the next day and noticed it hadn't been messed with so he went to the barn to find that ornery old Pride who chased many a dog and entertained scores of golfers had passed onto horse heaven. He's about 25 and was looking poorly so I guess the cold got him. Bubba said folks have been losing cows and calves left and right as well. In this part of the country, February is usually at least half pre-spring. Last year I had buttercups by this time. They are still low in the ground barely peeking through the icy soil. When we moved here there was a horse called BAbyGirl who had a son named Trapper. Pride came to live later on as a pasture rental type deal and never left. My BG came home to find Trap dead in the pasture by the mailbox one day. I remember at that time thinking that the landscape would be changing more and more often and it has. Pride grieved for a year or more over the loss of his road dog. The only out buildings that remain are the barn behind my house and the big dairy barn with silos down the road. Most of the older houses are gone with the exception of the three rentals of which two are almost a hundred. When this land was purchased by a man from St Louis who had made a fortune selling (of all things) rain gear to the US government for the soldiers during that first world war.

As tales go, the silos were built in the 20's and an elderly black man who lived across from my homeplace was in on the building of it. His family to this day still holds the land that they got from him and continue to farm and raise their families like their mamas and daddies before them. I honestly wouldn't know what to do if I couldn't look out over something as beautiful as this landscape at the beginning and end of the day. It is familiar in a way that brings comfort from knowing the sweet spots and the places to avoid where mr. snake might be lurking dangerously. The fishing hole off the river back there is where ducks live and wild things do their nature dance 24/7. The sunset bluff on which Harry's golf course was planned is still there standing tall and proud behind the special needs home at the dead end. My daddy took me fern hunting back there one day and I was overwhelmed with the flora to be found in deeply shaded areas. ALSO where mr snake lurks but I watch my step. As long as I can see my feet it's all good.

I have three days scheduled off and I'm holding my breath that somebody doesn't have a major life event because I'd love to catch up on some rest. Speaking of which I got a call from Shannah this mornin' telling me that she and Booger fell on the ice trying to get in the car and as it turns out his ankle is broken. Boo and bummer. He's been a trooper though and made several fans at the hospital in the ER, lab and radiology. Cute babies are a chick magnet, by the way.

Later ^j^