Today, I went to Franklin County (south of the Missouri River) for a day with Florence. I idolized Florence when I was young, now she is a good friend. She is a brilliant writer and a fascinating character. Having recently had cataract surgery, she cannot drive, so we ran some errands and had a delicious lunch. It was a glorious Spring day. I arrived from the north, and we drove out to the south, where I saw some shocking storm damage from the weather recently. No wonder so many people were concerned for us! The tornadoes missed us completely, but they came very close to Florence, and there was extensive damage to see, as we drove to Pacific. I wasn’t able to take any good pictures, but I snapped some from the car.
Florence has only two horses now – Blitz, who is ancient and lame, and Jackson, who appreciates his good fortune in being Florence’s trail horse. She also has three lovely dogs – Rita, Beamer, and Emma. That was all the photography I had time for today. At home, my horses had a pleasant day, and were happy to relax in the sunshine, with no wind and no pictures.
As I drove back through Franklin County on my way home, I saw a rare sight – happy piglets roaming and playing in a field, as pigs should be allowed to do. I stopped the car and snapped a quick picture. It doesn’t do justice to the joy of those pigs, and my delight in seeing them outdoors together.
When I got home to clean stalls, Rosie insisted on “helping”. As evidenced by the shavings all over her.
Eddy runs exuberantly every day, rejoicing in his own speed, and delighting us with his enthusiasm for life. We are so lucky!
Today would have been Ann Miller Roth’s 74th birthday. We had plans for what we would do when we got old. I was the only one who actually made it to the status of old. Ann died in 1988. She is never far from my thoughts.
The redbuds are blooming, state tree of Missouri. Dogwoods will not be far behind.
Be safe, be well, be grateful. Be kind, and stay strong. Slava Ukraini! Peace…
It’s a blessing in having such good friends!
As we age, I treasure my friends and their friendship more and more.
Slava Ukraini!
You and Harry just have the very best friends. I wish I knew them all personally but at least I get to know them through your pictures and comments. Was that photo from the Hillsboro horse show? I used to show saddlebreds at that show and it was so much fun. So many of the wonderful little shows in Missouri are now gone. Plus it was so much more fun when the shows had hunters and jumpers and saddlebreds at the same time. So sad that today so many people don’t get to have the experience of watching people from other breeds or other styles of riding. They just know about the way they do things themselves. It’s a pity.
Such awful damage from the tornadoes. But how nice to see those piglets. We see some on one of our drives, but I so wish they had nice grass to romp on. I always want to rescue them.
Anne, I loved seeing the photos of you on horseback when you were young, You still have that joy and enthusiasm!
It appears that you rode and jumped without a helmut when you were young. I’m surprised that more of that tornado damage wasn’t shown on the news. It looks pretty bad.
I love the way you cherish your relationships with people, pets, and nature. Wish I saw more of you, but grateful you share glimpses into your life.
The daffidols are blooming and tulips are emerging and the sun is shining. Friday marks one year since my dear John crossed the rainbow bridge and I miss him dearly. It was a long winter without him yet I felt him here daily. Am so happy spring is busy arriving. Thank you for coming up to visit me and have our belated New Yers dinner. Your desert was delicious!