Smiles and tears

It's always a mixture, isn't it?  Life is never simple, nor is it dull.  There are pleasures that bring the smiles, and there are the heartaches that cause the pain and the tears.  I guess that's just the way it is.  On this planet anyway.  I do look forward to the day when we're living in heaven, on the new earth, where there will be no more sadness and no more tears.  I look forward to seeing my mom and dad, my grandma, and the grandparents I was never fortunate enough to meet.  And so many friends, relatives and animals whom I have loved dearly.  Yes, I'm looking forward to that...very much. 

But, until then...life goes on.  I see that once again, I have been remiss in posting with any regularity on my blog.  The days just seem to fly by, and I so easily lose track of the days.  One after the other, they pass so quickly.  This has been a lovely summer to me.  I've heard so many people complain about our weather, the lack of sunshine and hot temperatures so common to so many other summers.  But I've been enjoying our sunny, cooler than usual weather.  Mostly, the days have been pleasant and warm, some grey and some rain.  I can appreciate that.  Especially when I watch the news and see what's been going on weather-wise in the majority of the country elsewhere.  Temperatures in the hundreds, massive flooding, tornadoes and such?  We are truly blessed here in the pacific northwest.  We complain and we have absolutely no reason to do so.  So, I for one, am very, very thankful for our summer.  I just hope it sticks around for a good, long while. 

Remember this girl?  This is our old gal..."Frosted Siri L"  She turned 29 years young on January 31, 2011
and this is our grandson David, who's 10 years old and loves Siri madly...

He'd spend all day long in the barn or hanging out with her in the pasture if he was able.  Well, Dave came out and spent 10 days with us when we took some vacation time the end of June and the first part of July.  We took a bunch of pictures of him and Siri spending time with each other.  I'm so thankful that we got that time and those pictures, because our sweet old girl passed away on July 13, 2011.  She was in good spirits when I turned her loose in the apple orchard pasture with the rest of the horses, and about 2 hours later, we had to have her euthanized for an apparent fatty lypoma that strangulated her small intestine.  It was intensely painful  and unbelievably fast.  Here one moment, and gone the next.  It certainly took us by surprise, and left us with no alternative than to say good-bye to our dear friend.  We buried her near the apple tree the following day, along with so many other animal friends whom we've loved over the years.  I'm so very thankful we were home and able to be with her when she needed us the most...so thankful for that.  We're going to miss her, and her sassy attitude, and her worrisome nature over her herdmates.  She was a treasure and we loved her.  It was especially touching to see how each one of the horses personally said their good-byes to her.  And some people don't believe that animals love one another and grieve over the loss of herdmates.  I'm here to tell you that they do. 

R.I.P. "Frosted Siri L"  1/31/82 - 7/13/11  Thanks for the memories!!  It's been a pleasure and a blessing spending time with you!! 

If you ever get the chance to read a little book titled the "Ghost Wind Stallion" , I'd recommend it highly.  I forget who the author is, but it's narrated by an old Nez Perce Indian named George Long Grass.  The story is about Siri's ancestors and a particular line of horses that were highly regarded by the Nez Perce Tribe.  I read it, quite by accident, and was startled to discover that I was looking at Siri's lineage exactly duplicated.  She had noble ancestry.

In more recent events, we attended the Central Oregon Wild Horse Expo at the Brasada Ranch last weekend near Prineville, Oregon.  What beautiful country and what a gorgeous ranch!  I'd move there in a New York minute!!  It's considered high desert with beautiful mountain ranges all around.  You can see Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, The 3 Sisters, Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top, and Black Butte from beautifully green, lush pastures brimming with beef cattle and beautiful horses.  My kind of country.  Anyway, there was a wild horse adoption, vendors, demonstration of all kinds, a competitve trail ride, a horse show for wild bred Mustangs and clinics going on.  Very entertaining!  We had a blast!

Remember this guy??

This is "Eagle" - the Mustang that I saw a picture of on a friend's Facebook page over a year ago.  I included him in a blog posting quite a while back.  I admitted that I was enamored of him, and quite honestly have never been able to get him out of my mind completely since then. 

Well...I found out that Kate (the FB friend) was going to be judging one of the trail courses at the wild horse expo, and...quite innocently enough asked her if she was perchance thinking of bringing Eagle along.  And, she sent me an e-mail that stated that yes, she would bring Eagle with me in mind.  My heart started beating madly...and guess what!!?? 

I met him, I got to spend time with him, and I got to show him in-hand at the expo!!!!

I'm quite madly head-over-heels, in love with this horse!!!!

Right from the first, if you'd have asked me just what exactly that it was that had me so smitten with this particular bay horse...I'd have probably said, "something in his eyes, his expression"...and that's still the case.  I believe this horse is an old soul, a true gentleman and oh so very, very kind.  I get all emotional and my eyes tear up just looking at him and being near him.  I think he wants to please, feel safe, and be loved...and that's it. 

I'm a goner.

And then I find out he's led a very sad life.  He wasn't loved or valued at all.  He's got whip marks on his body.  Apparently, he was captured as a 2-3 year old in the Warm Springs Herd Management Area of central Oregon.  He was adopted through BLM to someone in the Roseburg, Oregon area.  Apparently, he was beaten, and it was savagely enough that at 11 years of age, the scars are still evident.  Bloody hell!!!!!  I can't even imagine...and as if that weren't enough; his owners were what Kate refers to as "dopers" who then sold him to the Winston Wildlife Safari to be used as cat meat.  Wow...thankfully, someone with a kind heart at the safari made a phone call to someone in the Strawberry Mountain Horse Rescue and said they had a horse there, who was obviously too nice of a horse to be cut up and fed to the wild cats.  That person came and picked Eagle up, and that's how he ended up with the Central Oregon Wild Horse Coallition and owned by my friend, Kate.  Long story, short...before long, I will more than likely be the very proud new mom and forever caretaker of the magnificent "Eagle". 

The beginning...

**happy dance***

:)   Cingspots 


You just never know where life will lead...