I Miss My Friend

As pet owners and animal lovers we all experience loss.  My first two pets were a bunny named Thumper and a cat named Junior.  The bunny was killed by a dog in front of me, the cat ran away to the neighbors.  I was somewhere around 5 at the time.  When my papa culled cows I always told them I was sorry, I thanked them for being good to us and told them I'd never forget them.  I would promptly go home and write about them in my little diary.  I sat high in the barn watching in fascination as my grandpa, papa, uncle and assorted family and friends butchered steers that we had raised.  When I was 8 or 9 our Akita ran off with my dads little cowdog pup Queenie.  He took her up the mountain and she never found her way home.  I remember sitting upstairs staring up the road, every day believing that would be the day she came home.  I cried intensely when my dad sold his Thoroughbred mare Sunset.  I loved her and thought with childish conviction that she was the greatest horse there ever was.  When in reality, she wasn't tough enough to be a mountain horse and more often than not threw her rider.

There's been so many losses over the years, mostly cats due to the big cats that frequent our area.  It's the last five losses, two in particular that hurt the most.  It's always harder to lose an animal before they're old.  My papa's amazing Heeler Butte got ran over last year.  The year before that my best friend Fanncie ate too much hide, got compacted and ran off to die.  The fall before that my cat Puss died of smoke inhalation.  My favorite big, red mare Dallie was killed earlier that spring and my little Chiweener Lil'Anne got ran over the summer before that.  You may find this all quite morbid indeed, but the best way to keep their memories alive is to talk about them.

Dallie and Fanncie were by far my closest loves.  For me animals have always been more than pets, their existence more meaningful than words can describe.  They helped me through many a slump.  My big mare dumped me several times, but I fell more and more in love with her every time I rode her.  Hell, I even hauled her all the way to Colorado with me for a summer.  Fanncie and I had an unrivaled bond, her being my first dog.  I got her at the Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale my junior year of highschool.  I took her out to the pickup where she curled up on my shoulders in my hair and slept.  As a puppy she once pooped in the back of my Chemistry class.  As an adult she kept many a man at bay, chasing a few completely out of my house.  She wasn't exactly friendly at first site.  At 30 lbs she wasn't big, but she was aggressive, fierce and always protective of me.  Carrying or not, I always felt safe with her around.  I once took her into a Rest Area bathroom with me because it was the middle of the night and I wasn't about to be pounced on.  She tangled with a coyote, had many a row with other dogs, had her face shut in a pick-up door and took many a hit by bulls and cows alike.  Scars, broken teeth and tattered ears she was an adorable little dingo looking dog.  She was wicked tough and snake mean, I couldn't have loved her more.  My heart broke as much for the loss of her as it did losing my ex-fiance. 

Fanncie and Butte lie together in death much the same as they ran together in life.  A team to be reckoned with.  Dallie's buried out in the feedlot alongside our other fallen equines.  Puss and Lil'Anne were buried together under a maple in the backyard.  They're not alone even though they're gone.

Animals simply don't live as long as we do.  Death is a part of life, an important lesson many of us learned in the Lion King.  Each and every animal I've had has left its mark on my heart.  Some hurt more to think about than others.  We learn and grow, taking a little something from every experience.  As long as puppies and foals are being born I'll continue to let them into my heart.  Tears will be shed every bit as much as love and joy will be felt.

XO Loves,

Me

Horses and Souls

“When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes. ”
― William Shakespeare, Henry V  

This quote quite perfectly describes what I feel when I'm with horses.  I'm a friendly person, but I'd rather spend time watching and working horses than wandering around large crowds of humans.  Throughout the past several years, horses have gotten me through some tough times.  The horses themselves were sometimes tough, but it gave me something else to think about.  Something to put all my energy into, to concentrate on and wear myself out over.  When I'm on a horse, or working with a colt, my mind is blank.  My heart rate slows, my breathing calms, I lose all inhibitions, worry, stress and pain.  Its just me and them.  Horses have forever calmed my soul.  I don't know exactly what they feel, I can't talk to them.  But I can change their body to change their mind.  The moment when they drop their head, lick their lips and soften their eye always satisfies me.  Even if we don't accomplish anything else, I know for that period of time they let me see them.  For that moment I feel as though our souls connected.  So, tonight I thought I'd share some photos of the horses that are currently helping me to forget.

Friends

I'd like to start this post off with a little quote.  I can't remember it word for word, but this is how I recall it:  Friends are like leaves, found everywhere: True friends are like diamonds, precious and rare.  This saying has stuck with me my entire life.  I remember reading it time and time again off of a plate at my grandparents house.

I've had a lot of friends throughout my short life.  Some good, some bad, but I've learned something from them all.  They've all played a part in making me the person I am today.  Some I miss, some I wish I never met.  Some are gone, some are still apart of my life.

I'm loud.  I like to laugh, a lot.  I smile too big.  My friends?  They laugh at me.  And I make them loud too.  Overwhelming is occasionally mentioned.  I find myself occasionally being very attached to my friends.  The result, I end up acting like them.  Which is definitely not always a good thing.  Best friends are very important for girls.  But I've grown.  And I've realized that not every friend is best friend worthy.  Some friends are just 3 gallons of crazy!

Friends can be taxing, emotionally draining, hurtful, encouraging, supportive and exciting.  Some friends are a couple of these things, some are all of the above.  No matter what, they all played a major part in our lives at some time.  So even though we've said good bye to some, would like to forget some and some are still playing vital roles in our todays, we should all say Thank You.  Thank You for being my leaves and diamonds....



Xoxo Loves,

Me

Lies & Frustration

I remember several things from when I was little. 
1. Always look people in the eye when being chastized
2. Never betray a loved one's trust, because once destroyed, it's near impossible to re-gain.

The first lesson has served me quite well.  Throughout my childhood, many adults have been taken aback at my direct eye contact during uncomfotable situations.  Apparently they expected to see another hang-dog dejected child with eyes lowered to the ground...

The second I've always felt is the most important lesson in life.  My papa taught me to be loyal until betrayed.  And that's just what I've done.  Many times I've dug in my heels, backing up a friend.  Defending their position on any issue.  Very rarely have I taken the correct side in those issues :s  While being trustworthy, honest and loyal, I apparently am also extremely gullible.

It's my main source of frustration.  What kind of friend or lover sabotages a pure trust?  After many "break-ups", (not all of the romantic sort) I've become wary and distrusting of most.  To the point where I may have subconsciously pushed away the love of my life.  I'm not sure when the loyal, trusting little girl, lost her faith in humanity.  It seems like now I tend to distrust before I trust.  I'm not completely jaded mind you, I do have some good friends, and always good family!  But the children of my general generation have mostly lost the morals and values of old.  Nowadays, lies and deceit are more commonly expected than truth and honesty.  It's amazing that I've actually lost friends because I expected them to be honest with me.  Can you believe that???

Since my last 'mistake', I've done some reading.  And misunderstanding seems to be the cause of most lies.  One party simply doesn't know how to convey their feelings to the other.  A type of panic sets in, and complete idiocy comes out, rather than the truth.  Then when either, or both parties become upset, words are spoken in anger and haste.  It is true that words are just words.  And we commonly say hurtful things to those we love in an effort to hurt them like they've hurt us.

This is a very toxic tactic for any relationship.  But unfortunately, very common.  How do we change this disasterous downward trend?  I believe that marriages 120 years ago were more successful due to the respect men had for women.  We were reveered, loved, cherished and praised.  We were the givers of life and therfore demanded respect.  Divorce wasn't an option and not something taken lightly.

I'm not adverse to divorce these days.  Sometimes we simply make the wrong decision that day at the alter.  But it all comes back to men not fully respecting women.  If either side wouldn't lie or play games, the business of ultimate trust would be much easier indeed!

So come now, it's easy, as simple as telling the truth....  Will we ever have the luxary of being the loyal trusting little girls we once were???

You will know the truth
and the truth will set
you free.
John 8:32

That's all for now my pretties

XO

Me