Out and About and Remembering . . . .

Some people complain about how cold it is, but I love it!  If we have to have winter, I'll take days like yesterday any time. 

It was a great day for doing outdoor projects and a wonderful day for just being outdoors.  Yesterday also marked the first trip for the pups and me over to the Meserve Preserve.  And, this morning I have to include a "thank you" note.

Dear Stan and Geneva,

Thank you so much for letting us invade your beautiful piece of property.  Yes, it is dotted with a summers' worth of cow pies from Bert Wood's cow herd, but we all know how to step around them.  Besides, they're frozen.

That makes it kind of hard for some of us who love to ROLL in them and soak up all that lovely bovine aroma.  But we don't think our human friend minds that too much.  We've heard her gasp and watched her plug her nose when we come into the garage with a newly acquired odor.

So, maybe it's good that the cow pies have turned rock solid during our visits.

We had enough to do without worrying about rolling in manure.  For example, Foster found a nice bone and kept it all to himself when we returned to the Lovestead.  We knew better than to try to steal it from him.

We all loved sniffing along the pond and the little stream that flows into it.  And, we all enjoyed a run through your woods.  We're kinda scared of those logs you put over the stream, so we got wet, splashing through the creek on our return trip from the woods to the open field.

We ran so hard yesterday afternoon that we had to take naps once we had the afternoon "biscuit time," which is her way of luring us in and then locking us up in the dog run. 

For once, we were too tired to line up by the gate, looking longingly at her while Foster whimpered that high-pitched whine.  He thinks she'll get tired of it and come and let us out.  Never works!

Anyway, thanks so much for letting us romp on your place.  We all appreciate the open fields, the freedom and the hope of a day when cow pies will thaw and we can stink up the Lovestead.

Kiwi, Kea, Foster, Todd and Brooke.

In addition to the dogs' trip to the Meserve Preserve, I enjoyed a drive over to the Pack River General Store for coffee and chocolate.  Also picked up a pork burrito for Bill.  On my way home, I stopped by the swimming hole on Colburn Culver and snapped a couple of shots.

I also stopped for a moment at my parents' grave, where the head stone is now complete, showing both their birth dates and the dates of their passing.

Today marks ten years since we said good bye to our dad, Harold, and it seems like just yesterday.  They are there together now and their memories remain so vivid. 

Harold's memory is also etched in the history of the Appaloosa Horse Club, as evidenced by this famous photo of him and Appaloosa legend (Mr. Appaloosa) George Hatley.

They won the matched pairs class at the first ever National Appaloosa Show, and Harold later took home the big loot, riding Toby I to the performance championship.

We, his family, remember him for so much more, and it's surely a beautiful day to think about him and how he influenced us all.

Happy Thursday and GO ZAGS!