Saturday Slight

 

Ahhh!  A full night's sleep and a beautiful Saturday ahead. 

Both have energized me this morning.  It will be invigorating to feel somewhat normal and charge into an array of outdoor fall tasks.

We have missed some of the highlights of autumn, but Mother Nature has allowed it to stick around long enough to marvel at the colors and breathe the crisp fall air.

I told my sister Laurie yesterday that I'll be enjoying a comparatively-speaking "laid-back" mode, mentally anyway, now that our long-sought and seemingly unattainable adventure has ended. 

Along with the trip to Ireland came more than enough stress:  organizing to be gone from the Lovestead for 16 days, wrapping up essential writing projects to clear my mind for full-fledged vacation and, most of all,  DETAILS.

The DETAILS of our trip seemed endless and uncertain until we finally boarded that last flight from Chicago to Spokane Thursday evening. All we had left was to worry about was avoiding the deer on Selle Road.  

I realized yesterday, while listening to my sister Laurie share some of the DETAILS that they've had to address for their trip to the U.S. Arabian Nationals, that humans these days must respect regulations for traveling through borders much like horses do. 

For years, the twice yearly Coggins test and the annual brand inspection have dominated any situation where horse owners plan take their horses across state lines for shows or sales or such. 

After last night's conversation, I have to say that Covid travel rules for International travel do remind me very much of life in the horse-transport world.  

All good and all meant for the safety of the travelers and anyone with whom they come in contact. 

I have just this morning talked with my other sister Barbara and wished her a fond farewell on their 18-day cross-country journey, which officially begins about the time I publish this post. 

Barbara, Laurie, my brother Kevin from Frenchtown, Mont., our family friend Roxzene from Bayview and their Arabian club friend Denise from Spokane take off today on a four-day drive to Tulsa, Okla. 

 

Two horses, Barbara's Dusty and Roxzene's Eddy, will travel with them to the show. 

Over the past months and weeks, this group has also dealt through a detail-oriented barrage of preparations, including practice, practice, practice with the horses, getting ready to be gone from their ranch, setting up horse and peeps accommodations, registering for national classes, paying entry fees, getting vet checks, having horses shod and groomed and, yes, the list goes on. 

FYI:  Barbara took Dusty in 2017 to the Tulsa show and literally and figurative, walked away with a national championship in the trail class.

Sister Barbara after she won the Arabian National Championship in trail back in 2017.  She's hoping for a repeat.  

This time Roxzene has signed on for Nationals to show her horse in trail and showmanship.  Laurie will also show Dusty in several classes throughout the show which begins next week and lasts for several days. 

Once again, our family members and friends will be realizing a long-awaited dream of returning to what they love best.  

The trip, starting today, is very different from the one Bill and I just took to Ireland, but it involves many of the same components----a vision of something wonderful, goal setting, camaraderie, sight-seeing and simply the ultimate satisfaction that dreams really can come true again, even with all the frustrations leading up to them. 

Like our trip, Barbara and Laurie will have fun documenting the highlights along the way with pictures and personal observations of all aspects of their experience.  

And, of course, I'll point you toward their postings. 

Best of luck, Barbara, Laurie, Kevin, Roxzene and Denise.  It will be fun to sit back and enjoy you all as you have the time of your lives. 

And, of course, safe travels. 

On another topic, the pictures I've included are some taken in Kildare and in Dublin on Wednesday. 

I have another set from our Wednesday travels in the Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin, which will probably be posted tomorrow. 

Happy Saturday. 

I can still hear dear Monsignor Tim O'Donovan's soft melodic voice when he told me over the phone one day of his annual association with actress Maureen O'Hara, who was born in Ireland and died in Boise a few years ago. 

Somehow, the two made contact with each other, and for several years, exchanged birthday cards.  Fr. Tim was quite pleased with that association.

Yes, I thought of Fr. Tim when we rolled past this display on a Dublin street this week. 

Miss that sweet man who meant so much to our family.