Special Horses, Wonderful People, Beautiful Drive

Special Horses, Wonderful People, Beautiful Drive

Howdy Folks,

Ravishin' Robbie and I set out at seven AM yesterday. I had an appointment to visit Traveller's Rest Equine Elders Santuary for an interview for my Heartbeats column in Trail Blazer. Most of my interviews I do on the phone, but when the stories are about People and Horses Helping Horses and People nearby enough, I like to go visit. I really wanted to meet the horses there too. There is something about a senior horse that really gets me. They have a wholly different kind of spirit, and heart. They've seen a lot, done a lot, endured a lot. And the kindness, understanding and lessons they can share are so special. So touching. I wanted to meet Mike and Chris Smith too, the wonderful folks who devote their lives to giving a loving home to these kind and knowing horses. They are a very kind of special too.

The drive from Appomattox to Spotsylvania VA, mostly up route 15 is a delightful drive. It meanders quietly through good scenery, by many horse and cattle farms, and through several neat little towns. Mrs GPS says it should be a two and a half our drive that always seems to take me nearly four. I've been known to pull over to admire the big beautiful maple tree cloaked magnificently in shimmering red leaves, or oaks decked out in yellow with a hundred foot branch-span.

I'll happily swerve onto the road shoulder to gaze at a beautiful horse. Old barns with dilapidated machinery guarding them are things of beauty to me too, and of course worthy of a pause to soak it in. Black Angus cattle, their coats shimmering in the sunlight can often automatically force my geriatric Tahoe to stop.

Any friend of our Coffee Clutch blog knows almost any bird, from Blue Bird to Carolina Wren can stop me, too. You can ask Kessy that one, but that's a story for another day. So yesterday's Great Blue Heron fishing in a small roadside pond, well that was a no brainer.

We did eventually did arrive at our destination, right on time, right behind our dear friend, Karen Lindely who was meeting us to take the pictures for our story. She does really beautiful work. If you'd like to see some of her things, be sure to "friend" her on Facebook.

We all had a simply marvelous visit. Mike and Chris took us all on a leisurely tour of the property and introduced us to each of the 18 horses living there. Housing for elderly horses is so important, and the paddocks or pastures are large with run-ins so we had nice long walks in the pretty sunshine. They told each horse's story, as much as they knew, and I visited with each one, often doing a bit of my Therapy For Therapy Horses exercises. 

Just hanging out in the sun, and lovin' life

Robbie took notes of our conversations for my story, and Karen had those shutters snapping. We were having so much fun, it was hard to leave. But eventually we had to.

The story of what they do there to help aged horses, and how Mike and Chris help guide other folks with senior horses will be in the Jan/Feb issue of Trail Blazer. Be sure to watch for it. Chris' motto is from Seabiscuit, "Just because a horse has a few bumps and scrapes doesn't mean you give up on it."

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

Soft Rain and Lullabies

Gentle rain tapped out a soothing melody on the tin. Chickens preened to fluff their wet feathers, others seemed not to care about their disheveled, soggy look as they scratched at the cracked corn scattered under the picnic table in the barn. Saturday, having apparently spent the night snuggled in the hay room sat beside me, warm and dry. Tigger found my lap the second I settled into my, coffee with Kessy chair. 

Kessy tugged at her hay, her steady munching adding rhythm to the raindrops playing on the roof. The heavy morning air carried the clicity clack, then the whistle of a distant train. A tiny Carolina wren sat on the half wall enjoying the protection of the roof overhang.

There's something tender about a gentle morning rain. Everyone gathering in the barn for shelter, doing what they always do, but somehow it feels sweeter. It's a little darker, sounds travel farther to join us inside, the roosters perch on the half wall to crow, the cats purr, Kessy munches and the rain taps. The soft steady taps on the tin sing us a happy song.

Without warning the rain increased its intensity, changing the tune on the tin from a sleepy lullaby to a hurried whisper, as if setting a new tempo to make a point. The point it did make was to drive the rest of the chickens into the barn, clucking and squawking. Kessy gave them a look that shouted, "If you're going to sing along at least get the words right. And stay out of my hay!" The late comers scattered to the corners to shake, preen and complain. Just as suddenly as the rain picked up the tempo it slowed again, and peace reined in our little cozy world once more.

I think there are few places in the world as embracing as a barn on a warm rainy morning ... Snuggled under a blanket with Ravishin' Robbie watching a good movie on a cold and snowy night is of course the very best … and the way I'm reading the signs of fall, one of those snuggle movie nights can't be too far away. Get your blankets, movies, hot chocolate and sweethearts ready.

Have a wonderful day! ~ Dutch.

Fall Rain & Wet Chickens

Rain pounded the tin roof with a ferocity that set up rumble through the barn that only an earthquake could match. I'd just sat down and poured my first cup of steaming black coffee. Kessy was enjoying her hay, Saturday snuggled tight against the tired old lawn chair that serves as my perch each morning as Kessy, me and the gang enjoy Coffee Clutch. Tigger and Miss Kitty had stayed in the house. I'd needed to hurry a bit through the morning chores, the thick clouds offering plenty of warning the dumping would soon commence.

And dump those dark clouds did when they decided it was time to unload! Buckets of driving rain slammed into the tin with a thud that echoed into the woods. Kessy snorted and spun to look outside, Saturday wiggled under my chair. A dozen soggy chickens raced single file into the barn. Clucking, squeaking and shaking water soaked wings they dashed between Kessy's legs and by my chair then huddled in corners to complain and preen. Water flew in a dozen little clouds as they shook themselves dry. Saturday watched in terror, Kessy never noticed.

It was the first morning this fall cool enough to raise steam off my coffee. It was the first morning we had no hummers at the feeder at the barn, but we did see some later in the day when the clouds parted. It was the first morning cool enough to see Kessy's breath, too.

The rain continued to pound the roof, more chickens found their way to the barn to huddle in the hay room, on the half wall and the picnic table. Saturday found his nerve and crawled out from under my chair. The temperature continued to drop and too soon I had to give up on Coffee Clutch and retreat to the house for my standard Sunday morning breakfast of Ravishin' Robbie's, melt-in-your-mouth waffles, swimming in butter and pure Maple syrup ... Robbie still uses her mother's 60's vintage waffle iron, cloth wrapped cord and all.

It did warm up a little in the afternoon, all the way to 50, and we snuck out for a short ride. A bit muddy, wet and chilly, but by golly the leaves are beginning to show their fall colors already. After I warmed up I was able to rejoin Kessy and the gang in the barn to write for about half an hour. I did more thinking than writing ... No finer place in the world to write, or think, than in the barn. And as long as I'm there Kessy will stay with me. Often she'll lie down and nap. Saturday stays too. The chickens, I don't think really care.

Well, I'm off to Sprouses Corner ranch today. Have a brand new horse and volunteer to introduce to "Therapy For Therapy Horses."

Have a perfect Monday and God Bless!! ~ Dutch

Love is a Wonderful Thing

 I've been asked to move some of my facebook posts over to my blog, because some folks think they're worth reading again … I first posted this in April, and I chose to repost here, because, well Love is a wonderful thing.

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I sat on the porch last night for something over an hour. Alone. Robbie and the grandbabies had gone to the theater for play rehearsal. I sat on the glider only a few moments when the Whippoorwills started calling. First one, then two, then a third added his mournful call to the otherwise still night air. Calling and calling, they seemed to knowingly take turns with great care not to interrupt each other's song. Their soulful cries echoed through the dark, seeming to surround me. Hold me. It made me think of love. Of Robbie and our sweet life we've shared together for more than 36 years now.

Love. I make no apologies for speaking here about the power of love. How it can change you. Save you. Build you. The whippoorwills continued to call, the air felt like velvet. Each call seemed to touch me more deeply, move me closer to memories of all the tender moments Robbie and I have shared. Reflecting alone on the dark porch, being held captive by the whippoorwills, I found myself lost in the warmth of the power of love.

Love, as they say, can conquer all. But when I think of love, I don't think of conquering. I think of sharing. Sharing joys, sharing thrills, sharing each other's dreams. I think of sharing challenges, ambitions and triumphs. And sharing tender moments together remembering the birth of our little girl, now grown and raising a family of her own; blessing us with these darling grandbabies. I think of sharing moments laughing at the silly times when we charged into adventures, not all of them working out just the way we had planned. And celebrating robustly those times plans came together perfectly.

Love. Yes I can say Robbie's sweet love made me who I am. Those of you who've read my novel may remember the line when Mary thought of Sam, "She loved him because he loved so easily." Robbie is easy to love, and gives love easily. I often tease her, telling her she must have really been something in a past life to get saddled with me in this one. I thank God for making her just for me.

As you take on the excitement, adventures and challenges of today I hope you'll take the embrace of love along with you. Let it swaddle you in its power and guide you in all you do.

Have a beautiful day! ~ Dutch