a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Life Without Horses...

goes on.  After all, this is a farm with many other animals and responsibilities.  It just doesn't feel the same and, once again, it is the farm where tractors are used because they do not eat when they aren't working.  Life has come full circle...from that saying of Dad's and my dream of horses...to the reality of Dad's saying and life, once again, without horses.  If I did such a good thing, why am I still so empty?

Enough of that...on to other things.  The neighbor's poor starving cows drift to our place.  They even pulled the carrots up in the garden...looking on the bright side, we have a good winter harvest.  Just thinking how well it might taste with stray beef.
The Shop progresses with all of Bev's hard work.  Word is spreading and even with winter hours, the traffic is good.  I am the shop keep on Saturdays...I would rather eat worms but I must do my part for the success of the whole.
Mostly, I just reflect on what the second half of life holds.

17 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

oh, we had a terrible couple of weeks with the neighbor cattle this summer. they were starving, too and found our hay pasture much better than their barren wasteland (even if our hay crop was almost non-existent). good luck with that!

Marti said...

I believe the best is yet to come. Poor cows, but they know a kind heart (or garden) when they see one. Have a good day.

Jo said...

Hope the emptiness will be less as time goes on, Gail. I feel so sorry to hear about starving cattle. Are the neighbours away? Why don't they tend their animals? I thought these things only happen in 3rd world countries. Glad your sisters shop is going so well. Good on you for helping even though it's not what you actually want to do with your day. You will be blessed for your kind heart. Jo

Mel said...

Hi Gail,
Sorry to hear about your emptiness without horses.

If I were a neighbor, I'd share mine with you!

Bless You for helping your sister out at the shop. Like they say; "What comes around, goes around"

Hugs,
Mel

Country Gal said...

I cant imagine the emptyness you are feeling. But dont forget that you did a wonderful thing for the kids and ponies, for the kids to experiance such wonderful ponies and for the ponies to show off their grace and talents ! Lovely post and photos ! Take it easy my friend !

♥ Helen said...

I did not understand until now that you don`t have your horses anymore. I understand it must have been a hard decision for you. I have sold horses two times myself and it was many tears and sleepless nights, but sometimes it is the best and I am sure you made the right decision. So nice that they said you could come and visit them. I hope you are fine and enjoy the rest of the animals and all the other happy things about living at a farm. Take care.

Pat said...

My heart aches for you, Gail. I know those horses meant, and STILL mean a lot to you. But they are in a good place and will do so good for those kids. You can still visit them. :)

Have a good day.

Dreaming said...

Yup, I'm thinking one cow would pay off the ruined carrots! Poor things... the carrots, that is!

Take care!

LindaG said...

*hugs*

If the neighbor's cattle are starving - (I don't know why, though I have heard feed prices are high) - perhaps you need to tell the neighbor the cost of you feeding them is a cow or two.

I've heard some people feed them parsnips I think it was?

Glad you had a good carrot harvest.
I saw some of the biggest carrots I have ever seen, at the flea market today. They looked to be about half a pound or more each...

*hugs* ♥

T. Powell Coltrin said...

You feel empty because they were big presences and now you have big holes in your hearts.

T

carolina nana said...

Hoping things will get better for you as time goes on. Maybe you should go over to the place that got your horses and see how they are doing,it might make you feel better to see them.
Blessings
Marilyn

Far Side of Fifty said...

I am sure it is something that is going to take a long time for you to adjust to..yes you should wrangle one of those carrot eating cows:)

jean said...

I feel for you, Gail, missing your horses. The void must be very deep. If I had starving cows around me, I'd be handing them my whole garden. My heart is too soft when it comes to starving creatures. I keep feeding hungry neighbor dogs here.

Rudee said...

i'm sure things will feel different for a very long time. Hugs to you, Gail.

Susan Anderson said...

This reminds me a lot of when my mom sold her Gagliano violin a few years ago. She was a concert violinist, and she loved that violin like a person. It was part of her for many years.

But arthritis kept her from playing it these last years, and it isn't good for a violin to lie unplayed. So she sold it. And mourned like crazy.

She did it for the violin and for its recipient. She wanted it to fulfill the measure of its creation.

It was hard for me to understand. I wanted her to keep it because she loved it. She loved it enough not to let it go.

=)

Susan Anderson said...

Oops. What I meant to say is that she loved the violin enough to LET it go.

labbie1 said...

Your loss will get better with time I am sure, but I would also be grieving if I had horses and then didn't--even for such a great cause.

I hope you get to take a trip to see them sometime soon.

What is the deal with the cattle next door? Too many on too little land with no feed or just results of the drought last summer?

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