Tuesdays With Texas ( Irreplaceable)

May 1978 - June 25, 2012

Had to go with this one even though he was so dirty.

                                                                       

                                                                               
I hesitated to do this post but this was a story worth starting and it is worth finishing....maybe not just yet.

Tuesdays With Texas Chapter 11 ( Trust )

Texas Jan 2012

Last week in Chapter 10, I made a comment that I had never done anything with total abandon.....well upon reflection I came up with a time that I did just that, on this occasion the event was accomplished with my trusty sidekick (so killing two birds with one stone on this one) One time while riding with my friend Shirley ( The other one) we came across a narrow trail that we had never seen before....without saying a word to each other we took off at a full gallop ( she on the buckskin Dandy and myself on Tex) we wound around blind corners and jumped over low fallen trees it was absolutely exhilarating....my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest...I had tears in my eyes from the wind and when we reached the end of our run we were laughing so hard ...we almost couldn't breath. ....!!!!!OMG!!!!!! that was like... I don't know what...it is a feeling I have never quite duplicated, all I can say for sure is I put my trust in that little horse and he delivered in spades. Another time I had a trusting moment was when we went swimming, Tex would stand patiently waiting for me to dive in and he would be standing in exactly the same spot waiting for me to get back....he would be so careful when I hung on the side of him and we swam together. Another time doing Barrels  we had a perfect run...I decided to let Tex do his thing and I was going to be the silent ( still) partner....we had the best run ever...( 16.2 his personal best )it was so smooth it felt like we were barely moving, when we finished the run I couldn't get off for a few seconds ...I had such an adrenaline rush going that I couldn't stop shaking...again I trusted Tex to do his job and again he never let me down. There have been many times that my trust in this horse has saved my ass. I believe he has the same degree of trust in me. It is hard to explain ...although I know some of you get it ....I just don't have the words. Tex is starting to feel and show his age, he is having some vision and hearing issues.The other day while I was feeding, I was emptying Tex's feeder...I was working around his head and feet with a pitchfork...he had no problems with that ...he never does...but something that was different was Dave had come into his stall and when he started talking that poor horse just about turned himself inside out....he almost fell down trying to get out of the stall. It took me a few seconds to figure out what the problem was. As soon as Dave got out of his stall he came back in and I continued to clean around him....he acted like nothing had happened. I have also noticed that he waits for me to take him or show him things that aren't in the normal daily routine.I truly hope in Tex's last days that he will continue to put  his trust and faith in me....to do the things that are right....and  best for him.

Tuesday's With Texas Chapter 10 ( Moving On )

                                                                Texas     January  2012

                                                                        
  I have been called a wild child on more than one occasion... admittedly I would have to agree with that assessment....on occasion. I would have thought of myself .....perhaps as a reserved wild child, even though I have always run with an older racier crowd I always held something back, I have never felt like I could  do anything with total abandonment. With life all up in the air and not being quite sure where or what I wanted to be doing I was kind of leaning towards the wild side. ....I don't think I need to elaborate. I am not going to make excuses either...it is what it is, being honest about it ... with the hmm....lets say alternate lifestyle and what not.... I wasn't  very happy and I wouldn't say I was having a whole lot of fun either.I only had one thing going on in my life that was a constant, that is probably the only thing that kept me out of deep sh#t I'm sure.....cause there was plenty of times that bad stuff should have happened and instead somehow was barely averted. That one constant....you may have guessed.... would be Texas.I believe it is a serious responsibility to be the sole caretaker of an animal,it is not in me to do it half assed ....so yes I do take it all the way. I'm quite sure that if at that time in my life I hadn't had that responsibility, I would still be here.....having Tex in my life made the choice of  going down the right road a lot easier than it might have been without him, he toned down my relapses into wild child mode and even though he couldn't know it, his constant presence in my life kind of shoved me in the direction I needed to go......it was time to put on the big girl panties put the past where it needed to go and get on with life ....and so get on with it we did!!!!!!!When Spring was upon us the work began. I was riding everyday and preparing Tex for competition ( mostly barrels)by early Summer we were ready to go for it.....and so..... go for it we did.

                                                                    

                                                                        

Tuesdays With Texas Chapter Nine ( Life Goes On With Or Without You)

Life got pretty rough for awhile after Rick's decision to not be here anymore. I went and stayed with my friend and left the horses at home....I use the word home loosely, it quit being a home when the sound of a gun shot destroyed the peaceful, safe  place I considered a sanctuary. I pretty much got a routine down for the chores but the longer I had to keep going back there the more it bothered me. I have to say I don't even remember  where I moved the horses to...I know I could no longer afford to have them, so I had to make the decision to let them go...it was hard but had to be done. I found good homes for them ...the one that bothered me though was Dandy, I think it was because I had been around him for a long time and he had belonged to my friend....so I felt the pull of guilt over that one. In case you're thinking how could she ...I did not let Tex go....that was already something that was etched in stone...something that would never happen.  Even though I wasn't 100% I had to go get a job...bills to pay ....blah blah blah the usual stuff everybody has to deal with. I was still feeling pretty raw and would rather have run away and done just about anything else....however life goes on whether you are ready or not. My faith and trust in people was at an all time low but the one thing I had that I could put my faith in was this, no matter where we moved or what gateway he stood in ...as sure as the sun will rise...I could count on this.

How can a greeting like this every morning not put a smile on your face.

For 32yrs no matter what life has thrown at me I have been able to rely on Tex for comfort and companionship and for 32 yrs he has never failed to come through for me.

Tuesdays With Texas Chapter 8 ( More Rough Patches)

This is a tough chapter for me it takes me back to a time in my life that the only good thing I had in my life was my horse....which by itself would be OK.....now if only there wasn't all the other crap that was going on too.
We had settled comfortably into our new life style. I was getting stronger all the time. I was able to ride every day for longer periods....Tex and I were really learning how to ride with each other. During all this riding and getting back to health( or something like it)I started to notice a big change in my partner Rick.....it was not a pleasant change. The more time I spent getting out and about seeing friends and slowly but surely getting back to a bit of normalcy....the more withdrawn and unpleasant he became. I am not going to go into any details here but I have to say that his behavior finally made it impossible to be with him.I guess I have to give a little info or it just won't make sense.Rick decided the best way to keep me from going was by threatening to not allow me to take my horses....specifically Tex....who under no circumstances was going to be left behind. That particular threat didn't concern me too much, I knew I could get my horses....but I did not want to be there because honestly he was scaring me ....a lot. I told him I was moving out and the threat he uttered then stopped me in my tracks....he said he would kill my horses......Yes you read right. Honestly would he have done that, I don't know ...I would like to think that I would never be with someone that could do such a thing.....but the fact that he said it was more than enough  proof to me that it was time to move on. I stayed at my friends house that night and her boyfriend gave me a ride home in the morning. When I got there the first thing I did was check the horses...big sigh of relief.... all well there. As soon as I opened the door to go into the house I knew something was wrong....The house was cold , my birds were squawking and pretty upset.I went into the living room and found Rick, he had decided to do the chicken sh#t thing and take his own life....it wasn't something I  could have anticipated.... never would have thought he was the type, how does one handle that. So needless to say the next few hours were a bit of a blur with all the appropriate people scurrying all over the place.In stressful situations my self preservation mode kicks in, I shut myself down.The noise from all the  people became a dull roar,  I just tuned them all out. I went and did my chores. At least that was a sane activity I could deal with. I went and sat with the horses while they munched away, unconcerned with all the people and noise surrounding them.Tex knew things weren't right and he came and stood beside me.....still as a statue....my sentinel....blocking out the sights and sounds.....steady and calm.....once again there as my support. He stayed with me until I had to go deal with all the other crap.

Tuesdays with Texas Chapter Seven ( It Became A Tradition)

So Chapter 6 was a little bit about Tex and a whole lot about me. Not a lot happened for awhile because I was still a walking mess I was unable to get a whole lot done. Everyday I got a little stronger and was able to spend more and more time with Tex. I managed to get in a lot of short rides as that was all I could handle. When I first started trying to ride again I got blisters I'm sure you can imagine where and anything with seams on the pant legs would rub my legs raw....I started riding and well just wearing sweats.....much better, it took about two years for me to get back to normal....well almost normal, I still have issues that have hung in there but you get used to that kind of stuff and just carry on. Along the way Rick And I purchased a really nice 10 acre property, by then I had another horse so we moved everything over to the new place, it was so nice... peaceful and somewhat private ...my kinda place.I was now at a point where I could ride longer and..... better ....no more hanging off the side....trying to figure out why my horse kept trying to put me in the ditch. I have to tell you this. When Tex was still at my Moms and it was some of my first rides we would be going along the side of the road and he would keep going in the ditch....I would keep correcting him and then back in the ditch we would go, it used to make my arm sore just correcting him. I would get so frustrated with that horse and then I clued in....the horse was doing exactly what my body was asking him to, all my weight would fall off to the right side and my left leg would be up against his side( I couldn't feel it) but he sure could so I guess he's thinking stupid woman ....you want to go in the ditch.....the ditch it is. When I finally figured that out and quit being mad at my horse...I was kinda proud ...just a bit... I had trained that horse better than I thought. The good thing that came out of that was I had to make a conscious effort to ride better balanced and along the way managed to learn not to rely so much on my legs. Thanks to Tex being such a good fellow I was able to learn how to ride a different way...he also learnt how to take my cues differently we became a team of sorts and managed to get by quite nicely.
This was our first winter in the new place and I was so excited about going out and getting a Christmas tree. I had to go find old photos so please forgive the not so good pics. To change the subject here a bit,while looking at these pictures I was surprised that I remember all the stuff about Tex but I can't remember whose child is on the horse with me and for the life of me I can't remember what flippin dog that is in the background.

Anyhow back to the tree

My friend Shirley and I went out and cut down  the tree, I have to say it was pretty gruelling...still not super strong, by the time we were done I felt a lot like Gumby but boy was it worth it. Shirley and I got really a beautiful tree. It was quite entertaining on the way back. Shirley was riding my other horse which had belonged to her for a fairly long time..big beautiful Buckskin ( Dandy) Now I never even thought about it when I tied the tree on behind Tex...none of us had done this before....it never occurred to me that it might rile anybody up. Tex was good.... his usual laid back self took right off through all that deep snow and never batted an eye....you'd think it was old school to him.  We hadn't gone far when I could hear a big rukus behind me....there's Shirley doing everything she knows how to keep that horse on the ground. I had no idea what his problem was. She finally gets him calmed down and away we go again....no sooner do we get moving and Dandy's thrashing around and being a total jerk. We finally clue in .....he was terrified of that tree moving through the snow....he 'd damn near stand on it as long as it wasn't moving....but as soon as Tex would start pulling he was air born.....must have thought it was some giant green fire breathing horse eating monster. Now I gotta tell ya I thought it was amusing....however Shirley not so much. Here I was sitting on this perfect little gentleman laughing my face off and Shirley was doing everything she could just to stay on......(I get why she got a little crabby )( Not Shirley from Ride A Good Horse the other one) Anyhow as long as she stayed well back, the rest of the ride home was uneventful. For me the experience was great Tex was such a good boy, he stood while we chopped down the tree...he stayed patient while I tied it and then tried to get on with the rope going every which way. He dragged that tree home like it was a toothpick...it was a fair sized tree. He proved to me once again that he would do whatever task was asked of him. So Christmas tree fetching became a bit of a tradition after that. Tex dragged home many more trees over the years ...it is something I really miss being able to do with him....but I'll betcha if I asked he'd still try.                                                               

Tuesdays With Texas Chapter 6 ( Life Throws A Curve Ball)

Texas 2008 (31yrs)

                              Chapter 6   ( Life Throws A Curve Ball) or 2 or 3

 Tex settled into his home really well, at first I thought he would be lonely coming out of a herd and being alone......come to think of it he didn't have that many friends over there anyhow. We spent a lot of time together and then crap happened. I vowed I wasn't going to get into personal stuff in this story ....but unhappily it is all part of our story...so I will not dwell on the stuff but just rattle it off ....that way you will understand just why this horse became such an important factor in my life.

I already had issues with an Ex husband so having more chucked my way was a bit heavy...anyhow one carries on. I ended up with some weird sickness and honestly I wasn't all that sure I was going to be around much longer. I ended up in the hospital becoming an unwilling guinea pig...poked and prodded and .......well lets just say I make a terrible patient. Stuff gets a bit mixed up in my head here so I could be off on some of my recollections...but I'll do the best I can. Arrangements were made for Tex to go live at my parents place...still not sure how all that came about ,anyhow one less thing for me to worry about. I don't really know how long I was in the hospital but I was getting worse and not better so I decided if I was dying I was going home...at least then I could see my horse and well you know...Well I was quite a mess, I was so skinny clothes hurt my bones, OK to personal....I will shorten this up ....it took me a long time to be able to get around so Tex was still at my parents place.....(by the way thanks Mom because I'm pretty sure she was responsible for Tex being looked after)

I don't know how much time went by, I would go visit my horse but I couldn't do much....   then the big day came and I decided I was going to go for a ride....and I discovered I couldn't ride.  First I couldn't get on...so I cheated then I had no balance and I kept falling off the side....poor horse didn't know what to make of this development so what does a good horse do....stands as still as a statue....that was my first ride. Somewhere along the way I got better enough to take Tex home again....couldn't ride but at least I could spend time with him..... grooming and well just hanging around.

During this time, many trips to my doctor were made ....nothing good ever came from that.(I have to add here that one of the things I had going on was to do with my legs.I had no feeling in them below the knee so  walking was a bit strange. I used to have to look at my feet to make sure they were actually on the floor )I was more or less told to get used to my condition and my biggest concern...riding.... I was told to forget about that. So for those of you that know and don't know me....those are fight'n words...not ride....not in this lifetime. I believe having Tex at home helped in my recovery...I had to move to take care of him ...and instead of sitting or laying around all day I would go out and spend time with him....he seemed to get that I had problems, he was always very careful where he put his feet, I used him as my support to hold me up and he would never move away and take my support  until I was already moving away from him. He always made himself accessible to me....you have to understand Tex is not a big horse but because I could only use one arm even putting a halter on was tough....he would lower his head so I could just slip it over his ears......Now some of you may snicker here but I truly believe that horse saved my life.....and that wouldn't be the only time.

Tuesdays With Texas Chapter 5 ( The Homecoming)

Texas  2009 (32yrs)

                                                  The Homecoming

I start this chapter with rather un - fond(that's a new word) memories. During the remainder of the summer I was separated from my friend...rather all my friends. I will explain briefly. S and I had some disagreement....over who knows what....well I do remember........ but best to let sleeping dogs lie.( And maybe things might be kind of jumbled in my mind) anyhow because of our differences I quit going to the stable everyday .....not at all....so I never got to see Tex who I already felt belonged to me. At some point we had agreed on a price of 400.00 but because of our problems that had never come about.So while I was away ...(I'm not really sure what they did with Tex) but there was a young girl that used to hang around the stable, she also had taken a shine to Tex but I was the only one who had been riding him.  Her parents were looking to buy her a horse and she really wanted Tex...so they went to look at him. Apparently her mother was horrified by the horse she thought he was ugly and looked mean ( not a mean bone in his body) because of his odd blue eyes.....good thing for me .....No Sale. As the summer wore on I became more and more bothered by not being able to see " My Horse" so I went down to the stable and paid 16.00 for a two hour ride and they wouldn't give me my horse. I was told he was being worked because he was for sale. So I rode something else, when I left there to go home I was heartbroken ....they were going to sell my horse. I had not a cent and no where to keep a horse....I really had no business even thinking about owning a horse...I could barely afford to keep myself alive......but. When I got home my boyfriend asked what was wrong, after I told him what was going on he disappeared for awhile. When he came back he handed me the money for the horse....I couldn't believe it...I could get my horse. I was so excited, I didn't know what to do first....then reality struck home.... I still had no place to keep Tex and no money to feed him. I went from a huge rush of happiness to a big crash of disappointment. Rick told me to go pay for the horse so nobody else could buy him and he would figure out the rest. I went to pay for the horse and was told he was now 500.00, so I gave them what I had and asked them to keep him for a bit ...thankfully they agreed to that. In the days that followed Rick pulled in some favors from his friends. One guy offered up rough cut planks for fencing,( we lived on a lot that was about 3/4 to 1 acre)  another of his friends came and built a lean to for housing and storing hay.....and somebody else delivered a ton of hay....everything was ready for Tex. I have to add here if I didn't thank Rick enough( and his friends) at the time for all he did to get me that horse I do so now.....I don't think he knew how much it meant to me to be able to bring that horse home. 

Sorry these pics are terrible but they are pictures of pictures that are about 31 yrs old. These were taken the day Texas made it home. I think even though they are bad pictures you can still see I was quite happy. I think up to that point I can say that was the happiest day in my life. Our time together really began from that day....We would have many adventures together over the next.... few......many years.

Tuesdays With Texas Chapter 4 ( A Lesson For Me)

Tex Summer 2010 (34 yrs Old)

                                                                  And the story goes on
I left off with Texas as a 3yr old part way into training. I started using Tex a lot to take out the trail rides, at that time he was a good lead horse before I kinda ruined him.....oh I'm getting ahead of myself - he could lead or take up the rear. I used to like being in the back because then you always got a first hand view of the entertainment.....and trust me no matter how well you checked the gear and matched horses to people .....something always happened. On one particular day while in the rear I thought I would incorporate a little training as well. I never expected our so far uneventful ride would turn into a bit of a gong show, with Tex and I as the main attraction. We were pretty close to home maybe only 20 to 30 minutes out, we were just kind of ambling along, the trail got narrow with pretty steep hills on either side. I decided that was a good place to get Tex going up and down hills properly.....well I guess it was one of Texas's no way days( again)we started up the hill and he decided he didn't want to go, it got a wee bit scary hung up in the middle of a really ....really steep hill. So I applied a little spur pressure....well probably more than a little....lets just say he took exception to it....however we made it to the top of the hill. So we sat there for a bit thinking on the experience...when my friend S heading the ride asks if everything is OK, my reply was yeah go ahead we'll be along. She later informed me we had made quite a racket and had the whole attention of the ride. So anyhow I'm ready to go and I'm looking down that hill and  I'm thinking to myself......you idiot ....it was pretty daunting.....what do you do  - what goes up must come down......and believe me we came down. We were only about 1/4 of the way down...now you have to remember Tex was just a youngster with no experience on how to go about managing such a monumental task. I did all the things I thought I was supposed to aid him in this lesson and then the #*#% hit the fan. I don't know if he bucked or what happened but the next thing I know he and I are rolling  down the hill...we landed in a heap at the bottom with me stuck underneath him. He scrambled to his feet and all the while I'm still underneath him.....do you think he would move out of the way ...not a chance, when I figured out I was not dead or injured and capable of movement the adrenaline took over and I got mad. Here's this horse standing over me ( insert sarcasm - aimed at myself) not helping the situation in the least....had I taken the time and kept my cool I would have noticed the poor horse was shaking like a leaf.........instead from underneath him ( I admit shame at this point) I kinda put the boots to him to get him away from me....that could have gone so wrong.....thankfully he was smarter than me and just moved off and away from me. Meanwhile just on the other side of a little creek S and the other riders are watching us with their eyes big as saucers......big oops didn't know we had an audience....not my proudest moment...... for sure! Anyhow I gathered up my poor scared horse and we carried on home. When I put Tex in the tie stall to take his gear off I could see he was trembling uncontrollably, he was also pretty mad at me (rightly so) I could tell he didn't really want me touching him, I carefully and quietly took his gear off and then I started checking him out, I talked to him and ran my hands over him until he finally quit shaking. He had a few cuts and scrapes ....all minor thank goodness. I groomed him and fed him a few treats and got ready to turn him loose......I was feeling pretty crappy about myself and how I handled the situation.....I think Tex could feel my angst and about then he decided to forgive me.....he stuck his nose in the crook of my arm and just rested his head there for a bit....my feelings for this horse bubbled to the surface and I started to cry.....I'm going to say it was a delayed reaction to the near miss rather than the fact that I'm a big baby. That day was a huge learning experience for both of us.

A Love Story Chapter 3 ( Tues. With Texas)

When I decided to start this project I thought it was going to be a breeze, as it turns out I am really having trouble going from thought to word. If I had you in front of me I could talk all day about this story but I am trying to span three decades and I am discovering I am not that great a writer so I am going to jump ahead a bit in the hopes that I can find my voice. As it turned out.

Texas is the name of the horse I had developed such an interest in. It turns out he wasn't all that frail just young. D had taken that Arab mare and her foal and traded them for Tex.....I kinda missed that little gaffer....not for long though because I became quite busy. Tex turned out to be a Three yr old unbroke gelding that required a fair bit of my time. ( I had already told S and D that I wanted this horse) As Spring started turning to Summer I divided my time between taking out rides and training this young horse. This is where I have to tell you that yes I had been around horses pretty much all my life.......at this point my life was still fairly young, I think I had just turned 23, I had no formal training when it came to horses but I was going to take whatever I thought I knew and pass it on to my young charge.Tex was a pretty quick learner not to say we didn't have some trouble......on this one occasion I had saddled Tex up ...pretty early in the morning I was hoping to get some time on him before I had to take out rides. On this day he decided to act like he knew nothing and it was his first time under saddle....he made it very clear that he was having nothing to do with a training session on this day.....he would not go forward....he would not take a step in any direction.....it got to be very frustrating....it was starting to warm up people strated drifting in ....there was lots of work that needed doing but I couldn't just get off and leave it at that....that is not how I did things. So I tried everything I knew to get that horse to move, he could tell that I had reached my breaking point.....instead of trying to do as asked he did the opposite ...he started backing up he backed all over the yard into horses over a few people....I have to say I was almost reduced to tears. The final straw was when Tex backed up right under the hitching rail until the saddle seat would allow him to go no further....that was it he wouldn't budge he planted all four legs and stood like a statue. Now what, I was at a total loss nothing left in my arsenal which was pretty bare to begin with. I stepped down and tried to lead him out....nothing, so I did what any embarrassed ....humiliated.........person would do I went and got D. This guy can ride anything, he gets on and horses fall all over themselves to please him, he is well was ....we're all kinda old now an accomplished bronc rider if anybody was going to make this horse work it would be him. With some help we coaxed Tex out from under the H'n rail, then D hopped on.....nothing....he asked kindly nothing...no try nothing.....D got a little stonger with the ask ....nothing then he gave him a little spur action....well something happened, I have never seen anything quite like it before or since, that horse started to (this is really hard to describe)swing his left shoulder out (rather violently) then his right he kept doing that and added a bit of speed ( he kinda swung himself out from under D) and the next thing ya know D was on the ground. Tex just stood there looking at him. D got up and he was not happy.....ego thing don't ya know....by then we had a little audience gathered. Anyhow D grabbed the reins stepped back up got himself settled and asked the horse to move ahead, it wasn't 2 seconds before D was on the ground again, this time he still had the reins in his hand. He got up walked over to me and said get this F#%##%% horse out of my sight. So twice he's got the guy on the ground and never bucked once. Lets just say he hadn't endeared himself to D......good thing for me. Oh and by the way still don't know what got into that horses head but I got back on and he was a doll, did everything I asked, no fuss no refusal you would think he was all trained and ready for the big time.

Computer glitch no computer on Tuesday....better late than never. Have a nice day.

A Love Story Chapter 2 ( The Beginning)

So as promised this is the first installment in however many it takes to tell this story, from the beginning. As I said previously it all started in 1981, location Lac La Hache, BC a very dreamy location for a love story to unfold.....oops sorry getting carried away by memories, anyhow some friends of mine that I will refer to as S and D decided to build  a Riding Stable, they had the perfect location right beside a busy resort. They built the fences and a tack shed and a row of about 15 or so tie stalls, it was all very professional looking. D and S then went about shopping for the horses that would be doing all the work. As time went on I started spending more and more time there, I started going out with the rides and test riding the horses as they were brought in......most of them were pretty good.....with a few culls as well. For the most part S and D were picking horses that were really suited for their future jobs, sometimes though I had to wonder what D was thinking , one time he came home with a little Arab mare with foal at side....of what use was that .....except to eat hay and cause trouble which she did.......the reason he came home with her was because she was almost free......whatever. After listening in on a discussion about this little mare the murky thinking of D started to clear somewhat.....you see D is a bit of a wheeler dealer, always a deal to be made or a trade or what have you. After a few days had gone by I just kind of got used to that little mare and her foal. About a week or so after that when I arrived at the Stable I saw an odd colored kind of frail looking horse all curled up, asleep in the middle of the pasture......well of course you have to know my curiosity got the better of me, over I go and get right up to it....wasn't sure if it was OK or not, I whistled softly ....nothing....I whistled a little louder, this time he raised his head and opened his eyes, he stared straight into mine and that was it for me....I was a goner. I knelt down and gently stroked his face, he never once took his beautiful blue eyes from mine. I knew that was it. I was going to have this horse....I was smitten.

Just as a FYI this picture was taken a week or so ago.

A Love Story ( The Introduction)

This is a story of a love affair that has spanned decades.It all started in 1981when I first set eyes on a well built handsome blue -eyed guy. We locked gazes and that was it, we were going to belong to each other.....never a doubt or a second thought.Our relationship had a slow start, we worked our way up to a shy friendship and then gradually added some mutual respect and to go with that some future expectations. It didn't take long to figure out that we were a perfect match for each other....not to say that there weren't some rough patches along the way because there were.Now if you want to hear about the rest of the story you will have to follow along, from now on Tuesdays will be dedicated to the telling of this story....if you are interested see ya next Tuesday.