A Blustery Night Indeed!!

The wind is howling…it has been all day.

I grab my scarf and mitts – don my coveralls to go out to feed the boys and night check.

Hay here – hay there – hay hay everywhere – make sure the are tucked in.

It’s not really cold – just windy.

My legs no longer protest walking through the snow – I no longer get winded – bales of hay and water buckets are lighter and easier to handle. I am in the best shape of my adult life!

My boys – so silly – so sweet – greet me with a nicker.

I flick on the lights in the barn. The creativeness of hubs and his homemade lights – a marvel.

It smells like “barn” – one of the greatest smells in my life. Instant flashback to my childhood of donning my snow suit and slugging my sorry ass to where I first fell in love with my equine friends. The 20 minute walk to the barn where I worked – at 0430. I remember setting on a pot of coffee for mom so she would not have to – and trekking through rain and sleet and snow. Hopping the fence and calling Star – the dog who would run and greet me. Arriving at the barn – walking in and flicking on the lights to be greeted by 10 nickers that seemed to say – “We’ve been waiting for you!” Grain here – grain there – grain grain everywhere. Horses turned out – stalls cleaned and floor swept only to walk home and jump on that big yellow bus to school and do it all in reverse at the end of the day.

I cop a squat in the barn – listening to MY boys munch – off in the distance – I hear train number 21 (we have 23 or so a day pass by) – it’s loud tonight. The wind carrying the whistle call.

While this year we cannot achieve our epic spring vacation to Cuba – I simply don’t care.

Memories and dreams – I have my memories of simpler times – but most importantly – I have achieved my dream.

Happy memories and dreams friends!