Yeah! We just walked out to the barn and the horses are on dry ground. Now we can sleep well tonight. The rain has stopped and no rain is in the picture for the next few days. Good night everyone!

For all of us who have lived through rainy winter/spring days on a farm, we all know to keep our fingers crossed. Our landlord has done a tremendous amount of work to keep the pasture and barn dry and the water flowing in the right direction. They brought in tons of rock, raised the ground, etc… Today is a test.

So far the barn and most of the pasture are safe.

It has been awhile since I’ve posted. We needed to morn the loss of Tabu and now we need to move on. Maddy and I have been searching the horse rescues in the general area (no more than 6 hours away :-)) Trying to find a horse that needs Maddy as much as she needs the horse. We will not replace Tabu and we will never forget Tabu. But we will bring a new horse into our lives in memory of Tabu. We did not want to buy a horse, we wanted to support a cause. We found our cause at Rolling Rock Rescue. It is a great place and if you are considering a new horse, please visit.

Meet Durango

Durango is a Russian Warmblood. He’s 16.2+ hands and chose Maddy to be his new friend. This is our second visit to Rolling Rock Rescue. Maddy looked at several horses, but these two clicked.

We returned yesterday so Maddy could test ride.

They did very well together and appeared as if they had been a team for a long time.

Our decision was easy and we filled out all the paperwork to let this big fellow come join our little herd. The people at Rolling Rock were really great to work with. They are honest and fair. They check you out as much as you check the horses out. These horses are really important to them. I was pleased with the entire outcome.

Beck and Sarah, thanks for all your help and time.

I would like to thank everyone for all their support and messages. It has been tremendously helpful and appreciated. Many of Maddy’s friends have been around for continuous support, which has been great for her. Even her two college friends who cannot be with her physically have sent their teddy bear replacements to be by her side.

Thank you Ali and Haley. How sweet of you to send your bears. They both brought tears to my eyes.

For those of you who don’t know the bear story. Each time one of the girls goes off to college, the other girls get together and build a bear to go with. The bear represents the girl leaving.

Here the gang is before Ali is leaving for her freshman year and Haley returning for her sophomore year. Maddy is now a senior and Hannah a junior.

Who would have thought how special these bears would become to comfort a friend in need. It reminds me of the book “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” Thank you all.

Tonight we’ve been talking about all the “what ifs….”

All I can say is, don’t go there. Too many what ifs in life. Always too many surrounding a tragic death.

There are a lot of photos that lead up to this particular picture, but I don’t have the energy for them all right now. But I need to share this one.

Tabu’s ashes come home today. I don’t know if that will help or set us back. I guess it is part of the process. We hope to build a small memorial garden. Perhaps one day we will invite everyone out to plant a plant in his memory.

Maddy found this web site. Below is one of the poems.

A Girl and Her Horse

Every day I look up to the sky
and find myself asking why.
Like why didn’t you take me with you?
What else is there for me to do?

You leave me down here
in a world made up of fear
where there is just so much pain
which is driving me insane.

How am I supposed to keep living on
when you are now gone?
People tell me the pain goes away,
but I think it will always stay.

No one understands what I’m going through,
except for a few.
I don’t know how I am supposed to make it
You wouldn’t have left me if I didn’t seem fit.

You always knew what was best,
that’s why I didn’t really argue with you
when you wanted to lay down for your final rest.

One day when I’m ready,
we will meet again.
And I will go back to being
the little girl whose horse was her best friend.

Ali Mitchell

Written in Memory of Lucky Star
November 16, 2004

The days are still long, the nights longer, but nothing is worse than morning and going out to feed horses. I know time will help heal.

Today Tabu’s body has been removed and is here. We couldn’t handle him going to a rendering plant.

But his spirit is still with us. Sunday morning I went to the barn and found Monty out of his stall. Monty managed to pick up and carry a bale of hay and put it in Tabu’s stall. I think Tabu helped him. Or Monty gave this hay up as an offering. He is sadly missed by all.

I’m sure most of you know by now, but yesterday was one of the saddest days of our life. Today isn’t much better. I still find it very hard to say “Tabu is dead.”

(He had a tragic fall which caused his neck to break.)

With so many tears, I would like to give him a tribute in photos. I am going to start but it will go on for many days. I have a lot of beautiful photos and they take time to prepare. These will be in random order, but I’ve tried to group it by year.

I know many of you feel our pain. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. Please take a moment and remember the little Boo.

In Memory

Hank’s Littl’ Kick-a-Boo (Tabu)

February 20, 2005 - January 31, 2009