A Horse Story

Ginger, a chestnut mare, was a gift from my father when we were living on Brindley Mt., Alabama. She was skittish, but friendly. I rode her in the fields when I could find time away from the children. Dad also gave my boys a Shelton pony with a cart. That’s a story from another time.

One afternoon friends from Huntsville came to visit. We walked to the barn, and at their request I saddled Ginger so they could have a ride. I decided I’d take her around the barn to get her settled and warmed up. We were trotting around for the first time when we rounded the last corner, and there were my friends laughing a talking. Ginger jumped in alarm, and began rearing in fear. You guessed it I lost my seat and my guest lost their desire to ride.

My neighbor had a Tennessee Walking Horse that he offered to let mate with Ginger.

We decided to leave them in the field for their romantic interlude instead of interfering in what is natural. Horses are energetic in their amour; they bite, kick, whinny and dance around each other. I had to wonder if Ginger would survive. Then I silently reminded myself they have been successfully mating without anyone’s help for a long time! Ginger produced a beautiful black male colt.

The Tennessee Walking Horse is gaited horse known for its unique four-beat “running walk”. They have a distinctive exaggerated movement called the Big Lick style. The breed is a mix of Narragansett and Canadian Pacer, Standardbred, Thoroughbred, Morgan, and American Saddlebred stock. It is a popular riding horse because of its calm disposition, smooth gaits and sure-footedness.

Shelbyville, Tennessee hosts an annual national celebration that is well attended. If you’re interested visit http://www.twhnc.com/eventcalendar.htm for a calendar of events.

Celebrate

People decked out in red, white and blue sporting flag pins gathered in the dining room. Friends of my sister came over to be introduced; old friends stopped over to hug and say welcome. We are dining at her club for the 4th of July.

Have you notice when we dine out the menu must always list offerings, well like this:

Cracked Pepper Brisket = BBQ Beef Brisket
Jerk Chicken = BBQ Chicken
Sweet and Savory Ribs = BBQ Pork Ribs
Vegetable Medley = Squash, Onions, and Peppers
Loaded Potato Salad = Potato Salad
Chef’s Special Cole Slaw = Slaw.
The chef wants to paint a delicious word picture to stimulate our imagination and appetite. Sort of like a writer wants to show with description how the scene is set.

After we ate we gathered our lawn chairs and encircled the staging area for fireworks. This event is open to the public; cars continued to line the drive way as the crowds swelled. I noticed 4 teenage boys speaking Spanish who sat in front of us. I do believe they enjoyed the show.

All the surrounding hills glowed with neighboring communities who were displaying fireworks. The You Tube video above is of Nashville, Tennessee, noted for having one of the most impressive shows.

One remarkable thing, the humidity was down from 98% to a cool 47%. We wished for a jacket.

Swedish Midsummer coming up this Friday

It soon is that time of the year again…

Time to celebrate Midsummer in Sweden. This is a holiday almost like Christmas for the Swedes. I guess it’s a local holiday. Finland celebrate something close to our Midsummer, but I am not sure if there are more people that does.

Midsummer are celebrated on a Friday, every year, the date varies from the 20-25th of June. It have some historic roots back to the 300-century and one reason to celebrate (historic) are the summer solstice. In the beginning it was a pagan feast which later on turned to a celebration of the birth of John the Baptist.

Today Midsummer have very much became “a huge party”. Many people visit relatives in the countryside, where a “maypole” are in the center for a lot of dancing and singing. The weather always are the worst of the year, but everyone stays outside. I guess that it might seem like a pagan feast for someone who are not familiar with it…

Many women and girls wear a crown of flowers in their hair. I took this photo last year:

A girl with a crown of flowers

For me Midsummer is a celebration of the summer, and it is filled with joy. I feel so happy and grateful when summer begins. We have some wonderful days in front of us:) I will get back to you with some photos from this years celebration. I will celebrate on “Åland”, which is an island in the middle of the Baltic Sea.

Until then, enjoy this photo from June in Sweden a few years ago, worth celebrating, isn’t it?

An evening in June