SOLAR ROADS

This is interesting.

The Sky is Falling!!!

www.todaysworld.com.au/animal-evolution/

Once upon a time, there was a very nice little 12 year old girl

……….me.:)

It was spring, school was almost over, and I took my usual morning walk at 5 am.

This was the only time I could escape and ride my bike to the back river, as it was known back then.

It was on one of these beautiful mornings that

I saw this midsized chick running down the street. It lost the yellow color and turned white with spots and it sure ran fast.

Behind it ran a cat, trying to catch it.

I bent down and to my surprise this chicken ran straight into my arms.

Well I was so happy and decided to take this chicken home as I did not know where it lived.

Needless to say, it became my chicken. It ate from my hand, watched TV sleeping in my lap while I pet it,

and followed me around wherever I walked.

We became great friends.

Well it kept growing, so my Dad said we couldn’t keep it and maybe we could give it to my Grand Mother.

I said ok because I knew fighting with my Parents would be futile.

My Mother kept her house disinfected and so clean you could eat off her floors

So we took my friendly chicken to my grandmother.

She had a great place under her balcony for him.

She tied a long cord to its leg and the chicken had a lot of room to walk around the yard.

We came a few times to visit it and my grandmother fed him well with bread crusts and left

over people food which had lots of greens and grains in it.

Well, weeks went by, we went camping and were busy doing family things and before long it was fall.

My Dad said lets go visit Grandmother and I was so happy because I knew I would see my chicken,

expecting to hold it and pet it like I did before.

I put on a nice yellow dress and yellow shoes with heels, curled my hair getting ready for the visit.

When we arrived I ran to the back door and down the stairs to see my chicken.

To my surprise I did not see my chicken but this huge gray rooster whose head came up to my waist .

He was gorgeous!

But….. he didn’t recognize me.

He began to run in attack mode.

I got scared and hightailed it back up the stairs in my heels and just barely had time to shut the door on his head.

Thankfully, I missed it.

Anyway, I told my Dad and he began to laugh.

He went outside, down the stairs, while I watched and the rooster put one wing down and began to caw caw dance around my Fathers’ legs.

My Dad laughed and said:” I guess he is wooing me and needs a female chicken to keep him company.”

He gave the rooster some bread and we were both amazed at how big and gorgeous this rooster had become.

When he came indoors my grandmother told us what a great guard dog he was. He chased dogs cats and even people from his yard.

No one dared come there anymore.

I on the other hand was depressed that my chicken didn’t know me anymore. He loved my Grandmother.

Then I heard my Dad and Grandma whispering and when we came a few weeks later,

This great rooster every one loved, disappeared and I guess ended in the soup pot.

lol

The enemy was not man but the weather because he would not survive the cold winter outside.

And so the sky fell on my beautiful rooster who looked more like a Turkey than a rooster.

(Turkeys can't be kept together with chickens or the chickens get sick and die.)

I have never seen a rooster like him since and I do feel making soup out of him was the wrong thing to do but

I will never forget the look in his eye when he chased me up the stairs that day.lol

He left us with a mystery as to where he came from and why but he served his purpose in more ways than one, as a friend, as a guard and as good chicken noodle soup.

:)

For the Love of ..........

As you may have noticed from my picture profile, I am a lover of horses.
When I was taking care of my Mother, who had Parkinsons and Alzheimers, we needed a family outing we could all enjoy and this was when I came across my friend Teresa and the
Langley 204 Equestrian Center.
Teresa is a champion rider in her own right and she saves horses from what otherwise could be seen as the end of the trail for them. Teresa trained riders to ride, tack and care for the horse.
Her horses all come with interesting histories and it is here that my family spent some our our greatest moments together.
My Mom enjoyed it, watching the horses as they perked up there ears for a carrot or two.
and the kids enjoyed, as did I, brushing and loving the horses.
Teresa allowed us to brush and care for the horses and she made sure her riders knew all of them.
They were wonderful, all so different in temperament, demeaner, stride , just like people.
In the end you couldn't decide which was your favorite.
My personal favorite was an old Black horse, Toby. He had beautiful eyes and looked at you with such expression.
I loved to brush him but what was special about him was that he peed on himself.
Teresa would laugh at my choice of horses but agreed Toby was a good kind trail horse, who did his job obediently and well.
Toby's best friend was Prince, another, even older, horse. Prince was special in that he knew how to bow. He was a real Prince.
James was a gorgeous, big muscular fellow, red in color with white feet.
What a hunk of a horse! He was a favorite and I think Teresa had many offers for him but she wouldn't sell because she wanted people who were kind to the horse and did not abuse him by riding him into the ground. She let me know she would consider me if I offered, seeing how much we all loved her horses. I didn't because I had no where to keep him.
James was a caring horse and carried himself so beautifully one would be proud to ride him.
He was a weaver and we'd laugh saying to him he would make a great babysitter rocking babies to sleep.
Unfortunately James got a twisted gut problem and Teresa couldn't fix it so he died and every one was extremely upset over this, especially Teresa's girls, who were so protective of all their horses.
Another horse my son liked to ride was Maestro. He was a white horse similar to the picture up top, and enjoyable to ride in the National park.
He was a favorite with the ladies who would dress him up fancy and lacy for the events Teresa would put on to make it fun for the kids and parents.

Whenever we'd go there, we'd pass by this farmers market which sold bushel bags of broken unsellable carrots for horses, for 2 dollars a bag So we'd always buy one or two to treat the horses. They'd all line up when they would see a bag in your hand and it's amazing just how alert they are, cause otherwise you'd think they were not watching you lol
God forbid you miss one cause he will not let you forget it. lol
That summer I made blankets for the horses my kids rode costumes and I also got a fly mask for a sample to look at. They were expensive and tore anyway cause horses roll and rub. I thought I could make them at home much cheaper and so I made 40 of them and Teresa was very happy to get them for her horses. Also shoe ing a horse every month was no small thing cause hooves always grow. It cost 100 dollars a month to shoe a horse. Of course you could always train them to go shoeless. You learn an awful lot around horses.
When it came to barrel races, everyone wanted a big horse but once they were all taken someone had to get the pony Teresa had. Well, being little, this pony never lost any races. He could go round those barrels so fast, no big horse had a chance. By the time Teresa finished showing him every one wanted to ride him and she'd laugh. It gave her great pleasure to say no because she had a weight limit for ponies and most of the kids outgrew him already.
We had a great time at Langley 204 and mostly because of this wonderful Teresa who trained people not to just be riders but to love and care for these wonderful gentle beasts who would give their lives to save a man they loved, in trouble.
Horses have been known to step over and keep babies under their feet to protect them from wolves and other dangers. They have been used to protect soldiers in war and would never leave the man they loved. They would even try to lift and drag him away from danger.
No car would ever do this.
I feel, that with so many horses dying today, cities should try to bring back the horse into public life.
It would be a great reason to create more green spaces and parks and there is nothing so
soothing than to have a relationship brushing and caring for a big gentle animal who stands quietly while you fuss over it and feel him breathing through those big lungs and nostrils.
Next to a dog, the horse, is mans best friend.
In BC, universities offer courses in horse care and it would be a good thing to take if you ever want to own a horse. Knowing more would save you some money and you would also have a trade to offer on the side, in horse care.