Chance

Yesterday Chance our 10 year old paint Tennessee Walker came back to our house after spending several months grazing on a field a few miles away from us. Chance had a large open wound in his rear hind quarter just below his tail. It was quite large and draining so we immediately loaded him in a trailer and took him to the vet. The vet told us that the wound was a carcinoma and that there was really nothing he could do to help him. He said that paint horses are especially susceptible to these on the white part of their skins. Sadly the decision was made to euthanize him to prevent him from suffering. He will be buried on the farm next to ours by our good friend George Holmes as we could not stand to watch the process.

Chance was a member of our family, really more of a pet than a saddle horse. He would come when we called him he never required any chasing. He would follow me around the field like a dog when I was working outside. Chance would stand outside the fence by our backyard and call us when he wanted an apple, a carrot or just a little companionship. When he was being trained a saddle went on him the first time and we rode away, never bucking or fighting like so many horses will when they first encounter what man has to offer. He was never moody or unpredictable any child or person could climb up on his back, he would calmly accept strangers and family members alike. Chance had a large heart and an intelligent mind.

Bruce the vet was very kind and said that he knows how hard it is to lose a friend like this and the question is whether it is better to avoid the pain by having no animal friends, or if life is better with them in spite of the risk we take in losing them.
George drove me home after leaving Chance and told me that I could have one of his new colts if I wanted one. I told him thanks a lot, George is a good friend and that I would think about it. I don't think I am ready yet.





Chance was just another pretty face he would always come when we called him
Chance running with his lady friends in in our back field (Thanks to Brian for the great photo)

Kelli Our Daughter-in-laws first horseback ride on Chance

A Visit With The Rice Family in Oregon

We flew to Oregon to spend a week with Sarah, Jeremy and Elliot. We had a great time visiting with them. Here are a few pictures from our week together.
Elliot and Poopa discussing tractors and excavators
Elliot wearing the snazzy new Christmas outfit that Grandma bought.  (Sarah and Jeremy think he looks ridiculous....I think he looks adorable!
taking Elliot to visit Santa....doesn't he look delighted to be sitting on Santa's lap?

eating breakfast at the hotel

Sarah and Elliot snoozing in

the car on the way to the

coast



visiting the Oregon Aquarium in Newport
relaxing with Sarah

The People of India

We traveled over 18,000 miles by airplane both flying to India and on internal flights. We travels over 3000 kilometers by train,
we rode in busses, taxis, motorized rickshaws (tuk-tuks), bicycle rickshaws, jeeps, large safari trucks, rode on elephant up steep hills and camels across the desert, we rode boats across lakes and down rivers, and we even walked many kilometers through the streets, villages and forests of India.

We visited fantastic monuments built 1000's of years ago, We saw beautiful Forts made of red sandstone with massive walls and defense systems, We saw the beautiful and amazing art of hindu, jain, moslem, buddhist temples that cover India.

We saw the luxurious Palaces of Maharajas and their wife's filled with gold and jeweled inlaid walls and ceilings. Many had amazing gardens and courtyards that were beyond comparison. Palaces that make any castle in europe seem trivial by comparison.

We visited the worlds most beautiful building the Taj Mahal Which is one of the few sights we have ever seen that surpassed our expectations when we first had a chance to gaze upon it

We saw beautiful tigers roaming wild in natural and well preserved jungle filled with deer, foxes, wild boar, monkeys, and birds of all description.

We saw ancient cities like the Holy city of Varanasi which is where the mother river of ganges is most holy, This is a town like jerusalem filled with pilgrims of many religions and sects. Where life revolves around religious observance and there is an import religious festival for nearly every day of the year. This is where hindus come cremate their dead and send the ashes down stream as it is the quickest way to be reunited with god.

But the very best thing we saw, and we saw it every where we went were the wonderful and varied people of India going about their daily lives. They were always happy and pleasant even when they were trying (and they tried hard) to sell us products and services of which we really had no interest. Many were extremely poor yet they always had a smile and a friendly wave for us. They didn't really make us feel sorry for them because of all the good things in life they are missing compared to the abundance we enjoy. We loved them for their happiness and gratefulness for what they do have, their patience with life. the peaceful way they live and their acceptance of what life gives to them.

These are some of our favorite pictures of our Indian friends

Varanasi

Now I know where the location scouts for the Indiana Jones movies came to get inspiration. This is like nowhere else we have ever seen.....except maybe in the movies. This is one of the oldest cities in the world at least 5ooo BC and is the most holy for Indian Hindus. Today we took an early morning cruise down the Ganges River. We started before the sun came up. We saw the pilgrims arriving to bathe themselves in the river, holy men chanting to the sun, young priests doing yoga which included a laughing exercise, cremations of bodies going on, and even bodies floating in the river with the birds happily eating away. An incredible experience We are sure that if you have been to India and not seen Varanasi you have not really seen India.

Other photos include a small village school we visited in Khajuraho, and a massive waterfall we visited in the same location. we have taken over 700 photos and these are just a small sample.

Tomorrow we head home

More Photos

India -More Picitures