August 5 2012 Horse troubles

Friday Jack and Teresa met some friends at a park with horse trails and Saturday we drove up to visit them.  When we got there Jack was out riding with a couple of his friends.   He was on Dolly, who is the horse I get to ride sometimes. She’s something like 23 years old but she’s very sure-footed and she loves to be at the front of the pack.  The trail they were on was a difficult one, full of ups and downs.  Dolly’s competitive drive kept her pushing on the trail, until suddenly she slipped and fell.  Jack went down with her but was able to pull his leg from underneath her and get up.  The guys calmed Dolly down, but as she tried to get up she fell over backwards into a small ravine.  And there she was stuck, on her back.  One of the riders came back to get help from the man who runs the park, and they rode out on a couple of big mules to help Dolly.  His horse Cincinnati was put in a corral where she called out for her missing friends, over and over.  When the second horse came in she relaxed for a few minutes, and then took up her post at the corral edge again, calling out to Dolly.  

Together it took 4 guys and 2 mules around 2 ½ hours to get Dolly out.  She was skinned up, filthy and exhausted (like the men who saved her life) but she walked back to camp without limping.   She was almost as glad to be out as Jack was thankful to have her back safe.

August 2 2010

Yesterday we waited in line for almost 2 hours to get fast-food at Chik Fil A.  I enjoyed the meal but obviously that wasn’t why we were there.  It is apparent that people who are normally quiet will have to stand up for Free Speech, or bullies will trample over everyone.  Chik Fil A’s business policy is to “treat every person with honor, dignity and respect -- regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.”   But when someone exercises his Free Speech right to express his personal opinions, suddenly the media is labeling him as hateful and elected public officials are threatening the organization.  The mayors of Boston and Chicago say they won’t allow more franchises in their cities - isn’t that illegal?  There was a time when I would have dismissed that possibility as ridiculous, but apparently we have come to this.  This has nothing to do with Gay Rights, it is entirely about Free Speech - it could be any topic that the general media does not want to hear expressed.  This is very dangerous.  I consider our Free Speech rights to be very precious - mine and everyone else’s - hence the long wait in line.