I was sitting here feeling sad.  Yesterday, I looked through my piles of MT photos to find the few I took just before she passed – so I could show you how great she looked up until the very end for yesterday’s post.

And it made me sad.

I miss her.  I miss taking care of her.  I miss kissing her sweet forehead every morning and every night.  I miss having her tell me what she needed or wanted.  I miss giving her what she needed and wanted.

Honestly, at first, her passing was a bittersweet relief.  I didn’t have to worry every day.  Would today be her last?  Tomorrow?  Would I be able to provide the care she needed.  Would I be forced to make any really tough decisions…?  Once she was gone, I no longer had to purchase all of her special feeds.  I didn’t have to soak her hay and watch every morsel that went into her sweet mouth.  I wasn’t tied to home and the barn…

But, you know… I miss it all.   I’m not saying that I wish I had another horribly ill horse to care for – I don’t.  I guess what I’m saying is that I miss the intimacy.  Yes, the intimate friendship I had with MT.

She was my girl friend who lived in the barn… and she and I were partners in this thing.

I miss her.

SLICK

And Slick… this place is too quiet without his feisty little Shetland Macho hooligan spirit.  Dodger and Norma are still not back to normal.  They both miss him, too.

Slick was the sweetest, kindest, Eddie Haskell, lovable imp – that I had ever known.  To think back and realize that he still had baby teeth when I found him… and to know that I had to say goodbye at only 23, which seemed far too early.

His forehead had a distinct fragrance.  I would always push back his heavyduty forelock and give him lots of kisses.  He’d stomp his little feet in protest but he wouldn’t move.

I miss his mighty stare when he wanted something.  I miss his smile.  He smiled all the time, especially when he was receiving love and pets.

I just miss HIM.  Slick was never misunderstood.  He made himself very clear.

BOTH OF THESE HORSES …

Both of these horses had such dynamic characters.

I believe that all horses have amazing gifts and vital personalities.   I think the two NEW spirits around here, Missy Miss Eden and Satchmo, have very large personalities.  I can tell already…  They think highly of themselves and are very affectionate.

It will be fun to spend time with each…

But today, I just miss my old friends.

Mama Tess and Slick… and my very best friend, Aladdin…

Onward, to the new year and, hopefully, promising new friendships (human and equine).