Friends

Amazing People

I already told you about the massive housecleaning project undertaken by a group of my friends while I was in the hospital.  The time and effort they put in was amazing and quite humbling to me.

Friends like that are a true treasure.

And I have more. My friend Chris of the Arabians will be coming over tomorrow to help out with the vetting for the Boys. That will include Chance's ultrasound. Since I can't quite yet handle the horses myself, her help in getting them in the barn for the vet and maybe some extra holding hands for the ultrasound will be invaluable.  The last time the vet was here Lanny lent a hand as well.

My horsesitter, Debbie, goes well beyond the call of duty to do little extra things too. She picked up grain at the feed store for me and has cleaned out the rat attacked feed bin I was planning on handling once Spring hit.  (Speaking of---Spring hit with a vengeance with temperatures up in the upper 70's last week and last night, we had.......snow......)

Had to giggle a bit because I asked Debbie to put the sheets on the Boys last night before the temperatures plummeted. After she had left, I saw that Tucker was still naked. I went out to find his Rambo sheet in a rather tattered state, completely unusable.  Not sure when that had happened, but I guess Debbie had no idea what else he could wear. Fortunately, I did. I pulled one of the orange sheets out of the pile and decided to try to put it on Tucker myself.

Now, on his best of days, Tucker tends to be a moving target for getting dressed. Even when he does stand in one place, he bops his head up and down threatening to bite while I try to fasten the buckles. Last night, there I stood in his stall, on one crutch, hefting the sheet up onto his 17 h back with my free left hand. I managed to get it up there and then moved around to the front of him to buckle the straps.  "Bop, bop" head started. At that I said, "Knock it off. I'm having enough trouble just standing up. If you  knock me down we are going to be in big trouble here!"   To my utter surprise he froze and stood stock still like a perfect gentleman while I adjusted the buckles, surcingles, and leg straps so the sheet fit properly. (I think it was actually Toby's sheet.)  I gave him high praise and thanks for being a really good boy!!  Amazing.

Anyhow, back to friends. My friend LeighAnn called me when she found out I was hurt and insisted if I needed hay or grain that I call her. So I did.  Sure enough, she hitched up her trailer today. picked up 25 bales of hay from our supplier and unloaded it in my shed.

Another friend, Richard, picked me up from the hospital, took me shopping for groceries on the way home, and waited with me at the pharmacy for my prescriptions. He offered to take me to physical therapy as well, but since I can drive, I didn't need his help there. But again, how nice for him to offer. And I know he'd do it because he did when I was recovering from the knee replacements.

These are not people who speak empty words when they say, "If there's anything I can do, please let me know."  They mean it.

I hope I am the same kind of friend to them and any of my other friends if the time should come.