Oops, Sunday is Fathers Day

[jinman]

I make it a "must do" thing every year to visit my parent's gravesite around Mother's Day and Father's Day. I always take artificial flowers to decorate the site. It's remarkable in this old cemetery how many graves are approaching 200 years old. It's a small cemetery less than 1/2 mile from the downtown area of the city.

This year, I took my youngest daughter and grandchildren with me and they seemed to really enjoy seeing where their grandparents are buried. They had not been able to be at the funeral and this was the first time we were able to make plans and go together. That made it very special for me and a happy time despite the fact that my parents are long deceased. We also drove by the old homesite that is now covered with apartments except for one small area that is green and has trees growing around it. I pointed out to everyone that there are two or three natural springs in that area and they will probably never be able to stabilize the ground enough to build there. Instead, they made that a natural greenbelt, and it has a drainage stream that flows water year-round from the springs. I also took them to the place where I went to elementary school in an old 3-room schoolhouse. Only the foundation of the building is still there, but the schoolyard is well defined.

This was one of the best "Father's Days" ever, despite the fact that it was on Saturday before Father's Day.

 

[RWolf]

Thank you all. Well father's didn't quite turn out as expected. Planned on going riding with some friends. A nice quite ride. Sunday morning was perfect, cool temp (mid 70's) mild breeze. Couldn't ask for anything better....except a horse that would cooperate. Took my youngest horse (5) because he need some saddle time. Big mistake. All he did was dance around and was being a big !@#$%^&* . When I finally go on the saddle he locked up and wouldn't budge. When he finally move he blew up and flipped over backwards landing on my leg. A bit bruised but nothing broken (this time). Walked him back to the property (Just a couple gates down from where we were to start riding), unsaddled him, told him he won this round but wait.... He's going back into the round pen for some serious retraining. Anyway limped back to the truck and went and spent the rest of the day with some other friends. On the bright side at the end of the month the wife is coming back from Arizona with the grandkids. Will get to spend a few weeks with them. I'm definitely looking forward to that.

 

[Bird]

Couldn't ask for anything better....except a horse that would cooperate.

Richard, that horse knew it was too hot to go riding. I had an emergency appendectomy a little after midnight on a Sunday night when I was 12 years old. I missed the last day of school in the 6th grade, which would have been nothing but getting our final grade cards and a little end of school party, so it was hot summer time coming. And I had a new, young mare I'd just gotten; no training, barely broke. The guy we got her from said he thought he'd been on her 6 times and she didn't buck. So I spent 5 days in the hospital, then another week before going back to the doctor and getting the stitches out. The only question I had for the doctor was "when I can start riding my horse?' I had to ask because my mother was scared of the horse anyway and didn't want me riding it. The doctor said he thought it would be alright to ride, if I took it easy. Ah, great, so home I went and saddled that little mare. Of course, by now it's afternoon and it's hot, but I intend to go a half mile down the road to a friend's house. But when I started down the driveway in that sun and heat, that little mare would turn and try to go back to the barn. And when I turned her to head down the driveway, she'd just stand there. I'd nudge her in the ribs and she'd turn toward the barn again. After about 3 times, I turned her to face down the driveway and kicked her in the ribs, and she took one jump and threw me right on my head in the gravel driveway; took me completely by surprise. I wasn't hurt except for being skinned up a bit, but I was mad, and I jumped up, ran and cauight her before she got to the barn, grabbed the reins close to the bit and slapped her across the front of her front legs with the reins. Of course, she reared up and ran backwards a ways, and my mother, who had been watching out the kitchen window until I got thrown off came running out screaming at me. Quite an exciting day.

 

[txdon]

We took Mom and Dad out to eat in Bastrop, on the way home we stopped by the store to get the newest flavor of Bluebell Ice Cream: "Groom's Cake". Dad will be 81 this week!

 

[wvpolekat]

I am just pleased to be a father. See, this is my first fathers day with my 2 boys, age 1 and 8. They came to us via foster care in December and we are in the process of adopting them. I am happy to know that they are out of the home they were in and are in a good, loving home now and watching them grow and get to be kids. No gifts needed, I know how lucky I am just to be a father.

 

[Bird]

I am just pleased to be a father. See, this is my first fathers day with my 2 boys, age 1 and 8. They came to us via foster care in December and we are in the process of adopting them. I am happy to know that they are out of the home they were in and are in a good, loving home now and watching them grow and get to be kids. No gifts needed, I know how lucky I am just to be a father.

Congratulations, polekat!

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I am just pleased to be a father. See, this is my first fathers day with my 2 boys, age 1 and 8. They came to us via foster care in December and we are in the process of adopting them. I am happy to know that they are out of the home they were in and are in a good, loving home now and watching them grow and get to be kids. No gifts needed, I know how lucky I am just to be a father.

That sounds great!!!

I'm really glad that there is people like you out there that will adopt children, and give them a loving home

I wish you all the best!!!!!

 

[soulasphil]

My children were sure to make me happy with a tractor-related present. As they consider I'm getting hard of hearing, they gave me hearing protectors with AM/FM radio to wear when getting seat time. Very comfortable and enjoyable.

 

[RWolf]

Polekat- Cool, fatherhood is great. I've never regreated for a moment being a father. [edited]-(don't mean to get off on a tangent) Even though I've lost one I know that for the 27 years that I had him he was IMO a model citizen. Sometimes you don't know how good a person is until you lose them. For many months after his death people came to me and told there stories about him and the influence he had on them. Made me more proud of him.[end edit]

Bird- The kicker was that the weather hadn't turned that hot yet. He's been a problem for about the last 2 years and of course I'm more leary of riding him and he probably knows it. It seems that everytime I've gotten on him in the last couple of years it's ended badly. January 2008 he put me in the hospital for 4 days with 5 broken ribs (at the back) and a broken collar bone. About 6 months ago we were done at our friends place and he decided to become a rodeo bucking horse. Severly knocked the wind out of me. And this last time. So I taking him back to basics on training will try again. Along the way I may send him to a professional trainer if I feel he's not learning.

 

[Bird]

Richard, everyone to his own preferences, but that horse doesn't sound like one I'd be taking to a professional trainer. Instead I'd be taking him to the auction barn.