A Gentle Giant

Meet Tango.

He is the new horse in our pasture.

Tango is a Shire, and colossal.

Our paint yearling, Jack, is “clacking” -- a behavior in which a baby horse sidles up to an older horse and clacks his teeth or tongue. In essence, Jack is saying to Tango, “Please. Give me a break. I’m just a baby. Don’t hurt me even though I am probably annoying you.”

(“Give me a break, even if I’m annoying.” I think I recall clacking this to my parents when I was a teenager.)

Tango accepted Jack and has shown him mercy.

Tango, bless his big heart, has done the same for us.

 

He’s calm when we bridle him.

(GAACKK! Not so tight!)

He’s tolerant when we saddle him up.

He’s gracious when the neighbors ride him.

 

He’s sweet when the kids ride him.

 

He’s a dream when the grandsons ride him.

 

He’s gentle when the granddaughters ride him.

He’s accommodating when Jack butts in.

He’s a good natured,

photogenic,

 

loveable,

 

big boy.

A Bad Case of EVB

My husband and I just returned from a cruise around the Western Caribbean. It was his first cruise, and he is hooked. But now we’ve got EVB; we’ve got it bad. EVB:  that’s “End of Vacation Blues.” It began incubating toward the very end of our trip and blew into a full-blown textbook case the day after we arrived home.

Our cruise was supposed to include stops at Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. But we sailed into a cycle of tropical storms that created 10’ Gulf swells, rain, and 50-knot winds.

But we were not discouraged.  

We had a great room.

With a balcony.

When it wasn’t raining, we spent a lot of time out there.

 We enjoyed delicious food. Lots of it.

We entertained ourselves quite nicely during four days without internet, cell phones, or obligations.

Somewhere, out in the distance, is Jamaica. We didn’t get to stop there and do the zip line over the tree canopy outside of Montego Bay. So long, Jamaica.

We saw flying fish, though, from the balcony during a break in the weather.

And that island over there? That’s Grand Cayman. That’s as close as we got; strong winds prohibited us from tendering, so the port was closed. We didn’t get to snorkel, swim, or take the Atlantis submarine to see life under the sea.

So long, Georgetown. Maybe next time.

The fifth day of our cruise, though, the seas calmed, the sun shone, and we were able to stop at the La Isla de Cozumel.

 We saw Mayan ruins at Tulum.

 We had some beach time.

 Not nearly enough beach time.

So long, Cozumel. Until next time.

So now we’re home. With EVB. Where’s our cabin steward? I have to make my own bed now, and vacuum. And there is no turn-down service. And where’s our chef, and our entertainment director?

And how about the nice young man who brought the tray of Fun Drinks even when we just thought about it? Sigh.

My husband thinks the only cure for our EVB is to move to Playa del Carmen, a beautiful seaside village in Yucatan that captured our fancies.

We still wouldn’t have a chef, a cabin steward, or a Fun Drink Man. But I’m willing to race for that cure.