Endings and Beginnigs...

I am sad once again. I've lost another very dear friend. 'Four Bid', the stud pictured above, died yesterday, unexpectedly.
Bud, as we called him, had been losing weight recently. But that was actually pretty normal for him. Lose weigh in the winter time, then bulk back up in the spring. Throughout the winter, I would feed him special senior feed, give him extra treats and roughage. I don't think it was enough, though, this year. Especially with the snow and the cold the way it's been. I think everything combined to get him down.
It was especially heartbreaking to look down in the field and see the other three horses hanging theirs heads over top of his body, waiting for him to get up.
Bud was the patriarch of the group, the 'old man' as we called him. He was 27 this year. He always held a special place in my heart because his pedigree could be traced back to Man O' War, the great racehorse. And because he was willing to put up with any novice rider I put on his back. He is going to be sorely missed.
Okay, damn it. On to lighter news. I reconnected this week to a very dear friend from high school. HELLO NICOLE!!!! On Facebook, no less. I think it's quite a coincidence that she found me. I've only just started being a presence on the network, and week before last she typed my name in. It was so good talking to her. I'm sure we'll get together at some point and get into trouble just like we always did. (Hey Nic, remember getting the truck stuck going around the reservoir? Ha Ha!!!)
So, I guess life kind of balances out, huh? When it takes something away, it will give you something back. Maybe just not what you expected.