Found! The Missouri Wild Horses!

She found them! Hawkeye Sarah was able to track down one of the herds of wild horses in Missouri while she was in the state attending a conference this past week!

This is the Shawnee Creek herd, one of several that are roaming in the state.

The text she sent with this video had no other details but I am sure I will hear more when she gets home and has a chance to catch her breath and then sit down and process the photos she took.

Sarah's hobby is wildlife photography and these are not her first wild horses. A few years ago she photographed the Pryor Mountain wild horses and framed three of those photos as a Christmas gift for me.

They hang in my office now.

She also bought me the identification book

that is compiled by supporters of the Pryor Mountain herd. It was fun learning whose faces were hanging on my walls!

But Sarah is not the only family member who likes to find and see wild horses. 

Mountain Mama Jessica enjoys watching and advocating for the Onaqui herd in Utah. So much so that, as a surprise, I gifted her with Breyer's model, Jewel, last Christmas.

She was puzzled by the gift, but when I explained it was my way of acknowledging how proud of her I was in her advocacy for the Onaqui herd and social justice, she got teary.

Hopefully Sarah will send me some more photos of the Missouri wild horses soon. When she does, I'll share them here.

Stay 'tooned!

News of All Kinds & a Question at the End

Good News! 

Mountain Mama's family have plane tickets to come for Thanksgiving! From a real ticket site this time and not from scammers! Our family is thrilled that they will be joining us after all. (And I am looking around at my house and realizing that I'd better get some cleaning done!)

Not Good News 

After a three month hiatus and settling back into my normal life's routines, I had two migraines yesterday. I had suspected that this might happen as a few of the symptoms had recently resurfaced, but I was hoping I was not going back into the daily migraine(s), droopy face/speech issues, and lack of hand coordination routine again. That was a seven months that I'd rather not repeat, but in reality I had suspected that whatever this is would ultimately return. 

Fingers crossed that the recent symptoms are just a fluke. Prayers and good thoughts are welcome and appreciated!

Helping News 

My friend and former teaching colleague, Kathy, became ill and asked me to take her to the doctor. She brought her guide dog, Tate with her, but left him with me in the waiting room while she saw the doctor.

I always love to spend time with a guide dog - they are the smartest of the smart, passing many tiers of intelligence tests before qualifying to be trained as a guide. They are even taught "intelligent disobedience," which means that they will refuse to do something that puts them and their blind partner in harm's way. (Such as refusing to go forward into the path of an oncoming car.)

Tate slipped under my chair as trained and I pulled out my Kindle to read while we waited.

Except that there was a bit of a problem. Tate is one of the biggest Labrador Retrievers I've ever seen and he needed two chairs in order to fit underneath as his training dictated. 

He shifted around quite a bit before he was happy that he was finally completely underneath. It was sweet and funny at the same time. Good dog, Tate!

Celebratory News

Speaking of guide dogs, our dog Pepper retired from her guiding partnership and came to live with us four years ago October 30.

She's an amazing dog and is very bonded to me now. Guide dogs are trained to focus on and be with one person, and while she loves Craig, I am the one she has transferred that strong allegiance to and keeps tabs on.

Even now, at 5:00 AM, she has followed me upstairs and is lying by me as I write. Trained as Tate was, she used to go under my desk while I worked, but I retrained her that it was okay to be next to me instead. There just wasn't room under my desk for a stretched out, snoozing Lab and my feet together!

Happy Anniversary, Pepper. I cannot imagine life without you. 

Horsey News - Can You Help?

Did you know there are wild horses in Missouri? I did not until yesterday. Hawkeye Daughter Sarah, a wildlife photographer, is going there next week to photograph them and asked me for information about them.

Since I don't know anything about them, I'm reaching out here. If you do, or have links to information about them, please send them to me at horsiemama8@gmail.com. Thanks!