June bloom and gloom

I've written forty posts this month, more than half of which were about BreyerFest and Equilocity contest entries. 

The others focused on my new horse, Sage,

my best friend, Carol's visit and retirement ceremony...

and the Denver Dog Fair.

That tracks. This was, in fact, a month filled with family,

All I wanted was one nice Father's Day photo

friends,

dogs,

dog drama,

and horses.

Especially this one.

Other notable events included a couple fun evenings with hobby friends, a blessedly short day of jury duty...

and my first concert since the pandemic...

bonus points if you know who this is

I could have done without the dog drama and jury duty, but I can't complain about the rest. By most measures, June was a pretty good month.

But also, June was a hard month, filled with many painful reminders of love and loss.

June 6 was the anniversary of Olive's first colic episode. The memories - and grief - were overwhelming. I miss her every day.

June 21 would have been Darcy's fifteenth birthday. I've gotten used to the quiet, but I miss her every day.

June 27 would have been my father's ninety seventh birthday. He's been gone almost nine years, but somehow, I miss him more than ever.

All told, it's been a busy month, a month of big events and big feelings. I have less on my schedule - and fewer painful anniversaries - in July. I feel like I say this every month, but I am hoping for quieter, easier days ahead.