The road goes on forever

After twenty eight hours of near non-stop packing, James and I climbed into the U-Haul truck and hit the road.

The first part was also the worst part. Northeastern Colorado is flat and empty and the roads are raggedy.

After three hours of that, we were both relieved when we crossed into Nebraska.

A lot of my hobby friends were also on the road that day, heading to Lexington, Kentucky. I snapped a picture of the sign for the Nebraska Lexington in solidarity.

A few minutes later, I waved to Margaret as we rolled past Kearney.

The original plan was to stop in Omaha, but after our extremely late start, there was simply no way. We found a decent roadside hotel in Grand Island, and called it a night.

The next morning we were right back at it. We powered through the rest of Nebraska and crossed into Iowa.

It takes five hours to drive across Iowa, but the time passed quickly.

I waved to Prairie Meadows, where Carol and I stayed during another road trip back in 2016...

and we both oohed and aahed over all the pretty rainbows.

Hello, Wyoming! What are doing out here?

As we neared Dubuque, the skies grew dark and stormy.

Sure enough, it was raining as we drove over the Mississippi River...

and into Wisconsin.

The skies cleared as we drove through the limestone bluffs. 

The last part of our drive was dark and wet.

We were exhausted by the time we reached the trailer drop-off point.

As much as we both wanted to push through to Madison, we decided safe was better than sorry. We found another hotel, and checked ourselves in for the night. The next morning, we made the short drive to James' new home and spent the rest of the day unpacking and getting settled.

In contrast to the first twenty eight hours, I really enjoyed this part of the week. Aside from a bit of rain at the end, the weather was fine, the conversation lively, and James did a really good job of driving. I can be a bit of a nervous passenger, but I was completely comfortable riding with him.

But here's the thing I haven't told you: It wasn't just James and I in that U-Haul.

The other members of our party were Guppy/Kimmy...

and Mercury.

And let me tell you, traveling with a cat and a snake was a whole new experience for me!

To be continued.

First things first

A while back, my friend, Angelo, legally changed his name to Alexey. I asked if I should be calling him that on my blog, and he said, no. He was still Angelo in the hobby, and he'd let me know when that changed.

This week, he let me - and everyone else - know. Henceforth, I'll be using Alexey.

Anyway...  Alexey got home from BreyerFest on Tuesday, and I went to his house after work to participate in the grand unpacking.

Of course, there were some equids.

But also, there were foxes,

birds, bunnies,

chickens...

and - of course! - deer.

He got me a few things, too. 

Here's a studio picture of my BreyerFest 2026 haul, minus the dog who was hiding on the prepping table.

I also got a Flinka, but she's not staying.

Instead, she - and this big pile of miscellaneous loot - will go to one lucky Braymere blog reader.

Entry is simple: Every comment left on this page equasl one raffle entry. Old post, new post, multiple posts, it just doesn't matter, but if you're posting anonymously, be sure to include your name. I will choose a winner on July 25. 

Back among the living

This sign - which was posted at James' old apartment complex - states that every summer has a story.

It's barely the second half of July, and already, this summer has had a lot of stories.

I've written about most of them, at least briefly, but one thing I have not mentioned is a low-level but persistent health issue that suddenly became a lot less ignorable earlier this week. One trip to urgent care and a lot of antibiotics later, I can mostly think again. Regular posting resumes today, hopefully.

Donna

Even by the standards of the last few years, December 2025 was a lot.

The month started with a trip to California to visit my mom in a geriatric psych ward. While I was there, my sister and I wandered into an active shooter lockdown at a nearby museum. I got home just in time to  testify against my neighbor in an attempted murder trial. Shortly after that, my father-in-law was hospitalized for several days with heart issues. Thankfully, he got better, but I finished the year with Covid.

In between all that, three people I knew died.

The first was my friend, Chris.

The second was Fabian's father, Benny.

The third was my friend, Trisha's mother, Donna.

Donna and Trisha at the Air Force Academy, 1989

Except Donna wasn't just my friend's mother. For three years while I was in college, she was basically my second mother.

Norm, Donna and Trisha at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, 1996

After that, she was my friend.

A down to earth, no nonsense woman, Donna lived a life filled with horses, mostly Arabians, which she bred and raised with her mother and husband on their farm in Wellington, Colorado.

Donna and Amie Phoenix+, 2009

In 1981, she became the first woman to serve as the president of the Colorado Arabian Horse Club, a notable achievement at the time.

Donna's 2013 Century Club (where the age of horse and rider total at least 100 years) ride on  Amie Phoenix+ 

After three years in that position, she returned to her original career of teaching, which she did both-full time, and later as a sub, until 2020.

Donna and Norm Brown, photo by Meghan Scott Molin

Yesterday, her family, friends, coworkers and students gathered at the family farm to celebrate a life well-lived.

Despite ridiculously hot temperatures, every seat was full.

People came from far and wide to honor their friend, their colleague, their teacher.

Trish...

and her brother Russ, both educators themselves, spoke passionately and eloquently about their mother's life and legacy.

After, we were invited inside to view...

and perhaps purchase some of Donna's prized possessions.

Heh.

It was a good day, spent with some of the best people.

Rest well, Donna. I was so lucky to have you as a second mother. I was so lucky to have you as a friend.