Estate horses

While we were cleaning out my mother's house, I found a box containing every single piece of correspondence I ever sent to her or my father. It was completely overwhelming.

I threw some of it away, but the rest came home with me.

Now it's sitting in a box in my basement.

I haven't spent a lot of time with this box - frankly, I find it depressing - but recently, I skimmed a couple of the letters. One described my first visit to the Brown/Welch home in Wellington, Colorado. I had a good time at Trisha's house, I wrote. They have horse things everywhere! There's even a horse picture on the toilet seat!

not the toilet, but same bathroom

Amost immediately thereafter, that cozy, horse-filled house became my second home.

I was there for the people...

and the horses...

but I also fell in love with the cats,

the dogs,

the barns...

and that wonderful little house.

I have good memories of almost every room.

Especially this one.

Trisha's father, Norm, died in 2021, and her mother, Donna, passed away last December. 

Earlier this month, I attended Donna's celebration of life at the family farm. I was sad, but not at all surprised, to learn that the property has been sold. After the ceremony, everyone was invited inside the house to view...

and perhaps purchase some of Norm and Donna's prize possessions.

Not going to lie, part of me wanted all of it. Maybe not the pearls, but all the art, all the books, all the horses, all the memories.

But the memories of emptying my mom's house are still fresh. I don't want to do that to Ryan and James, so I decided to limit myself to one Lefton donkey...

and one Shirmar Arabian family.

That was the plan, anyway.

I'm still not exactly sure how it happened, but all the Shirmars ended up in my car.

Which means, now they're in my house.

Well, mostly. 

One has already been rehomed, and eventually, some of the others will follow suit. Still, it's a privilege having them here right now. They are a reminder of people - and a place - I loved. Thank you, Brown family, for everything.