The ‘Hood’s Greatest

Monday, August 26, 2019

My friend, Susie, who lives in the neighborhood loop where my horses routinely are exercised, was out bicycling. She spotted Rosie pulling our cart, fell in and bicycled behind to come for a visit. We’ve been friends for a year but this was Susie’s first tour of my little ranch to meet the critters and see how the setup works.

Horses are friend magnets and that’s what drew Susie and me together. Unlike many in the neighborhood who enjoy hearing, seeing, and greeting/touching my animals, Susie is an ex-horsewoman, an experienced rider. Like all with that life experience, she’s greatly drawn to horses. So, we got to know each other. Susie’s joined me in the cart behind Sunni several times. From her years living in the neighborhood with a passion for bicycling, she knows every inch of this area. From Susie, I’ve learned local places to drive a horse that otherwise I might not have discovered.

Susie is busy and must carve out time for little jaunts with my horses and me. She and her creative husband, Dale, operate a small manufacturing business–building very specialized ladders designed by Dale for use in repairing helicopters. I’ve seen these ladders, unique in design for their intended jobs, and beautiful to behold–modular, colorful, intricately balanced. The second impression that sighting one conjures in my mind is “ladder”. The first is “art object”!

Anyway, she insisted on helping me replace a battery in a beeping smoke alarm, set too high for me to reach. We hauled a not-pretty extension ladder up from the hay shed and set it for climbing about 10 feet toward the smoke alarm. I tried to go up but felt too insecure, upon which Susie fearlessly stepped upward and changed the battery. (It’s a mitzvah, knowing one who knows ladders.)

Thanks, Susie!

Dear Readers: Emily Dickinson said it right, “My friends are my estate.” Diana