I found myself standing in the bathroom, armed with an old toothbrush and spray bottle of shower cleaner. I clean when I’m upset. Generally, this puts my family in conflict. They want me to be happy. But make me sad, or tick me off, and the house sparkles! How to choose? But they aren’t here. Shaun is taking care of her parents, the kids are with Aunt Lolly and in school, and at that particular moment, I had just found out something was seriously wrong with my dad. Daisy and Bella know all this.
They’re psychic.
At the exact moment I’m staring at the toothbrush they text me simultaneously:
Bella: sorry @ your dad. hard. all the girls going to roping practice after work 2morrow @ Tracy’s…wanna come? B here @ 5 if you wanna ride with. Going to swing by to pick up Jamie’s horses. We have a spare.
Daisy: you’re cleaning arent you. bad update on dad. sorry to hear. you going to roping practice over at Tracy’s?
A spare would be a horse for me to sit on, a cozy seat. NOT a spare horse on which I’d rope. Really generous. It’s what horse people know will work when there’s a problem. Stick your friend on a horse. It always helps. Always. I waffle, anyway. It’s been 105 degrees all day. How much would it cool off by 5 pm tomorrow? And I have SO been putting off cleaning the shower with a toothbrush. It’s kinda important.
Uh….did I really just think that? Reality check. I gotta get out of here when I think scrubbing with an old toothbrush is important.
Jane: thinking…coming? I’ll drive, don’t wait. Never been there. Someone send directions?
Bella: great. how can you not have been to Tracy’s? Of course you’ve been to Tracy’s. Hudson wants you to come. FYI.
Daisy: you know, tracy’s. no thinking coming. COMING! I’ll pick you up. Just over the hill. nbd drive. Taaaacos…..
Jane: Road trip?
Daisy: Road trip! horses cows music. stop 4 TACOS.
Bella: Road Trip! Hudson REALLY wants you to come
Daisy: plz tell me u threw away the cleaning rag. oh god, it’s a toothbrush isn’t it? intervention. we’re adding margaritas.
Jane: i’m coming. hv i told u guys lately what good friends u are?
I’ve been team roped. They know exactly what they’re doing. Bella ropes me in and sets up for Daisy. Daisy gallops in behind, and snags me with the margaritas. They want to get me away from my current reality. I throw the toothbrush in the trash. I’ve never told Daisy about the toothbrush cleaning binges. How does she know these things?
It was the kind of late afternoon that reminds you of cutting high school classes toward the end of term. (What? Who, me?) I felt like a teenager escaped from school and parents, hitting the open road. FREEDOM. I’m waiting on permission to put up action photos of roping practice. Forgot to ask permission while I was there. In the mean time, here’s Bella on Hudson, in the box, loop ready under her right arm, I think waiting on a dud (steer that not only did not bolt out when the chute opened, but most likely meandered out looking surprised.) to be worked out of the arena.
I don’t have Photoshop, the light you see is the setting sun hitting the dust kicked up in arena…
The Literary Horse 
You’re so lucky to have such great friends! So sorry about your dad.
Food, horses, and friends. 🙂
That’s so awesome, I can’t believe your friends team roped you. Well, I can believe it, it’s just really great. Bella and Hudson have the same look on their face in the first picture! Love the second photo – so beautiful!
Good friends!
They do have the same look, don’t they? I hadn’t put that together.
The horse in the second pic: he’s healthy, fit, a good heeler, sound, and twenty-six years old. This was his last competition year: his owner said he’s being retired whether he likes it or not.
That’s some excellent horse care in an incredibly demanding sport. I would never have guessed his age that high, and I saw him up close and working. He’s going to give his owner some grief about retirement I’m afraid.