That's better

Last September when I drove to Sizzle's barn to pick up my things, I just stuffed two plastic tubs with dirty horse brushes, bridles, hairy saddle pads and all the odds and ends a horse seems to accumulate over a long life. It was that same sad-funny day I stood on the breakwater at Alki and got smacked with a cold wave.


Well, I couldn't stand to open the lid on those boxes all winter so they sat out in the damp shed. But everything was covered with dear brown hair, barn dust, horse saliva, sweat and her familiar smell. (Horses don't all smell alike-- ask any doting owner.) Sometimes I'd open the box for a quick look and sniff and then close the lid again on that jumbled mess.

Yesterday I finally took out my leather kit, pulled every dirty thing apart and spent a morning on the deck cleaning. I polished the silver trimmed bridle everyone always admired on her, and finally gave her old things the respect they deserved.

When John came home from work the first thing he said was, "there's a FUNNY smell outside and inside the house." Yup, that would be saddle soap and horse. They're back. :-)