Thanksgiving

 

We've just celebrated our second Thanksgiving in our new home. And even though we've only been here for 17 months, we feel like we've always lived here. This is home.

Because Bob's horse Lenny is still in the recovery mode from his operation back in September, we were unable to go for our Annual Thanksgiving Ride. Instead we went for a Thanksgiving Walk, taking the horses on a short loop through the neighborhood. This was more like a slow jog for me; my horse has really long legs!

Both Lenny and Bob are healing from their operations. Don't know if you all know, Bob had to have a Hernia operation in October – we didn't even know he had a hernia until his physical and the doctor said, hey you've got to get this fixed. Funny, they both had their bellies shaved!

Natalie is recovering from a black eye she got during softball practice almost 2 weeks ago. As of today, the bruising is pretty much all gone and the only red in her eye is a small line just outside of the color. She had a tournament last weekend, and quite a few people commented on her black eye. Her next tournament is next weekend, then the last one for the year is the weekend after that. Then she'll go to the ASU softball camp over winter break. It's true, softball in Arizona NEVER ENDS. It's a year round thing out here.

We've been experiencing some issues with our well in the past 2 weeks or so. It just isn't keeping up with the demand, like it has been. After talking it over with 2 of my neighbors we think it's time to have some more work done, like cleaning the tank and possibly replacing the float. Since I have no experience with wells and how they work, it's all guesswork to me. Luckily we have a really good "well guy" and we're able to split the costs of this with the 3 other families who share our well.

Don't know if you know, but we had some wonderful rain storms over the Thanksgiving holiday. I love it when it rains here, there is nothing like the smell of rain in the desert.

On a sad note, my Uncle Jim was hurt on Wednesday from a crash on an ATV (4-wheeler) and is still in the hospital with a pretty serious head injury. He was driving "very slowly" through a camp ground when his hat blew off, and as he reached for it, he turned the handle bars causing the ATV to "jack knife" and flip, and throw him to the ground, banging his head on the pavement and fracturing his skull. He had to be airlifted to the hospital in Santa Rosa (CA), and will probably be there for a few months. When it first happened, and the doctors were explaining things, it sounded like he could be there for 6 months, before they could even think of moving him to Sacramento, which is closer to where he lives. But as the days have gone on, the prognosis changes, and maybe he'll be able to be moved sooner.

I know people love those ATV's and at one time so did I. Until we got horses and now see how crazy people get on them, tearing up the terrain without any disregard to the damage they cause, noise pollution, air pollution, trespassing, etc. I could go on. But even though I don't understand how people seem to lose their ability to read NO TRESSPASSING signs when on them, I understand even less their ability to put on a helmet. Even when traveling at slow speeds, just in their neighborhood. Which is just what Jim was doing when his accident happened, traveling at a very slow speed.

While I wish him the best in his recovery, I am even more grateful that my brother was not hurt in this accident, as he was on the back of the ATV when it flipped. He said his injuries amount to a skinned knee, and the emotional trauma of watching a family member be seriously injured and having to be air lifted away – not to mention how their holiday went from something fun, to something very UN-fun. Spending hours in the hospital, doing nothing but waiting for more information.

So to all of us – WEAR A HELMET. And stay safe.