send life preservers

3" of rain yesterday and who knows how many today. i haven't been able to plant something so today, i'll be sorting seeds for sowing and starting in the greenhouse.

i know death is part of life on the farm. when i was 12, my horse died. i laid on him and cried. he had colic and his gut was twisted up beyond repair. i remember my sister and i walking him in the cold rain for hours. it was december 13. he died sometime in the night. my parents finally made us come inside. the next morning, i had to go to school. i didn't know he was dead yet and my mom refused to let me check on him. she knew and she didn't want to ruin my day. when i got home, i knew he was dead because she (who hated horses) had been crying.

sometimes, our animals become so a part of our families that we can't help but feel a huge loss, no matter what their purpose in our life is.