I am back from
my long trip to a Svanes family reunion out in Braddock/Steele,
North Dakota. I am happy to be home, and feel that I have learned
much more about myself, and who I am and AM NOT in relation
to my roots. There were 150 Norwegians at the Braddock Community
Hall. I could not tell you how to get to Braddock before I went
there, and cannot even tell you now. To see so many gravel roads
in one day is mind-boggling, and then to arrive in Braddock
was a bit of a shock. It was a one-horse town (although I actually
saw two there that day!) with a boarded up bank on one corner
("BANK" was hand painted above the door years ago),
a church, an obsolete school, a community hall, and most lively
of all was the Braddock Bar!!! I have pictures of all that are
included here - two pictures are of my aunt from Seattle, my
mother's sister, who was there with her husband, Franz (holding
video camera). She traveled 1100 miles for the event. Then my
cousins came all the way from Norway. Henny and Ladolph can
be seen along with my mother, who is seated far left. Even Miss
Wyoming was there, who is competing for the Miss America crown
soon, I believe. It was a gathering of so many people that I
have never met and may never see again aside from my cousins
and aunt and uncle, and I still do not know in which way I was
even related to them. I did find one cousin who liked horses,
though. Alan Svanes just got into horses a couple of years ago,
and likes driving teams. He bought his set of three year old
fillies for just a few hundred dollars apiece. They are a draft/Quarter
cross, and Molly was very calm and wise. Her sister looked to
Molly for all direction. I watched Alan hitch them up, as you
will see in the picture. We then hooked up to a steel-wheel
buckboard wagon and took a stroll around Braddock. Now I felt
at home at last! The kids had a blast taking a ride, and Alan
and I shared horse stories. He is a Monty Roberts fan, and talked
about how horse psychology differs from other livestock. It
was the best time I had all afternoon.
Inside the community
hall we looked for our place on the 30 foot banner that displayed
a family tree. We weren't there! I guess we couldn't be included
because that would have made the banner 56 feet long..........but
I thought my mother and cousins from Norway had deserved a place
there since they were Svanes natives and not transplants...
nevertheless it was fun to see the pictures. My mother was a
little disappointed with the lack of recognition as a Svanes
native as well, but she has been a good example to me to not
let things get you down when in 100 years it won't matter anyway!!
North Dakota looked
more beautiful than I remember it in the past, but I still love
South Dakota and miss the Black Hills and wish I could be riding
there right now, but there are horses at home that need us and
my cat, Tuffy, who is in hospice care at my house on the dining
room floor on a heating pad and I am feeling very, very low
at this moment.
Tuffy and I have
been together for 15 years, and I also was privileged to have
her mother for a pet, who died at age 16. Tuffy has been with
me throughout the birth of my four children, the raising of
them, caring for 35+ foster children, one divorce, two moves
from her original home, and always loyal throughout. She loves
raw eggs and demanded one every night, and the last 10 months
we have been fighting feline renal failure. I am battle weary,
but vowed my commitment would be to her until the end. I contemplated
taking her in for euthenization, but she would not want to die
in a vet office. She is at home with me where I turn her every
few hours and Craig (bless his heart)
gives her sub-q fluids under the skin. It pains me to see her,
especially when she had a gran mal seizure 48 hours ago and
has been listless and lifeless since then. She raises her head
when she hears my voice, and is such a fighter. A part of me
will die with her, but I know I must try to be strong for the
vital, living things all around me that need our attention and
love. Tuffy was TOUGH - thus her name. She will never be forgotten,
and always loved, and if any of you can whisper a prayer for
me as you read this I am sure it will make her passing a bit
easier. I will bury her under the tree that shelters my dog,
Mamie, who was also with me for 15 years, and Tuffy's mother.
I will look outside my kitchen window and remember them every
day. As for heaven, I believe there is a place for them there,
isn't there?
This is also a
time to remember the following horses, which have recently passed:
Bob the Belgian
- shockingly, he had to be humanely euthenized two weeks ago.
It is believed he had cancer - had been losing quite a bit of
weight despite hard work to keep him sustained and healthy.
He fought as hard as he could, but died gracefully in the arms
of his adopters in Pennsylvania. He will be sadly missed.
Skeeter - 20+
Standardbred gelding who was rescued from the Cannon Falls feed
lot three years ago. He had recently had trouble maintaining
weight - he died just hours shy of another vet visit who was
going to consult with the adopter on feeding options. He was
loved and impeccably cared for until his death. I wish comfort
to his mourning adoptive family. They gave him three more precious
years of life!
Domino - 26 year
old Pinto mare who came into our program many years ago. Most
recently she was a gymkhana horse (up until fall 2002) and gave
all she had to the boys riding her. Despite much effort, she
continued to lose weight until the determination was made to
humanely euthenize her in spring. Domino - you will be missed!!!
I will try and
update you on the good news as well as the memorials. For some
reason, today these three horses stuck out in my mind as worthy
of our thoughts and appreciation. It is a time of grieving,
and I guess the Bible says that for every thing there is a season,
and "a time for mourning". I don't like being in these
seasons... but they are inevitable. God bless
everyone for being so good to these horses during their lives.
We had the opportunity
to be in a centennial parade three Saturdays ago! It included
eight horses - one retired polo pony named Asha, carrying a
3 and 4 year old who passed out candy while being led by Sandee
Wellman, a Quarter horse named Chief, ridden by foster son Greg
Peck II, and five Standardbreds! The Standardbreds were A TEAM
HALL (ridden by Terry's grandpa Sandvick, who hasn't ridden
in 30 years!), HONEY FITZ, KING'S ROYAL FELLA, ALTERNATIVE,
and JANIMAL. Only one of the five Standardbreds had EVER been
in a parade before and all received an A+ for behavior! We were
right behind a fire truck, and we had two boys carrying the
ASAP banner. It was a hoot! Meanwhile, in Trempealeau, Adrienne
de Master and her two daughters rode BRODERICK, FORRIT BISKIT,
AND GOLDSEEKER in the local parade. There were also several
Standardbreds in the 4-H show (see Adrienne's story)......so
we were proudly represented in two counties in Wisconsin!
The night at Balmoral
race track went well. My gelding was a perfect gentleman there
and the track personnel were, as usual, gracious and supportive.
Next month look for Honey Fitz in the stall and our information
table. We also do plan on being at the Northern Illinois Horse
Fest in Belvidere after all - we received a personal invitation
that we could not turn down. We are asking for three well trained
horses to represent ASAP at the Horse Fest August 23 and 24,
so if you are willing to pay the $25 stall fee and can trailer
your horse and prepare a one minute demonstration (doesn't have
to be anything fancy) please let me know via e-mail!
As I write, horses
are being referred. Once again I must renew my plea for people
willing to do volunteer foster care for horses. We are not in
a position to pay, but if you would like to consider adopting
or fostering,
please contact us!
Thanks to all
who continue the work "4 the horses" ... Carmen Burth
really deserves a huge hand this week. She is the work horse
of ASAP - screening those applications and never asking for
even as much as a "thank you". We love ya, Carmen,
and couldn't do our work without you! You are the backbone,
woman!
Also, continued
thanks to Bryan Kopp and Kim for their continued work as officers
and board members and volunteers and web masters! And to Andrea
Hanson for being such a devoted volunteer. Bonnie, thanks for
holding down the fort in the office too!
If you have a
few moments to spare, we really need some volunteers to come
down and brush and groom horses and give them some added TLC.
Give me a call at home to arrange a time to come.
Until Next Week
(I promise!)
Susan
