WAR Liberty Belle

I dreamt of it all night. I woke up at 2am, 2.30, 3.15, 3.45, 4.30, 5.00, 6.00, 6.45-- every time with the same dream. I was late! Every time I awakened it was in that dream-fog. Had he really called? Had I missed him? Had he driven away never to return?

His name is Kavin. Not Kevin, Kavin. He drives for Nationwide Horse Transport, and today he was supposed to arrive in J-City at 6am. He said he'd call when he was an hour out. I kept waking up with that heart-in-your-throat feeling that he'd called and I'd fallen back asleep and forgotten to go meet him. (In my dreams he was a woman named Karen... apparently because DreamBug can't handle names that don't make sense. Kavin? Really?) Most of the great state of Kansas was under a Wind Advisory today-- it was gusting pretty fiercely. By 10am I'd heard nothing, and I was pretty much convinced that the transport had blown over leaving Kavin and his cargo dead in a ditch somewhere.

As it turns out, there is also a J-Town Kansas. This is where Kavin arrived at 6am this morning. J-Town is nearly 300 miles away from J-City, and Kavin didn't arrive here until nearly 1pm. But he arrived.
And this is what he brought me:


Okay, perhaps this is not her most flattering angle. She wasn't feeling very photogenic, for Pete's sake she's been in a horse box for four days! I would rather get stabbed in the foot with a pitchfork than have my picture taken after being on the road for four days.


Her name is 'WAR Liberty Belle' or just Belle for short, and she's a Morgan horse. In fact, back in 1995, she was my first Morgan horse. We owned her for seven happy years, and then, when I went to college, Belle went to go live with my cousin Mary Ellen in Connecticut. She lived with Mary Ellen for another eight very happy years, but recently Mary Ellen's health troubles have meant that she doesn't have the time we all think Belle deserves-- so she's coming home to me. For those of you keeping track, this means Belle has lived in Kansas, Utah, Connecticut and now Kansas again--which, I believe, makes her more well-traveled than a lot of Americans.

Sending her back has been very tough on my poor cousin. I know exactly how that feels because it nearly tore my heart out when I sent her away. Luckily Mary Ellen has a Dachsund named Moxie (Moxie the Dachsie--get it? HA! Love it!), who is helping her through her sadness. I had Ellie the Shepherd when Belle left for Connecticut, and it never ceases to amaze me how very therapeutic petting a canine friend can be. There is a reason I live with a pack of Doodles, you know!

At any rate, it makes me happy that our menagerie is rebuilding now that I'm home. It makes me especially happy that the rebuilding is starting with the return of our beautiful Belle (I know, I know, redundant--gimme a break)! At one time we had three dogs, three horses, three (barn) cats, and three ducks. This was the perfect household, and I won't rest until it's recreated. STAY TUNED!