Ode to a Horse: Remembering Poncho

Yesterday was the hardest day. We had to put down a very special horse, the best horse in the world. Poncho was 28 and he had been with us for 24 of those years. He enriched our lives and gave us so many wonderful memories for many years. It was so hard to let him go.

DH bought him in Dripping Springs, Texas just after he graduated from college and before we were married, so technically, he had Poncho longer than he's had me! Poncho turned out to be a great roping horse and a super little cow pony. He never got real big, but DH could put him in any situation and Poncho would always tend to business. When I rode, he was the one I chose. Then the kids came along and he turned out to be worth his weight in gold. Priceless, really. Any of you that are around horses and kids know that a good kid horse is hard to come by. Poncho was a horse you could count on and he had a sweet disposition. The kids have been riding since before they could walk and I never worried when they were partnered with this good old boy. They would often mount up and ride out into a pasture just to see the sights, in search of the next great adventure, which we all know, is just over the next hill. He raised them both and they formed a bond that can never be broken.

He was the parade horse, the roping horse, the show horse, the cowhorse, the reliable horse, the 4-H horse, the reining horse, the cutting horse, the sweet horse, the "let's go on an adventure" horse, the kid horse, and the "I'm really feeling sad and I need someone to talk to" horse.

He was DDs first love and as far as I'm concerned, every little girl should be so blessed.

DH has had lots of horses through the years, but they all pale in comparison to this amazing equine. He wouldn't win any beauty pageants, but he was the most beautiful horse to all of us. He had heart and we will forever treasure the memories.

There are countless memories that swim through my mind when I think back through the years, but I'll leave you with just a few of the pictures that show how very much he was loved. After all, he was a very important member of the family and he will be dearly missed.

Sorry, the slideshow is in the next post so just scroll down.

Thanks Ol' Boy!

Texas Caviar

Happy New Year Ya'll! Hope everyone had a safe and fun slide into 2010. I don't know about ya'll, but my January is filling up fast...too fast. I thought January was supposed to be the quiet month.

We had friends over last night and here's a recipe I made that I wanted to share with ya'll. I grew up with the tradition of having to have Black-eyed peas on New Year's Day and this is a yummy way to enjoy that. Even folks who don't care for black eyed peas seem to like this.

I'm not sure where the whole 'black-eyed peas will bring good luck' story originated and I'm not going to promise you good luck if you eat this, but just enjoy it because it's good stuff!

Texas Caviar

2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyes peas, drained

1 (15-ounce) can whole kernal corn, drained

1 (10-ounce) can Rotel

1/4 c chopped red bell pepper

1/4 c chopped green bell pepper

1/4 c chopped onion

1 chopped jalapeno

Dressing:

1/2 c red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp sugar

pinch dried oregano

1/2 c olive oil

1/2 c vegetable oil

Just combine the first 7 ingredients. I combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to blend. Then just pour it over the pea mixture and stir. Let the mixture set in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight and then serve with Scoops tortilla chips.

Oh, and if you're really short on time and in a pinch...just substitute Italian dressing.

It's such a colorful dip, and a good salad /side dish for those summer get togethers. Before you know it, we'll be planning those!

So here's wishing all of you a healthy, happy, blessed New Year!