Our Summer Vacation

We drove up to Ohio to visit my friends and family last week.  The weather was PERFECT -- sunshine but cool enough to be perfectly comfortable.  Nice breeze.  Lovely. 

We stopped for lunch at the Kentucky Horse Park on the way up.  We didn't have time to actually take any of the tours, we just had a quick sandwich at the restaurant.

We didn't see any indication that there was anything special going on, but the parking lot was absolutely FILLED with horse trailers.  Check this out!  I read somewhere that you can actually ride there now that they have such a huge facility, so maybe that's what everyone was doing there.  Anyway, it was really lovely.  That was the first time I'd been there since that international competition last year.

Once we got up to Dayton, we checked into a Best Western that turned out to be pretty awful.  I usually like those hotels, but the one in Englewood is NOT a good place.  So the next morning we checked out and moved in with Wendy.  She SAID she didn't mind and we definitely appreciate that!  Right now Wendy has a nice apartment that backs up to a heavy woodland so it feels very private.  She's looking for a condo with as much privacy, but they seem to be few and far between!



Wendy walking Sam.



Sammy!



Sam taking a break.



 

Sam has gotten old enough that he no longer carries his tail up over his back as he used to do.





Wendy's cat who's having all sorts of medical problems.





Patio flowers.



 We went out to eat with Charlene and Steve (Charlene and Wendy have been friends for more than 20 years, I think), then we went by their house to visit with their rescued Collies and her own Golden Retriever, Bailey.



Wendy and Charlene with two of Charlene's dogs.





Wendy with two of Charlene's rescue Collies.



The next day, we went down to visit my oldest friend Cass (Cassandra Graham) at the Wombat Gallery in Waynesville, Ohio.  Cass used to have a gallery of her own there in Waynesville, but this one contains art by dozens of artists of all kinds.   

Here's Cass with her bird, Sugar, who obviously knows she's the star there!



Cass and Sugar





Cass, Lou and Sugar.





Sugar



We were sitting on the porch talking for a while, and Sugar started hip-hopping along the porch railing.   Check out Sugar.prancing and muttering. 



Lou and Mark kicked back on the porch with Sugar.



Cass had a western hat that a guy made for her out of a single piece of solid wood!  It's amazing.  And she gave it to me to use as a display in the tack room window when the barn is done.  Love it!  Check this out:

It is a BIT large, given my lack of hair, but I probably won't actually wear it anyway -- I'd be afraid I'd manage to break it.  It fits Wendy better, but since she has no horses at the moment, I'm keeping it!

Here are some things from the gallery that I really like.  (All of the beadwork and dolls are Cass's work.)

On our way back from Michigan, we stopped off in Dayton and had brunch with Dale and Shirley, Wendy, and Dave.  Very nice.  Sure wish we lived closer together.  But we can't seem to agree on where that might be.  Granted, the weather was lovely up there.  But when winter comes, I don't think I'd ever forgive myself if I insisted on moving north!



Shirley and Dave





Dave - looking good!





Wendy and her Dad, Dale . . . Happy Father's Day!



It was a great trip!  If only we hadn't needed to drive back home.  Now THAT was a bit of a challenge.  Enough said.