Gracie my walking partner and I went to town the other day. She doesn’t drive, so she asked me if I would take her to Kmart. I failed to see this was going to be an all day trip. At K-Mart we were looking at desks, I said, I would really like to have that one for the office. Gracie said “I’m sure a man in hell would like a drink of water too.” hmmm…

We each got a few things and headed to the check out line, where Gracie talked to people she didn’t know, like “how’s your mom and them”? I said Gracie.. What if her momma is dead.. She looked at me and said ” So Then she tells us how the rest of em are.”

Gracie has explained this custom to me several times, she finally said, “girl, you got your stupid head on today?” I didn’t answer her. Gracie says “we make friends standing in lines. We stand INLINE, and when we’re INLINE, we talk to everybody. That’s how you make friends. I said but Gracie, I don’t like to talk to strangers.. She said they aint strangers, yall just haven’t met yet.

So after about five years we get to the front of the line. There are 12 lanes for checking out at Kmart and 1 clerk. As Usual. The lady in front of us, had a package of toilet paper, for which she wrote a check, another cute southern custom. Apparently it is against the law to actually carry cash into a store.

The clerk asked for her drivers license, looked at it and went into a long discussion about hair styles, and how much better she looks with her hair short and feathered. The lady said ” I realize my hair looks terrible,but all I could do was give it a lick and a promise.” Gracie chimes in telling her she looks “just fine” and pretty soon they are talking about their personal hairstyles and how to get them just right.

I am planning on being sick next time Gracie wants to go to K-Mart.

You haven’t heard much about Hawkins the miniature horse, because other than feeding him and shoveling horse manure cleaning up after him. I hadn’t done much with him. He is a perfect fit at our house, he is a cupboard love horse. He adores carrot treats.. begs for them. When I walk out to him, he greets me with a deep nicker, as he eagerly searches my hands with his silky muzzle.

A few days ago, I started teaching him to pick up his feet, without pitching a fit.
Of course he thought this was a very bad idea. 700 pounds of carrot treats later,he will pick up all his feet.

BlackJackTheBlackLab is very helpful with Hawkins, He chases him to help him stay fit, and teaches Hawkins to have excellent aim with his feet as he kicks.

Hawkins was not halter broke when he came to us. He was wild as a march hare.
He has learned to walk on a lead, next to me. Not behind me, he was a biter which hurt a bunch. And he has learned to stand tied. He likes being brushed, which helped him to learn being touched was ok. First time I brushed him he thought that he had to do the Cattywampus dance, or something. So he is directly losing his pitch a fit habit.

There will be no girl horses to fool around with until , he is well behaved.
Ha at this rate, he may be a very old pony by then..