Breakfast at Aspen Meadows

The breakfast routine is always the same down at the barn.  While Brett mixes the individual buckets of vitamins, medications, and carrots the horses mill around waiting to be let into their stalls.  Winston, in particular, circles endlessly and harasses the others.  Meanwhile I let the dogs out, feed the goats, and feed the rabbits.

They are all a muddy, muddy mess after the last rain.  Our soil is clay so the water runs off and leaves the ground slick, or it pools in low spots and then clings to your boots.

While the horses are eating their buckets, I start pushing the muck cart around picking up the manure from the night before.  Jackson comes out of his paddock and rolls.  When Brett pushes the hay cart into the pasture, Jackson trots after him into his paddock.  And then Brett lets the rest of the herd out.  Flash comes out first, taking his sweet time walking down to the hay bins.  Winston follows, pushy as always, anxious to get to the hay.  Mufasa comes out last, making a wide swing around the other two and going to the furthest bin which he shares with the donkeys -- being a benevolent king, and all.

Today was sunny and warm so the ground is, thankfully, starting to dry.  Brett came down with a bad cold while we were in SF for the wedding and he seems to have passed it on to me.  Generous guy...  I'll post more when I get my energy back.

Getting Married at the Zoo

We weren't at all sure how the wedding was going to go at the zoo, in the rain.  I wore a black skirt with black boots, a sweater, and my raincoat.  Brett had a big black umbrella and no raincoat (we live in Southern California afterall).  A shuttle bus drove us from our hotel to the zoo at 3:15.  When we got to the zoo entrance, it was barricaded and police cars with light bars flashing blue and red prevented us from entering.  Our shuttle driver drove to the employee entrance but the gate was locked tight.  He got on his cell phone and after three or four conversations, drove to another entrance.  Fire trucks lined the street, working on a structure fire across from the zoo, but he dropped us off anyway.  We walked down the street, under our umbrellas, to a side entrance where zoo staff waited with golf cart shuttles.  We climbed in and were zipped to the banquet hall, a big stone and heavy wood beam building.  A fire burned in the fireplace and candles were glowing on the mantle.  We were snug, warm and dry.  The service was beautiful.  The bride and groom glowed with love and happiness.  Brett's brother's wife, Krista, whispered to me "Are you crying already?" as Katie walked down the aisle with her father on one arm and her mother on the other. 

After the ceremony, quick pictures were taken in front of the fireplace where they had exchanged their vows.

We tumbled into the reception area and got in line for a drink.  They had a bar set up in a tent erected right outside the reception area of the hall.

Brett's cousins Frank & Murray, Brett's sister Dana, Brett, Brett's brother Kurt

We put on our raincoats, opened our umbrellas, and walked in the pouring rain to the carousel.  Inside, we set down our glasses and shook off our wet coats before climbing onto an animal.  Brett chose to ride a lion in honor of his new horse, Mufasa.  I rode sidesaddle on a grey.  The bride made a beautiful picture, sitting sidesaddle, her dress flowing behind her, leaning towards her new husband and laughing.

 Then it was back through the rain to the banquet hall which had been set up, in our absence, with tables for dinner.  There were toasts, dinner, and then dancing.  The cake was unique to say the least.  Have you ever seen a wedding cake like this?

It tasted delicious, too.  This was certainly the most unique wedding I've ever been to and the most fun, as well.

We wish Katie and Owen many years filled with love, laughter and warm memories.