Riding Down Memory Lane...With Carrots
I was sorting through old family pictures and came across this photo of my siblings and me on our farm in 1965. I'm the 3 year old sitting on the pony with my brother.
When I see these photos and remember my rather bucolic childhood in the Ozark Mountains it's no wonder to me that I still love nature so much. I was the kid who spent most of her time outside during the light of day. My playgrounds were the fields, woods, creeks and barns on our 800 acre farm. I'd watch the big black ants for hours as they scurried around their ant hill or lead my pony, Toby, to the pond, pretending we were on a trek to Camelot. I still have the little scar where, as a very young child, I handed Toby a carrot with my thumb sticking out. Poor Toby must have wondered what all the fuss was about as he chewed his carrot and I sat on the ground crying, nursing my bleeding thumb.
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting a new friend who has two beautiful horses on her property. Of course, I arrived at her house with a bouquet of fresh carrots in hand. 
As we fed her horses the veggies I told her the story of Toby & My Thumb. While we were talking about it one of her horses nipped her thumb for the very first time, leaving a bruise on her poor thumbnail. Ouch! I felt a bit guilty that maybe I jinxed her with my story. Later I half-joked to my mother that perhaps Toby had reincarnated as a quarter-horse and was trying to send a message. 
If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I would ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.--Rachel Carson
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8 comments:
What a sweet memory, despite the thumb injury. Your childhood sounds like a wonderful one, very free. Don't you wish all children could grow up like that today?
Yours does sound like an enchanted childhood, Dawn! The word Shetland pony always reminds me of Merrylegs from Black Beauty, one of my favorite childhood books. It would be cool to feed a carrot to a horse!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Theres something about old family photos, that gets you thinking!!
I think the best way for children to grow up is on a farm, so your childhood sounds wonderful. On a trek to Camelot eh? Something else we have in common besides gardening. I love the King Arthur saga and have lots of books about it. Still searching for my Camelot though. ;-)
BTW great quote by Rachel Carson!
Hi Pam!
Yes, I wish I could share my very fortunate early childhood with other kids. It was charmed in many ways.
Dear Annie,
Black Beauty was one of my favorites as I was growing up. I suppose my childhood was rather special the first 10 years of my life. Feeding the animals was always one of my favorite activities. Still is.
Hello Libby!
I even like looking at other people's old family photos. :-)
Yolanda Elizabet
If you ever find Camelot please let me know so I can come too. I grew up reading a lot of my brother's 'adventure' books. Guess I was a bit of a tom boy. After my father died when I was ten we moved to the city where our lifestyle changed a lot, but my early childhood experiences really impacted me in a good way. I was very lucky overall.
Ooops! I believe that might be true!
Sweet story and photos, Dawn. I remember having my photo taken at your age. I was on a small pony. No bruised thumb, thank goodness :o)
Thanks for sharing your childhood memories with your readers. I love reading stories like that. You gave away your age, do you know? :-)Have nice week, Andrea
Thanks Mary,
So glad you have your own pony memory. They are sweet creatures. Or at least ours was.
Three was a enchanted age for me. I still believed in magic and "happily ever after". Not a bad state of mind. :-)
Hi Andrea!
I'm not too shy about my age to be honest. As they say, "getting older is better than the alternative". ;-)
Take Care & Happy Gardening!
Dawn
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