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Location: Seattle, Washington, United States

What you have here is an old guy. In education for 30 years, started teaching elementary, ended as library and media director of community college. I've enjoyed mountain climbing, sports car rallying, was pipe major of a bagpipe band, played guitar and sang during the folk revival, walking and hiking later in life. Now fairly sedentary. Enjoy reading, esp. mysteries and fantasy, but my reading is pretty eclectic. Enjoy movies, giving Netflix a workout.

Friday, February 02, 2007

I was talking with an old friend this evening. Her husband had recently had a stroke, was in a care facility, and she seemed a little uneasy about caring for him when he returned home. I asked her what sort of condition he was in. He is talking and walking, able to eat by himself. So I think things are not as bad as might be. Let us hope she is able to cope. But she didn't want to talk to me about the situation and quickly passed the phone to her sister, who was visiting briefly on her way home.

Freya (the sister) with whom I used to play folk music a long time ago, and who lived in England for a long time, played in a folk group and often appeared on BBC programs was in a talkative moods. Funnily, she wanted to talk about Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner who later broke a leg in the Preakness and has been in the hearts of many people ever since. He underwent many surgical procedures but last week when he was no longer comfortable, he was euthanized. I was surprised at how closely Freya had followed the course of Barbaro's procedures and ups and downs of recovery. She was truly distraught about the horse, his tribulations and subsequent death. She had written a poem in tribute to the great horse. Perhaps he might have been even greater. Might have been sire to many other great race horses.

I think perhaps the topic of conversation changed to Barbaro because neither of them wanted to talk about the situation much closer to home. Meanwhile all I can say a prayer for my friend who has had the stroke, and mourn, with the millions of horse lovers and school children, the loss of the great horse, Barbaro. I remember writing about him months ago when it was felt he had a chance to win the three races that make up the Triple Crown. It was not to be. Get well, Dick, please! Rest in Peace, Barbaro.

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