Headstall

I've had some tasty worms in my life.

What? Spiders pretend they're dead, so why not scorpions.

I guess I am proudly softcore. Edit: This is no reflection on my manhood.

Is it, though?

Anything with a scorpion in it is undrinkable in my opinion.

Love the hat! I'd wear that. Are your parents going to drink that? Is it Tequila? Cuz... yuck....

Nerds are adorable. Tyrants however...

Nerd.

Happy Monday, all. Snowed here last night. Just an inch or so.

She's very lovely Drew. Hard to believe she raised such a tyrant.

Thanks, guys. Appreciate the shoutout.

Absolutely, there is a bit of Grandma in me too, something Anthony has inherited. He truly appreciates his environment like I do. I'm a hands on kind of guy. Your comments are always interesting and thoughtful, and I look forward to them.

Who doesn't?

Sure, Josh.

I always look forward to the extra hour of daylight in the evenings, and dread losing it in the fall. It is a pattern I'm used to, though.

Thanks... I needed that.

Love this comment, Terry. And yeah, I can see me in Anthony for sure. I won't go into specifics, but yeah, and I never picked up on that until now. I will say Anthony has my romantic side, which made him able to see and be open to the possibilities with Clark. As I've said to others, Andrew is not a bad guy, and yes, I too see what he did as courageous. Sometimes we trap ourselves and forget our dreams, not knowing how to make changes. Andrew took a deep breath and a leap I hope works out for him. As a writer, I liked the use of colors in your last two sentences. Thanks, buddy, and cheers! Gary....

Thanks for the very kind words, Mancunian. I am proud I tackled this story... I needed to, and truly appreciate it has left its mark on many readers. Families are filled with secrets, and often it is impossible to break the silence instilled by fear. Mark's mother, for example, was terrified most of her life, and she literally gave up fighting. She could have stopped her son from being a victim, but all her hope had been burned out by an evil man. So, the cycle continued. It's easiest for neighbors and friends and other family members to pretend its not really happening, and abusers are usually good at covering most of their tracks. Still, there are good people out there who are willing to put their necks on the line. The hardest monsters to defeat are the ones with power, though. Sadly, it takes a special kind of person to take them on. Like you, though, I have hope. I spoke up within the family, and intervened once, and almost got killed for it. I've also convinced a victim to leave a relationship, but that was a hellish ordeal that involved numerous confrontations. It's worth it to free someone, and you're right that we need more of that. It helps that therapy and self help and mental issues are no longer seen as something to keep hidden. I think that goes a long way in showing folks they always have a choice if they ask for help. Thanks so much for this, my friend. I love being brought back to 'Lifting the Veil".

It is different, Terry, but I think it was lurking inside me for a while, waiting to be told. Still, I was surprised it made it out, and as dark as it is, I made sure there was something light to cling to. It's kind of how I try to approach life. Chester has been on a long road, and that will continue, but the physical pain has ended. Jordy understands... but there are many who are so far removed from such situations that they don't. Chester is lucky in that regard. I care about this story deeply for a number of reasons, and while I have great compassion for Mark, it is difficult. In the end he fought his monster side, but for years he victimized someone who loved him. Where was his strength then? I think it shows we can't come back from some damage, that it is just too great, leaving our psyche twisted beyond measure. I hope he is right, and he has some peace now. Thanks, Terry, for reading this and sharing your thoughts. G.

I'm not surprised.

I only got an inch here last night. Just got back from a 3K walk.

She calmed down and now she is back in the barn. There is a snowstorm beginning here.

WTF? My thirty year old mare who took fifteen tries to get up after she lay down in the paddock a few weeks ago, is running around like a two year old. Same with the blacksmith... she could hardly stay up on three legs for him to trim her hooves, and now she's trotting and loping and snorting... has been since I turned her out. It's heart warming to see her feeling so good, but scary too.

I'm around.

Have a great day/evening, all.