Thanksgiving Horse-Drawn Wagon Ride with Family

My wife's parents sold their farm in Kansas a few years ago. It was sad. They had lived there for over 50 years. Perhaps the hardest adjustment for Dad was moving into a smaller simpler home with no morning chores and livestock to look after. His last days on the homestead with "Pete" his draft horse were very much like that scene from Fiddler on the Roof when the village is packing to move from Anatevka, and Tevye slips off to the barn to say goodbye to his horse. 

The scene has no song, and many Fiddler fans may not remember the moment, but it always gets me because for decades it  reminded me of Dad in his barn.The sale of surrey and tack and farewell to "Ol' Pete" was like life imitating art--profoundly so.

But this post is not about Fiddler or selling the farm...

It's about a great tradition Dad started years ago when he took all the grandkids on "Jingle Bell" rides in the surrey with "Ol' Pete." Here is a clip of the last of those rides from Christmas, 2014. 

In honor of those Currier and Ives memories, this Thanksgiving, Julie hired a pair of Belgians and a wagon for twelve to come right to our front yard and take the whole family on a long ride down to Spring Lake and back. It was wonderful. The only thing missing was some snow, which came a few days later.

By the way, Julie's parents are doing fine in their new simpler home. This past summer we spent several days on Mackinac Island with them, and the reason we took them there was the horses. Maybe I'll post about that sometime. 

P.S.

Sorry I've been so scarce here at POI for many years.