Day 23 "Horses and Mud"

Horses and Mud

Winter in the Willamette Valley

Is a challenge when you have horses.

The clay soil becomes

Soggy,

Soft,

And squishy!

In a grassy pasture horse hooves

Press the grass into the mud.

And if the horses run,

They kick up divots of sod, which fly through the air,

Leaving behind slashes,

And bare spots of mud.

So,

In my pasture this fall, I am doing an experiment.

I’m laying down two layers of welded wire fencing,

Row after row, in an attempt to create a mesh

Of support for their feet

In the soft winter mud.

The grass will grow up through it

And the mesh will help protect the roots.

It occurs to me,

This is what support systems do.

Families,

Friends,

Churches,

And even governments;

When done well,

All attempt to support the individual,

In an effort to keep us form sinking,

And getting stuck,

In the mud of life.

Felted merino wool and silk with bead and embroidery embellishments.