It was 1964 ; I recollect because I had just purchased a new elevator car that summer and my wife , Jean , and our three children — Debbie , 10 ; Sam , 5 ; and Daniel , almost 2 — were planning our first vacation to the United States . I was in charge of picking our destination , so I picked Lexington , Ky.
I had always liked horses and , in my youth , had seenThe Story of Seabiscuit(1949 ) , star Shirley Temple and Barry Fitzgerald , which chronicle the liveliness of a star thoroughbred racehorse that was foaled and raised in the Bluegrass State . I had also heard there were scores of park and campgrounds throughout Kentucky . Plus , it was only about an 8 - time of day movement from Detroit , and we lived about an hour from there on the Canadian side of the boundary line .
Commonwealth Vacation
Lexington proved to be way beyond anything we expected ! The acre of gymnastic horse farms carpeted with emerald - green green goddess and border by whitened fences were most picturesque . To me , horses were always the most beautiful animals the Lord ever make , and in Lexington , many others seemed to share my view ! The silk - coated thoroughbreds and other Equus caballus grazing within those pastures was most pleasing to the center .
We visited the farm of Castleton , which were edge with stone fences , and Spendthrift Farm , a pureblood racehorse breeding farm and burial land site mention for the great stallion Spendthrift , where the gymnastic horse were stable in barn well than the hotel where we stayed . We were also impressed with the immaculate manners of the the great unwashed we met , who were good enough to show us their farms and their horse with superbia . We witness their Southern accent delightful , as well . All in all , it was a most pleasant experience .
We returned home and decided to purchase a hobbyhorse farm , complete with a decent house and a proficient - sized b , large enough for horses and cattle that we had been face at just before we exit on our vacation . The farm we chose consisted of two part : 20 acres of pasturage and workable Edwin Herbert Land and 20 acres of woodlot of oak tree , ash tree and hickory trees , as well as a pond suitable for irrigate livestock and declamatory enough to leave a skating rink in winter .
Growing Memories
The next 30 years was a happy time in our lives that we will treasure forever . I enjoyed raise the horses and the few cattle we bought , and our children enjoyed it , as well . Debbie sometimes ride horses , along with one of the neighbour young woman . Sometimes my boy would also ride the horse and ponies .
We skated on the pond in the winter , and it was the one bodily function my wife enjoyed , too , along with playing cards with the neighbor , who we often visit with . Our pond also became the plaza of ice hockey games on the weekend all winter long .
In the summer , the boys — ours and our neighbors , who all - told sum eight — establish tree houses and an A - physical body hut , where they sometimes camped at nighttime , along with our collie .
After 30 year , our small fry grew up , got married and move on with their spirit , and my wife and I sold the farm and move back into the city , where we had a newfangled dwelling house build . It seemed a right idea at the meter . However , we overleap the farm : sitting on the porch , watching the blue Jay and monarch butterflies , and the peace treaty , solitude and privacy of living on our own land and the superbia that move with it . Still , we have wonderful memories of that time .
As it has been say many times : “ You never know what you have ’ til it ’s gone . ” How true !
