Sergeant Reckless

Animals, History, Military 2 Minutes

Sergeant Reckless (pictured on the right above) is a great story about a horse that eventually earned a rank in US Marine Corps.  I found this great article, written by Kathy Smith on Horsejournals.com.

This is the story of a petite pack horse named Sergeant Reckless, who eventually earned an official title in the U.S. Marine Corps. Originally intended to haul equipment and ammunition in the 5th Marine Regiment’s Recoilless Rifle Platoon, Sergeant Reckless was bought in October 1952 for $250 at the age of three or four years old.

Yet her role quickly expanded far beyond expectations. Reckless adapted with surprising speed to the harsh Korean landscape, fearlessly delivering supplies and helping move the wounded to safety. She often completed her supply runs solo, without needing a handler. Her contributions were so significant that her unit affectionately rebranded themselves as the “Reckless Rifle Platoon.”

On one extraordinary day, she completed 51 trips to the front under fire, transporting more than 9,000 pounds of essential materials. Although struck twice by shrapnel, she refused to stop. She even carried an injured Marine up and down the steep, rocky hills without faltering.

Sergeant Reckless was also known for her incredible ability to sense danger. On several occasions, she would refuse to move forward when she sensed an incoming enemy attack. Her instincts saved countless lives.

One of her many tasks was carrying recoilless rifles and shells. During one battle she was loaded with six recoilless rifle shells and the first time one was fired she went straight up in the air with all four feet off the ground. When she landed she was shaking, but her handler calmed her down. The second time the gun fired she merely snorted. By the end of the day she was calm and even took an interest in the operation of the weapon.

Sergeant Reckless was more than just a loyal and brave animal. She was also a beloved member of the unit. The Marines were very fond of her, feeding her treats like beer, Coca-Cola, and scrambled eggs. They even built her a special tent to sleep in, and she was allowed to roam freely through the camp.

After the Korean War, Sergeant Reckless retired to Camp Pendleton, California, where she lived out the rest of her days. She passed away in 1968, but her legacy lived on. She was the first animal to be officially promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, and she received many awards including two Purple Hearts. She was recognized by LIFE Magazine as one of America’s 100 all-time heroes.

In 2013, a bronze statue of Sergeant Reckless was unveiled at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. The statue, which was donated by the Semper Fidelis Society, depicts Sergeant Reckless carrying a wounded soldier to safety. It serves as a testament to the incredible bond between humans and animals, and the sacrifices that both are willing to make for each other.

Today, Sergeant Reckless is remembered as a true hero and an inspiration to all those who knew her. She will always be remembered as a symbol of the bond between humans and animals, and the incredible things that can be achieved when we work together.

SOURCE: HORSEJOURNALS.COM; KATHY SMITH

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Published by pat frederick

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80 thoughts on “Sergeant Reckless”

  1. Good Morning All!

    gees. we woke up at 3:20 am to the sun of a gunshot. maybe poachers or raccoon hunters…couldn’t fall back to sleep.

    The temp is barely 40* and it’s overcast–frankly, it looks like snow…honest to goodness. almost everything I planted in the garden looks dead, except the marigolds–they’re good. Hubby waters the garden every morning and again at night…but it all, except 2 tomato and 2 pepper plants. look dead. wth?

    see what today brings…

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    1. Good Morning Pat, and Happy (original) Memorial Day!

      Love your open today. 🐴 didn’t realize horses were used in the Korean War.

      Sunny, 60*, very windy from the east. Yardwork today.

      I’m sure your garden is just sleeping until it warms up 👍

      God bless, take care.

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      1. Good Morning Gina!
        i fear our garden’s problem is more than that. We went to a garden center after the nursery to buy fertilizer for the first time. Hubby told the owner the size of the garden and what we grow there. She sold hubby a 50 POUND of fertilizer and told him to use the entire bag on it and we did. (assuming she knew what she was talking about.) we’ve been doing some research and that size bag should cover 5,000 square feet! ours isn’t even a quarter of that size. the only thing thriving are the marigolds which i planted into the cinder block holes (so no fertilizer used). sigh
        we;re going to talk with our farmer SIL to see what we can do or is that area doomed for a few years.
        Have fun doing your yard work. feels like I’ll be shoveling snow…LOL
        May God Bless you!!

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    2. Morning, Pat! As for the fertilizer issue, it depends on the mixture whether it will burn up your seedlings. I don’t know that much about commercial fertilizer. I do know from my time boarding horses in VA that aged manure is the absolute best thing you can use. Once it has broken down to a rich, black mixture, it’s like gold!

      On the other hand, have your SIL bring you some goat manure: “Goat poop is a highly effective, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. Often called “goat berries” or “goat pellets,” it is considered a “cold” manure, meaning it releases nutrients slowly without the risk of burning your plants. It is excellent for vegetables, flowers, and lawns. [1, 2, 3, 4]”

      https://www.google.com/search?q=goat+manure+as+fertilizer&oq=goat+manure+as+fertilizer&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

      Still raining here and 65. Wheezer was back sleeping on the chair; this time, he ate most of the food in the dish. The blackbirds were going nuts while he was meandering near the garden bed – I think he sometimes uses it as a litter box. They were trying to chase him away as he sauntered to the gate and jumped over, then scooted underneath the evergreen tree.

      I am thoroughly sick and tired of the rain! I had put 2 smaller seed blocks in the big holder and they were soaked and crumbling. I broke them up and scattered them on the ground – haven’t seen many squirrels lately (altho one was scavenging yesterday within inches of the repellant) so let the blackbirds and doves have at it. I put a big seed block in the feeder – it won’t disintegrate so quickly in the rain since it’s more solid.

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      1. Morning Filly!

        we’ve practically given up this year’s plants, but i don’t want to damage next years too.

        we’ll see what he recommends.

        it looks like snow here, honestly. the birds are gearing up at the feeders like they expect to migrate soon!

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  2. Nick Sortor

    @nicksortor

    BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: I INFILTRATED the Antifa camp at Newark ICE with a hidden camera Tens of THOUSANDS of dollars of equipment, food, and even RIOT EQUIPMENT has been supplied. Hot food delivered every hour. ARREST THE FUNDERS, AND THIS WILL STOP

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  5. Nick Sortor

    @nicksortor

    BREAKING: FBI has just RAIDED and ARRESTED the man who I caught on video threatening the lives of an ICE agent and his family outside ICE Newark Nicholas Scelfo is facing FEDERAL FELONIES THIS IS HOW IT’S DONE! THANK YOU to @FBIDirectorKash and @DAGToddBlanche for PERSONALLY working with me on this. You PROMISED you’d find him, and you delivered. WELL DONE! ACTING AG BLANCHE: “FAFO.”

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  8. Bitcoin Magazine

    @BitcoinMagazine

    JUST IN: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the U.S. Government has seized $1 billion of Iran’s crypto: “Just outright grabbed the wallets. Some of them may be typing in right now and might not realize their wallet had been grabbed.”

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  10. Charlotte99

    May 30, 2026 8:21 am

    Norm Eisen was so happy his bunch of lefty scum won the case about the Kennedy Centre

    Whenever these things happen, it almost always turns out to be a radical partisan activist behind the robe.

    In this case, it’s Christopher Cooper, the same judge who sabotaged the trial of Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, blocked January 6 defendants from accessing GoFundMe funds, and sentenced others under the totally discredited 18 U.S.C. 1512.

    Cooper is also married to Amy Jeffress, Joe Biden’s personal attorney and counselor to Eric Holder.

    And to complete the circle, Cooper and Jeffress were married by Merrick Garland.

    So yes, it’s absolutely shocking that he ended up ruling against Trump.

    https://nitter.poast.org/HansMahncke/status/2060477646929121737#m

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  11. I snapped a couple of shots yesterday during a lull in the rain:

    Weigela bushes – the white one in back always blooms later.

    Purple Clematis (my Mom claimed it was blue when she gave it to me years ago) on the new trellis I put up last year!

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  12. EXCERPT: “….President Trump responded to Judge Cooper’s ruling.

    Trump blasted the judge and said he will be working with Congress to transfer the Kennedy Center back to them so they can make a determination.

    Shockingly, a Judge appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, Christopher Cooper, ruled that The Kennedy Center, which was going to close in early July for largescale renovations and construction due to years of neglect, decay, and poor maintenance, and which was to be transformed by the Trump Administration into the Finest Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World, is not allowed to close for these renovations, which would not be possible to properly do without such a closure. Additionally, Judge Cooper ruled that the 36 Member Board of Trustees, which unanimously voted to add the name “TRUMP” onto the former Kennedy Center, making it The Trump Kennedy Center, did not have the right to do such an addition, and the name, “TRUMP,” must be removed.

    The Kennedy Center has lost, over the years, prior to our getting involved a short while ago, Hundreds of Millions of Dollars — In some cases, including ridiculous construction jobs that were done, over 100 Million Dollars a year. I took great pride in taking over a losing Institution, and looked forward to making it into a Great and Prestigious WINNER for Washington, D.C., and indeed, the United States of America. Unfortunately, Judge Cooper and the Radical Left would rather see it DIE than have President Trump transform it into something that everyone could be proud of, much as I have done, in many cases, throughout my life, and recently, with all of the construction, renovations, and “fix ups” that we have completed with the Department of Interior on Waterfalls, Fountains, Monuments, and other things of Beauty that we have brought back to life in a now SAFE AND SECURE, after Record Setting Crime, Washington, D.C., which is thriving like, perhaps, never before!

    Therefore, based on the fact that the Radical Left Democrats care more about opposing your favorite President, ME, than saving a dying Performing Arts Center, almost all of which lose large amounts of money throughout the Country, we are going to be working with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them so they can make a determination as to what to do with it. Judge Cooper was given a presentation by leading Building and Construction Experts as to how structurally dangerous the Building is, with rotting beams, parking areas that are subject to collapse, and various other Life and Safety problems, in addition to the fact that it also needs a MAJOR renovation, from an aesthetic standpoint, but he was not “swayed,” and said he wants the Building to, incredibly, remain open and, therefore, dangerous. Judge Cooper should be ashamed of himself! I cannot be involved with a situation where danger to the Public is allowed to flourish in plain and open sight. Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into “NEVER NEVER LAND.” There has never been a President of the United States who has been treated so unfairly by the Courts as I but, that’s OK, I will continue to do, what is considered to be, a great job for the wonderful people of our Country. I have instructed the Department of Commerce to make all necessary arrangements with Congress to allow a full and complete transfer of this Institution, giving them the responsibility for its Operation, Maintenance, and Management. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

    https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116659958155235373

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/05/breaking-obama-judge-blocks-trump-closing-kennedy-center/

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  14. Trump endorses South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette over Nancy Mace in GOP gubernatorial primary

    “Highly Respected and very popular Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, Pam Evette, is an America First Patriot who has been with me from the very beginning. She never wavered, never let me down, and was the only South Carolina Gubernatorial Candidate to Endorse me as soon as I launched my 2024 Presidential Campaign. She crisscrossed South Carolina and other States for me, and I said, at the time, that this is truly something which I cannot forget! Now Pam is running to be the next Governor of South Carolina, a place I love and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024, getting the Highest Vote, BY FAR, in the State’s History. A successful Entrepreneur, Businesswoman, and Civic Leader, prior to becoming a distinguished Lieutenant Governor, and working with my friend, and GREAT Governor, Henry McMaster, Pam has proven she has the Courage and Wisdom to deliver strong results for the people of her wonderful State, and our Nation. As your next Governor, Pam will fight hard to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, Safeguard our Elections, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment. Pam Evette is a good friend, fighter, and WINNER, and will be a terrific Governor of South Carolina. Pam has my Complete and Total Endorsement — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! A BIG added plus for Pam is that, I hear, Henry McMaster, Jr., the brilliant and very competent son of Henry and Peggy, will be running with her as the next Lieutenant Governor. I LOVE SOUTH CAROLINA!” President DONALD J. TRUMP

    https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116660051960105935

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      1. LOL. she was in the bathroom. She’s in there a lot. and because she’s using a roller chair–not quite a wheelchair, it takes her longer to maneuver in the small bathroom.

        I tried telling her that she should call me every day at an agreed upon time to make it easier for her, but she forgets.

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  17. Val1

    May 30, 2026 11:42 am

    PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TRUTH SOCIAL ABOUT EVERYTHING

    “Can you imagine? A Barack Hussein Obama Judge named Christopher Cooper has stopped a magnificent structural and aesthetic rebuilding of The Trump Kennedy Center where Millions of Dollars of material, marble, furniture, steel, air conditioning, heating, and so much else was ordered, or soon to be ordered, with the end result being a structure that would no longer be in a potential state of collapse, rusted, rotted, and rat and bug infested, to one that would be the Finest anywhere in the World.

    It was necessary to close the Center in order to get this work done. It is not possible to have a major and very dangerous Construction job, including the replacement of structural beams, with audiences innocently going in to watch a Play.
    The marble is in terrible shape, the pipes are gone, the air conditioning and heating systems are 65 years old, and no longer functioning.
    It was all being torn out to be replaced by brand new Carrier Equipment, at the highest standard.

    Now that won’t happen anymore because a Judge, whose wife is an anti Trump Hater, and he is too, decided, unprecedentedly, to not allow a desperately needed Building Renovation to go forward.

    On top of that, he said, “Rip his name off the Building, he’s got 20 days to do so,” even though a large Board of some of the most distinguished people in the Country voted unanimously to put the name up.
    I didn’t do it, the Board did because they thought it would be good for this dying Institution, which was doing Record Low Business and, especially after COVID, only getting worse —
    True for other such Institutions throughout the Country, but The Trump Kennedy Center was going to be a special one.

    It would have fully recovered, when none others will. It would have been a New Standard of Excellence, one of my many Gifts to Washington, D.C.

    The new Building would have been incomparable, beautiful marble, magnificent chandeliers, the finest carpets, rugs, and furniture, designed at the highest level but, perhaps most importantly, replaced steel on many beams, columns, and girders, making the Building structurally sound again.

    People shouldn’t be allowed to go into that Building until this is fixed, and yet the Trump Hating Judge wants to keep it open because his wife probably told him to do so! Cooper’s wife, Amy Jeffress, who doesn’t use the “Cooper” name because they, as a couple, don’t want people to know that she has a Conflict of Interest with an important Judge, is a Radical Left Democrat, who worked as a Federal Prosecutor and Counselor to Obama Attorney General, Eric Holder, worked behind the scenes for the January 6th Unselect Committee of Political Hacks and Thugs, Dirty Cop FBI attorney Lisa Page in the Hillary Clinton Email Scandal, RUSSIA RUSSIA RUSSIA Hoax, and her Millions of Dollars Settlement, even though she was “guilty as hell,” and is currently representing Sleepy Joe Biden on the release of his audio tapes, and more.

    She also works for the same Legal Firm that represented E. Jean Carroll who received a decision against me, now under appeal, that was shocking to the entire World.

    Amy is totally wired into the Left System, from her husband down, and it is impossible for me to be treated fairly.
    He has a total Conflict of Interest, and should be brought up on charges for not revealing these facts.

    That is why The Kennedy Center will soon be closed, probably never to open again.

    That is why, at a different level, and with different players, our Country lost the TARIFF Case, and is forced to pay back 149 Billion Dollars in money received from people who hate everything we stand for.
    They are laughing all the way to the Bank at how stupid we are (One half sentence clause from the Supreme Court would have saved us this incalculable amount of money!), and that is probably why our Country will lose the Birthright Citizenship Case (No other Country in the World has this — It is totally unaffordable!), because our Court System is RIGGED, no different than our Political System is RIGGED, and the people of our Country know it, and that is why I got overwhelmingly elected President, in Record Numbers, and will FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!

    President DONALD J. TRUMP”

    https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116664181157116570

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  18. This Day In History – May 30, 1431: Joan Of Arc Is Burned At The Stake

    French warrior Joan of Arc is burned at the stake in Rouen, France at the age of just 19. Convicted of heresy, Joan of Arc was made to stare at a crucifix as she was burned to death.

    After allegedly receiving “divine instruction” to help Charles d’Orleans take the French throne, Joan of Arc joined his campaign against the English. But after serving valiantly in battle, she was captured and found guilty of heresy for claiming to receive direct instructions from God.

    The trial of Joan of Arc, a French military leader under Charles VII during the Hundred Years’ War, began on 9 January 1431 and ended with her execution on 30 May. The trial is one of the most famous in history, becoming the subject of many books and films.

    Joan of Arc is interrogated by The Cardinal of Winchester in her prison, 1431. Painting by Paul Delaroche (1797–1856),

    Joan was captured during the siege of Compiègne in 1430 by Burgundian forces and subsequently sold to their English allies. She was prosecuted by a pro-English ecclesiastical court at Rouen in 1431. The court found her guilty of heresy and she was burned at the stake. The verdict was later nullified at a rehabilitation trial, which was overseen by the inquisitor general Jean Bréhal in 1456. Considered a French national heroine, Joan was declared a saint by the Catholic Church in 1920.

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  21. House Martin – We have Purple Martins here in NE and they didn’t have any white on their bodies.

    Purple Martin in NE

    Purple Martin House

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  22. In real estate, it’s location, location, location…yeah right! Not a fucking chance!

    The meeting or the abduction?

    Pup needs to taste you

    Relax, it’s the weekend

    I’d commute in that

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  27. Rain has stopped, sun is out and temp is up to 76! Still partly cloudy but only a few scattered clouds here and there. Yeah! My climbing rose is blooming this year! Once a few more blooms open, I’ll post a pic.

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    1. still freakin cold here, but the sun did come out. hubby was mowing when he ran over a thick stick that knocked the pulley off the mower deck. he was out in the shed for over an hour before i went out to see what’s up. then I spent the next half hour playing grease monkey with him…LOL

      took the 2 of us to get the pulley out from UNDER the round thing so we could put it back ON the round thing. (hope that’s not too technical…LOL)

      and he had the mower deck off while he was doing that and then we had to get the mower deck back ON and that was a hassle too.

      did i mention it’s freaking cold out there?

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  28. OK, that’s it! I’m done with the fucking squirrels! I’m ordering traps! I caught one of them hanging onto the frame upside down and eating jelly from the open feeder!!!! WTF??!!?? This must be my punishment for something!!!!

    Update: Just ordered an air pistol kit! I’ve had it. This won’t kill ’em but will sting like hell!!!! Hopefully anyway!

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    1. what the hell?????

      we have ours openly sitting on the railing…and the squirrels come up on the deck sniff around and go away. I have yet to see one go after the jelly!

      we have a small trap that came with the larger one we use for raccoons. we put peanuts on it once to see if it would work for squirrels. a chipmunk stole the peanuts and wriggled thru the bars…lol.

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  29. ethical lapse? lipstick on a pig, my friend. you violated the law—several times.

    Feisty Hayseed
    May 30, 2026 3:37 pm

    Good! Accountability!
    Former head of Iowa’s largest school district sentenced to 2 years for falsely claiming to be a US citizen
    Des Moines, Iowa (AP) — The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district who was arrested last year in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown was sentenced Friday to two years in prison.
    Attorneys for Ian Roberts said they expect he will likely to be deported to his native Guyana in South America once he serves the sentence. He pleaded guilty in January to falsely claiming to be a US citizen and illegally possessing firearms.
    Prosecutors alleged Roberts knowingly lacked employment authorization for nearly all of his two-decade career in urban education and submitted a counterfeit Social Security card when he was hired to lead the Des Moines public school district, which serves 30,000 students.
    Roberts, who appeared in the courtroom Friday with his wrists and feet cuffed, spoke to US District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger for nearly a half hour. He pleaded for leniency as he acknowledged that his dedication to teaching thousands of children and his achievements did not “excuse my poor choice, my ethical lapse,” and he said he knew he had disappointed many people, including children.
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/former-head-of-iowa-s-largest-school-district-sentenced-to-2-years-for-falsely-claiming-to-be-a-us-citizen/ar-AA24oq7S

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    1. She was beyond stupid to approach the horse in a blind spot, considering he was wearing blinkers. I would never have pulled such a stunt! I got kicked once as a child when a foal that belonged to a friend of mine kicked me in the ass – had a perfect little horse shoe bruise on my butt! And I had a horse flinch while I was picking his feet and he kicked me in the forearm – just bruised.

      The worst injury I ever had was when I was walking barefoot (i.e., my own fault) in the shedrow, leading a horse (Stumpy The Boy) back to his stall after being shod with racing shoes for a race that day. I stopped to answer a question someone asked and he sidled sideways and hit one of the metal feed tubs that were lined up in the shedrow. He reared up and came down with the brand new toe grab across the arch of my right foot. I couldn’t wear my boots for over a week. No, I didn’t go to a doctor and yes, I still ran my horse that day, in sneakers and limping all the way! LOL – and he lost on top of it all! SMH

      Oh, yeah – there was one time that I got drug by a weanling colt at a horse farm in VA. My Mom and I both worked there and we were going to the Gold Cup in Upperville later that day. Mom was leading the mare and I was leading the weanling – he had been born away from the farm and hadn’t been taught how to lead properly. On top of that, the owner’s son had a stupid beagle pup that he didn’t keep under control and he ran up behind the weanling and nipped at his heels. He drug me down a hill on a gravel road – pretty sure I also broke several knuckles. HB counted my bruises later that day – over 20 from my waist down.

      We continued up to the pasture and as soon as we got them turned out, I headed for the house with a full head of steam. Mom tried to stop me – yeah, right! Fat chance! I marched up to the house and banged on the door. When they didn’t answer quick enough for me, I started kicking the door. Needless to say, I was screaming when I told them if they didn’t keep that dog penned/tied up and it happened again, I was going to shoot the fucking dog!

      Later that day, we rode with them in their motor home to the Gold Cup. Needless to say, we didn’t discuss that little problem but got along fine. Best thing I could have done was walk around the race course, checking out all the tables and offerings – kept me from stiffening up.

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  34. Be careful! They bite!

    Cyborg!

    Quite the piece of metalwork (I think I’ve posted this before – did we ever figure out how to open the danged thing???)

    Porch Picture

    Fun with shopping carts

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