Song in my head: I'm wasted and I can't find my way home.............Blind Faith

A friend died today. An animal friend. A pet of 32 years. Andy the mule. Andy and I would ride the trails in forests on beautiful spring days like today. More sure footed than a horse, he was my trusty trail mate, my auto pilot who always knew the way home, when I wasn't paying attention to the forks in the trails. He always got us home. Andy was a hinny mule. A cross between a stallion and a female donkey(ginny). More rare than an ordinary mule bred by a mare and a jack. This morning Andy broke out of his pasture which was typical of him. He made it to the outskirts of the garden and laid down. For eternity. We had to get a back hoe to bury him. I called my ex husband and broke the news to him. He asked if we had buried him yet. I said, "yes". He mentioned how he wanted his hide to make a drum out of and I squealed "You can't do that, he's our friend". I wish I could brush him one last time, saddle him up and clip clop around the fields of grass, make clicking sounds to urge him into a slow trot, feed him the old apples from the back of my fridge. The sense of freedom I felt while riding made me feel more alive than anything else. The end of an era for me. Andele Andy......