Just Horsing Around!

   I was back on a farm yesterday as my vacation continued!
   No strawberries this time though.
   Somebody in the family happen to see a newspaper ad for
the "Royal Lipizzan Stallions!"  Seems you could go and
watch them train at their "Winter quarters."
   It didn't seem very much like "winter" when we showed
up!  95 degrees does not qualify as "winter" in my book!
   There's an outside arena set up at a sort of ranch in a
town called Myakka City, Florida.
    I guess you'd say it's on the "outskirts" of town.
    But, truth be told, this "city" has very short skirts.
    "Downtown" consists of a grocery store/gas station. It's
all one place. I kind of expected to see some characters
from "My Cousin Vinny" when we drove through.
    But the drive didn't take long enough to see anybody!
    Anyhow, back to the stallions!
    This is the same breed of horses probably saved from
death at the end of World War Two when General
Patton rescued the animals from behind enemy lines
before the Russian Army could get to them!
    The story was the theme of the Disney movie
"Miracle of the White Stallions."
     The Herrmann family,descendants of the man who
helped General Patton save the horses, rehearse their
annual road show in the arena here.
     "Dancing with the Stars" has nothing on the
choreography demonstrated by these Lipizzans as
they glide through the ring with precision and
discipline!
     And, since it is a reversal, if the horses don't get
it right they have to start over and try it again.
     They're beautiful animals. But they can get your
hand a little sloppy if you feed them carrots after
the show. You need not ask how I know this!
      I had given the bag of carrots to my wife before
I realized it came with a small bottle of hand
sanitizer! Oh well....I guess there are all kinds of
souvenirs!
      Hope you got a "kick" out of this and that all
your NEWS is good!