A memory kind of day

My mom's been doing a lot of sorting through old papers & pictures. She sent a few along recently, and that got me started looking through some of the ones I've managed to collect. We had - well, not exactly a menagerie - but a number of critters over the years. And they appear as regular characters in my school assignments and in family photos.

This little booklet must have been first or second grade, and after chuckling my way through the six or so pages, I though it might be fun to put photos with the descriptions. (It's interesting to note that neither my spelling, nor my penmanship have substantially improved!).

Shandar photos were fairly easy. I have numerous shots of my poor, long-suffering pony. Usually draped in something, whether kids or other odd get-ups. He was really a saint most of the time. (Although yes, occasionally hard to catch!)
I learned all sorts of horse dos & don'ts under his patient tutelage and my folks' watchful eyes - this must have been shortly after Shan came to live with us.
That blanket? I still have it. It's TB-size. And it was NOT cold when this picture was taken. If you look closely, he's asleep. Not sure what I was up to.
I recall spending a lot of time pretending to be asleep, just to see where he'd wander. Usually, back to the barn.

Then there were the cats.

Muffin, our first kitten, grew up in a household with two little girls who fought over everything. She very quickly learned that my mother was the boss, and we could safely be ignored or intimidated. She could, and often did, bring home bunny feet and partridge wings, leaving them proudly on the doorstep.
Climbing up to go to bed in the top bunk when Muffin was there first went something along these lines: "Ow! - Mom! She won't let me up!"
[From the kitchen - in a stern tone:] "Muf-fin." [Sounds of me climbing gingerly into bed, making sure not to accidentally kneel on a paw or tail.]

More later - must go do something productive with my day.