A while back, I was given an old spring type rocking horse. The thing was in dire need of some attention as it's paint was peeling and the entire body was covered with a green mold. After a good bleaching and repainting, the horse became the "darling" of the Bayou and acquired the name "Clyde". Clyde was a good horse that never caused a single problem so he stayed on at the Little Bayou House since then. The grandlittles adore Clyde and when they come to visit, they ride him constantly. Other littles who come to the Bayou ride Clyde, as well.
Well now...we just cannot have a Clyde. With two grandlittles, we must have two horses. I am sure that is some sort of rule somewhere. So...we searched and searched until we fell in love with Bonnie. Bonnie came to us scratched, moldy and with a bit of peeling paint as well. In anticipation of the grandlittles upcoming Christmas visit, Bonnie was due a makeover. My past two days involved bleaching, sanding and painting the horse. Now, she is ready to meet her riders!
It has occurred to me that even with all the bells and whistles that technology has forced upon kids as young as two months, sometimes they just enjoy some plain, old fun. The horses provide that. The kiddos can ride and not be exposed to brain-rotting garbage. Their imaginations can take them flying across the plains of the wild west or the sands of Arabia on these fine steeds. As for me? I do not mind this sort of pet! They do not need feeding and are quiet and well-behaved. Loving it! Welcome to the fold, Bonnie! You and Clyde have a lot of entertaining to do for the holidays!
Back in the spring, my brother was doing a bit of housecleaning and loaded up stuff to bring back to the Little Bayou House. Canning jars, dishes and one pot were items that had found their way from here to his home down the lane. One item that did not travel from here to there was a horse. He brought a spring type rocking horse down the lane so it could be used by another generation of children. The grandlittles will be happy to see "Clyde", the horse, when they visit. So I gladly adopted the horse and welcomed it to the fold.
Clyde was a bit ragged about the edges, so to speak, so he got a good cleaning. Just so you will know, never use bleach and a scrub brush on a painted rocking horse. The results were not good. Most of the paint wiped right off that silly horse! Now I definitely had a bit of work to do. The horse would have to be repainted before the grandlittles could ride it. Well, one thing then another got in the way of the task. Spring planting, summer canning, the fall clue hunt all took up more time than I had so the horse remained colorless. Then, we got word that the grandlittles would be heading to the Bayou for Christmas. Whoa, Clyde! We had to work fast! I did the only thing I knew that would save the day....
I called Darling Daughter, Elizabeth! She always manages to make everything right! First, we discussed what the horsey should look like then we dove right in to painting. She was on one side while I did the other. After a bit, we swapped sides and continued work. She and I can work on the same project and never get in each other's way. (I must say that Elizabeth does an incredible job painting eyes but, then again, she is an artist...I am a wannabe artist.) After several days of painting and then clear-coating, Clyde looks so much better! He is now a "horse of a different color"! Success! Elizabeth and I had so much fun repainting the horse that we now wish we could find more worn-out rocking horses that need refreshing.
Clyde is ready for the grandlittles' visit. He is beautiful and will be able to gallop in all his glory! How fun for the kiddies and how fun for Elizabeth and me! I imagine Clyde is having fun as well. He has sat idle for some twenty years and will now hear the giggles of little children once again. That must feel good even to a plastic horse.
