Lucy Lands in Utah - USA!!!

After long waiting on our part, we were thrilled when Lucy flew our way, courtesy of the gracious Linda in South Africa. Charming as ever, little Lucy made herself right at home. (She is seated on my over-stuffed maroon living room chair, watching as I write this.)

In the process of her travels, she has gathered images of the lives she has visited. Thus we have tried to show her a typical bit of this place. And I think she's enjoyed her time with us, as much as anyone can when her shorts are in a perenneal knot—or, at least a series of interlocking ones.

It was a quiet visit. We didn't do much jetting around town, or driving into the city - it's been too busy and cold for much of that kind of thing. So what follows is a very domestic, quiet visit.

Here is Lucy, fresh off the packet from South Africa. First order of business, introducing her to a gang of appropriate and kind friends. The pup was born here, but the Fox is from just outside of London, so he's a world traveler, too.

She actually got here just in time for the great American feast of Thanksgiving. Plenty of browns and oranges and turkey iconery. And another new friend who is more Easter or Christmas-like than Thanksgiving like. Still - it was like they were meant for each other. Thanksgiving is a huge family celebration here, a gathering warm and wonderful, and Lucy fit right in.

We wanted her to have the whole cultural experience, and so involved her with pie making. In the back is a pecan pie sans crust (because M can't eat wheat), and in the front, a big mound of apple pie that should have been baked a little lower in the oven.

Lucy was not at all critical, but I could just tell she was thinking that -

The next day, we started putting away the Autumn things. The leaves have been down for weeks, and it's cold enough outside to be counted winter. So we are setting up for Christmas. Here is Lucy, sitting on one of the huge traditional mounds of Lights That Mysteriously No Longer Work. After many hours of getting out the lights and hanging them from the house roof, the windows - all over, we always have several of these mounds left over. If I could figure out how to fix the dang things, I would. The sun was strong that day, but it was still a little chill outside. I think it did Lucy good to sit in it on the nice, warm hearth.

I showed her the rest of the place. She lighted in the place that is the heart of my own private industry. I think she felt at home there. She was very polite and didn't show any of that borderline wildness she had in other places. I think she is very good at fitting in wherever she finds herself.

A couple of days later, we took her around to meet the big boys. When you introduce anyone to a herd, it's always best to start with the alpha, and Dustin is unquestionably that. You know, it really is amazing that we spend so much time with really, really big beasts like this. And that little yarn Lucy can criss-cross the globe, literally touching people who would love to get a chance to embrace her own creator. Some of this place - dust, tiny bits of DNA and plants and smells - she will take them all back home, so far away from here. The planet is at once too big and just small enough.

She meets my Zion.



And Aunt Sophie. Not Hickory, though. He's too young and silly and shy.



Here she is taking a poll. Or sitting on one. Dustin's. She is smirking, can you tell? How long can somebody stay an alpha with a rabbit on his head?



And then took a little ride on Zi. Please pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Gathering horse dust to take home to mama. Zion is very smooth-gated for the most part. And, of course, Lucy knows her horses.



Here she is, taking the ride I take every day - back and forth from the barn. This is from - heading east toward the mountains. She is very small. The mountains are HUGE. She looks a little bit tired, doesn't she?



She took a moment in the yard by herself (the dogs were inside). But when G found her here, he was alarmed.



He insisted that he keep hold of her if she was going to get this close to that much water. "You have NO IDEA how fast that river is," he chided. Okay, maybe smirking does count as a little wild.



They had a serious talk. But no worries - they got along quite well. It was an amazing visit from someone who has been much farther away from my home than I have ever been. And an honor that we were trusted with her safety and comfort. (The dogs were very respectful)



All in all, Lucy made some fast friends. And isn't that the point?