It was back in the Mid Sixties and Nar sign of a Ski-doo or a Quad to be seen.

Father’s Brother Ben lived next door and had a Pony named Belle.

Now Belle was very Gentle and the type that would let a young fella

play a drum and not get too excited.

Belle had a foal and gave it to my Dad which he named Jesse.

Horses in those days were used mostly to haul wood home

attached to a Slide as they called a Horse Cat.

Now if you ever seen a Newfoundland Pony you might have noticed

that they are not very big in Stature.Not much bigger than a Donkey.

Of course to a kid everything looks big.

Jesse had a nice shiny coat and thought she was a Race Horse.

I believe father got pride out of passing every horse on the Pond

as he headed into cut down some wood.One favourite spot was called

Mother McKenzie’s Break.It would not take too long when father

would be home with a load of Stumps.

Sometimes in Winter if it was Stormy he would take us to School

on Jesse and the Slide.Always had a Hay Bag tied on.When he got to where

the wood was.He would take Jesse away from the Slide and tie her to a tree

with a bag of hay to nibble on.One time Jesse got away from being tied on

and came home on her own.Father had to come get her and take her back to

the load of wood.Father tried everything to calm her down and get over her rowdy ways.Even changed the Oats as he thought she may be having a reaction.Nothing

worked.She was a very active horse.When she came out of the Barn in the mornings.

Kids were warned to keep back because she would jump over their heads.Seen it happen.One neighbour offered to get in the Meadow with her and when Father see him showing up with a hammer.All bets were off.Father loved his horse.Anytime

kids would come by and were up to no good.Father would quickly make them vamoose

from his property.It was ok for the Nuns to slap us kids.Just don’t touch the horse.

As Dad grew Older and started to have health issues.He sold Jesse to a Man in

Peter’s River.We were all sad to see her go.Animals are family and even the Wild Ones are like Guardian Angels to us.My Angel is french.I call her Gabriella!

See Ya!