Two weeks ago tonight a fire destroyed the barn housing horses trained by Boyd Martin on the ground floor and employees on the second.  In the days that followed the community was numb with the aftermath, the loss of lives of horses, the injuries, the immediate need of the human survivors for a somewhere to live and something to wear.  Everyone knew someone intimately who had lost something dear.  Ever mindful of the irreplaceable, friends moved into action to take care of the practical.  Among many others throughout the country, a “boots on the ground” fundraising effort was begun in anticipation of the Horse Trials planned for Plantation Field in Unionville this past weekend.  Phone call and email solicitations for contributions to a bake sale were sent out and resulted in a table overflowing with cupcakes, snickerdoodles, cake and brownies.  Priced to sell at “donation”, business was brisk and resulted in a first day total of over $1000.  The second day recovery is as yet uncounted.  I personally ate a brownie with peanut butter drizzle, its purchaser informing me that it was a $40 tray of brownies – worth it?  Quite tasty.

Pony racing at the local Point to Points is always a high point of my spring.  I love to watch the kids before the race when they are gathered in a circle around the steward going over the rules while a sibling, parent or friend walks the pony around the paddock;  I love to watch the kids get on their ponies and head off to the start behind the outriders; and mostly I love to watch them run to the finish with an intensity and competitive spirit that transcends their young age.  This year at the Plumsted Races the competition was fierce and friendly.