It’s hard to know what love looks like. However, these two creatures’ tenderness to one another provides inspiration.
They have a beautiful pasture to graze; hills, valleys, trees and of course their barn, set out on many acres. Yet every day they choose to sidle up to one another, standing in place through the afternoon, each seemingly enjoying—no depending—on the other’s company. The brown horse’s cheek will press against the white one’s stifle or thigh as they spoon side to side. They stand together so regularly that the grass does not grow on their spot.
On cool days, their spot is on this hillock. On warmer summer days, their spot is beneath a shade tree. So regular are they, that anyone driving past the intersection of Mill Creek Road and Mill Creek Lane after 3pm will likely see them standing together or nuzzling.
Speaking of hot summer days, how did we get here so quickly? The Point Fire, threatening winds, fire and smoke? Be safe, Healdsburg and Dry Creek.
Fun facts: There are over 300 breeds of horses. They form strong bonds as social creatures accustomed to herd living. Horses appear on the evolutionary tree about 55 million years ago as small mammals in North America. Earliest domestication took place in Central Asia around 4,000 B.C.E., according to the National Science Foundation.
Horses live 25-30 years, though the oldest known horse was 62. Horses have 208 bones; humans have 206. A horse’s “stifle” references its rear knee joint. Horses have the largest eyes of all mammals, with a field of vision of over 300 degrees. Blind spots are directly behind and ahead, which is why they may use nibbling lips to find the carrot directly in front of their nose.
“The Look of Love” was released in 1967. Written by Burt Bacharach, with lyrics by Hal David, it was originally sung by Dusty Springfield and featured in the James Bond movie Casino Royale, which grossed $41.7 million. Just one year later, Sergio Mendes and Brazil ’66 released another version of “The Look of Love,” exceeding Springfield’s on Billboard’s charts. Which do you remember better?
