My dear uncle passed on this morning

and I would like to dedicate this post to his memory. He grew up on a farm in Wisconsin. He rode his horse to school and loved all the farm horses. He would ride all of them. He loved to stop by and see all my horses, but he was especially fond of Scout! He loved to take photos of them and when I get home, I'm going to find some of him with Scout. She is very perceptive. I'm not sure perceptive is the right word...empathetic? She reads people and their emotions, I think, much better than my other horses. She's almost dog-like in that regard. My black lab, Ripley, knows when I'm sad or upset and she will come and place her head in my lap and look at me with her big, brown eyes.

My uncle spent a lot of time showing me how to become a better photographer and I will miss his input. His daughter, my first cousin, Cindy Kyle, IS a professional photographer. Here's a link to her photography website: http://www.cindykylephotography.com/index2.php She inherited his critical eye and his attention to detail. I am glad that she inherited all of his cameras. She will love and cherish them.

I already miss Uncle Earl. When my dad left my mom and me, while I was in high school, he stepped in to make sure I kept my grades up and didn't get into any trouble. He was always there for me. He loved to hear my stories about the horses and I heard many of his about his horses and pony. He was a gentle and caring man.