Limerick's birthday portraits

Since Limerick colicked in February, a lingering feeling of having narrowly averted disaster has remained with me. No matter how well she is doing, that feeling haunts the corners of my mind and heart like the ghost of a future missed. That ghost made itself well known in April, when a friend on Facebook lost her beloved horse after he colicked and was diagnosed with a dorsal displacement. That evening, with a heavy heart, I lavished extra love and kisses upon Limerick and told her how thankful I was that she is still here.

When Lim turned 22 on May 14, the following weekend I wanted to commemorate the event by taking photos of her with the DSLR. I enlisted my husband's help and, after grooming Lim to a show sheen, we took the photos. Thanks to the fading sun, they didn't come out as well as I would like, but in their imperfection, they show her beautiful spirit perfectly.

Happy 22nd birthday, baby girl