I decided to take on a special project during our winter vacation in Fountain Hills, AZ. I would select what I considered special community scenes. I would take a picture of each and write a poem about why I found these scenes interesting.

I called this vacation project “2016 Fountain Hills Pictures and Poems.”

Many of these pictures and poems featured copper sculptures that have been placed in significant places within the community. One of these had been placed near the Town Hall. It was called “Cowboy Emptying his Boot.”

The scene depicted a cowboy sitting on a log near a pond of water with boot in hand. His horse had just finished drinking and was standing at a different pond near him. A small stream of water was falling from the horse’s mouth.

Any work of art should tell a story. My father once told me that most people will have only one horse during their lifetime that “seems perfect.” Such was our quarter horse, Jack.

The scene reminded me of Jack, our beloved quarter horse. The statue seemed to have a gentle disposition with movement of slow gentleness. It was as though it was sending a greeting in the early morning.

However, it was the color of the horse that caught my attention. The sunlight on darkened copper had produced a certain color, the same color as jack.

It was as though Jack had recognized me when he lifted his head after drinking.