By Davan 
HAPPY 93rd BIRTHDAY to my Dad. Damn tough stuff was born in the year 1930! We sat in the kitchen all afternoon, drank steaming hot cups of tea, and I brought Dad’s favourite Madeira cake. Dad was out in the vege garden staking his 55 Roma Tomatoes. He’s keen for a bumper crop. it was an overcast day, with a gentle breeze cooling us on this humid Summer afternoon. We watched Horse-Racing videos and hilarious kitty fails on Facebook. Dad giggled uncontrollably and enjoyed them all. We talked about the Tas Pony Club One Day Event that had been going on over the weekend. He gifted me his Life Membership Badge for West Tamar Pony Club and reminisced how Mum was also a Life Member and ran the Canteen while he was the groundsman for so many years. He talked of how many wonderful people we met in the Tasmanian Equestrian world as I grew up competing. He advised how we made loyal incredible friends for life, as so many were farmer’s too. ‘They’re a different breed’, he nodded knowingly.
We remembered his friends when he ran the Orchard, long gone now, from this world to the next. I kept him up to date with the new sensational Show Ponies for Horse of the Year. We talked about the weather, who is cutting hay, how my roses are doing, what he’s planted for vegetables in his vege garden and what he will plant next. We reminisced on my beloved long passed competition horses Poppy and Harold, my adorable cheeky first pony Jasper, and my beautiful show pony Lily-of-the-Valley. Dad had so many wonderful stories to tell of them. He wistfully said how much he missed them all. He said he still buys Milk Arrowroot bickies in rememberance of sweet Daisy Dora. ‘She loved them, didn’t she?’ he smiled sadly. ‘She was such a good little pussycat,- not a scrap of trouble!’ My eyes stung and clouded with tears as I agreed that she was indeed The Best Little Kitty in the World.
We wandered around the ‘Kinbrae’ farm house garden and Dad showed me the ‘Red Riding Hood’ rose bush which was out in bloom. He struck it in the vege garden after I gave him some stems from pruning. I snapped photos of Dad with his beautiful Rose and others with the ancient 70 year old Fuchsia, that was proudly blooming. He picked me a beautiful bunch to take home. I advised him a whole heap of people from all around the world in my gardening groups will wish him a very special ’Happy Birthday’ for today,- 4 December 2023. “Really?”, he smiled in amazement. “Oh yes!”, I smiled. “They all know and love you because of all the photos and stories I post of your lovely garden Dad.” I explained. “Well…. Isn’t that nice of them?” “Tell them all Thankyou so very much!” Dad glowed with pride. 93 years old today. Yep, I’m lucky I’ve still got him.
