In a society where love is frequently stifled by social conventions, meet Kyle Jones and Marjorie McCool—a couple who have deftly avoided the rules. Kyle, 31, and Marjorie, 91, have a striking 60-year age difference, which puts them in a unique position to defy the notion that love is determined by age.
Their exceptional friendship has caught the attention of the globe, and the media has not wasted any time in capturing the spirit of this special romance. The couple just had an honest conversation in which Marjorie talked candidly about the personal aspects of their relationship. Kyle was just as honest when he said that his love for Marjorie has nothing to do with money gain.
Their endearing tale started in 2009 under the luminously mundane lights of a neighborhood bookshop. Just looking through books, Marjorie—whose romantic history includes a 37-year split from her husband—was introduced to Kyle. She removed any uncertainty about Kyle’s intentions by being open about the fact that she had neither inherited money nor saved a sizable sum of money. Take note, critics: love, not money, is the driving force behind this love tale.
But my, how the plot deepens! In addition, Kyle has romantic ties to a number of older ladies. It would seem that jealousy would poison this delicate stream, but Marjorie is a serene beacon. Even though she experienced some initial jealousy, she is still Kyle’s top priority. She remains his first love because he always returns to her.
The chemistry between Marjorie and Kyle appears to defy biology and reason. When Marjorie talks about how physically they match, she beams. She makes a conscious effort to make sure she never loses her sensual attraction to Kyle, demonstrating that having romantic appeal at any age is just a number. She asks us to consider the dynamic, even ethereal aspect that allows their connection to glide between social waves through her candid admissions.
Tragic events bring orphan colt, mare together
An orphan colt whose mother died shortly after giving birth has a new mom – a mare that had tragically lost her foal – thanks to the generosity of strangers and Washington State University veterinarians playing matchmaker.
Pairing an orphan foal and a nursing mare is a challenging task and one that commonly ends with failure. In this case, the connection was instantaneous.
“The mare had only been without a foal for about 24 hours,” Dr. Lisbeth Matthews, an equine medicine and surgery intern, said. “We walked her into the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and past him. He made a noise, and she went, ‘oh, there’s my foal,’ and started making noises back at him.”
It was a surprise to everyone how quickly the mare, named Shelly but affectionally called Mama by her owners, Roy and Faye Lions, accepted the colt. Equine veterinarian Jenifer Gold, who was helping to care for the foal and to supervise its introduction to the mare, said nursing mares frequently reject orphan foals, and when they don’t, the pairing process often takes days.
“She walked in and started nickering at him like it was her own baby – it was unbelievable,” Gold said. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I have never seen it happen that way.”
The foal, which has been named Laredo, was admitted to the teaching hospital by his owner, Spokane resident Rachel Williams, just days after he was born when he started showing troubling digestive issues. Shortly after the colt arrived in Pullman, Faye Lions placed a call to WSU to see if the equine team was aware of any orphan colts needing a nursing mare.
“Our foal was dead, and nothing was going to bring it back, so we were hoping we could help someone else,” Faye Lions said. “It just so happened there was a foal there.”
A day later, the colt and Shelly were introduced.
“For them to be so willing to basically hand over their animal to a complete stranger after experiencing their own tragedy was pretty phenomenal,” Williams said. “I feel like in this scenario it was the worst of the worst for everybody, but there was a little bit of silver lining to the story.”
Williams is also grateful for the care and treatment she and her foal received at WSU.
“I just can’t even find words to say how great the veterinarians at WSU were,” she said. “They went above and beyond. I am just happy I ended up at WSU. I am so glad we were able to match those two up – it is kind of a miracle.”
Shelly will live with Williams until the colt is ready to be weaned, likely in six months, before she will return to her home in Kamiah, Idaho.
“It will be tough to say goodbye because you just naturally start to bond with animals, and she has kind of been my lifesaver,” Williams said. “It will be bittersweet for sure, but I am sure her owners will be happy to have her back.”
During the spring, the equine team at WSU typically sees at least a handful of orphan foals. Equine medicine specialist Dr. Macarena Sanz said orphan foals can be fed a powdered milk formula designed for horses, but those raised by humans typically develop behavioral issues that can become problematic as the animal matures.
“They turn out to be socially weird, have no understanding of personal space, and they are more difficult to train,” WSU equine veterinarian Macarena Sanz said. “The fact that this orphan foal has a mare is really going to make a difference.”
Sanz strongly encourages owners to immediately call their veterinarian if a foal is orphaned, as early care is critical to the animal’s survival.
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