For Bob

Bob wrote:
2/22/09, Meridian, MS - In the hospital (and I will be for a while). But, like the mythological winged horse - Phoenix, we will be rising to continue the journey. Before that day, I’ll have to do quite a bit of mending, build a wagon, acquire a couple of new horses and train them. No insurmountable tasks, but nothing that’s going to occur real soon.

In the short term, my first task ahead of me is to mend an awful lot of broken parts.

In the mean time, I would like to thank all the wonderful people who have stepped up with their prayers, best wishes, offers to help, assistance and much else.

I haven’t had an opportunity to see all that has be been written, but I sampled a lot that has been written and I would like to extend my thank you.

I would also like to thank my family and friends and others who responded with their immediate help - Thank You!

I’ll be checking in from time to time with up dates on how it’s going.

The trip is by no means over - it has just be delayed while things are restructured.

Dispatch Staff Report wrote:
February 24, 2009

Dispatch Staff Report

MERIDIAN — A New Hampshire man injured Feb. 10 when his horse-drawn recreational vehicle was struck by an 18-wheeler on Highway 45 South is expected to be released from the hospital within the next few days, according to hospital authorities.

Deerfield, N.H., native Bob Skelding, 49, was transported to Rush Foundation Hospital to be treated for head injuries after the wreck near the Noxubee-Kemper county line.

Though Skelding originally was listed as critical, his condition has improved steadily during the past two weeks.

As of Monday, Skelding had been moved to an outpatient room. This morning, hospital officials predicted he likely would be released sometime this week.

Though two of Skelding’s horses, Deedee and Dollie, died after the accident, the two surviving horses, Doc and Joyce, have made a full recovery and will be transported to New Hampshire after Skelding’s release, his family members previously said.