Gramps

Today is the anniversary of Gramp's birthday. T.W., Thornt, Tom, Friday were names other people called him. To the family he was Gramps or Grampa. As I remember him he was not real tall and rather husky with thin white hair. He walked with a slight limp and after recovering from a broken hip while cleaning a horse stall he used a cane. Maybe his leg hurt because Gramma would sit next to him when he was driving and would grab his knee if he wasn't driving safely. He smelled like horses and Absorbine, a liniment for horses. He was a quiet man and I don't remember him every raising his voice to any one. He drank his coffee with cream and sugar. One time while having coffee Gramma said "We quit using cream in our coffee." Gramps replied "WE did not quit using cream." emphasizing the "WE"
He was a farmer when he was younger, but as long as I knew him he trained thoroughbred race horses. They traveled around the race circuit hauling their horses in a big truck that they cleaned out when they reached their destination and lived in it at the track. Later they had a small house trailer and had their horses hauled in a horse van.
During the off season they would spend some time with each of their 4 children. We always knew when Gramps was at our house when we came home from school because we could smell the Asthmador. Gramps had Asthma. For relief he had this green can with green stuff in it that he would put in the indented lid, light it and inhale it. He is the only person I have every know to use this medication.
After retiring they moved into the low cost housing for the elderly in Lyons. He still liked going to the races.
One morning in April he got up around 5:30 to get ready to go to the race track (Columbus I think) and died of an aneurysm. Very quick and painless. We buried him on his 81st birthday. Happy Birthday, Gramps, RIP.

What do you all remember most about Gramps?