Welcome!.... from Northern Wisconsin. I too am new to the board and have been lurking for months. Even though there are some things that happen on this board that I do not agree with, I continue to come back. This board is very eduacational and pretty much everyone will help you if they can. I have been raising and breeding big horses for about 20 years now, and new to minis, but I still continue to learn from all the wonderful people on this board. I would love to even find a mentor that is close to me so that I can learn even more and make a new friend to talk "horse talk".
I agree that people should try to learn the whole story before voicing their opinions, instead of assuming the worst. I also think that it would be very appropriate for those that flamed Bob, to do a public appology to him on this board. No one is perfect, and I think we have all learned now that Bob loves his little ones more than we realized and that he wasn't intentionally being stupid or cruel. He did his best and when his best wasn't good enough, he found the help he needed.
Bob, if you are reading this, even though I do not know you personally, please come back to this board. I have read all of your posts/stories, and love all of your pictures, and believe it or not, you have inspired me. There are many of us on this board that would love to continue to hear from you amd even learn from you. You have more friends on here than you think.