237 - Polka Dots

This is such a wonderful little Appy stallion (from the same farm Ladyhawk, Kittyhawk, and Mustang came from, and home of Symphony's sire!), I had to include his photo somewhere! Polka Dots seemed to be the perfect theme for him. Look at that color! He's a work of art. (His name is Monet!) Reserve World Champion Single Pleasure Driving Stallion in 2008.

84 - Empty

This is one of two horse barns at the Somervell County Expo in Glen Rose, TX. This differs from the Stock Show barn photo, in that these stalls are empty, but they were in use. These exhibitors were through showing, so they packed up and went home. There were a few empty, unused stalls (always are), but no barren aisles. That's a good sign, if not for the economy, then certainly for the AMHR (American Miniature Horse Registry) and ASPC (American Shetland Pony Club)! Sorry I missed seeing all the beautiful tiny horses and elegant ponies, but I'm happy to see they were there!

357 - What's for Dinner?

Another "catch-up" photo, for yesterday! Out behind the show barn, a barbeque cooker is ready and waiting. Dinner, anyone?

119 - Gatherings

A reprieve from the baby photos, but not from horse photos! Back to last weekend's horse show: A discussion between trainers and owners about the upcoming Single Pleasure Driving class. Everybody gets input except the horse. Looks like he's used to that, with his, "Alright, already! Let's get moving!" expression.

47 - Childhood Antics

Yes, another Symphony picture! (You're all gonna get sick of 'em, if you aren't yet!)

She was playing in the dry lot yesterday afternoon, and was apparently convinced that the water hose was really, really BIG! She wanted to make sure she cleared it! (All she lacks is wings!)

34 - Breakfast

Some of us like variety for breakfast. Symphony, on the other hand, at this point, anyway, is happy for the same breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks! The only choice she gets is, left nipple or right one?

304 - Stop the Action

Symphony was full of herself when she got a little time outside this morning! It was sprinkling--the first raindrops she ever felt! She had a good time, and there may be some reining horse trainers wishing she was a bit bigger--she's got some amazing rollbacks and sliding stops, and her, only 23" tall!

The photo below is catch up for yesterday, so I get, er, have to post another one for today! Yea!! (I'm not proud of her, or nuthin'!)

17 - Baby!

Well, I got Ladyhawk and Symphony home yesterday afternoon. I turned them out for a little while this morning. It was dark and grey, as it's supposed to rain (for the next week +), so I grabbed a few quick shots of baby Symphony. Here's the first at-home shot of her. (Isn't she gorgeous? I just can't take my eyes off of her!)

Mama Ladyhawk has a funny hair cut. It's called a foaling clip or belly clip, and it's to keep new babies from getting mouthsful of hair when they're looking for meals. Too much hair in a foal's tummy can cause serious, even fatal, problems, so a foaling clip is pretty standard for miniature mares. In a few weeks, you'll not be able to tell she ever had a bare (or nearly bare) tummy!

27 - Black & White

I wanted this to be "Silhouette" but I've already used that one! That's a part of the Challenge that's really challenging: Do I use this photo for this theme, or will a better photo come along later? Oh, well. "Black & White" works well, too, I guess.

This was taken Sunday at an AMHR/ASPC show (with the title Daffodil Dandy--their fall show is the Spooktacular!) This trainer was adjusting the harness after a warmup, getting ready to go into the show ring.

In case you're wondering, AMHR is the American Miniature Horse Registry, one of two mini registries--the other is the American Miniature Horse Association--and ASPC is the American Shetland Pony Club.

Introducing: Symphony in Silk

OK, here she is folks, twenty hours old. Her name is Symphony in Silk. She is definitely worth the trouble, expense, and worry I've gone through to get her!

She's 23" tall, which is above average for miniature foals (18-20"), and should mature around 34" or 35". Sorrel (redhead!) with star on her forehead and four white feet (can't tell how far up the legs the white goes until she sheds that baby coat).

I didn't take these photos, but I think I'm going to use them for today's post, as I've got so much to do to make ready for mama and baby to come home! I'll get my own photos when they get here, so expect more to come!!

Thanks for all the well wishes I received on behalf of Ladyhawk and Symphony! Y'all are super!!

233 - Photographer

Oh, to be doing this for a living! Out in the middle of the arena, photographing all the beautiful horses! I photographed between the red bars of the arena fence, so the flash unit was obscured at the top (darn it!). I would like to have his setup! (And his job!!)

Ladyhawk

Ladyhawk had her foal last night at 9:45 pm. A beautiful (live!) sorrel filly. (That means a little redhead girl!) I won't get to see her until I go pick them up, which will be probably Wednesday, and OF COURSE, I'll have pictures!!

She's very tall (at 23"! lol) and long legged. That makes for a great driving horse prospect!

I'm thrilled and relieved! Just wanted to share the news!!!

339 - Trio

Equine parking lot? Waiting to go into the show ring, it's social time for the warm-up drivers. These three were parked perfectly in alignment (probably without the drivers being aware of it!)

355 - Weights and Measures

Aluminum racing plates, each a precise weight, size and shape. A portion of an ounce, a quarter inch longer/shorter, a rounder or squarer toe, so many things that can give a racehorse the tiniest of edges. It's a science, modern farriery, especially when it comes to racing. Precise weights and precise measurements can mean the difference between winning and losing.

Amazing how much difference a horse shoe can make. "For want of a horse, the kingdom was lost . . ."

103 - Flowers

I couldn't make up my mind which photo to use, so I used three!

A field of Texas bluebonnets down the street from my house. Amazing, aren't they. They started as a small patch about 5 years ago. Look at them now!

A sickly bluebonnet. It's pale, so it MUST be sick, right? These have started showing up occasionally just last year. These are the only ones I saw this time, but I didn't wade through the field looking for them, either. Almost as pretty as the originals, eh?

OK. Here's my iris photo (first of the year). I took it from my truck, as the owners had a large, hungry-looking dog, and I didn't desire to become lunch. I do prefer to do very close-up photos of irises, just not this time!

.Never saw this color before! I love the deep indigo blue of these.

Not Part of the Challenge (again)

Well, my lovely little preggers mare, Ladyhawk, and I will be on our way to Shenandoah Miniature Horse Foaling Center in a couple of hours (in the middle of thunderstorms). That's where she goes to have her baby. Brandy Carpenter, the lady who runs it, is one of the best equine "midwives" out there, when it comes to the littlest equines. She saved Ladyhawk's life the last time, when the foal was stillborn and not turned correctly.

This one is still alive so far. I felt it kicking at its confining walls last night. Ladyhawk's getting tired of it in there, I think. It kicked, and she backed her ears and gave me a dirty look!

She wasn't due to go until next Wednesday, but I'm beginning to wonder whether she'll make it until May 1st. Seems a good idea to take her a few days early, rather than chance a foal arriving when no one's here to help if need be. So, off we go today! It'll be a long day (2 1/2 hour trip back, but about a 3 1/2 hour trip down there--I drive much slower with a live passenger behind me!). I'll be much relieved when she's in Brandy's capable hands!!

211 - Oops!

This is out in front of the PetSmart stores in the area, in the midst of a small grassy area. I laugh every time I see one, because the name is so fitting. (Better on the grass than in the store!) I have yet to see one without the long tail of plastic pick-up bags waving in the wind. (May be because it's almost always windy these days!) An upscale bathroom for the canine customers!

340 - Turkey or Fowl

OK. This post is playing catch up for last week! This should have me back up to date. (I hate being behind--on anything!)

The same feed store that has that John Deere puppy for sale also has baby turkeys (and chicks and ducks). The turkeys were 2 days old when I saw them. Slow shutter speed indoors (even under the heat lamps) made clear photos difficult, but I got a couple that were passable (barely). These little guys were just at the edge of the lamp, and trying to doze, even though there were others in there who thought it was playtime. I wanted to take one (or two) home so bad! But sanity prevailed (if I don't have a safe place for chicks, which I want dearly, I don't have a safe place for turkeys!) (sigh)

41 - Canine Companions

With 14 cats inside, and a recalcitrant donkey outside, I just could not do that to any dog! So, I don't have a dog, which made Canine Companions a toughy. At least that's what I thought until I saw this little guy in the feed store yesterday. He's just sitting there quietly, begging to go home with some loving human. He's quiet. He doesn't eat much. He'll never tell your secrets. (And his neckerchief says he runs like a Deere!) Please, can he come home with you?

(He's not quite in focus. It was indoors without flash, so my shutter speed was slow. Steady of hand I am not!)

58 - Coin Operated

These are all the papers available in McKinney, TX. Some are obviously free (coin-less operated, I guess), some are not. Colorful, one and all. I thought it was an interesting collection!

121 - Ghosts, Ghouls, Goblins

I'm not sure how this happened. A double exposure of a photo above the mantle, and a cat (who?) sitting (?) somewhere (?).

The cat in the framed photograph is Dragonflower, a lovely tortie Oriental Shorthair that I bred. She was my last regional winner (missed national top ten by a narrow margin), and she died of liver disease at 5 1/2 years of age. I still miss her dearly after all these years! (She died in 1994.) The ghost-cat in the photo -- do you suppose . . .?

95 - Favorite Things

OK, this is playing catch up. Posting the Furricane (or the female half of it!) was today's, and this is yesterday's (or the day before's, take your pick). Tomorrow I'll post tomorrow's and the other catch up (or it may be Tuesday or Wednesday for that one.)

This is my magnificent cobalt blue KitchenAid mixer. I've wanted one for many years, and a few years ago shortly before Christmas (and my birthday, which is very close to Christmas), they had an infomercial selling the cobalt blue one. I decided to give myself a really really nice birthday/Christmas present, and ordered it. I love it every bit as much as I thought I would! I use it several times a week, as I cook almost everything from scratch nowadays. (Hate the thought of what might be in the processed foods! Can you say "salmonella"--or "listeria"??) Slow food is so much better, anyway!!!

My kitchen is a popular spot in the house. (And that's the way it should be!)

179 - Magical or Mystical (+ Mischief!)

These are the three daughters of my rescue-turned-barncat-turned-housecat, Firefly. They are Magical, Mysticfox, and Mischief! Rarely do I get them all close enough (and still) to get in one photo! They are sweet, but rambunctious, and with their three brothers (the one black one is Merlin--yes, there's a theme going there!), they are collectively known as the Furricane. This is the feminine side of the Furricane.

I hadn't intended to keep any of those kittens, but it looks like the six are here to stay. Shelters are full and hurting for adopters (and money), so these little monsters, I mean, darlings, may well be permanent residents. (sigh)

I'm two days behind on my posting! (Oh, no!) I'll be playing catch up this week. (I'm on vacation! Yea!!!!!!!!)

13 - Architectural Detail

This strange little purple house is a thrift store for a homeless shelter. I haven't figured out what this brick column was for. I thought fireplace, but it's too long and narrow, and there's nothing inside, except a small divider of brick. I'm not sure that it was ever a house to be lived in, because it's in a retail district, but a lot of houses were torn down to put the retail stores in. I can't imagine a use for the column, but it's interesting, anyway (to me at least)! Now, the purple is something else again . . .

180 - March to a Different Drummer

This is a pretty nice, solid wood bookcase I got on freecycle.org. Someone had a, uh, vision (nightmare?) of what it should look like. My intention is to sand it down and paint it--ASAP! Seems to me this paint job is definitely by someone who "marches to a different drummer"!

44 - Chains

Saw these lying about on a construction site. I bumped up the color and raised the contrast drastically, because the original was a dull brown dirt with dull brown dirty chains lying around. Now they're more colorful chains lying around! Never did see anything they would be using chains on at the site. (I'm sure there was something.)

225 - Partners

Bonfire and Spirit, buddies, stablemates, and partners-in-crime! What one gets into, the other isn't far away (and usually with that "Who, me? I'm totally innocent!" expression) These guys aren't related at all, but they are the same height (even though you can't really tell in this photo), the same conformation, and certainly the same spark of mischievousness! They could be twins (except for the pinto-ness of Bonfire!)

71 - Curly

Thought we were through with stock show photos, didn't you! Here's one last (well, maybe) that I just couldn't resist. It's the coiffure that's all the rage at the stock shows in Texas!

73 - Cutlery

Lunch today consisted of a whole grain wrap with shredded lettuce and carrot, and sliced mushrooms and olives, along with chopped onion, tomato, and cabbage. Add a little salad dressing and voila! Sorry, no pictures of lunch! (Tasted good, though!)

Out of a drawer full of knives, this is the one I use the most--for everything except chopping. It's one of those Ginsu ones they advertise on TV cutting an aluminum can and then a tomato. Never saw the sense in cutting up a can. Wouldn't put that in my wrap, would you? And the guy didn't even rinse it off before cutting the tomato! Care for some tiny aluminum splinters with your tomato? (yuck)

283 - Silhouette

Cold, wet, grey in the morning, partly cloudy sunset in the evening. Silhouettes of trees, still waiting for their spring clothes. Makes it worth the morning rain (but not necessarily the wading through the mud to the barn and back)!

Look at this one full size for the full color effect. No filters, this is SOOC.

2 - 9:00 a.m.

Guess what our weather was this morning? Yet, here it is, 10:07 a.m., and the sun is out. It's windy, so it should dry things out quickly--not that it got that wet. Sounded like a LOT of rain, but the gauge showed .15 inch. I would have expected half an inch, at least! Walking to the barn, the dirt was damp, and it stuck to my boots, so I left DRY footprints behind. (Wish I'd had my camera!)

This is playing catch up, as I missed yesterday's post. My garden is shaping up, planting begins today. Those beautiful tomato and pepper plants are going in first. By May or June, I'll have most of the vegetables that I'm buying in stores now, just a few yards' walk from my back door! Can't wait!!

152 - Hours, Days, Months, Years

My 2009 calendar on the wall beside my computer desk. Surprised at what's on it????

Unfortunately, it's a cheap one (well, the $1 price was just right!). The paper it's printed on is too thin, so the pages curl forward after a few days. Nice photos on it, though, and one of my favorite subjects! (Didn't know that, right?)