Changes!

It's been a while since I've been on this blog (forgot about it for a bit!).  I've got a 2013 Photo Challenge going on a Wordpress blog (dragonfur.wordpress.com), but I thought I'd update this one a little.

First, the horses:

I lost Bonfire June 20, 2011.  He injured a stifle, and endured a failed surgical repair of it.  He finally began to have problems in his back and his other hind leg (if he had been a full sized horse, I'm sure he would have foundered in the front feet, as Barbaro did--along with the other hind foot), and we took one more trip to the lameness specialist.  Dr. Spencer could come up with no miracles, so Bonfire was euthanized, with his good friend Buffi at his side.  I have had a pendant made of some of his mane & tail hair.  It has one blue stone & one brown one, to match his eyes.  It resides on the box that holds his ashes.  I will miss him always.

We had such a miserably HOT summer that summer, with temps reaching 112º officially.  The thermometer in the barn showed 117º and the one on the front porch showed 122º!

Ladyhawk succumbed to the long, drawn-out heat at the end of August 2011.  The vets said they had more colics the last two weeks of August than they'd had all year.  The  unrelenting heat just wore them down.  R.I.P. Ladyhawk.

Sold Kittyhawk last summer, then added Radar, a grade 38 1/2" rescue pony, a week later!  Then two senior mares, Hope (28" tall!) and Polly (Bonfire's mom), joined me in late August.

So I went from eight to six to NINE!  Never thought I'd have NINE HORSES!  Glad they're minis!

Bonfire

4/23/2003-6/20/2011 

Ladyhawk

6/11/2000-8/28/2011

Radar

Radar

Hope & Polly

in Winter Woolies

Well, It's Mother's Day 2010

My 2009 Challenge died and went to photography heaven about half way through the year. With all the things that were going on in my life (and most still are), I just no longer had the energy (or time!) to photograph or post on a regular basis.

Life is still overwhelming right now, but I have a little time--I'm on vacation this week (yea!!!). I'm doing body-clipping on the horses. It gets hot way before they're shed out, so clipping helps them keep cooler during the spring and early summer.

So far Buffi, Bonfire, Ladyhawk, and Spirit are done, although Spirit still sports winter hair on his back and hips. (He has sun sensitivity, and must wear a flysheet during the summer--which he HATES--so I leave the protective winter hair until Mother Nature rids him of it. That way he wears his flysheet about a month less than he would if I clipped him like I do the rest of the horses.

Kittyhawk will not be clipped, as she is shedding out so nice and slick already. I cleaned up her head, lower legs, and bridlepath (the mane right behind her ears), and am trying to help the winter coat remaining shed out quicker. She's almost done!

Mustang and Symphony remain to be done. Since yearlings don't shed very well on their own for some reason, Symphony will be left till last. Mustang will get his started tomorrow if it stops raining. (Not getting much, just enough to make me NOT want to run an electric cord from the house to the barn!) Cool mornings like yesterday and today require that everyone clipped wear a blanket (which Spirit also hates), so I'm busy this time of year pulling blankets off in the morning and replacing them at night.

BTW: Symphony will not be known officially as Symphony in Silk, as originally planned. She has turned into a lovely bright red sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail, and will be registered as Sunrise Symphony. Seems to fit her better. Photos coming after everyone's clipped!

To all the mothers who read this (whether you have children or pets!), HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

166 - Larger Than Life

The same day I took the pigeon photos, I captured a hawk moments after he brought down one of those same pigeons for a big dinner. Unfortunately for him, a much larger hawk was gliding nearby, and decided to nab a free meal. He landed near the smaller hawk with his catch, and proceeded to intimidate him with his superior size. After a moment or two, the smaller one conceded defeat and left the kill to the big one. This is the imposing stance the big one took to obtain his pre-caught feast! Might impressive thief, isn't he?!?

157 - In My Neighborhood

A flock of pigeons have moved into the rural area where I live, much to the pleasure of the red-tailed hawks (and feral cats). I managed to get my camera out (for the first time in a while--life gets in the way sometimes) and get a few shots of the pigeons' aerial dancing. I just missed a red-tailed hawk bringing down a pigeon, but did get a few of him on the ground with it, and a bigger (much bigger!) hawk laying claim to it.

This photo is part of the dance. Amazing that they just don't run into each other--although when the hawks showed up, they got a little crazy, losing the rhythm and direction synchronicity. Still, no collisions. Fascinating!

197 - Neglected

This is a true old-fashioned (and just plain old) picket fence. It surrounds one of the houses making up Chestnut Square in McKinney. The house has been refurbished, so it looks almost new (even though it's over 100 years old), but did someone forget about the fence? It has that benign air of neglect, somehow seems a bit more inviting and friendly than a pristine, newly erected picket fence would have. I just love this old fence!

212 - Open

Well, that's what it says! (Window of a restaurant in McKinney, TX.)

284 - Silly

There were several funky frogs placed throughout downtown McKinney. I'd guess that each was done by a different artist, though I have no ideas what the purpose of the frogs is! They're cute, anyway!