Galloping Through

  • Crazy May – May 10

    This month seems very busy indeed, and I continue to fall further behind. We are having plenty of fun, and glorious, cool weather, unusual for Missouri, but I just cannot keep up.

    It has been a less than stellar photography phase. I think talents can fluctuate, and this week has been a trough. Friends have been out to visit, which has been great fun. Charlie and Katie came on Wednesday.

    A humorous moment in the studio

    On Thursday, Linda and Ted arrived as Fred was still at work in the barn.

    Fred hard at work
    Linda and Jane
    Oisin is relieved to have shoes again, after he lost one last week
    Oisin expresses his disdain for all our laughter
    Derry awaits a treat
    Fred and I searched for Stone’s lost shoe that had been on his stall
    After much searching, we found it!
    Fred with his favorite Pinto
    Jane enjoying the banter

    After we went out to lunch, we took a group picture before Linda and Ted departed. Never enough time to spend with faraway friends…

    Jane, Ted, Harry and Linda

    Friday brought a hectic morning, with a welcome delivery of hay and an equally welcome visit from the electrician to put right the internet outlet (as well as fixing a couple of temperamental lights). Nathan arrived to mow and trim the hedge, and Jane and Eddy and I made a trip over to the Prime Time Show at Happenstance. We were delighted to meet Susan’s new horse, Santa Fee, who is beautiful and talented. It is always fun to watch new partnerships develop.

    Susan on Santa Fee
    Santa Fee has a lovely expression
    Nathaniel
    Beautiful hedge

    The adage promises May flowers after April showers. The rain carried over into May, but now that it has stopped (at least for a couple of days) the flowers are coming on at a good clip.

    End of azalea blossoms
    Flame honeysuckle is a favorite of hummingbirds
    New creeping phlox seems happy here
    Orchid cactus from Jonee is blooming and pleased to be outside
    Peony, – one of my favorites
    Irises indoors in the sunshine
    Beautiful dandelion seed heads

    Coyotes are serenading loudly outside as I write. I see them more often than ever before. The other day, I saw a coyote pick up something in the south pasture and carry it off. Not sure what it was. The coyotes love to pick up the plastic jump cups from the ring and carry them out into the grass, so I have a policy of keeping the cups attached to the standards. The long lens on the camera shows me things I cannot see with my eyes from a distance, but this coyote find is a mystery. The coyote seems to be blowing its winter coat, but is fat and happy.

    Coyote carries something away.

    Insects and fungi are not as popular as birds and mammals, but they are also beautiful and interesting. I worry a lot about pollinators. We are definitely seeing fewer bees this year. I checked the fruit trees this week to see if pollination happened. The Asian Pear tree blossomed, but failed to set fruit this year.

    An orange tipped antenna leaf footed bug (that is really its name)
    An American carrion beetle (an unusual sighting)
    A honeybee
    A magical, little, delicate fungus
    Future apples
    Future plums
    Future cherries

    There have been bumblebees enjoying the borage, which always reminds me of the line in an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem “beautiful borage, forage for bees…”

    A bumblebee in borage

    Amphibians are a sign of a healthy ecosystem, so I highly value the one frog that survived winter and awaits the stream renovation. Unfortunately, Eddy loves to chase the poor frog, but it gets to enjoy life when Eddy is elsewhere.

    Eddy watches for the frog
    The frog enjoying some sunshine while Eddy is napping

    Today, we went to Brett and Lynda’s beautiful Augusta home for a delicious lunch, many laughs, and gardening inspiration. Lynda is as passionate about plants as I am about horses.

    A healthy ecosystem, as evidenced by a lizard (not exactly an amphibian, but it counts)
    Lynda
    Missouri primrose and many other plants
    Harry and Brett in the varmint proof garden
    Harry visits Ollie and Mo
    Lynda, Brett, Jane & Harry
    Ollie obediently staying on his bed (or “climb”)
    Mo has one foot on the bed, so he is “technically” obedient
    Her beauty is only exceeded by her naughtiness!
    Lynda’s red peony
    A longhorn steer sighted on our way home

    Roscoe has been helping me with gardening chores. Weedy has been working on making some Vitamin D in the sunshine.

    Roscoe
    Weedy

    And so, we are caught up. It was dark before I finished chores, another beautiful, cool night and a bright moon. Happy horses are on night turnout with coyotes singing like cowboys.

    Sunset
    Moonrise
    Happy herd

    David Attenborough turned 99 on May 8. One of my great treasures is a letter I received from him in February, 1985, when he would have been only 58. Time certainly gets away from us… I will close with some of David Attenborough’s words to me.

    “I do hope all goes well with you and that you manage to find what you are seeking…”

    Be safe, be well, be kind and stay strong. Write letters! Be grateful for David Attenborough and his kind in this world. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

  • No Time, No Internet – May 7

    It has been a busy week, and inconveniently, the WiFi stopped working. The Spectrum repairman arrived to find that the outlet into which the modem was plugged has failed. An extension cord from another outlet has solved that problem while we await the help of the electrician on Friday. Nothing can solve the shortage of time, though…

    We left the animals in the care of Emma last Thursday morning, and drove 6 hours to Culver, Indiana (on Eastern time, so we lost an hour). The General, as we knew him here, because of the difficulty of pronouncing his name – General Leigh R. Gignilliat (Jen – A – Let)- was being dedicated on Friday. We drove through rain showers all the way to Culver Academies and were welcomed into a charming and comfortable guest house adjoining the campus. There was rain on our arrival, but Friday morning brought an unexpected break in the wet weather.

    Harry at the Dicke Guest House
    The Logansport Gate

    Thursday evening, we met up with friends David and Joan and went to John and Carol’s delicious dinner party in a magnificent setting on Lake Maxinkuckee, the second largest natural lake in Indiana. On Friday, we enjoyed a beautiful day, with Spring in full bloom, whereas at home, Spring was waning, being far south of Culver.

    Harry lakeside on Friday morning
    A second Spring for us, with Culver far north of Wright City
    The lake
    Creeping phlox
    Blooming trees
    A road through the woods of Culver campus

    Friday afternoon brought the unveiling pf General Gignilliat, with his grandson (age 90) in attendance, along with the Board of Culver, a military band, and much ceremony.

    The General under wraps
    A ceremonial covering
    Culver band
    General Gignilliat
    Jamie and Debbie Fellowes, Harry, Anne and The General
    Harry, The General, David and Joan Culver
    General Gignilliat looks toward the Logansport Gate

    The drive home on Saturday was very unpleasant, with pouring rain (again) and traffic. Somehow, we survived, and regained the hour we had lost as we crossed back to Central Time. All was well at home, the animals happy and healthy, and as soon as we unpacked we tuned into the Kentucky Derby. It was wet in Louisville, too, but Sovereignty ran a good race and earned his blanket of roses. Jane, Harry and I always bet on the Derby, and this year we all lost our bets, but had fun.

    Sunday, our friend Gay arrived for a visit. She and Harry have been friends for 70 years, and I feel very lucky to know her. Yet another benefit to marrying Harry – interesting friends!

    Old friends
    Gay and Anne with Eddy
    Harry and Gay
    Anne and Gay
    Gay and the blooming fringe tree

    Gay is a great animal lover, so she fits right in here. Alas, she lives in San Francisco, so we only see her once a year.

    Birds came from all over to celebrate Gay’s visit. The pileated woodpecker was here, summer tanager and a pair of grosbeaks. Also a pair of blue birds, and plenty of goldfinches. But most exciting of all was an indigo bunting, a bird we have never had at the feeder before!

    Male rose breasted grosbeak
    Rose breasted grosbeak watches a downy woodpecker fly past
    Rod breasted grosbeak takes flight
    Female grosbeak in flight
    Male grosbeak as female departs
    Female grosbeak appears to shout at the rain
    An indigo bunting
    Indigo bunting
    Such bright blue in the sunshine!
    A beautiful nuthatch
    A gray catbird
    Summer tanager in the rain
    Goldfinches galore
    Goldfinches take flight
    Indigo bunting and a cardinal
    Colorful birds
    Future bluebirds

    The sky was glorious on Sunday night. Speaking of night, it’s late and I am exhausted, so I will close here for now…

    Red sky at night

    Stay safe, stay well, be kind, stay strong. Slava Ukraini! God Save America. Peace…

  • April Showers – April 29

    It continues to be a very wet Spring. The cool weather was replaced with a brief heatwave yesterday in the upper 80s (F) causing the azalea to start dropping blooms, which decorated the ground as though for a wedding.

    I spent some time clipping horses’ legs. Tick season is upon us, and clipped legs make ticks easier to find. The horses do look much more civilized.

    Oisin expresses his opinion of leg clipping
    Sleepy horses – now they are on night turnout
    Bart is very happy to be in during the day – he hates flies!

    The heat departed with thunder and rain. Birds are undeterred by the weather. I am very happy to see the grosbeaks and a summer tanager – warm weather visitors.

    Summer tanager
    “Is that a new camera?”
    “Here is my good side…”
    Tanager lifts off
    Tanagers love suet
    Male grosbeak in the rain
    Female grosbeak
    A wet and disgruntled blue jay
    Tanager contemplates the rain
    Bluebird in morning sun

    Harlan was here this morning, and we saw a coyote while we were chatting. Eddy watched from afar, but when the coyote departed, he went to investigate its scent trail. Eddy is mad keen for chasing, but he is a cautious dog, which is a comfort.

    Harlan
    Coyote
    Eddy ‘s sighthound lineage in evidence
    Eddy has a great nose, too

    I rescued my first turtle, this year, in the road yesterday. It was a small box turtle, and I didn’t dare take a picture for fear of traffic. At home, a frog is enjoying the wet weather, and for now there is no traffic. Stream repair is planned, though, and I plan to catch and remove the frog before work begins,

    Frog

    Here are a few blooms.

    Common wintercress (Winter rocket)
    Dandelions
    Swamp iris
    False indigo
    French lilac
    Locust tree bloom
    Hosta (not blooming, but beautiful)
    Wild dwarf larkspur
    Coral bells

    The orange boys might be getting too much to eat…

    Marmalade and Tom Morris

    Harry is staying lean, and Eddy keeps him laughing…

    Be safe, be well, laugh often. Be kind and stay strong. Slava Ukraini! God Save America. Peace.

  • Moving On… Letting Go – April 27

    As the playwright Ionesco said, “Only the ephemeral is of lasting value”, and so I have relinquished all of my past Hostgator blog posts to memory alone.

    I have switched hosting sites due to a corruption in my previous blog site that caused the cost of renewal to rise to almost $1,000 per year. The advisors told me that I must start a new blog, so I have moved away. This is a very difficult transition for me, but I think it is healthy, and I am hoping it will teach me to part with some of the mountains of boxes accumulated in the basement.

    This week has galloped past, with a lot of coyote music in the evenings, and a view of a brace in broad daylight.

    Coyote #1
    Coyote #2

    Eddy watched them until they departed and then enjoyed following their scent in the pasture.

    NOT a coyote!

    I managed an image of a pileated wood pecker, the first photographic pileated picture of the year, though I have had many views without a camera.

    I went with Harry this week to VMD Sculpting, Vlad’s place in the city. It was wonderful to see the clay sculptures transformed to bronze. As always, time with Vlad was funny and inspirational. As a bonus, Daniel and his dogs arrived to meet up with his friend, Julie. Being around young people (and Daniel’s dogs) is great fun, too.

    Harry
    Vlad
    Brisket (and Hudson)
    Vlad’s clay bust of Marcel Salinas
    Small versions of the Boston Bruin Bear await completion

    The world here is bursting with life. Since I began blogging and posting pictures, I have become more aware of the beauty around us. Some of it, though is quite striking, like the glorious azalea that my mother brought here, as a start from her own azalea.

    Trudy’s azalea at the Conway Road house
    The offspring of Trudy’s azalea, about five years after she planted it here as a twig
    The azalea this week (phot by Harry)
    Another picture courtesy of Harry

    In the woods and around the place, there are birds and plants galore.

    Behind the azalea, shade loving Solomon’s seal
    A fungus in the woods
    Pine tree
    Clematis
    Native Columbine
    Solomon’s seal
    Sweet woodruff
    A Canada goose strolling by in conversation
    A pair of goldfinches in the rain
    Summer feathers on a male goldfinch
    First box turtle view of the Spring – at Jane’s house
    Pink dogwood is fading
    A wet and disgruntled tufted titmouse
    Rose breasted grosbeak
    A cowbird with a big caterpillar
    Comfrey
    Hungry orange boys – Marmalade and Tom Morris

    On Friday, we were invited to watch the National Finals of the Interscholastic Equestrian Association – a competition for high school students. Our friends, Beth and Frank, own nearby Morrison Equestrian Center, and their daughter, Kendahl, was in the top section. The 18 best high school equestrians in the nation had qualified to compete over an equitation course on borrowed horses. Each person gets two jumps before going on course astride a horse they do not know well. Kendahl is a freshman, and she had a beautiful round, placing 6th in tough competition. We were very pleased to be there to watch and cheer.

    Harry and Frank
    Beth and Jane
    Paula and Tammy
    Proud mother, Beth
    Kendahl drew Ronnie as her mount
    Kendahl
    Kendahl with her ribbon and her father, Frank

    It’s been a rainy, cool weekend. Laura came by with her little dog, Dreidl, who terrorized Eddy, sadly. But it was a fun visit for the rest of us.

    Laura and Dreidl
    Dreidl on the kitchen counter
    Dreidl kisses Jane
    Eddy Is uncharcteristically depressed . He loves Jane best
    Harry and Weedy, glad to see the hellion depart!

    A bluebird of happiness in the top of the apple tree…

    Happiness can arrive in any weather. Be safe, be well. Be kind and stay strong. Slava Ukraini! God Save America. Peace…

    Leave a comment