Galloping Through

Tag: Birds

  • Another Week – June 10

    Here’s a depressing statistic – the average lifetime contains 4,000 weeks. At the rate weeks dissolve lately, it gives one pause. Life is fleeting!

    Eddy listens to a rant about fleeting time

    Around here, the past week brought rain in torrents.

    Bridlespur Horse Show, once an important national competition, is now just a local event, held at Happenstance Farm, near here. This horse show has always been renowned for rain, even after attempts at moving the date. But Sunday brought sunshine, so we made a trip over to visit and watch friends jump courses. I took a few pictures.

    JoJo
    Joey
    Janis
    Diane
    Joe and Breezy
    Susan and Santa Fee await their turn
    Former racehorse, Wishy Washy , learning a new skill with Amy
    Beth and John, who bought Wishy Washy off the racetrack
    Justine and Harry and Weedy
    Beth and Jane
    One of the top judges in the U.S. is amused
    Eddy meets Toby, who might be a relative!

    And here are some more pictures from the wet week.

    Water, water everywhere
    Catalpa in bloom
    Catalpa blossom close up
    A doe reaching for leaves
    Judging by her hipbones, I suspect she is nursing a fawn
    Mushrooms enjoying the weather
    A bedraggled flag and beaten down clustered bellflowers
    Eddy loves wet weather
    Romping Eddy

    We had a visit from a longtime friend, Lou Ann, and her granddaughter, Rory, who is a talented artist (and a first rate golfer!). Many years ago, I rode one of Lou Ann’s horses at the Arabian Nationals. She and husband Mel stood a Trakehner stallion named Pennant, and Phaon was one of his sons, who was half Arabian.

    Phaon in 1999 , qualifying for Nationals at the Arabian Regionals
    Harry discussing a maquette
    Lou Ann and Rory meet Oisin
    Lou Ann
    Harry and Stone and Anne (photo from Lou Ann)

    The birds are thriving, and we are immersed in birdsong whenever rain abates. I carefully monitored the bluebird nest, and am pleased to report that all five babies successfully fledged, though there are no photographs. The barn cats were displeased with night lockup as fledging date approached, but are now released to roam again. I have cleaned out the birdhouse and await a new brood. Meanwhile, here are some characters I did get pictures of this week…

    A damp nuthatch
    A butterfly alights on the Kawasaki Mule
    A young red bellied woodpecker on the suet, with his long woodpecker tongue out!
    Young woodpecker begs for food
    Male woodpecker feeds youngster
    “You know, you can pick up seeds yourself!”
    Departure
    A cardinal and a goldfinch
    A rare visit from a squirrel! Eddy was napping.
    Male tanager
    Female tanager
    Male grosbeak
    Roscoe at rest

    Every day is filled with more than I can accomplish, but I feel very fortunate for so many friends, for plenty to do, and for YouTube to help with repairs. Despite the devolution of our democracy, with lies and misinformation everywhere, Nature and repairs are real. YouTube provided accurate information, and with Harry’s help the repair of the shed waterer was accomplished.

    I had lunch yesterday with Florence, who has been a friend for more than 55 years. I watched her ride when I was learning, and I idolized her as a rider and as a writer. I treasure her as a friend.

    Florence yesterday
    Florence 54 years ago on Follow Me – at Bridlepsur when the jumps were big!

    Stay dry, stay well, be grateful and kind. Resist fascism and autocracy. The United States is supposed to be a Democracy.

    Slava Ukraini! Peace and courage…

  • Eddy Turns 3 – May 30

    Eddy came into our life in November, 2023 from the Franklin County Humane Society. Unlike many shelter dogs (and unlike Weedy), Eddy’s history is known. He was found, age 6 weeks, in Branson, Missouri in 2022 at a Walgreen’s. Puppies were being sold in the parking lot., Three males had not yet been purchased, and the sellers were tired, so a visiting firefighter from Franklin County (who happens to foster dogs from the shelter) took the pups and promised they would get homes.

    Puppies from Branson
    Daniel Tiger was Eddy’s first name
    Eddy

    For his first year, Eddy lived in Kirkwood, a nice suburb of St. Louis. But he was a “bolter” and was picked up by the APA on one of his escapes. Traced by his microchip, he was then returned to Franklin County and put up for adoption again. His next adopter took even less time to become discouraged by Eddy’s “bolting” and he was returned after a week.

    Then, we saw his picture. We were grieving the loss of Nettie and Cedar and we were smitten immediately.

    Eddy as we first saw him

    Shortly after Eddy came into our life here, we got Covid. No sooner did we recover and test negative, than Harry got pneumonia and atrial fibrillation and had to go into the hospital for five days. I went with him, and Jane stepped in to look after the dogs. Needless to say, Eddy came to adore Jane for coming to the rescue when he was lonely and new here. Weedy already loved Jane, of course.

    Jane and Eddy – January 2024
    Jane and Eddy – January 2025

    As promised, by Eddy’s foster savior, despite his difficulties “he is a really good dog”. The SpotOn collar, which establishes a boundary by satellite, we call the “Freedom Collar”. It enables Eddy to roam freely on about 8 acres. A bonus is that the deer are chased into the woods. Many plants are now growing happily instead of being eaten! So, we celebrate Eddy’s third birthday today, and are forever grateful to Franklin County and the hero firefighter who saved Eddy, gave him a great start, and was generous enough to let us have him.

    The birthday boy!
    Eddy’s portrait by Anne Molaskey

    Today was also made special by a visit from Tina, who has been in our life for 40 years. She has always made us laugh, and although she was here on official business for the Electric Company, we had a wonderful visit.

    Out of focus on purpose
    Tina
    Harry holds forth
    Tina receives a portrait done by her talented mother, Marcia, almost 40 years ago
    Tina and Harry and Eddy on the way to check a problem tree

    Skittle was out and about today.

    Meanwhile, Cora might be losing her hearing. She sleeps very soundly.

    The horses are fat and happy, but warmer weather will bring more flies soon.

    Stone and Bart graze in the rain
    Oisin opts for the shed
    Happy herd
    Oisin would like to come into the barn to escape bugs!

    A few bird pictures, of course…

    Turkeys in the south pasture.
    Big bird!
    Mr. Bluebird had a bath to cool off today, I was late with the camera and he was drying off.
    Hardworking bluebird of happiness
    Back to finding food for the nestlings!

    And finally, a chance shadow on the door of the office…

    A shadow thrown by the sculpture of Thrilling

    Be safe, be well, laugh often. Treasure friends and celebrate birthdays. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

  • Marvelous May- May 28

    This has been the most pleasant spell of cool weather in Missouri that I can remember. The news is too disturbing to tolerate, but here, in this little patch, the world is full of marvels. We are fortunate to have distractions from the outside troubles at every turn, which is not to say we do not care. We care, we do what we can, but we appreciate being grounded in the natural realm.

    Eddy has been consorting with a coyote! The regular visitor seems to mean no harm. Having lived with a coyote for about a year back in the 1970s, I am partial to them, and this one does remind me of my Joni Coyote, who returned to the wild as she grew up. She played with my Jack Russell terrier and other dogs constantly while a youngster.

    Eddy watches
    Coyote!
    Eddy goes to investigate
    Friend or foe?
    “Hello!”

    The horses have been enjoying the weather, coming in for breakfast later than usual. Bart must be led into the barn, because he will run for the lawn (greener grass on the other side of the fence) at any chance he gets. Oisin and Stone are more reliable (usually) and can wander in on their own.

    Bart wanders up to the paddock
    Oisin
    Stone
    Bart waits for a lead
    Oisin and Stone take themselves to their stalls
    Bart reaches under the fence for the proverbial greener grass

    I paid a visit to Jane for a chat and a cup of tea, which is always better at Jane’s house. Jane has many squirrels, since her dogs are elderly. Here, Eddy keeps the squirrels away in the woods. He would have loved to chase some of Jane’s rodents, but was not allowed. One of Jane’s squirrel visitors has Olympic long jump capability. I got a picture of it leaping to the birdseed feeder from the porch. Jane thinks that only one individual of the many squirrels visiting her house is capable of that leap. It was impressive!

    Polly is now quite deaf
    Hazel says hello to her “grandson”, Eddy
    Long jumping squirrel
    Airborne!
    Jane”s Bobby
    Bobby at the window (photo by Jane)

    Jane’s cat, Bobby, is a diabetic, and he is a credit to her care. He is healthy and happy and very personable. My benign neglect program of care suits elderly (16 years old), very deaf and very beloved Skittle. If I needed to give her insulin, life would become intolerable. As it is, even getting a picture of her is an accomplishment.

    Skittle

    Lynda and Brett have adopted a tiny little kitten who crossed their path while they were in Wisconsin recently. Keifr was a 1 pound, sickly runt and is a very lucky kitten indeed. They drove him seven and a half hours to Missouri and straight to a veterinarian on a Sunday afternoon. He has traveled from the brink of death to Lynda’s shoulder.

    Keifr (photo from Lynda)

    Roscoe remains the Maltese King of Cats around here, and he rests easily, knowing he will not be dethroned in this house.

    Roscoe

    Big excitement watching the bluebirds by the barn! Their eggs have hatched and the 5 nestlings are growing apace. I left them in peace until yesterday, and snapped a quick picture (8 days old). It is astonishing how quickly they grow, and I watched Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird today, hard at work feeding their babies. The internet tells me they could fledge at 16 to 22 days, most likely 18 to 19 days.

    Baby bluebirds
    Male bluebird with food for babies
    Dinner!
    Male bluebird leaves the house
    Off to get more food!
    Female bluebird with a bug
    Female bluebird flies to the house
    “Grub’s up, kids!”

    Other birds of interest are the Canada geese on nearby Barker’s lake. They have successfully raised five goslings, which Jane saw just after they left the nest. I have only yesterday managed a picture of the goose family, from a long distance, and they seem very happy. Cowbirds here follow the horses in lieu of bison. The horses accept them happily.

    Geese gamboling
    Stone and a cowbird
    Cowbird

    The plants are enjoying this clement weather, too.

    Smokebush outside the porch
    Native rough leaf dogwood at the edge of the woods
    Lilac tree by the barn
    Spiderwort (Tradescantia)in the woods

    And so it goes around here, as May meanders to June.

    Harry and Eddy relax
    Harry
    Weedy

    Stay well, stay safe, stay grateful. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

  • Rainy Sunday – May 25

    A rainy day can be a blessing for catching up on “indoor” activities. We were sad to forego an early morning ride, but I intended instead to work at my desk.

    A plan to set jumps for Crumlin and Brett mid morning was not derailed, as there is an indoor arena at Rocking Horse Ranch. Jane, Eddy and I had a rather stressful drive through the rain with a low tire, which we stopped to air up. The trip was well worth the effort, though, as Brett and Crumlin were brilliant. Alas, I failed to take ANY pictures, but here is one of my favorite gray Warmblood from last month.

    Crumlin

    We returned home with high expectations for Crumlin’s adventures ahead, and when we were almost home, I stopped to take a picture of some geese. Curses! I had left my camera and bag of riding equipment in St. Clair. So much for a productive day… Still, Harry and the dogs and I enjoyed a road trip there and back in the other car, with reliable tire pressure, listening to a new Carl Hiaasen book, and laughing a lot.

    I continue to see coyotes on an almost daily basis. Here are a few pictures. The horses seem unperturbed by them. Tonight, the coyote spent a long time watching me, and then went into the woods and barked like a dog. I had never heard that from a coyote before!

    Meanwhile, the cats are all accounted for, though I haven’t taken a picture of Skittle recently. The others love the camera.

    Cora
    Rosie
    A rare moment of détente between Roscoe and Tom Morris
    Rosie and Marmalade
    Marmalade

    Birds continue to delight us, and some are nesting, which is very exciting. I have been watching the bluebird nest near the barn, and to my delight, a week ago, the eggs hatched. I have left them in peace for a week, but plan on a peek into the house tomorrow.

    Bluebird eggs
    Babies!!
    A blue jay
    A pair of doves
    Red winged blackbird
    Female summer tanager
    Male summer tanager
    Barn swallow
    A turkey buzzard cleaning up carrion in the road

    The horses are happy and enjoying this exceptionally cool month of May.

    Bart naps
    Oisin begs for a treat
    Stone is ready to go out to the pasture
    Oisin escapes flies in the shed
    The Pearl Brothers trade scratches
    Happy herd

    I have been fortunate to see two beautiful black snakes in two days – one quite small youngster and a magnificent three foot adult.

    We are surrounded by beautiful forms of life, most of which are fascinating and uplifting (except for ticks!!).

    Here is a hornet’s nest just starting to be established on the fence. I will be avoiding that, but appreciate any pollinators!

    A fungus
    Native honeysuckle
    Coreopsis
    Indian pinks
    Anne mowing
    Harry takes out the trash

    Be safe, be well, be grateful. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

  • Old Ladies Back In The Saddle – May 12

    Almost the middle of May, and yesterday Jane finally got back in the saddle, after an 8 month hiatus. It was great fun, picking up where we left off, and it felt familiar and comfortable to be riding together again. We rode two horses each,and on our second ride Marilyn happened by on Trigger. Harry was kind enough to record the trio of old ladies astride.

    Marilyn & Trigger, Anne & Stone, Jane & Oisin (Harry Weber photo)

    We were somewhat inspired by visiting the Prime Time Horse Show at nearby Happenstance Farm early Sunday morning to see Susan on her new Santa Fee, and JoJo on Breezy showing in the MOHJO Classic. It was a glorious day. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so just imagine what fun it was, cool and sunny, our friends jumping double clear rounds and earning ribbons. Harry and Weedy even attended, though in their own car, as their tolerance for spectating is limited. It is a joy to watch Susan’s new relationship with her beautiful, elegant chestnut mare developing. And fun to see JoJo’s powerful , young chestnut mare, Breezy, growing into herself and playing the game easily.

    So, on Sunday afternoon, Jane and I rode our chestnut horses and had so much fun, we had to ride again. I asked Harry to hold off until I had ridden his horse , just once, in case Stone was wild. Harry is even older than we old ladies!

    Jane arrives on her chestnut mare, Derry
    Following Jane up the trail
    Bart and Derry compare notes
    Harry on his chestnut horse , Thomas Equinas, a few years ago

    After riding and bathing, the horses were turned out for the night. Stone had a brief roll, but Oisin really enjoyed getting dirty after his bath. Jane and I watched Oisin roll completely over three times. This was partly his athleticism, and partly his beach ball body shape. When we were kids, they said a horse was worth $100 for every roll over. With inflation and tariffs, we figure it’s about $10,000 today, making Oisin worth at least $30,000. Bart did not participate in the pasture rolling competition. He stayed in the shed because there was a fly in the vicinity.

    Stone
    Oisin upside down
    The big white spot we don’t see most of the time
    An excellent roll over!
    Jane and Eddy

    It’s fun seeing the birds pairing up at this time of year. As it got quite warm, the bluebirds took a bath together, providing fun pictures.

    Male and female house finches
    Male and female cardinals
    An eastern kingbird! A type of flycatcher
    Female bluebird
    Bluebirds bathing
    Female bluebird departs
    Exuberant male bluebird
    Male bluebird gets out of the bath

    The cats are enjoying the sunny days. Roscoe, who often helps me outside in the garden, was absent today. I didn’t pay much attention, until it was time for his evening snuggle, and I still hadn’t seen him. Of course, I immediately worried about coyotes, which was silly. I reviewed the day, went upstairs, where I had traded the winter comforter for the summer one, and heard plaintive cries from the closet. There he was, and instead of blaming me for shutting him in the closet, he was grateful for the rescue. What a magnanimous cat!

    Rosie greets me on the path to the barn
    Marmalade and Tom Morris asleep in the bed of the truck
    Roscoe resolves to stay out of closets

    I saw an apparently dead beetle floating in the automatic waterer in the shed. I dumped the bowl, and to my relief, the beetle was alive. It was a green tiger beetle, considered the “cheetah of beetles” for its speed. I can vouch for that, as I chased it, trying to get a picture with my phone camera.

    The May flowers continue to delight us. The fringe tree is both beautiful and fragrant, as is the mock orange outside the studio.

    Fringe tree
    Mock Orange
    An iris at the edge of the woods
    Iris at the edge of the field
    Early coreopsis on Daisy’s grave
    Hanging fuchsia
    Not a flower, but a beautiful fungus in the woods

    Eddy’s vigilance has discouraged deer from visiting. While I do love to see them, I do not miss their insatiable appetite for many of the plants in the garden.

    Eddy on guard

    Be safe, be well, be kind and be grateful. Laugh and cry. 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.