Galloping Through

Tag: Horses

  • 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…

  • Dropout – May 24

    These long, cooler than usual May days are great for getting things done, but terrible for blogging. I am so exhausted at the end of each day that I just postpone writing, and the weight of the wait piles on. It is tempting to simply drop out, walk away, as I have been inclined to do about many things… But once again, I will try to pick up after almost a fortnight’s absence!

    We love living here, and the sight of happy horses grazing always makes the expense and the work worthwhile. Recently, we have actually ridden those happy horses, which is even more fun than looking at them.

    Harry on Stone
    Homeward bound on a perfect day
    Jane arrives on Derry
    My groom presents my second horse
    Coyote, viewed as we began, is glad we only ride for pleasure now, not to chase!

    This week, high school classmates (some of whom were classmates since we were 6!) had a get together to celebrate our big birthdays as we turn 70. It doesn’t feel so long ago we were all excited about turning 16 and driving…

    I have assiduously avoided reunions until recently, disgraced by being a dropout, amongst many reasons. Though I was conflicted about going, it was strangely delightful to see these women whose lives have followed different paths from that long ago high school, where we danced the Maypole. The girls we were are still evident to us. I took some pictures…

    Cherie, our valedictorian, now a doctor
    Molly
    Mimi
    Zoe
    Mari laughs
    Katie
    Deby
    Brooke
    Martha, who brought cake!
    Tricia
    Antoinette
    Cherie
    Marquita and Cody
    Francie
    Katie and Brooke
    Marian and Marie Antoinette
    Mimi, Marian, and Mari
    Marian and Cherie
    Martha and Cherie
    Marian, Cherie, and Anne (photo by Francie)

    Last Friday (eight days ago), St. Louis was hit by a tornado. The devastation is shocking. Out here, the sky grew ominous, there was some wind, and a few raindrops. I was oblivious of storms nearby until I received some pictures from Louise, who lives in the Central West End of St. Louis. Earlier this Spring, her son’s house was damaged by a tornado in Arkansas. Now a tornado at her own home. One of the glories of St. Louis has always been the magnificent trees. Very many of them are down and we will not live to see their replacements achieve century size. North St. Louis, which is mired in poverty, received monstrous damage and five deaths. As if that part of the city didn’t have enough problems… And beautiful Forest Park has lost unimaginable numbers of trees. We, who were unaffected, and all who survived, are grateful, but very sad.

    Just one of the shocking pictures of damage (photo by Louise)

    In better news, this has been a banner year for strawberries here.

    Maybe these are “stone berries”
    Strawberries every day !

    Though I have not had the energy to blog, I have taken plenty of pictures.

    Harry enjoying the view
    Evening sky above horses
    Weedy and Eddy
    The back hay field
    Bird picture of the week – a blue jay

    And that is all I have time for this evening. I will aim for more tomorrow…

    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…