Tigers on the Prowl...painted Tigers in town...

We work in a college town - University of Missouri Columbia.  MIZ - ZOU!!!

There were 10 painted tigers that have been on display around the area, and they were going to be auctioned off.  Each tiger was painted by a local artist, had sponsors, and had a charity the money would go to.  Brian saw a couple of them...he told me they were kind of like the painted horses in Kentucky.

I detest shopping, but for some reason this particular day I felt the need to go to Bass Pro to see what they have in hunter orange.  I need some stuff so I am SEEN while riding.  Needless to say they did not have squat as far as orange stuff!  But they did have all of the tigers on display.  BONUS!

They were all good, but some were GREAT!  

The one named Columbia Anatomy was very cool!

The Love Tiger is on the other side of the Columbia Anatomy tiger.  I had a couple pictures that did not turn out.  

 





This was beautiful!  It was full of buttons and fun stuff like poker chips, checkers, little plastic critters like starfish, a horse, bugs, etc.  There were faces on each side of the tiger...

There is and always will be a rivalry with our bordertown college...the Kansas Jayhawks.  One of the artists used that as the theme.

 

This was just beautiful!  So bright and just pretty....all the details in this made me want to paint a tiger!

SMOOCH!!!!  I loved how they painted the skull on the side of the face.

I don't read music, but I wish I did.  I was wondering what music they had on the back of the tiger.  The Missouri Waltz?  The Tiger fight song?
  

There were a couple of tigers for our Vets, and this was one of them.  I didn't get a good picture of the back, but old newspapers were formed into an airplane over the shoulders of the tiger.

This one was named Starry Tiger...

These were the first two I saw.  Stormin Norman had some stuff painted into the stripes.  I don't remember if it was old game records or what.  It was kinda hard to read but was still very cool!

Then there was the Tiger for the Honor Flight.  The Honor Flight is something that is very near and dear to our heart.  He was gorgeous!

I don't know how the artists got picked to paint them, but they did a great job! 

Here is some info I found on their FB page:
CONGRATS to Tigers on the Prowl on a successful auction! They raised $28,000 based on the winning tiger bids but ticket sales, silent auction sales, t-shirt sales and others still need to be added to the total!

How awesome is that?

Until later...Karen and Tripp who says these Tigers are okay...no claws or teeth.  :-)

Another ride after work on Wyoming...

Like I said, I am going to try to enjoy as many evenings after work that I can until the time changes.   This was another one...it has been so pretty!

Laramie is one lucky dog...he got to go with us again.  Hunting season is coming up so I am going to have to figure out a way to keep him in the yard. 

But until then...he gets to go have fun.

Between the falling nuts of all sizes, the small rocks and a case of thrush in the front, Wyoming has been a little tender after a few miles.  I broke out the Cavallo's.  He was not so sure what to think about them...

At first he walked real tall on all fours (boots only on front), then he stopped as if to say "I am not moving...nope, this just isn't right, I am NOT moving!"

I should not laugh, but I could not help myself.  He was so disgusted....until we got started!  Once we got started he didn't miss a step and he really moved out nicely!  I had the Sports on him and he needs the regular ones...but they worked in a pinch.  My only complaint - gravel got in the back and left a couple divets in the heel bulbs.  That could not have been comfortable at all, but he didn't miss a step!  What a guy!  My idea was to get him bell boots to put over the top so the gravel doesn't get in.  We will see....I would just prefer his feet toughen up so we don't need them.  I have been No Thrushing him....will keep you posted.

The lake was so dreamy.....

This rocky area is to the lake edge, and I was trying to get him to walk down to get a drink.  I know people use boots all the time and they act like their horses are barefoot and know exactly where their feet are.  I still have this little worry in my head that he really can't feel where his feet are, so he has to learn the 'feel' of the boots.  I need more faith....yeah? 

Here he comes!  Then he didn't hardly drink!  Ha ha!

But he and Laramie ate some grass for a while...

After the ride Wyoming is looking mighty fine.  This is the first time he wore Brian's Dakota saddle with the flex tree.  The saddle has not been used much, so I don't know if a flex tree can get 'unflexed' without use....don't know.  Anyways, I noticed some white hairs on his withers and back a while ago and I felt HORRIBLE!!!!  He never gave any indication there was bad pressure from the other saddle.  I am hoping they shed out next year, and I am hoping this saddle fits him better.  It rides different than my ranch saddle but I am getting used to it.  If he loves it, then I can learn to love it.  I am tempted to wack the horn off tho...hee hee!  

Wyoming is doing great!  We are working on trotting.  Sometimes he has a dreamy trot and other times he is worried about what is behind him, so that head goes up and his body hollows out as he is twisting back and forth for a peek.  Oh my...it is not comfy at all, and it can't be good for him either.  So I guess the more we do it the better we will get, right?  I have really fallen in love with this guy!

Until later...Karen and Tripp who is glad to be sharing miles with Wyoming, but he isn't so sure about his girl using the 'L' word with him....Hmpf snort!

Tripp's first ride with Laramie...

Tripp lives with dogs, and he has seen dogs on the trail...but they have come and gone.  They have also run up behind him and scared the bejeezus out of both of us...but he is still good with dogs.  Laramie LOVES to go with me, so it was time Tripp got to ride with his own dog.  :-)

Have you ever tried to do a self portrait with a hyper dog and a horse that thinks self portraits are stupid?

Tripp is happy that we get to do our self portrait and be done...time to ride!

They both knew something was over there....I never saw anything.  I wonder if they saw it or just heard it?  Or were they getting in touch with their inner 'cat' and snickering because they both knew I was wondering what they were looking at?  Which was a big fat nothing!  Ha ha!
  

Laramie is a good boy...most of the time.  :-)

Laramie will travel ahead and most of the time stop to wait.  It is cute when he goes around a corner, then his head pokes out checking on us.  Just to make sure we are still following...

The time is going to change soon and it will be dark by the time we get home from work.  I am very grateful to be able to get some quick rides in after work right now...I am going to keep enjoying it while I can.

One time I found myself grumbling because I really wanted to go ride somewhere else.  Then I kicked myself in the butt!  What am I thinking?  This place is just about in my back yard and I am so blessed to have a peaceful beautiful place to ride.  If I get to go other places, that will just be a bonus!  Yep, life is good!

Until later...Karen and Tripp who is secretly waiting for early dark nights...nicker snort!

Beautiful evening for a ride...

This is the first time in a few weeks I have got off work on time - and I had a plan!  The weather is gorgeous, and if I could get out on time and hooked up to the trailer in 3 or 4 tries instead of 10, I just might get a couple hours of daylight to play in!  Temp - approx 65 degrees.  Sun is shining...so away I went!  I am sooooo excited!  I even took Laramie with me.  If I saw vehicles parked close by, I would choose a different area to ride so I don't disturb any hunters.  I never saw anybody so we took a ride to the lake and back.

I finally figured out why I get more mileage on the way to the lake versus on the way back.  It is because we zig zag the whole way there....and I am wishy-washy and let it happen!  I woke up tonite and said "Hey, we are going to act like we are on a mission, and that means go forward and straight!"  He said "No speaka Engles...only speaka mustang!"  Oh geez....


I was proud of Laramie tonite.  I called him to the truck and he hopped right in!  Then while we were in the parking lot and I had the back door to the truck open so I can get my stuff out, Laramie was jumping in and out!  Yay!  He is getting more comfortable.  I promised him if he goes with me...he always comes back home with me.  :-)








It was a great night!  Laramie jumped in and out of brush and got stickies all over him...glad they come off easily.  He and Wyoming seem to get along fine...altho tonite Wy acted like he had never seen Laramie on the trail before.  Lots of snorting and stopping when he would see Laramie around a corner sniffing something.  Then Laramie's head would pop up to look at us and Wy would get taller and snort again. 

Laramie loves the water!  It was time for a swim.

The water was like glass tonite.  A couple of geese flew by; four ducks flew in formation very low over the water and the reflection was AMAZING; and fish were jumping out of the water and making splashes.  Wy was not very impressed with that at all.

We had some great shadows tonite...the sun was setting so we played with the classroom of natural art supplies we were given...

What a great evening to ride.  It was not quite dark when we got back to the parking lot, which is good.  I don't think I would have been as relaxed on Wyoming in the dark as I am on Tripp.  Wy was good tonite...just very alert of all surroundings.  We did a lot of trotting tonite...some good, and some that felt like a billy goat ride.  I never did get him to break into a canter.  I have cantered 3 times on him and want to do it again.  I have no doubt I can give him a little swat and he will canter, but I want him to break into it naturally.  I don't want to push or scare him into it.  I can wait...and it will be worth it.  :-)

OH!  One scary thing!  We were trotting on the way back and I cut across an area that has a bunch of small fallen trees lined up.  We were trotting over them pretty as you please (best ever!) when we made it to the last one.  It had an extra log over it and the thing was kind of gnarly.  I thought he was going to trot tall over it, then I felt him change so I thought he would jump it.  Well, I think he changed his mind, then changed it again...but not quick enough.  He tripped and started to go down.  I just held on and he started to recover and get up, then he stumbled again and went down to his knees.  I reached forward to his neck to keep me from tumbling over his head....holy smokes!  He got back up and I checked him over.  He looked at me as if to say "Are you ready to go yet?" just like nothing had happened.  Ummmm, okay.....  I got on and away we went. 

When I got home I had to get chores done.  The brownish colored turkey hen was living at a friends.  In fact, she is the one who owned the turkey we fostered this summer.  She has that one back.  This girl went feral and nested away from the barn.  When she came back she was mean mean mean....she was cornering S's dogs (big dogs!) and whooping up on them.  The dogs know not to bother the birds but one of them finally had enough and snapped at the turkey.  S decided it was time to get rid of her so she asked Brian if Shirley could come here and when it is butchering time, put her in line.  Her sister Laverne and the tom named Squiggy are still at S's place with their new sister Gulliver (I thought it was a tom when I named her) and they all get along just fine.

Anyways, Shirley is getting along with our bunch so far, so it looks like she will get to hang around a while.  The black younger tom has been flirting with her, so I named him Carmine.  :-)

They were part of my evening so they earned blog time.

Until later...Karen and Tripp who was nowhere to be seen when I got home...which is why Wyoming got to go out again.  I am hoping for Tripp tomorrow!

A 45 degree ride....brrrrrr.....

As I was getting ready to go, I couldn't figure out why Wyoming was snorting and jigging around.  Well heck, I have a pickup bed full of old tires and he knew something was amiss!  I lunged him around and we worked our way closer.  Then eventually we rode by them. 

The tires were at the edge of someone's driveway with a box that said "Free.  Take 1 or all."  They were there over a week and I finally took them.  They are going to be trail obstacles.  :-)






He decided they were not that scary.






Saddle silhouette.   






It was a brisk morning!  When I left the house it was in the mid 40's, and I was bundled up in my turtle neck, hoodie and my gloves.  I better get used to it!  It is that time of year and I have riding to do!  :-)

During my ride I met a turkey hunter.  I did not have any idea it was shotgun turkey season!  Glad I had on bright colors.  He was very nice and said even tho he enjoyed hunting, he also enjoyed just being out and listening to nature.  He also apologized for scaring Wyoming, which was nice.  To be honest, we were fine.  Wy was just on alert watching the cammo guy with a shotgun over his shoulder walking towards us on the trail.


I got back to the parking lot and was unsaddled and ready to load up.  Two riders showed up asking if I was getting started or finishing up.  Now I am wishing I would have saddled back up and went with them.  It was such a pretty day!

Then this group of riders showed up and took a break at the back of the parking lot.  





 These are the two gals I was visiting with.  I was heading home and they had just crossed over the road.  I hope to see them again...they were very nice and seemed like they would be a lot of fun to ride with.

 Until later...Karen and Tripp who is snickering and snorting because he got off the hook again!  ;-)