Wonderful Sunny Day!!! Woo hooo!!!

I needed sunshine, and I got it today! My cheeks are dry, red and burning. I don't normally like that, but it has been so gray lately, I don't care what my cheeks feel like. Okay, I really do...but that is what lotion is for, right? The only complaint about the afternoon is it did not last long enough. :-D

We have had a lot of mud like most people so I was wishing for 2-3 days of sub zero temps to freeze our ruts so Brian can get round bales of hay moved. We had several days of windy cold days, so I got my wish and then some. Woo hoo! It got a lot warmer today than it was supposed to, and the ground started thawing pretty quick. That top layer got slicker than heck, so we did not get all of them moved, but we got a pretty good start. In between all this I took a few pictures. I did some video too, but have not put anything together yet. Will hopefully make time to do that soon. These won't be in any particular order....

Enjoy....

Brian gets real mad when the donks get to go in the yard. They don't eat grass, they don't eat weeds any more, they go straight for the round bales! Hee hee! I was chasing them back into the barn lot after Brian quit for the day, and Zjax was trying to hide from me. Okay, first of all I saw his ears...then he peeked around the bale at me....



Wendigo is on the right, and her 3 yr old daughter is on the left. Wendigo was one of the first two mustangs we adopted at age 5. Almost 11 months exactly later...Epona showed up! I was totally freaked out and it was the best surprise of my life! Wendigo is a big girl and she did not carry sideways...she carried low so she just looked like a big horse. She did not bag up until the very end...I kept looking because one of the BLM guys who did an inspection thought she might be, but someone else said that 'accident's don't happen, and she had been in captivity for 1 1/2 yrs. Well folks, just so ya know, yeah they do! Hee hee! He was right. May Bruce rest in peace. He passed away and we were not able to share pictures with him. He is one of the many BLM employees who actually loved horses. We miss you Bruce!



Good 'ol Tripp....he is my baby!



Tripp again.... :-) No partial treatment here! No, really....



While Brian was moving bales I hopped up there - okay, very clumsily crawled up there, and I hung out with two of our dogs. Here is Snoop and I in shadow form...



Whoa! Can this be another self portrait? I wanted to see how many critters I could get in the photo with me. I think I did pretty good...and if Tandee and Batman would have cooperated I could have outdid myself! Ha!



Karen: Oh, Snoop loves me!
Snoop: Mmmmmm, tastes like butt!



Joker, Brian's 2008 EMM yearling, now not a yearling, rolling in the flat dirt area. We moved the round bales closer to the big group, then took my big pen apart to protect the bales. I don't think my flat area will stay so flat...Oh well, at least Joker was happy, and most of them took turns in the new and improved rolling spot. :-)



I was kissing up with Joker...



Jester says: What doesn't belong?



Epona was smelling a log in my former pen - something got her going!



Here is Ace, the auction mustang with Tripp in the background. Ace is looking so good! His back is so short...I don't have a saddle that will sit on him right, then one of my mustang friends, Angela, reminded me I have the Wintec English saddle! Yep, that will fit!



Ace was a loner for quite a while. He and Joker would hang out, but Joker is such a well rounded horse he just fits in with everybody. Ace is finally starting to play with the others, including Tripp who can be quite a butt when he wants to.



Someone was asking about the parrots. I could not get a more recent picture of Harriet/Retta the African Gray. I would put the camera in the cage and she would get too close too fast. I took this picture a little while back so will use it again. Every once in a while I let her out to stretch her wings, but I have to move Ben's cage because Harriet will get him to swinging all over the place, and it really makes Ben mad.



Ben is more shy and wishes I would just go away. Now I will say that he will let me touch his chest, but sometimes he will open his little beak and hiss like he is going to show me a lesson. I don't challenge that little beak...



It was a great day, and tomorrow should be another good one. We will get out earlier to finish moving bales, then I plan on trimming some hooves. Life is good....

Until later....Karen and Tripp who is still cuter then heck!

Went to visit T.I.P. horses today...Tiger and Wyoming...

Yesterday we had our day planned out. We were going to go visit Wyoming to see how he was coming along, then we were coming back home to get some stuff done. The weather has not been good for riding, so most of the horses where he is at have just been hanging out. Yesterday it was foggy and damp, but the drill team, the Jack Knife Hollow Hick Chicks, were going on a ride. We got there and the group had already started gathering horses.

Wyoming was brought into a small pen to get ready.
He is quite the fuzz ball! His hair is so long compared to last winter and his color is a fiery bright shade of brownish red. Can't wait until he starts shedding to see how much he changes.



Here is one of the barn mascots.



Marissa is the gal who has been riding him and working with him. It is muddy and everyone was on a mission, so no back flips - BUT...she has been doing back flips off him. Here she is saddling him getting ready to go.



Wy was led out into the barn lot area and he thinks he is getting another treat. The girls really like him. :-)



He remembers how to do a self portait! Yay!



Marissa was going to pony him for part of the ride, then swap horses. I wish we could have stuck around to see them ride him, but they were going to be gone a couple of hours and we had to hit the road. We were invited to ride...maybe next time.
Here is Marissa on her Arabian, getting ready to head out with Wy.



Leaving the barn lot. Wy fell right into place, ready for an adventure.



The group is heading down the road with the farm dogs following along.



Here is a shot of the whole group. Wy is towards the back to the right side of the white horse. How fun!



On our way out we stopped to take a picture of another horse and we saw the pig. This is one happy pig! I snapped this picture and as we headed down the road further, we saw another happy pig.



We got back to town and were having lunch, then Brian asked if I wanted to go visit Tiger. Sure! Why not? Our adventures started over an hour East of town, now we are headed a couple hours North of town. Away we went....

Tiger looks fantasic! He has just been hanging out with his new family of horses and he looks so good!

He remembered too! Woo hoo! Self portait time!



Me and my boy...I mean Justin's boy. Hee hee!



Tiger is in the rear, and Fancy is in the front. They look like they are related but they come from totally different places and times. Can you see the mane on each of them? Tiger had a beautiful mane, and somebody chewed it off! ACK! Now he and Fancy have the same mane.



This is Abby on the left and her 'baby' Ginger on the right. They are also part of Tigers family.



It as a fun day and we got to see both boys. Tiger is perfectly content in his little world. He thought he would walk away from me, so I kept following him until he faced up to me. I worked him in both directions and he remembered pretty quick what his job was. He followed me one way, then the other, then we walked back to the hay pile.
The girls had Wyoming under control so I just stood back to watch. I think he is happy getting out and about, and he has settled in quite nicely. He is still the thinker - watching everything that is going on. I can't wait until Spring gets here and he gets fit again. I also am excited to see what his color does. Will that bright fuzzy hair bring us back to his dark awesome coat, or will it change too? Time will tell...

Until later...Karen and Tripp

It's cold out...but not too cold for pictures!

It is still winter, cold, dreary, and I really need some sunshine to feel better. At least I have my camera back, altho picture taking in this weather is a challenge. This past weekend was a good one with pretty frosty mornings.

Hmmmm, someone appears to be bored with my photog actions.



Another snowy nose of Tripp...he says he can't help it....he knows that snowy noses make me giggle.



Tripp says: "Hmmmmm, if I lick this pole will my tongue stick to it?"



Tripp heard that if he does it just right, he can blow steam rings out of his nose...



Millie and a couple of her posse...



Chase the llama munching away...



There have been a couple of different mornings that there were tracks in the snow in the back yard. The tracks on the right are deer tracks. It came right in the yard, made a couple of circles, then jumped the fence close to the front yard. I take it the dogs were asleep.



Pretty sunset over corn field...



Cats being all cozy...perfect harmony between the two...



Okay, this might look weird to you all. I built two small snowmen on top of the hood of my old Jeep. We got more snow and they got buried - only their heads were sticking out. It hit me funny...and still does.



My older mare gets a special mash food made up for her - she is old, she has earned it. Batman tries to cash in on the treat...I used to keep Tandee's food dish lower, but Batman would eat his food, then start in on hers. I moved it up one level and now Batman can't reach it. Oh he was mad! He made faces, he stomped, he shook that little head of his...yep, just mad!



Batman says "Hey lady! What are you doing to me?"



Ace the mustang who is growing up...



Tripps frosty nose...



Tripp has had a lot of time off and things are going to change. The end of February is our local BLM mustang adoption, and I am going to take Tripp to meet and greet people. He used to love people and attention, but he has got used to being just with the horses and us, so sudden movements startle him. It won't take long for him to get back in shape again.
When we used to visit the adoptions I would watch the people who showed up with gentled mustangs to show people how wonderful these horses are. I dreamed of being one of those people...and now I am! I am so excited! I hope the weather holds out, and I hope we have a successful adoption.

Today was about 50 degrees and I went out to feed tonite in a sweatshirt and jeans - no coat or coveralls! Woo hoo! I also got mud on my boots. Normally that would annoy me, but today it made me happy. :-)

Hope everyone is dealing with the winter okay.

I saw a neat quote the other day....God loves us because of who God is, not because of something we have or have not done.

Until later....Karen and Tripp who is going to hob-knob at the BLM adoption!

Batman Video

Okay, Absofreakinlutely Awesome Productions is back in business! I will admit this is not one of our best, but I did the best I could with what I had. With the ground so uneven Batman has not had very many romps around the barn lot. We were taking round bales out and we caught him running around so I got a short part of it recorded. He was bucking and jumping in the air...it was hilarious! And this folks is the reason I am no longer allowed to take the camera out of the case when we are moving hay bales. Because I am warm and toasty from moving around thru gates, cutting off netting, etc., and Brian is cold while he sits in one place on the tractor with Arctic wind chills watching me run around getting pictures and video....hee hee!



We were moving bales again the night before and I was growling. I left the gate to the yard open because it was easier, and the donks, my Arab mare and Batman went into the yard. All of them were running and playing in the snow in the yard - it was awesome! Nothing like three donks running and bucking, then running some more with noses straight in the air. At the end of the play time I called them back and the Arab mare (Grandma Tandee) was running back to the gate with Batman on her heels. All of a sudden he got a big burst of competitive energy and that tail went up and he shifted into another gear! He was racing her! And I did not have my camera with me because I knew I would try to sneak in a time to use it while Brian was all cold on the tractor. The big baby....
Anyways, I am hoping to get some more video of him soon. Batman, not Brian.

Everyone is doing good. We hit about 50 degrees today, which was a bonus considering we were only supposed to be in the 40's.

Enjoy!
Until later...Karen and Tripp
P.S. Brian really isn't a big baby...he is actually very tolerant of me at times like this. I love you baby!

Snowy Snowy Night...

When I went out to feed last night, it was snowing and cold out. I was as crabby as I could be - just sick of the weather. Then I looked at these guys...the picture does not do it justice! All 3 donks were looking at me with their little snow caps on their head. I don't know what it was, but I burst out laughing and was tickled enough to run back inside for the camera. While water troughs were filling, I took a few pictures.



Wendigo - "Mom, did you see Tripp making faces at me?"



Tripp: "Ptooey...did not!"



Wendigo drinking...this turned out to be a neat picture with the ripples of the water in the tank and the blanket of snow on her back.



There was a thick layer of snow across the back of the donks, and it looked a lot like a fantasy fictional critter. Especially when they would flex to turn and look at me...it was like the spine moved.
They do alright in the snow, but just tonite we were talking about moving to the desert. We as in me and the donks. :-) They are in agreement, and Brian will get used to the idea. :-)



The thing about taking pictures in the dark is most of it is guesswork whether I am actually aiming at them or not. After this shot, she would not cooperate, so I am stuck using this one. No worries, she is still cute even with her head cut off.



I was not sure how this was going to turn out...this is Joker looking at the rest of them. Joker and a couple of the others eat their snacks under the canopy, and the rest of them share two long feeders. Joker is the 2008 EMM yearling (now 2 yr old...oh, 2010 makes him coming on 3) that Brian adopted. I am always amazed at how slowly some of the mustangs develop. I know he is growing, but he still looks like a kid. He has awesome legs and feet...can't wait until he is ready to ride.



What is a snowy night without a self portrait? I don't know because there hasn't been one! HA HA!



Flash the 'tank' wishing I would put the camera down and take care of business. He is ready for a snack. Again.



Aaaahhhh yes, Chase the llama. This weather gets to everyone, and Chase is no exception. Doesn't it look like he is ticked at me? He was actually trying to move away from me when I picked the camera up so it looks like he is telling me what for. He is something else! Most days are great with him, and there are some days when I remind him that Spicy BBQ Sauce makes everything taste good. Did you know they eat llamas in other countries? I have told him that too! Of course he has no idea that I would never eat him. :-)



Sweet little Ace is growing into quite a handsome horse - just not in the snow. I can't wait to find out what he enjoys doing...I hope it is trail riding, but then again he needs to be a little more versatile if I am going to prepare him for a new home. :-)



And last BUTT not least.....



Something about frosty and snowy butts. Altho I would rather have warm shiny butts to take pictures of.

Hope everyone is staying warm and safe.
Hugs to you all!

Until later...Karen and Tripp the tongue sticker outer