A Mid-July Morning!

Here's my little man, on July 11th, and he is so happy with his herd of girls that he's decided to roll around and laze about!


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Making Friends!

Here is a photo taken on July 5th, showing you a little of my Renny's personality. He was put in the high pasture next to a new horse and he just trotted right on up to meet and greet. He has such a sweetness and trust. I am really glad that he's having such a good first summer of his life -- a friend in Ruthie, lots of activity, sunlight, green pastures. No wonder he has the confidence to walk right on up and touch noses with a new buddy!

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Skitter and Skate!

Again, here's a blurred photo of my boy floating along in his pasture in a patriotic trot, shortly after the 4th of July! Handsome little soldier!
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Big Boy's Halter!

All right, so much is going on right now. I am rescinding my offer on the property I was hoping would become Laurel Wreath Farm. Renny's big boy halter came and not a moment too soon. I showed up at the stable on Sunday and found a cut on his lip, a gash on his neck, and his halter was chewed up and the strap destroyed. He looked perfectly perky and happy, so you know he engaged in some sort of baby boy rumble! I thought I would cry when he moved up to a big boy halter, but it's so beautiful and fits so well that I was proud to put it on my handsome boy. What else? Darla and I agreed to wean our babies next Wednesday on Renny's 4th month birthday! She said I should get ready for drama, lots of drama. I felt so sad for my little guy this morning when I visited. He ran across the pasture to greet me. And he has no idea that this weekend will be his last weekend as his mama's little boy! This summer has gone by so quickly. When I first moved him to Showgate, he was just a little sprite with a cute butt. He still had his baby hair and was tiny. Now he's got a beautiful red coat with white flecks and is a growing boy ready to wean. He's a wonderful creature I'm blessed to know! Another amazing thing is that a lovely woman from England contacted me yesterday based on an entry I wrote about one of Violet's relatives, Winkipop. Anyway, I could go on, but just let it rest that this late August has been one for the record books -- an extraordinary time.

Dancing Light!

I took this washed out photo on July 5th. My little guy was skittering, dancing, floating, running, gadding about like the sweetest, lightest angel! And I didn't quite now how to use my new camera lens, so all the photos are blurred, but capture his beauty. It was a terrific, joyful morning!

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Perfect Joy on July 1st!

On July 1st, we had a picture perfect day, truly lovely, and I got to spend my morning coffee with my happy herd of animals. And believe me, Hailee is happy and proud of her boy, Renny is happy with his mom and Annie and Ruthie and grandma, and Violet is happy with her big stall window, deep shavings, and girlfriend Sedona.

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Baby in Relaxed Canter!

Here is a photo from June 30th, a long while ago. It shows my little guy, loping across a pasture, happy with his big old can, his grandma, and his mom, happy for the summer, and for his girlfriend, Ruthie!

Emma and Zelia

Here is a photo of Emma and Zelia, up in Wixom. My girl is the sweetest dog on the face of the earth. While I was in Las Vegas this past weekend, Chelsea texted me and said that she was the kindest dog. And when I returned, I had a chance to talk with Amijo who told me that Zelia was a very special dog, a truly special dog. I know this about my sweet girl. I am so glad that we have each other and that she's my pooch. She is getting older now and this summer she has really begun to show her age. She's just now begun to pick at her evening food. Her whole life, she just attacks her food, but now she is more particular. This photo is from super early June and I am writing in late July. I am going to take Z to the vet and see what we can do to help her have a happy, healthy dotage!

Sick Baby Update Sunday Evening!

Well, Renny has been doing very well. His temperature has ranged from 101.8 to 100.2 over the past days with most temps right around 101. What makes me so very happy and proud is that he just accepts my caretaking. He stands very still while I take his temperatures. He took his syringe filled with Bactrim like a little professional. He lets me put antibiotic cream on his owies. He still gets snot all over his coat and his mom from his cold, but he doesn't seem to be having troubles with any fever!

Hi, Grandma!

Laura's Belly at the Boston Women's Memorial!

Again, here are last photos from the Boston Women's Memorial. I asked a young lady running past to take a photo of me. And in this photo, you can see that I am living well. I am wearing a cute skirt. I am happy. And I have a plump Buddha Belly! Rock on, Girl! Rock on, sweet mama of Jackie, Arcangelo, Moibeal, Rory, Zelia, Violet, Hailee, and Renny. Rock on, little farmer on W. Reed! Rock on, you crazy canning, gardening, riding, horse whispering fool! Nice belly, girl!

A fine sunny cool morning!

Here's a photo and video from July 1st. My horses had just been put out, so it's about 8:30am and they are just testing the breeze and cool air on that fine morning!

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Boston Women's Memorial Again!

Here are some from the rear photos of this Memorial. I really had a zen moment at this location! I was glad to see it and be a part of it!

Sick Baby Update

This morning was beautiful and cool and as I drove out to the stable, Barbie texted me and said that Renny had a temp of 100.8 last night which is baby normal!

On my drive, I saw two black cows that had broken out of their riverside pens and were standing proudly in a bean field across the road from their homestead, chewing thoughtfully and smiling broadly in the early morning cool. By the end of the day, I saw these cows again returned to their pasture by the river, probably daydreaming about their big adventure!

Anyway, Renny definitely looked perkier this morning and his temp was 101! He got to go out with Ruthie and he was hilarious. He was wrestling with her in the back corner and then he saw me and Violet as we were getting ready for our ride. He just stood stock still staring at us and then suddenly he spun around on his heels, let out a snort, and sped out of there like he thought he was in a Western movie. You could practically hear the cartoon "shuu" noise coming from his heels as he sped off! So, I knew he was feeling better.

Then at the end of the day, I checked him again. He was having dinner in his stall with his mom and he looked very relaxed and satisfied with himself. His temp was 100.8! Baby normal! The vet says I have to keep checking him twice a day for awhile and call him right away if there is a spike in temp, but that it sounds like we are out of the woods.

When I saw him this morning, he was just covered in baby snot. His nose was just covered in it and Ruthie wiped hers on his coat. And poor Hailee had baby snot all over her too! But this evening, things seemed to be a bit more under control. No runny nose, no old man coughing, no fever. Just snuffles and whiffles and playfulness!

What I am so proud of today is that Renny just lets me take his temperature. I come in and greet him and he stands perfectly still on a loose line as I take the temp. He and I are a great team!

Another Photo for Baby's Official Papers

Here he is, showing off his many fine features from his pert ears, beautiful eyes, nice compact body and lovely neck to that tiny bit of sass! I sent this photo to the ASPR people!

The Boston Women's Memorial!

Okay, over the next three days, I am going to show you some photos from the Boston Women's Memorial on Commonwealth Avenue, leading toward Boston Commons. On my first day stroll back from the Charles River, I stumbled onto this park and found this detailed, lovely, thoughtful monument to important suffragettes and abolitionists of our great country, including Abigail Adams, Lucy Stone and Phyllis Wheatley. Finding this world famous memorial by accident made me claim my little part of Boston.

Grandma! I'm sick!

This entry will be long. It's a story about a family. I think of my horses as a family, but I hadn't realized that over the course of this summer, we really had made one. I was talking to Renny when he was in Hailee's belly. I was there at his birth. And I've been with him, talking with him, kissing and hugging him, teaching him, learning from him, practically every day of his short life.

So, this summer has been wonderful. I've watched him gain confidence, strength, beauty. I've watched him make friends with Ruthie, learn how to manage Annie, rely on his mama and grow independent from her at the same time. I've watched him buck and kick and squeal and snort. I've watched him rip up and down the hill in the pasture and literally run circles around his herd of girls.

And this morning, I looked out at him at the bottom of the pasture from where I was standing at the top and right away, from a distance, I could tell my little guy was sick. He was sick. I could see it all over him.

So, I stepped down in the pasture and he walked up to me and his entire expression said, "Grandma, I'm sick!" So, I went up and told Barbie and she said take a temp. I went back into the pasture and Renny walked right up to me. And Hailee, Renny and I just walked calmly into the stable together. They trust me to take care of their business. Renny was so good for the multiples of times he had his temperature taken today. He was so good about taking his banamine. And he was so sweet with me. He loves and trusts me, I can really tell. My little guy thinks of me as someone who has his best interests at heart. He thinks of me as part of his herd, his grandma!

Anyway, here's the news. His temperature at 11am this morning when I brought him in for the day was 104.3!!! Way, way, way high! I gave him banamine and by 12:30pm, his temperature had dropped to 101.4. And then at 5:30 this afternoon, his temperature was a little high at 101.8. But he was comfortable and his breathing was less labored. And while I was there, he took interest in getting love and rubs and he wanted to play with me a bit. He was eating his grain and hay, and he drank water and nursed. So, I am hoping the cool of evening and night helps him break his fever. He finally caught Ruthie's illness but good! But baby foal's are supposed to get sick, it makes them stronger and more resistant to trouble down the road. So, I am going to be practical and just keep a close watch over him. I will treat this like I did his foal diarrhea. And he will be the good little loving patient that he is. He's my little guy and I'm his grandma!

Cowgirl Up! Violet and Laura Ride the Range!

Yesterday morning was just beautiful -- sunny, cool, quiet. And I decided that I'd just about had it with riding English all the time. So, I went up into my attic and pulled out my Western saddle from when I was a girl. I last used it when I was 17 years old! So, this saddle is almost 30 years old. I love it because it doesn't have much tooling. It's very simple, but has a nice silver conch on the saddle horn and the cantle has a silver plate with my name on it -- Laura. Makes me real happy and the saddle fits so well.

So, Violet and I set out for our Western ride and it was great! She thought it was fun. I was having a blast! And this morning, we went Western riding again and it was even more fun. I felt solid in my seat, comfy, cozy and Violet was a big old girl, trotting large and in charge, moving out at the walk, happy in her work. And when we cantered, well, she just cantered big and loose and relaxed and intent. She did it with eagerness and collection without faltering or trying to quit or cheat in any way. We felt like we were flying! We had lots of fun!

Baby Running

Namaste. June 30th.

Boston Streets Again!

On my last full day in Boston, I had the most wonderul time walking along Commonwealth Avenue and then shopping along Newbury and Boyleston Streets and then dining at Stephanie's on Newbury with a good friend, Felicia. It was truly a girlie kind of day, including shopping at Sephora's! At Stephanie's, we enjoyed a proper, relaxed Sunday brunch!

My Sleepy Baby

Yesterday was an amazing day. We were giving the prelims at work, so I had to proctor. I didn't go out in the morning. In the middle of the day, Barbie calls me to tell me how cute my baby is. How brave he is. And how he's running around in the pasture. I couldn't believe it! My foal is so good-looking that people call me at work to praise him!

Then I went out to the stable to see him after work and here's what I found -- a sleepy little guy who had spent the whole day outside, running, playing, wrestling with Ruthie, grazing with his mom. He was tuckered out. Here are some cute photos of my very handsome boy!




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Feeling Sassy in the Front Pasture

Here's a photo and video from a beautiful July 1st day. Hailee is eating grass, happy in the knowledge that she has a sassy foal right at her rear.

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Boston Streets!

I only got a little taste of Boston, but it was fun. I walked along beautiful old streets with parks interwoven into their boulevards. I went to Faneuil Hall with Katie and we had the most wonderful meal at Kingfish and then goofed off at the Harbor. I had bought tea at this one lovely shop and we goofed on me throwing it into the Harbor in protest. And I walked a bit of the Freedom Trail to see the sights. I cannot wait to go visit this city again!

Farmers Market on August 16th!

Well, it's Tuesday, August 19th and I finally have a breathing moment to write about this past weekend, the second weekend in a row of canning. I went to the Farmers Market on a beautiful day and purchased my supplies for canning cucumber relish, plum preserves, chow-chow relish, and my own personal recipe Tchoupitoulas relish! You can bet it was a busy weekend of visiting the horses, canning, freezing and dehydrating. I dehydrated peaches and cherries. I froze cabbage, pesto, corn, eggplant, blackberries and blueberries. And I canned those four recipes. So far, I have canned 8 products -- dilly beans, cherries, freezer slaw, okra, cucumber relish, plum preserves, chow-chow relish and Tchoupitoulas relish. I have only 4 things left to can -- tomatoes, peaches, salsa, and raspberry jam. And I've got freezing and dehydrating left to do, of course. So, though I just came off two ridiculously busy weekends and days of processing my winter food, I am now at the apex. I am working through my garden and working through my winter list! It's wonderful!

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My Little Seahorse!

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The Boston Library!

Whenever I travel to a new city, I am always glad to find their library. And I am super glad when my hotel is close to their library. Here is Boston Library and it was very close to the Sheraton! One day, I got caught by a mid-afternoon rain shower and lightning was flashing! And I had to skitter in my new summer dress across the front of the library to get to cover in the Prudential Tower! So, I remember those American flags and that great city library facade because of my humbled circumstances!

Breaking News! Genuine Risk Passes at 31!

Genuine Risk passed away peacefully this morning, just after being turned out into her paddock at Virginia's Firestone's Newstead Farm. Here she is in a photo from August 2006 with the world famous photographer, Doug Prather. She was the second Kentucky Derby filly winner (of 3), and the best filly as far as Triple Crown race records. She won the Derby and then placed in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. She's also the first Kentucky Derby winner to be bred to a Derby winner, Secretariat, though she failed to conceive. She also happened to be the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner before passing.

Her final record was 15: 10-3-2, and she bore two foals, both boys, neither raced. They are named Genuine Reward who stands at stud, and Count Our Blessings who was gelded. Her parents were Exclusive Native out of Virtuous by Gallant Man. Both my girls share many relatives with her, including Equipoise and Case Ace. Rest in peace, you Champion girl!

Relaxed Gallop

Here's a photo and video from June 30th of my darling boy, stretching his legs in the far pasture!


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Boston Doggies!

I saw lots of wonderful doggies in Boston. One dog on Commonwealth Avenue, a big brown lab, was sitting at his mom's knee just staring lovingly into her eyes, waiting for her next command. I saw doggies, big beautiful show doggies, playing with their moms and dad in parks, and I saw relaxed pooches, enjoying the days with their families. Here are some examples!

Running to Mama!

Here's a June 29th photo of Renny running happily toward is mom! I am writing this on July 6th, and what was fun this weekend is that yesterday, Saturday, he was out in the indoor ring with his mom, Ruthie and Annie. The Lees, Derek, and one of their clients went to collect the mares and foals and move them to the pasture. My boy walked right on up to the group of people to say hello and I overheard Darla say that he was an independent fella! Which he is. He's a social, lively, fun-loving guy. The crowd of horses and people just walked on out together and I'll always remember Renny moving happily and with curiosity and sociability to be led to the pasture by a crowd of convivial humans and horses!

Boston -- Charles River Again!

I really enjoyed my morning walk that first day. I walked along the river, and I was sort of excited because I was reading a book called Queen of the River about a woman who travelled the Mississippi River in a little boat in 2005 after her father died and during Katrina. In the book, she quotes a saying which says that the river is in us. I am always glad to be in River Towns!

I see Grandma!

Here's my guy! He likes me so much, he's running to the fenceline to present himself for kisses, hugs, and petting!

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Boston -- The Charles River!

This year the American Sociological Association Annual Meetings were held in Boston, Massachusetts. I had travelled to Boston once before a few years ago to attend a PAA meeting and I didn't like it. But this year, I was so happy to find my little favorite places in this wonderful city. On my first morning, Katie K., my roommate at the Sheraton, told me to walk along the Charles River, just 4 blocks away. So, here is that lovely river and across this bridge I am standing on is Cambridge, home to Harvard!

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