Happy Western Girls

Namaste.

Renny's Growing Responsibilities

This photo is from the first week in June and I'm writing this entry on June 19th, in the evening, as I can hear a summer thunderstorm rolling. This past week, Mr. Valentine and Tom finished a truly beautiful wood round pen. I am glad for this new structure because at the end of the summer, Renny has to assume greater responsibilities. He was precocious at leading and tying and lifting his feet and dealing with the farrier. He is happy to go anywhere with grandma and cross any structure. He will walk in and stand in the wash rack. He loves grooming. He loves to follow his aunt while she's being ridden! He knows how to escape pastures and be a mountain goat. He will calmly wear his cavesson and surcingle. He's an accomplished pony. But by the end of the summer, possibly as you are reading this note, he will have to start learning Parelli, lunging, and the art of ground manners and ground work. What a wonderful little hard-working man. I hope he enjoys his summer!

My Yearling and His Gal(s)

So, last year at this exact time, Renny was getting ready to be grabbed by his chest and tail and pulled squealing like a human baby onto a trailer to be shipped to Showgate where he would meet Ruthie, his first girlfriend. My heart burst with joy when I took that photo of his first tentative, close-eyed kiss. Many moons and kisses have passed, along with many girlfriends -- Ruthie, Sedona, B, Tea, Lily! He has had an active love life! Here he is in the first week of June, hanging out with his thoroughbred girl! And now in mid-June, I was out at the stable this week, watching him with B hanging by his rear in one pasture while he kissed and spooned with Sedona over the pasture fence. The boy has love in his life!

Grazing Cheek-to-Cheek, Sharing Tail Swishes

Namaste.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

I love this photo. They look like they could be waiting for Pa Ingalls to collect them to hitch and drive to church or for Laura to bring them kisses. In retrospect, Laura did bring them kisses this day -- the 21st century 45 year-old Laura with a beaten down Nissan! I don't think they minded the age or the beater car! They did like the kisses!

Happy Grazing Girls

Here are my two favorite mares, relaxing on a cool morning in the first week of June. I arrived at the stable early in the morning and let them out, along with their friends. And then I just followed them about as they enjoyed grazing, chatting and socializing. I owne the best horses. I know it's not proper to be "desirous," but if I owned my own little farm with a large sweet pasture and view, I know I would probably eat ever single meal with my girls. I'd just set up a folding dining table. I'd read the daily paper, work on facebook, write papers, pretend scold the girls, all from a comfortable folding chair hidden behind a tree in the pasture. What a wonderful dream. But barring that, what I can do is visit them and stroll about with my coffee cup, taking photos of these radiant glowing girls.

Renny Lets it Rip!

Here's a photo of my 13-month old yearly, relaxing with his tall leggy girlfriend. She's so beautiful and he's handsome and sweet. That's what the pictures show. The video shows my little guy, feeling his oats, and ripping around the pasture! He's so handsome when he runs canters cavorts and squeals with fake rage while bucking!!

Renny on a Spring Day

Here are some June 7th photos of my handsome red pony. He is feeling relaxed and satisfied in the front side pasture, enjoying a beautiful morning with his thoroughbred girlfriend, the daughter of Bowman's Band. What a lucky little charming baby fellow!

The Sisters

Here is a relaxed scruffy portrait taken in late May on a rain day of my comfortable cozy girls. This thoroughbred and this Paint share some very famous relatives -- they are truly blood sisters!

My Equine Family, Doin' What They Do

Here is a photo taken on a rain day in late May. Chippy and Sedona are also in the ring, but Hailee kept herding them away. Here they are, expressing their core nature. Hailee wants to be with but not with her family and be possessive of her little herd. And Renny and Violet want to kiss, cuddle, snuggle, and touch, touch, touch in comfortable coziness. What a group of sweeties. I will never be able to describe to you how wonderful Violet looks when she puts her upper lip on the spine of her buddy and then casually tenderly twirls it, preparing for a nipping grooming session!

New Orleans Street Trash

This is what you can find on the streets of New Orleans and in its over-populated pounds -- the most intelligent, loving, generous, caring creatures on the face of the earth. You have no idea how lucky I am to have Miss Z and Mr. Man in my home.

the Hug

Here's my girl giving my little man a loving hug! Namaste.

My Relaxed Equine Family

I love this washed out photo of my beautiful equine family. What elegant intelligent agreeable creatures!

The Grooming Session

We had rain in late May, so the herds were getting indoor turnout. In this photo, you see Violet giving Renny a solid grooming love session with Hailee watching happily. She loves her sister and her baby, so she is always perfectly agreeable when the three are turned out together. What you don't see in this photo is that Sedona and Chippy are also in the arena, but H chases them away from her teeny tiny mini-herd within the herd! She knows who she likes!

Here he is, Mr. Wonderful

What can I say? This robust fella runs my household with a velvet paw. Thank you, Jackass.

Sexy Garden Cats

I just finished putting in my garden and the usual suspects showed up to relax and show their stuff.

Zelia in the Walkway

Here's my gracious sweet companion, after a long day helping me garden, weed, and water. She's standing by the purple allium and catnip, relaxing and enjoying herself. I love my little Zelia.

My Dots of Love

Here are my cutie pies, as sweet and joyful as they wanta, on a beautiful sunlit Spring day!

Grazing in the Rough

These yearlings are the offspring of royalty. And here they are simply being happy grazing babies, close together in friendship and purpose and indifferent to their fabulousness!

Rain-Wrinkled Pretty Girl!

Check it out! Even with her coat wrinkled from a good rain, this girl looks beautiful. Up close in life, she's radiant with long thoroughbred legs, an intelligent expression, huge hindquarters, and big big knees getting ready to grow even bigger and taller. This girl has engine!

A Relaxed Tinkle

These are relaxed angels on earth!

Breaking News! Ladies' Night Out!

Here we are, the lovely Wednesday night ladies of Showgate. We are having a riding lesson by Barbie and we are stupid with happiness. We like our tasks, we like our horses, we like our teacher, we like the weather, we like the gossip, we like the whole vibe. We are happy campers. In this photo, Lexie is riding her beloved Sam, and I am riding the fabulous Chippy who travelled throughout Ohio, helping many people win their classes, including Chelsea, Jessica, Jenny and Doreen! Chippy was awesome to ride, just awesome! And in this photo, Karla is riding Lisa's Roo who is also a fabulous show horse. After lessons, Karla gave her handsome Egyptian fabulous old man, Taz, a shot to help him with the aches and pains of age. We are happy girls who care for our horses and care for them well. We are happy sassy sweet and loving girls. And our teacher fusses after us with great care!

Ren Butt High on the Day!

As Renny's German judge said of him last September at his NASPR inspection, "Ren is butt high on the day!"

Ren and B Play in the Rough

Here they are, relaxing with rain drops dried on their coats, one quite a bit fatter than the other (quite a bit sassier too), and they are enjoying standing about in the rough.

Young Sweethearts

Here they are, the young sweethearts, casually sharing a giant green pasture together. Renny has been very lucky in his young life. He's had a beautiful appendix girlfriend. He's had multiple quarter horse, appendix and thoroughbred girlfriends. And now he gets to spend quiet time with this gorgeaus leggy shy retiring creature. He gets to be happy with his gal! I am so glad for the life he's had so far. But things aren't always great for my little guy. I'm writing this entry on Wednesday, June 10th, and this weekend, his girlfriend taught him a lesson. He was being rough and pushy and bossy with her, so she grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and smashed him teeth first into a wall. He walked around for about 10 minutes, working his jaw and stretching his mouth, just trying to get over the indignity and smack of it all. I know I shouldn't have laughed, but it was pretty darn funny!

Wood County Fair 2009! Those Jersey Giants!

Here's how I'm going to close out my fair coverage for 2009. I earned a blue ribbon for my basil and an honorable mention and third for my basket and canning respectively. But I close with these gorgeaus happy laying Jersey Giants!

Grass is Greener

I am raising a pony who like all ponies before him understands the basic principle of desire: the grass is always greener...

Wood County Fair 2009! Jenny Shows Chickens

Here's Jenny with her second place award for her skill at showing chickens. She was polished, presentable, knowledgeable.

My Thelwell Pony

Here's my living breathing version of a Thelwell pony!

Wood County Fair 2009! Cute Cow Cleaning Up

Here's that darn cute cow again, the next morning after practicing. This little cow is getting cleaned up for the big moment. Still with a patient steady intelligent eye.

Ren with His Tall Girlfriend

Okay, so here you see B and Renny in the front pasture. And he obviously looks like a sweet boy which he is. But yesterday, Tuesday, June 9th, he did something hilarious and naughty. I was out in the pasture with him, enjoying a cup of coffee with my arm draped over him and chatting him up about life and love and his handsomeness when he decided he had had enough. He decided he was a young man who didn't need his Grams. He decided he wanted a little peace with his grazing and time alone with his girlfriend. So, he lifted his back leg in his slow awkward preparation for a shove/kick. I stepped back away from him and then he turned his head and started hopping backwards on three legs with his fourth leg still raised and cocked ready to fire out. Oh, let me tell you, he made me laugh and laugh to see him crow-hopping slowly and awkwardly backwards just to make sure to get a kick at Grams. What a perfectly rotten creature! Namaste.

Wood County Fair 2009! Jenny Rocks the Sheep Arena!

Here's a photo of the top four sheep, duking it out for their placings. Look at the focus and skill of Jenny! Namaste.

Casually Handsome!

One day this Spring, I was enjoying time just hand-grazing my little gentleman. We hung out by the front pasture where the herd of girls were just hanging out in the late afternoon, enjoying themselves. So, here you see my Renny with his Aunt Violet and mom, Hailee in the background! I just love his strawberry blonde mane!

Wood County Fair 2009! Jenny Expertly Shows Sheep

Here are some photos and video of Jenny showing sheep as part of her 4-H project. She did a phenomenal job and was so polished and professional and lovely. It was amazing to see how well-behaved and obedient and thus gorgeaus her sheep were. She won several of her classes and earned the right to compete in Showman of Showmen.

Green

Namaste.

Wood County Fair 2009! Beautiful Horse

I thought this horse looked amazing with his roached mane and powerful build. You can see his royal heritage and know that his family throughout history helped humans farm, wage wars, herd animals, hunt, pull loads, and ride the range. This is a noble working animal!

More Green Heaven!

My beautiful girls, sharing a late afternoon treat. Namaste.