Spring Storm

storm20040423.jpg
Although it snowed for over a day, there wasn’t much accumulation because it melted due to the warm ground almost as quickly as it fell. The horses were inclined to be grumpy, but they will appreciate the grass later on. I did break down and put a blanket on Smoke: the icicles in the mane get me every time.

Hap’s Eye

hapseye20040420.jpg
The first few years I had Hap, this large soft eye made me think many times: Funny, he doesn’t look like maniac. One year, I took him to State Fair and put a sign on his stall door with large letters: Do not pet this horse. He bites! I still found parents holding their children up to pet him. (Mind you: Hap’s biting was the affectionate nibble he would do to another horse, but I don’t think it matters when dealing with an 1100 pound critter.) The fact that so many people thought they were in a petting zoo is one reason I never took Hap back.

Late afternoon

afternoon20040417.jpg
Late afternoon on the plateau. I don’t usually walk the dogs this late, but enjoy the look of the setting sun.

Sunset

sunset20040415.jpg
Sunset skies, a few days ago. I liked the effect of the horizon screened by the yellow grasses.

Rain

morningskies20040409.jpg
We’ve been getting some much needed moisture, mainly in the form of rain, though snow is predicted for tonight. Unfotunately, with the rain, came a cold front. The horses have had enough warm weather to thoroughly deacclimate, and Lily got cold and started acting colicky yesterday morning. She was fine by the time I got to the boarding barn, where she was standing blanketed in her (comparatively) warm stall.
Continue reading Rain

Texas

jackdallas20040403.jpg

This weekend, Jack and I took a quick trip to the area in Texas where we used to live. We drove down via Kansas and Oklahoma, and drove back through Texas and New Mexico. Despite the Kansas route being completely interstate, the Texas route is much faster.
Continue reading Texas

Windflower

windflower.jpg
I took a walk with my trainer and her dogs yesterday. We saw some small white flowers and I mentioned I had never, to my knowledge, seen an anemone growing wild. Five minutes later, we found this little beauty. This seems to be the prairie anemone, also known as the “pasque flower”:http://www.und.edu/org/soaringeagleprairie/pasqueflower/, also known as the windflower.