EYES TO SEE

December 2011

2012-01-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

When folks come visit us, we tend to toss them the reins and tell 'em to mount up. Then we shoot them with our Canons, crop them down to size, and post their mugs on the internet for all to see. That's our way; some are more at ease with it than others. This fellow, for example, just hunkered over the horn and gave us his Salatin grin. Can't find much fault in him.
And this lil' lady, graced our place with her beautiful face! A princess in deed, momentarily treed!
Another natural draped himself on our gate; flashing us his smile to contemplate!
This clan is kin to us; but they live back East; they tarried with us a few days at least. And lest one gets the idea, that's all the kin we saw; here's another bunch of us, and here's
our feisty Ma!
And seein' as we've mentioned her, we owe the LORD for leavin'
Mom hereabouts a while longer, you best be believin'

Even after open heart surgery, after her trial
We celebrated and feasted with her in style.

But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 Corinthians 12:24-26

January 2012 First Few Days______________________

Rely obliged those who arrived to ride.

I missed a turret when harnessing; it didn't phase Rely a bit. He's such a trooper!
And such a hoot!
I doubt I could get off this carriage without my Hub heading. It is quite a clamor.
Guess what this is? Hub seriously tackled replacing the shower in our guest bath. This is after he painted the drywall. It is white, not pink.
When given the opportunity to graze the fresh grass in the horse trap, here's how they chose to spend their time!
10 total inches of rain in November and December brought our pond up to within 2 feet of being full.
I LOVE this man!
There's even water in the 'bottom pond', about 2 feet deep.
Green is showing in the drought clipped fields. The rain and warm weather have fostered it.
Racoon?
Our measuring rod is a t post on the bank of the pond. Before the rain came, it was totally exposed (telling us the pond was down 5-6 feet). Now there is only has about 2 feet sticking up out of the water. This implies the deepest part of the pond is at about 14 feet now.
Grady is starting to grow, too.
More of the shower project.
Rely and Buck pummeling the grass (which goes to show they aren't really starved for it; they'd rather play on it!)
December demanded concentration. It is always a challenging month. Just keeping track of the schedule of events, finding gifts, evading germs, tackling end-of-year projects, makes for enough excitement, but when you throw in crises, like Mom's by-pass surgery, it is no longer possible to plan a path to take or decisions to make. What I knew I must do, is what I always should do, just trust Him to direct my steps.

Because of the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us.
Luke 1:78 (KJV)
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1: 2-3

For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the LORD; and if we die, we die to the LORD. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the LORD. Romans 14:7-8

It is worth contemplating His Mind on matters when we see who He chooses to take home to Him and who He leaves longer for His purposes.

Autumn 2011 An INCH in time!

2011-11-16T07:29:00.000-08:00

Although I posted to the blog last week after we received rain, I decided to just add to that post today, November 22, because the subject is the same! We got MORE rain! Over an inch more this morning! It was pouring when we woke up! I now have some after the storm pics to share!
I knew rain was possible, so, I had moved a couple of days of loose hay off the round bale we've been using for 3 weeks. This round bale is the one that I won at the Fire Station Annual fundraiser Auction in October. It is a magnificent bale and ...
This is all that is left of it. For those that understand these things, you can see the next bale that will be opened behind it is not of the same quality at all.
You'll see that the horses in these pics are all wet. That is their choice. They have shelters to get under. What probably happened is they came out from under their shelters when Kevin left expecting him to feed them. I actually left later today so that I could feed them after the rain stopped; that's how I got these pics in daylight.
Here is the pond/reservoir that accumulates at the gate of Rely's pen. He has dug out a trench in that area when he impatiently paws awaiting his food to be placed in the bucket on the gate. When the puddle is present (it stayed there three days last week), I feed him in another area so that he doesn't have to stand with his feet in the water. Note that the rest of the pen behind does not have standing water; it slopes and drains well.
Behind Buck is the area of his pen that Hub dug out to keep that pen from staying mucky. All the rainwater runs into that low spot creating a temporary pond. The area they stand on to eat is almost dry even after it has just rained.
There is something wonderful in the background of this pic. More than a month ago, Kevin planted some winter grass seed in the 'trap' (a strip we keep reserved for grazing the horses). Although it is not obvious in this picture, there is an electric fence wire keeping the horses from raiding this newly sprouting grass! The rain last week and now today, is bring this grass in thick and in another week or two, the horses will have a fall feast!
Usually I toss their hay on the ground, but when it is wet, I hang it on the fence in haynets for them. Two each today!
On November 15th, we got over 1 1/2 inches of rain. The LORD actually showered us as we left for work, to let us know that He was blessing us along with others, and when we got home and looked in our rain gauge; we found out how incredibly generous He had been! Buck and Ellie had a pond in their pen. I'm glad that hub dug that out so water runs into that area and leaves the rest of their pen sort of high and dry(er). Used to be (back when we got rain at more usual intervals) that their pen got swampy. Now it is more like a beach with a damp shore and then a wading pool in the middle if they want to rinse their feet. Rely and Grace have a similar pond next to their gate. Most of their pen drains well and they don't have to wade in mud unless they elect to. Rely obviously elected to do more than wade in it yesterday; he was mud caked! The others were clean and dry; they'd made use of their run-under shelters. These images were actually taken months ago when it last rained significantly. But, this time, it was dark when we left and dark when we got home, so, we have no photos of the event! These serve the purpose.

And we also don't have photos of the reactions of our ecstatic equines either, but these are probably some we missed!

Up until these showers of blessing things were getting grim. We just all sought shade and the comfort of those going through the trial with us. These are not our horses, but some broodmares commiserating in deep shade during the heat at peak of the day.Some found the tiny oasis here and there created by runoff from hydrants and our outside shower.
The horses didn't exactly do a rain dance, but they raised dust clouds and wished they contained rain!
And in spite of the lack of aesthetics, life went on. These two got engaged! On our property. This is becoming a tradition. For reservations to use our pond for proposing, call soon! Other engagement photos can be made on site.
A superfluous equine is available for atmosphere. He works for hay.
Of course, the horse is totally optional (but he will be disappointed if not hired).
Although our summer went on overlong; the extended daylight hours allowed for some of those summer vacation activities that provide memories we cherish in our later years. Like lying back on a horse's rump and staring up at the clouds through tree limbs. You remember doing this, yes? I do. When I was this age, I lay back on a rump and read a book while the horse grazed! I remember the horse, but not the book!
And grazing privileges, quite strictly enforced, made for some resentment among the natives.
The reason we can't let them out together is they spend more time ripping the sod up with their hooves than they do locating the few surviving grass blades.
Another memorable trip was taken since I last posted to the blog. We went on a 3 day vacation to Carlsbad and Ruidoso. We actually didn't include Buck. But, he would have loved the caverns! Cool, damp and dim!
Again, we thank the LORD for sending us rain! May He be praised everywhere for His mercy!

DROUGHT

2011-08-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

As the deer panteth for the water...

This post was suggested by my co-worker who has this bird that illustrates our spiritual nature. This bird balances tenuously on a fragile frame. He is hollow and only able to move because of the water within him. When he abstains too long, he dries out, he droops, he shakes. Then, so slowly, hesitantly, he approaches the source of sustenance, perversely holding back as long as he can from imbibing.

Then, he falls forward (as onto his knees) and plunges his face into the water. He soaks it up and it pours into him, reviving him.

He throws back his head in joy! He nods in gratitude. Rocking in bliss. Aren't we like this?

These are hard times in Texas. We are in deep drought.

We seek shade and wait.

Drought is Biblical.
1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years EXCEPT AT MY WORD."

We need the Word of the LORD worse than water in our land.

Job 12:15 If He holds back the waters, there is drought; if He lets them loose, they devastate the land.

Jeremiah 14:1 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives'?

Haggai 1:11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.'

The young know nothing else. They have not seen green pastures in their day.

The fields are stripped; and the farmers so desperate they are feeding corn stalks.

The creatures look to us, for we are their gods. In their barren spaces only we can save them.

The wild hogs and deer travel to find forage and seeps.

Brushpiles grow as trees die. We cannot burn them.

Firetrucks and firefighters work overtime.

Whereas usually cows would be on pasture, all around us the grass is gone. Hay is going for $120 a round bale, and most folks can't afford to buy it for their cattle. They are taking them to auction. The lines of trailers at the auctions are blocks long. Extra sales are being held to handle the volume. Ranchers are selling off their best stock.

Those who are determined to keep a few head must carry feed to them and fill troughs. Tanks are drying up. The water in the bottom of them is not drinkable.

Weeds are flourishing in the gardens where water is still provided.

This is our showerhead. We are taking outdoor showers. The runoff makes a patch of green in the hardpan.

Buck is privileged to mow it for us.

Toads gather in the shower during the night.

I do not criticize Him for the means He chooses to cause us to turn to Him. I know that there are more folks turning to Him, calling out to Him, looking to Him to save them. He has our attention; we know in our parched souls that without Him we shall perish. He must slake our thirst. He alone can lead us through this drought both physically and spiritually.

Texting

2011-07-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

I've started a new morning routine that I think is better than what I've been doing for some months now. When Hub tumps me out on the curb at about 6:50 a.m. I now walk 1/2 block and sit down at a small round table under a covered deck that is open to the morning on all sides. There has been a breeze and a territorial mocking bird present each morning as I have begun to establish this habit. I pull out my breakfast (a scone, or dry cereal, something simple) and drink my coffee in my mug that has kept it hot since 6:00 a.m. Then, I spend a while with the LORD in His Word.

This location lacks the distractions of my office, or the Union or Jester (where I've been eating breakfast as I watch morning news routinely.) Already I've seen benefits of beginning this way. My mind is being SET on Him and not on troubles of this present world.

Yesterday, when I finished my table time with Him, I was walking up the steps toward the building and saw a girl sitting on a bench, with her legs up under her, leaning forward, with her head down. I thought, she's praying. But, when I got closer, I saw that what she was actually doing, was texting.

That, in the midst of what I was discussing with Him, gave me this!
If we are in the Word, God can 'text' us! That's how we know what He's trying to tell us. So, praying is more like a phone call with him; it has been compared to that often. But, reading His Word is like accessing His texts to us!

Now, I hope you realize that I don't even have texting with my phone; so, this analogy was purely due to what was in my mind as it was set on Him. Amen? Also, if you look at the image of her texting, you'll notice the background contains massive, substantial steps going up, and further back, a more typical, narrow narrow staircase going down into? You can't see where either goes. When we are looking to the LORD for direction, His texts will guide us upward. When we are consulting with the world, that direction is definitely a downer.

The scriptures in this post are ones He texted to me this week!

Horse Quiz # 2

2011-07-12T10:40:00.001-07:00

HORSE QUIZ # 2 (Light harness)

1. Some breeds of horses are considered best for harness work/driving? Which of the following are well-known for their driving abilities?
a) Haflinger b)Morgan c) Standardbred d) Fresian e) Hackney f) all of these

2. Why does the driver carry a whip? a) to chase away dogs that follow the carriage b) to flick flies that alight on the horse c) to cue the horse d) to punish the horse for misbehavior

3. Driving horses primarily pull at the trot. They should be able to trot at different speeds. What speed trot is the horse doing in the picture above? a) jog b) road trot/working trot c) extended
4. When harnessing the horse, you should always be sure that the ____________ is on before hitching the carriage to the horse? a) overgirth b) bridle c) brake
5. To get a driving horse to stop, what word do you use? a) whoa b) stop c) easy
6. To slow the horse down when he is in motion, what word do you use? a) whoa b)stop c) easy
7. What speed trot is the horse doing in the photo above? a) jog b) road/working c) extended
8. When you stop the horse while driving, how long should he stand still before moving?
a) to the count of ten b)until a header comes to hold him c) until you tell him to move
9. How many parts of the harness in the picture above can you identify? List them:

10. The part of the harness that goes over the horses haunches and has a strap under the tail is:

a) backband b) breeching c) tailset

11. When steering, the driver's hands do not need to be spread widely apart because? The answer is in the photo above:

12. The pieces of leather that go from the bit to the driver's hands are called a) reins b) lines c) holdbacks

Favorite Blogs

2011-06-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

I was tagged today by Sheri which was a surprise and quite exciting! Made my day! I don't know exactly how to reciprocate, though. Instead of 'tagging' them, I'm going to just mention some of my favorite blogs and then let them know that I did:

Sheri's blog is sherisalatin.blogspot.com
I love seeing the gorgeous picture of Sheri in purple, I think taken by her sister, that greets me whenever I log onto her blog. She has so many interviews with fascinating people (authors are always fascinating to me, and especially Christian authors). I visit her blog to find out how Sheri is doing, and what she is doing, and it awes me all she accomplishes even without factoring in the lyme impediment. The farm pictures are my favorites and I never tire of looking at them! There is something very soothing about seeing animals on pasture. Those who haven't had that experience, need to. I love seeing animals living their lives naturally. And Sheri's blog has a wealth of current links to so many matters that matter to me! If you go visit her blog for the first time, be sure you check out the farm section!

Amy's blog is http://amyvergin.blogspot.com
She doesn't post often, but her wallpaper and photos of herself, her son and her wonderful husband cheer me immeasurably. I could look at them all day! Amy is gifted with a camera and when she does post, I am always thrilled by the images she chooses to use for illustrating her text. Her perspective on things is unique and compelling. I am glad she has a blog and I don't tire of visiting it, even if I'm seeing the same post for quite a while. If you go to her blog, note the at their level angle she gets on things!

I began following the Pioneer Woman a couple of years ago. I think anyone who has been to her blog knows why. There is something for everyone there. I like the posts of the animals and her children best. Her photos, too, inspire me.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Because of the bloggie awards I found
http://chickensintheroad.com/
I like her photos of her animals and the stories she tells about them. I've learned a great deal about small farming from her posts and the comments her followers make when she is trying to figure out how to deal with the daily challenges of milking goats and/or cows, raising chickens, housing them...etc. She writes well, too. Her stories are skillfully crafted, short and always amusing. I benefit from studying her brevity. If you check out her blog, find the video at the bottom of the page, titled A Sheep's best friend. (Really funny bouncing lamb playing with dog).
Oh, and my favorite story was http://chickensintheroad.com/barn/woman-attacked-by-goats-film-at-11/ It was hysterically funny to me and also thought-provoking. And the photos are just amazing (consider how one gets such photos when you look at them). Do look at it!

A co-worker recommended to me a blog by a friend of hers.
http://www.schnookiemuffin.com/
She's working from home and therefore gets to devote much time to the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. She's attempting more than I'd likely try, but someday, I'd like to do some of the things she's mastering. Her blog gives accounts of her learning curve. Very detailed ones. I like her writing style and her pictures, too.

After the Rain

2011-06-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

Cooler cows, lovely sky, celebratory dung beetles and cheering frogs. I saw a frog yesterday (while feeding in the rain) that was about as big as my foot! Not a toad, a frog. Didn't get his picture, though. We are all so thrilled to get the rain (2.25 inches)! I wish there was a way to tell those dung beetles how much we appreciate what they are doing for us; but they really only care about what they are doing for themselves. I took a picture of this one and told him to keep on rollin'!

Eulogy for a vacuum cleaner

2011-06-20T09:35:00.001-07:00

It says a lot for my hub's understanding of me that he did not protest when I took these photos. He seems OK with me getting over-attached to inanimate objects. I also get over-attached to animate ones, but that is more acceptable in most circles. This story may be a bit too graphic for some viewers, but I did try to leave out the grittiest parts.

Many many years ago (more than half as long as I have been alive), I decided I'd purchase a vacuum cleaner to vacuum my horses. I was living in NM at the time in a house without running water. There was no simple way to get dust off my horses (and there was an abundance of dust on them, believe me). I had seen horses at shows being vacuumed. That's where I got the idea. While I was home visiting the first summer (1980), I went to a local vacuum cleaner store and purchased a refurbished Eureka canister vacuum for $65. I was told that new it would have been over $300. Even so, $65 was pretty pricey for something I intended to use as grooming equipment. I bought it and took it back with me to my primitive residence in NM.

During the subsequent 31 years, I used it possibly twice for horse vacuuming and hundreds and hundreds of times for more typical purposes. I cleaned the church with it (because unlike the upright the church owned, it allowed me to vacuum the fabric on the pews and the window sills and under the pulpit and behind the commodes). I cleaned houses I lived in. I cleaned houses that others lived in. Sometimes there was some really gross stuff that vacuum sucked right up without complaint. Occasionally it did sort of choke, but with persuasion it would gulp down dust buffalos, dried up dog poop, spilled cheerios, dead roaches, shriveled lizards, flea eggs...(you were warned this might get graphic, but I'll stop since the list gets worse). This vacuum ventured many places more expensive and pampered vacuums were called to go.

In the 90's I found that the bags for it were no longer sold alongside the bags of more contemporary models. I was distressed to think that I would have to give it up because I couldn't get bags for it! Then I found the 99cent stores had ended up with the remaining H bags and I bought up all their packages at 3 for $1. I bought so many that it was possible to change the bag every time I used the vacuum. Thus, when I turned on the machine it didn't have that dust mold stink that most vacuums do (because of the stuff still left in the bag's innards).

Anyway, that vacuum was my faithful helper when folks who were moving out had to clean up their apartments before the landlord came to evaluate and decide whether their deposit could be refunded. It could reach drapes, venetian blinds, cobwebs on ceiling fans, mouse droppings in the bottom of ovens, spiderwebs along the baseboards, mud clods in the garage...

While we lived in our barn for three years, it could get under the tightly jammed furniture, under the fridge, under and behind the washing machine, up on the top bunk bed, along the top of the door frames, on the steep stairs...in fact, I could stand on the stairs and vacuum off the top of the fridge, bookshelves...

Since we've been in our house it continued to serve until a couple of months ago when it began to make a screeching sound in protest: a sound I could not ignore. I told Kevin I thought something awful was wrong with it.

Last week we took it to the vacuum store on Lamar: the store that occupies the same building that used to be the Chicken Shack. The owner himself turned the vacuum on, heard enough to make his diagnosis; he said with certainty the motor was dying: the heart of it. The metal body was still in decent shape (with a few dents and a seal slipping and the on-off switch cover gone). The hose was fine (it was actually the only part I'd replaced in 31 years; it was comparatively new). The expert commented on the metal attachments (since the newer ones are plastic). He said that it was up to me whether I wanted to have a new motor installed or just buy a new machine. He readily admitted that a new machine would not last like this one had. He said that a newer one would have better suction.

Then, he told me that he thought the actual hose and tools from my old machine could be mounted on a new Eureka Mighty Mite. He showed me that cute little model and suddenly it seemed less like I was giving up my buddy, and rather more like a transplant was being done.

I realized as I stood in the valley of decision that I had no photos of my faithful ol' pal. So, I took some to remember him by.

I can't explain why I care about such things emotionally. I didn't even give the vacuum a name. Maybe it has something to do with living alone (or without other humans) for so many years. But, whatever the reason, I do have a deep appreciation for the gifts God gives (including the tools, vehicles, shelters, AC!...)

It just doesn't seem right not to express my gratitude for the vacuum I bought on a silly whim 31 years ago that has allowed me to serve others and keep the outdoors at bay wherever I am.

Although I left the body on the counter, I carried away a descendant wearing the hose and wand of his great GREAT grandfather Eureka!

The LORD provides what we need if we keep our hand open!

Above we see the new Eureka (yellow) silently awaiting the transported hose.

The transplant was quick and seemingly painless.
I didn't ask what would become of the old body. I didn't want to know.

A few of you may recognize this (I made allusion to it in the story).

The Mighty Mite is hoisted on board for the trip home with us. He proudly sports the tools of his famous predecessor.

Spared an Ordeal

2011-06-14T13:12:00.001-07:00

SPARED AN ORDEAL. We ought to realize that God spares us OFTEN from worse troubles than we need endure. Scripture says we should let the day’s trouble be sufficient for the day. Some days are more troublesome than others. But, even the hardest are tempered by Him so that we can bear up through them. Sometimes we are called to go through things that seem pointless. Frequently. Because He does keep me from such troubles at times, I know that when He doesn’t take me around them, but has me go through them, that trail is by His leading and His purpose. Thus assured He is determining what I should suffer and what I need not, I rejoice when I realize He has spared me from something unnecessary. Sometimes such reprieves are from perilous tumbles; other times it is from sheer tedium or frustration. An example of the latter follows.

Last week I went into our tackroom to get alfalfa pellets to take to the cows who were in our ‘big field’ (I hoped). I knew they might not actually BE in that field because they had found a low enough place in the end fence (pushed down by our resident does) to get over into the ‘bottom’. So, I expected they were somewhere in that 15 acres (10 of which is not visible) and I planned to just stand at the top of the big field and call them. It was of course, extremely hot and I was hoping they would come quickly when I called. But, when I came out of the tackroom with the bucket in my hand, up walked the cows! I was stunned by the exact timing. If I had come out 10 seconds sooner and gone over to the field (which is across our deep, brambly, poison-ivy infested, wooded arroyo), the cows would have been back at the house; (they had gone through the fence and come up the backside of our property). I would have been searching through 15 acres, with no view through trees, behind the pond berm in the heat. I’d have hunted and hollered, and when I didn’t find them and I would have feared they had gotten over into the neighbors’ fields or gone out on the highway. It would have been a time consuming, steamy, worrisome trip and at the end of it, I’d have found the cows right where I’d begun. Then, I would still have had to get them back where they belonged. Whew! . I doubt this little entry conveys my relief and gratitude, but the LORD spared me much hassle by timing ’when the cows came home’. The cows, because of His ‘steering’ were led to safe pasture instead of wandering into danger. While I was saved from working my way into heat-stroke. Countless times I’ve seen how He smooths our path even though it leads us through treacherous terrain ; this was just the most recent. (Lynn Margason, June 2011)

Horse Quiz #1

2011-06-06T14:27:00.001-07:00

HORSE QUIZ #1
We have gone over all of the questions on this test.
The questions are UNDER each picture. Do not answer on this page. Instead, either print out the test or make your own answer sheet. Do not seek help. Answer from memory.

Q.1a What is this man doing? a) driving b)vaulting c) longing
Q.1b Why is he doing this? ________________________

Q.2 What are the spots on this horse called? ___________

Q.3a What gait is this horse doing?______ How can you tell?
3b______________________________________

Q.4a What is the long hair on this horse's neck called? __________
Q.4b What gait is this horse doing? ______________ How can you tell?
Q.4c_______________________________________________

Q.5a What is this horse doing with her head? _________ Q.5b Why? _______

Q.6a What are Buck's ears saying?_____________________________
Q.6b What are Ellie's ears saying? _____________________________

Q.7a What kind of bit is this? ________________Q.7b How does it work?
_____________________________________________

Q.8a What gait is this horse doing? _____________
Q.8b This gait is called a _____________ when riding western,
Q.8c and a _______________when riding English.

Q.9 Is this rider riding a)hunt seat b)dressage c) flat seat
Q.10What is this horse doing? ___________________

Q.11 What is the part of the horse called between the ears?
a) poll b)withers c) forelock

Q.12 What colors are the horses above?
a) palomino, buckskin and chestnut
b) palomino, red roan, bay
c) palomino, red roan, chestnut

Q.13a Are this mare and foal the same horse color? ____
Q.13b What color is the mare? __________________
Q.13c What color is her foal?___________________

Q.14 What is this horse doing? ____________________

Q.15a Is this horse afraid of the bear?_______ How can you tell?
Q.15b________________________________________

Q.16a What do you call a person who does this to horses? ____________
Q.16b What is he doing? __________________________________

Q. 17 What gait is Buck doing? _______________________

Q. 18 What is this horse doing? _____________________

Q. 19 What gait is Buck doing? _____________________

Q. 20a What kind of bit is in this bridle? _______________
Q. 20b What is missing on this bridle? ________________

Q. 21 This horse is standing a)straight b)square c)parked out

I keep hoping that things I'm teaching are being retained by riders as well as the horses. Alas, horses have far greater retention.

Rely put to

2011-02-21T05:54:00.000-08:00

A guest takes the lines.

His son, too, gets a chance to drive.

Rely steppin' out.

Hangers-on rotated like a chinese fire drill.

Rely gets criticized rather often for his strong-willed nature; but, it is the contrast between his usual behavior and the compliance he shows in this activity that is so illustrative.

You've heard the expressions 'put out to pasture' and 'put to a vote', but have you heard, "he was first put to at the age of two"? Not, 'put out' or 'put upon', but 'put to?'

I love the expression, we 'put Rely to the carriage'. That means to hitch up to drive. I still remember how off-putting putting to was to us in the beginning. We had a fully trained horse, a carriage and a harness, but we were clueless about how to merge them so that we could drive. We went to a 'hands on' clinic at Tom O-Carroll's Good Hands Training Center and were given the basics. That was about six years ago. We've not forgotten anything he taught us! But, one thing he told us was "you need to practice!" We have been lax about that instruction. We said we would do it; we intended to do it, but we rarely actually get to it! It would get easier for us to 'put to' if we did it more often, but the intervals are so great that each time it is like a quiz.

There are plenty of folks that can 'put their horse to' all by themselves. Alone. I've done it twice, I think, and it is NOT easy for me! So, I have to wait until my Hub is willing to assist. It is such a special day when he agrees. Not only does he help hitch, he also takes photos! I LOVE seeing the expressions on folks' faces! I can't see them while I'm focused on driving. So, I rush to the computer when we finish to download the photos he's taken and savor them long afterward.

Anyway, for weeks, we've had lovely weekend weather (especially for this time of the year) and I've been chomping at the bit to drive. Each weekend we keep riding instead. But, this past Saturday, I was bound and determined to drive and we did!

I really love driving. It is quite different from riding. It is sort of gliding over the ground: skimming along. It feels elegant. I love looking down on the horse with his neck bent to the task. The harness is fascinating to look at with the muscles working under it.

And one thing I like most about driving is that you can include others! Although it is possible to take a small child up on horseback with you (riding double), with a four wheel carriage, we can 'cart' around four to five folks at once. Rely actually pulls more than his weight! We don't make him go up hill and down with it. Just around and around on level ground.

He steps right out and treds the breeze, nimbly threading through the trees! Analytical person that I am, I ponder why this is so exhilerating to my soul. I think the primary reason is that Rely has been PUT TO a true purpose! He is fulfilling his potential. He is serving those who his master asks him to convey and he is doing it with comprehension, willingness, obedience and grace. Only those that know him well can understand how out-of-character this is for him. He transcends himself when harnessed and pulling in accordance with the steering and voice of his driver.

Footnote: a certain sweetie who shall remain nameless (unless she asks to be identified) took some of the photos on Saturday for us. She'll likely know which are hers! She did a great job!

Snow Day!

2011-02-07T05:53:00.000-08:00

So much of the country is experiencing blizzard snows. All we received is about 1 inch of snow, but because this is such a rare event here; we made much ado about it!

Other creatures were leaving traces they'd been out in it.

Both of our cats ventured out and found it not unpleasant.

Grace (who is five this March) had never seen this before!

And of course, neither had Fuddrucker.

Mount Manure looked lovely with a snow blanket.Our fields were white.

Our cows were glad to see us.

None of our pipes broke, but we're going to have a BIG water bill!

Your turn honey.

Canine snow angels.

The road was slick, but we did not have to drive on it!

Footprints in the snow are gone quickly; but this photo proves we were there!

Home for the Holidays

2011-01-04T10:07:00.001-08:00

Ellie was enlisted.

One posed photo happened.Buck and Bill on the hill.

Photo Op at church

Heels well down.

Telescope assembly competition.

Handicapped after heavy meal.

Young enough to appreciate fruit fully.

We endeavor to influence our grandchildren toward horses.And our nieces.

Clancy went for a brief carriage ride.

Our Christmas greeting combined images taken by our good neighbor, Linda (of us) and Nathan of snow at Vista Verde.

Family portrait: Rosa, Fuddrucker & Dad Dillon

Nathan & Grace

The Christmas season this year was spent on our own turf for the first time in several years. It began with the Christmas program at our church. Hub and I were 'persuaded' to direct it. We went through three revisions of the script. Kevin worked overtime on the set. Then, the day before our 'dress rehearsal', he came down with the flu! I took the unfinished pieces to church and appealed to those who were there to rehearse. I need 'goose wings'; I need the 'barn' carried in from the trailer. The barn needs a roof. The roof needs some snow. The door needs some touching up...For an intense hour everyone went to work and the set got set. The play got rehearsed. I substituted for Kevin who had the lead role. Admittedly I ad libbed. After asking for assistance in directing, I frustrated the poor person trying to 'direct' me! But, we persevered and the play (once we showed the kids how to use microphones without touching them) came across quite well. Once that was done, I went home and went to bed (after realizing I was running 100 plus fever). The next day, Monday, I was home ill and Kevin drug himself out of bed to tackle the chores. He went back to work. I stayed home Tues and then returned to work on Weds (with just two days to try to get necessary things done before the 'break'.

We had invited family to come stay with us for Christmas. On Christmas eve and Christmas morning we were frantically cleaning, straightening and bringing order to our house before folks arrived. That, too, was accomplished. The LORD gave us strength, and folks came a couple of hours later than we'd anticipated. Mercifully!

The guys got to go shooting; the women stayed behind to get the meal ready for their return.

We gathered together (20 of us) to celebrate at the Fire Department (which has a pretty nice set up for large group meals). The meal was bountiful; everyone overate. They left too many leftovers! Each saying, 'I can't take that home; we shouldn't eat anymore!' So, we were left with enough to do the dinner all over, but there were lots fewer to partake!

I learned a lot from this undertaking (usually my sister or my Mom host these family afffairs).
1. be specific about what you want people to bring
2. scope out the seating in advance
3. capitalize on finger foods
4. root beer is the preferred beverage
5. accept help from all who offer it
6. plan a fun activity (not Monopoly; it takes way too long to play). I can't actually think of a single activity that would appeal to all. I am going to start looking for one for next year!
7. add two rooms to the house

Photos in this post were from the whole interim/break/holiday. There are none of the Christmas program (I was wearing too many hats to take any pictures).

Photography tips as requested

2010-10-22T07:22:00.001-07:00

Some example images to illustrate photo techniques

As requested, here are a few tips for getting better photos (gleaned from many sources).

Think about what the actual subject is that you are attempting to capture. Focus on that. Eliminate anything that doesn't help to get your point across. Think of focusing on the subject as getting to the point you want to make. Don't be afraid to get close (but do be sure that you have your subject in sharp focus).

It is easy to be overwhelmed by too much of a good thing. Flower beds tend to be too much info. Closeups of specific flowers, arranged for composition, will have far great impact.
Look for natural frames for your subject; they are everywhere!

Although usually, you want to avoid powerlines and messy fences, in certain situations, they can add dimension, perspective, interest... In other cases; they are best left/cropped out.

Rule of thirds (look it up), means you don't put your subject dead center and your image should have sections that the subject bisects.

Light is different at different times of the day. Usually, mid day light is harsh, throws distorting shadows and causes glare. Whereas, the slanting light early and late in the day, is most of the time more pleasing to the eye.

When photographing motion, leave room in front of the subject (more than behind) for the subject to move into. When you center a moving object, it makes it seem more static.

Portraits are usually most attractive at a three quarters angle. This angle hides many details that people object to seeing in photos of themselves.

But, the best photos of people are usually spontaneous and unposed. Still, consider the light source so that their faces are lit and shadows aren't on them.

Candid photos are the most fun to take, too. They have humor and surprise going for them.

Scenic shots should have a subject, too. Look again for shapes that are interesting.

Light is an amazing thing and creates fascinating images if you look for them!

Exposure requires learning the settings on the camera. You don't want images that are washed out.

Depth of focus is another issue. Macros are best with only the subject in focus and everything else blurred. But, scenery should be in focus from front to back so that the eye can see the details at each distance, although sometimes a certain amount of blur (intentional) does give the image a dream or nostalgic effect.

It is possible to create a black or contrasting background by putting the subject in front of a white or dark (shadowed) background. Use a doorway, window, sky...behind to set off the subject.

Buzzin'

2010-06-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

I seem to be averaging about a post a month. Not that there isn't plenty to share, just that I have to get a concept first. A theme or a particular point I want to make.

This topic is Perseverance. For years Hub has talked about having some bees. I had no idea what all that involved. I suppose I was as clueless about beekeeping as he was about horsekeeping when we first entered into that together. I admit that I haven't been as supportive of his bee planning as he was about the horse enterprise. The idea of having bees seemed fine to me. I envisioned a white hive or two way WAY back in the corner of our property where I would never have to go near it. I thought you just called someone and asked them to deliver the hives to your property. You set them down wherever you wanted them sort of like a round bale.

Here is what getting bees on our property entailed:
(HUB did every single bit of this without my assistance)
1. Find out when Bee Keepers' meetings are held. Attend them. They have them in Round Rock, Brenham, Temple...Amazing to me how many beekeepers are out there. He has now attended at least four meetings (in the past two months).
2. Buy a hive. (Not the bees, just the box). Assemble it. Paint it. Prepare it. The hive he is setting up is a top-bar hive. So, there are these stick things that fit into the hive which have grooves in them. Each groove had to be filled with beeswax. Legs had to be put on the box. The box had to have three coats of paint. There had to be a "cover" made for it.
3. Purchase brood and a queen. I think this is called a Nuc (not sure of the spelling). Ordinarily, the queen, two to three pounds of bees and frames of brood are put into a temporary box for transporting home. But, since we got a different type of hive, a top-bar hive, it wasn't that simple. The fellow who sold us the "nuc" (who is near College Station) allowed Hub to bring his box home. The bees in the box had to be "smoked" (this calms them and settles them) so that the box top could be removed and sugar water could be placed inside for the bees to live on until they were transferred to the top-bar hive. The amount of time recommended for them to settle is one day. Ours ended up having to spend about 10 days in that box. It did have an opening so that they could get out for some fresh air, water and nectar from flowers and trees.
4. Set up for transfer. Hub carried a table out near the hive. On it he placed the smoker, a knife, pliers, and a plate. He put on his bee suit (which he purchased used from someone at one of the meetings). The veil and hat are all but wore out and need replacing. He had to have the veil taped tightly with masking tape so that there were no gaps. I did get to do the taping. I did miss a spot because a bee did get into the veil and sting him. Not sure how; I saw no openings. But, it was disconcerting to be given the job of protecting him and have a bee beat me.
5. Smoke the box they were in. Open the lid. Remove the ...WHAT ARE THOSE CALLED?...(I looked it up) frames one at a time. There were nine in there, I think. Take the frame to the new hive box, with a beebrush gently scrape (brush) the bees off the frame (which has comb and brood attached to it) into the new box. Take the frame to the table, cut the comb containing brood loose from the frame. Slice it into a shape that will fit into the new hive (because it isn't the same shape as the old hive). Attach this piece of comb with brood (using pliers and wire) to the support pieces in the new hive. Do it again, and again, and again, and again...Come ask your wife to please pull stinger out of your neck and retape the veil. Drink water and wipe sweat while face is exposed.
6. Now that brood and hopefully the queen are in the new hive box, close it and leave space at base for bees to squeeze in and out barely. Idea being that they should stay in the new hive for a day or so to become acclimated.
7. Carry the frames into house and squeeze honey out of the remaining comb attached to them. Filter honey. We ended up with about a pint.
8. clean up mess.

So, that's a brief summary; there was more to it. The box had to be returned to the lender. The bees seem to be accepting their new hive. The hive is about 70 feet from my porch. Hub says these are extremely gentle bees. So far they haven't stung me. Or the dogs. The cat actually went to the hive and tried to climb up to the box. It appeared that they did not mind him overmuch since he is still alive and I didn't see any swellings on him to indicate he'd been attacked.

We got our hive set up about two days before the summer solstice. The bees are ahummin' and abuzzin' out there.

Hub also has his other project now underway: his garden. There are five tomato plants and three grapevines and ... (not sure if there is anything else at the moment) growing in it.

The rain we've gotten has been wonderful! We've had a glorious spring. There is more grass than the cows can eat. They are obese. And we still have wildflowers (beefood).

Here's Rely still sporting dapples into June (usually we only have those for a few weeks in April when he first sheds out).

Spring is fading fast

2010-05-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I really don't want to start a new post because I want to keep the current post on top. Sort of like arranging the order of photos on the website. But, I'll go ahead with this but just make sure to check out the post before this one if you haven't.

This post is just to show some recent doings at the ranch. Spring is fading and summer is just this week starting to manifest itself. Shadow is about to "blow coat" (shed). Thought I'd take her pic before she's scroungey looking. Ellie has been enjoying her grooming sessions (she's been shedding, too). Buck has gotten to go across the road to graze three times now at sunset for photoshoots. Clancy came along to get some petting. The guys got in a little porch time. Hub has been shredding the field and had to sharpen the blades on the shredder. The primroses by the outdoor shower got mowed, but the picture preserves them! The foals are in a neighbor's field (not ours).

Learning the Ropes

2010-04-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, we had this young man recruit our horses to add to the skill set he needs for a wrangler position he's about to step into. Rely and Ellie were glad to oblige. Rely, learned to neck rein for the crash-course. Hence the hackamore.

Getting in rhythm with Rely takes balance and finesse. You can see he got it! If you think that much suspension (see all four feet off the ground) is easy to sit, try it!
The all-terrain choice is Ellie. She's like riding a four wheeler (nearly as wide).

Longing is something that requires practice to master. Here's the end result. See the earlier requests of Rely. He was much more cooperative this time around.

Of course, saddling is an essential skill. Getting a saddle on Rely tight is an art. He has no withers. The bridling, too, took some practice.
Learning to read horse body-language lesson was provided by Rely & Ellie.
And Rely and Grace.
By the end of the second session; they were seeing eye-to-eye.

Rely Returns

2010-04-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

Well, Rely flunked his trial. They gave him a good try and he convinced them he has his mind on things which should not distract him. So, we retrieved him and soon after we hitched him to our heavy carriage and gave some company rides. He was a little concerned about the weight of the vehicle when loaded, but he didn't have to pull it far or fast or up or down hills. I keep telling him he should thank God he's not Amish.

Then, we took him to a show and entered him in a trotting race! That was a blast!
And Kevin showed him in liberty! They got second!
He seems glad to be back with us. I feel the LORD again has returned him to me. I'm holding him loosely, but enjoying having him home!

Quickening

2010-03-25T06:23:00.001-07:00

Resurrection Sunday 2010

In our clime, Spring does just that. It springs upon us! Pounces. One day the branches are bare and the ground is gray as old bones. A week later blossoms are everywhere and the trees (at least some of them) have leaves! Fauna and flora bask in the moist breezes and warming sun.

The trees at the top of this post are some of the very first to bloom: mountain laurel, redbud and tulip trees. May our celebration of new life long outlast these first bursts of joy at rebirth.

Infancy of an idea

2010-03-11T06:11:00.000-08:00

God didn't start with babies. He began with adults. They were created already capable of comprehending His character; hearing His voice; following His directions; knowing His love. This ability to know Him without upbringing is divine.

In our Sunday school lesson last week we were studying the creation of Man. God created Man: male and female He created them.

I was suddenly accosted by an idea I had never entertained before. Those who know me best will tell you that I give huge parties to entertain ideas. If you have never attended one; consider this an invitation!

God created Man (male and female) as adults. They were fully grown (past puberty) and they (like most of the creatures they were naming) were told to procreate and fill the earth with others of their kind; in their case Man Kind.

God could have done things entirely differently. In fact, He did. There are examples, even in His creation, of alternative means of reproduction. There are organisms that simply divide; they make more of themselves from themselves. That seems efficient. And so simple! No conflict. No arguing over who is in charge. Then, there are creatures that reproduce asexually. Even occasionally, a critter is male and female in one body. So, it isn't actually essential that there be two separate "parents" to have "offspring". Perhaps the point of parents is nurture? Well, what about animals that hatch out of eggs or come out of cocoons and never know their parents: turtles, butterflies, fish, flies, spiders?

Wait, some spiders DO know their parents.

I think I'm getting a bit off topic here. So, populating the earth could have been done without a need for males and females that merge and then produce a baby which must be nurtured if it is to survive.

Why did He do it this way? Ahah! There's the rub! Ponder that. Pause to contemplate what existence would be like without babies. I'll give you a moment to get the wolf spider out of your mind.

Scroll on down. What aspects of our relationship with God would be lost if there were no babies?

What purpose DO babies serve?
I know, you will say they are cute and cuddly and irresistible, but that assessment, in itself is odd when you actually look at it. What makes them cute, cuddly and worthy of self-sacrifice? How do they earn our devotion and attention? Babies are actually the most selfish creatures in existence. Yet, just by being so utterly helpless, they twang at our heartstrings. Why is that? I'm not being silly here. We don't feel the same pull at our core when we see snakes or lizards or turtles or flies newly born.

You'll say that those are not humans; that it would be unnatural to be inclined to care for them. True, but puppies, kittens, bunnies, lambs...aren't human either, but they are still considered cuddly, cute and irresistible. Why lambs and kids, but not wasps or toads?

Creatures which come into this world helpless and totally dependent on their parents fulfill an ordained purpose just being born. Unlike Adam and Eve, we enter this existence clueless. So much of what we come to realize about God is explained, illustrated, experienced and passed along in the progression from birth to new birth.

As with God's faithfulness, maternal devotion preserves the relationship even when other commitments change. Children exemplify an ongoing plea for emotional comfort and security: the need for a safe haven.
Babies have to be shown where to go for nourishment. As do we, spiritually. They model total dependency.
They are given opportunities to learn to learn in the minute details, a task at a time.
In route, they are given hands on instruction in how to design things, build things, fix things...
They are emboldened to touch other lives; to share their existence; to seek companionship.
First physically, then mentally, then SPIRITUALLY...

They learn the importance of having SOMEONE at your back when you face the unknown.
SOMEONE to hold you up so you have a whole new perspective.
SOMEONE willing to get dirty to keep you clean.
SOMEONE to show you how to walk in step and when to follow.
SOMEONE who seemingly leaves you unattended, but is actually keeping a close eye on you at all times.
SOMEONE who allows you to make mistakes, knowing you'll end up wiser for the experience.
SOMEONE that shields you from predators.
SOMEONE who watches as you explore dimensions, heights, depths...

SOMEONE who cares who you reflect.
SOMEONE who shows you that you must be born again!
SOMEONE who celebrates when you grow up to begin the parental cycle again! Knowing His Love, knowing how to love as He does, we are ready to bring forth a child!
This is His way of revealing Himself to us. He came as a babe into our realm so that we could perceive Him as a parent!

February 2010

2010-02-24T10:33:00.001-08:00

UT tower with snowfall: February 23, 2010. The time is forever recorded here!
Folks were searching high and low for subjects to photograph.
I had an umbrella shielding my camera lens.
It did start to stick on things that were cold enough.
There are four trees (one in each corner) of the courtyard at Battle Hall.
These trees I've been told are called Orchid trees. Whatever they are, they are gorgeous!
Folks were taking photos with all manner of digital assistance. Even cell phones.

Have been waiting for something blog worthy for this month. February always seems drab and raw round these parts. Our worst weather is usually in February. This year, we've actually had some unseasonably warm weather. But, yesterday we had a wee bit of snow! It is ironic that everyone in Kevin's family has been dealing with record snows and here we are excited about a little dusting! Can't help it; it is such a rare thing and we just had to make the most of it! These pictures were taken on UT campus yesterday. By the time we got home there wasn't much to photograph, but our new neighbor said that there had been a coating of snow earlier and she has pics to prove it! At least we got to see some where we were.

Launching Rely

2010-01-19T07:38:00.001-08:00

Last spring, with the wedding pending, I offered to sell Rely to the folks who seemed most likely to make the best use of him. At that time they were strapped financially and couldn't manage the purchase. So, I took that as the LORD's permission to keep him, at least for a while. My motivation had been financial and the LORD had provided another way (by selling off most of our cows). Then, last fall, because I'd already begun to think of not having him, and I'd partially processed the possibility, I posted an ad for him online. I made it as clear as I could that my motive for offering him was to allow him to realize his potential. I got four responses. Three were not reading closely what I'd said. I quickly dispensed with those. But, the fourth sounded more like what I'd envisioned. I sent a lengthy response to that inquiry; honestly describing his every shortcoming as well as his strengths and never got an answer. So, again, I took that as confirmation I could keep him. Other things began to seem right for him staying with us. The ad expired. I went on with plans to at least keep the dust off him. Then last week, the first folks I mentioned, came back and asked if I still wanted to sell him. I wanted to say, not really. But, decided that I needed to revisit the idea. I did that, and prayed for direction. So, Sunday afternoon we took him to their place to give them a few weeks to see if he'll fit their plans. And I'm glad I was able to tell them everything negative I could think of to try to dissuade them. He likes them and he likes it there so it isn't hard for me to let them have him for the trial period. The harder thing will be if they decide they do want him. For good. Rely has been like a son to me. I told Kevin that I can't think of selling him; rather, I'm trying to think of allowing him to go forth into the world to make his mark. To fulfill his destiny. I do think he has far too much ability and potential to be standing around our place switching flies and watching horse trailers going to and fro to someplace. This is probably as close to watching your child graduate and move out as I'm going to get !

So go ahead, Rely! Strut your stuff! Show your suspension. Prove your impulsion!

You know, gelding him didn't take anything at all away from his movement! Often I wonder what all we might have done with him if we'd gelded him sooner. But, because we didn't, unlike most people who sell their best horse, we still have a good part of him left with us. In his daughter: On Grace Rely!

January for sure!

2010-01-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

It's January 2010! Are there others who find that hard to believe!? We're into another decade. We just had a record-breaking freeze hereabouts. It is more than I can do to process it all, so, I'm mostly letting some images speak. I've been blogging here a year now. I've gotten the hang of posting images with captions finally!

Now this first pic could be about a variety of things. Sheep Blues! What I set it up to express is my dilemma as "step-grandma" as the flock keeps growing! We've got two new ones due this year!

Here's something strange. Kevin found many of these down by the pond. We both studied the pictures and still aren't sure what caused them, but they are frozen spirals of ice at the base of some weeds. The ice is so white! Not clear.
We had some pipes break in the barn. After fixing them, Kevin built a fire in the woodstove and it actually heated the barn for almost 24 hours! We both visited it on and off as we went about our chores. We miss having the woodstove in our living space. Someday Kevin hopes to enclose our front porch and put in a woodstove. For now, we have to go "next door" to enjoy it.

Our old shower curtain and two bales of hay were commissioned to help protect the pipes. The penguins seemed so appropriate! I remind myself of March of the Penguins whenever I think I'm chilly; it provides instant perspective on reality.
The horses were grateful to have some choice as to whether to weather the chill under shelter or by soaking up what sun broke through.

Because water lines to the cows broke, Kevin had to haul them water.
Although we had no snow to show how cold it was, you can get a clue from Kevin's garb and posture.
Others around us tried various ways to keep their pipes from bursting. This was very pretty but the footing was treacherous.
Here's our Rosa grateful to get some relatively warm water (50 degrees instead of 33).
It took about an hour to dribble out by gravity. Kevin didn't want to use a hose (those were all frozen.)
The dogs curled up in the sun.
The horses napped.

Our lower pond had a thin layer of ice almost totally across it.
Ducks from the day before.
The trough under the North side spigot. Not sure why the ice was wavy? The thicker side was next to the barn.
We didn't stay out with this little firepit long. Did give it a try.
Lucy was a bit distressed by the cold drink.
She watched Dillon and saw that it was at least possible.
Icy dew.
Grace with sunshine on her shoulders.

Sixteen days to "catch up"!

2010-01-04T06:51:00.001-08:00

Countdown
I was to have sixteen straight days off over the Christmas break. I thought I could surely catch up with photos in that much time! Alas, it was not to be. Roughly, I thought I'd divvy up the days as follows: 1 day to process photos for someone who had asked us to do a family group shoot for them on Dec 21. Two to three days to finish up the wedding photos so they could be hand delivered to all concerned when they gathered together in early January. The rest of the time to work on back orders for folks. That seemed do-able. Reasonable.

The first two days I just did the usual chores we do every weekend. No photos were dealt with that first weekend. Instead I was trying to help poor Kevin prepare for the next week when he'd have to work and I wouldn't. Monday, I came into Austin with him, dropped him at work and went down to Lady Bird Lake. I parked under the Mopac bridge and walked onto the bridge just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. There was steam rising off the lake. The scene was breathtaking. I spent an hour taking photos and got some of my best artistic shots ever! I told myself that I was NOT to work on them, though, until I had unclogged the logjamb of unprocessed images. So, as tempting as it was to get to them, I left them as a carrot dangling out in front of me. That evening Kevin and I took our portable light equipment and two cameras to the residence in Round Rock where the family we were to photograph was awaiting us. They were not yet dressed for the occasion and they had not eaten. We swiftly ascertained that the children involved (there were five of them) were not going to cooperate until they'd eaten. So, stomachs were attended to while we moved furniture and set up the lights. We both concluded afterwards that we do not want to go into group photography! Whereas we got gobs of great shots of individual children and two or three subjects at a time, getting THE PIC of all of them together was almost too much for us! Three hours after arriving we had what we hoped would be enough to build a composite group photo. Initially, I had hoped we would take the photos there, download them to my laptop and then burn a cd right then to give them. Between us we took about 400 photos in less than an hour. I had forgotten how slowly my laptop downloads! After about 15 minutes of waiting on it, we decided we'd just get a cd to her the next day. The next day and the day after I spent processing those photos. Except for the big group shot they didn't need much, but I am compulsive and wanted them to be right!

Here are a couple from that shoot. They imported some baby ducks! I'd love to post the finished group composite, but since I don't have model releases, guess I'd better not. It is quite amusing, though. No two people were looking in the same direction. Nobody in the picture posed. It looks like a frozen moment of family chaos.

But, these two are favorites of mine.

So, three more days gone. Now there were 11 days left. On Christmas eve we spent the whole day (pretty much) shopping since Kevin had it off and we could go do it together. Christmas we went to my sister's house and celebrated with family. Her house is always like wonderland to me! There are so many beautiful decorations. As for getting folks to stand together for a group shot, even if it hadn't been for the difficulty we'd had achieving this a couple of days before, I'd have despaired of such an endeavor. Many years of trying have taught me my limitations. We didn't even attempt to herd the cats together this time. I took about 150 photos there. I haven't even looked at them all yet! I downloaded them and went on to the next day's activity. Here are three of those. For those who want to see more, go to the family section on our photo site.

On the day after Christmas we hauled Buck and Ellie over to a friend's place for a little trailride. I only took about eight (8)!! photos there. I had my hands full trying to hold Ellie back. I left the camera in the truck. See three from the eight lower in this post. Ellie has finally proven that she has a tree phobia! Every time we get near them she starts to have a panic attack. I managed to keep her from taking flight, but just barely. So, no photos of her (although she did successfully complete half of the ride). Instead, there are photos of Kevin and son and then of our host and said son lookin' chapped. Or chinked.

Then, I began to work to finish the wedding photos. My goal was to get them on a transfer device to be hand delivered to Virginia. My deadline was Dec 27. I spent two full days and thought I'd mostly managed it. Did put 3.6 GB on a thumb. Knew there were a few strays but figured I'd round them up before sending off the DVDs with sets of photos on them to family. Estimated it'd take a few more hours to corral them.

Wrong again. The truth is that I worked FOUR more days on them and ended up with 4.8 GBs total. Here are a few of the strays. Wouldn't have wanted to leave them in limbo on my hard drive! I also did some serious photoshopping on a few. One member of the Margason clan had complained about being made to kneel in the group photo. So, if you'll look closely you'll see that he was allowed to stand as he wished!

Took some shots at the blue moon. The night shots were on the 31st; the daybreak shots were on New Year's day. It was frosty and foggy and worth getting up for!

Kevin and I wanted to ride Ellie again with a new set of reins and a curb chain. So, we called our new neighbor to come ride with us and saddled up. Our new neighbor has gotten Buck's respect. He minds her well!

Since Buck was behaving for our guest; Kevin agreed to ride Ellie. This was his second time on her and all went well. Note the mud from her knees down. Before grooming she was coated thus from ears to toes.

Kevin took the camera from me and didn't look at the settings (which were still set for moonshots). So, the first few pics were blown badly. But, I kind of like 'em this way. De-emphasizes the rider and shows Ellie in a better light.

Here are the pics from our trailride. That bay isn't ours. She was leant. Her name was Gal and she was a doll.

One thing I just never get to do in my work week is photograph at the optimum hours. My first day "off" I dropped poor Kevin at work (he didn't have it off) and went down to Lady Bird Lake to see what I could see. It was foggy and the sun was just rising. WOW!

Before I end this post, here's the greeting card we settled on. Those who look closely at details may notice that in this photo, Ellie does not have her mohawk bridlepath. Well, sometimes I trim our horses in photoshop (it is much easier than doing it in reality). I haven't yet decided whether I want to sheer her lovely locks. But, it does make her look more exotic having the upstanding hair on her crest. This card did not get mailed to anyone. So if you didn't get one, you are not alone. We handed out some. Will send it electronically.

In summary, with two weeks off and three weekends, and 16 days straight to "catch up", I got less than half of my list done! Still, I am grateful to have had the time, energy and health to accomplish as much as I did! The big thing was time spent with family, friends and each other: caroling, worshiping, sleeping in, shopping, feasting and cuddling. Somethings just can't be done on the computer!

Please do come visit our blog here during this coming year 2010. I've been writing to this blog for a year now. There are fifty or more folks I want to correspond with and just don't have time! So, this is how I try to share with you what the LORD is up to in our ken. May we see Him and hear Him and rejoice together, Amen Lynn & Kevin

Shooting for the card

2009-12-14T07:12:00.000-08:00

Sunny standing in for Kevin.
Ellie looks depressed.
I'm glad we attempted this because I now know to charge more for pictures of multiple animals (especially from different species). We had already decided, because of the mud and the mist and the dreariness, to only use two of our four horses and the dogs for this "shoot". We chose Ellie and Buck because they make nice autumn subjects. These shots are the outtakes from our '09 card shoot. Our new neighbor, who is also into photography, took these for us. I think she learned a bit about the challenge of this sort of shoot, too. The picture we ended up with is not shown in this post. We're saving it for our card and don't want anyone to see it in advance. I liked this first one, though because you can't see my double chin. Instead, we see Ellie's hairy one. But, not even one ear is up in this one.

Ah, one ear.

Except for Ellie (who looks bored), this one is kinda neat.

FOUR ears! And one dog (who looks less than thrilled). Nice of me, not so much of Kevin.
Two dogs.

Kevin liked this one because the females are on the left and the males on the right and you can't see our faces!

Scottish Highland Dance

2009-12-07T05:32:00.000-08:00

Saturday we were asked to watch and photograph at a Highland Dance Ball. First time to attend one and it was fascinating, beautiful and festive. Their regalia was so detailed and the gracefulness of the dancing cannot be truly captured in still photos. But, we did enjoy trying!

The PIONEER WOMAN cometh!

2009-12-04T05:40:00.000-08:00

The store was packed with warmly dressed women, most of them sitting on the floor. Every one was polite and cheerful. There were no "scenes"; there was no complaining; there was no pushing. It rather reminded me of Britain where they know how to wait patiently for royalty to arrive. My hub wasn't sure he'd know Ree when she arrived. There were a surprising number of red headed ladies there and he guessed wrong a few times. I assured him I'd know her when I saw her. This well-dressed redhead wasn't her.

My hub called me away from the comfy chair I was curled up in during the long wait. I put aside a huge and gorgeous photography collection of horse pictures (need to look for that book on eBay) to point out that I could pull over a stool and stand on it and have a superb view! He was so right! He also was one of two there that was wearing a cowboy hat. Out of over 200! This is Texas guys! Of course, only about 5 per cent of those there were guys!

Marlborough Man and the punks came in view first. Actually, like fence menders the kids attended to the line markers. They were setting up the chute for all the cows to herd through to reach their Mom.

And Marlborough Man and the kids signed books for folks, too! They were most obliging and considerate and circulated like pros through the mob. Of course, if you are used to working cattle in tight quarters, navigating ladies would be a cinch!

Finally, she descended into our realm from the upper reaches of the store (where apparently a privileged few got their autographs first!) She did get down the stairs gracefully. I LOVED her scarf!

She did a question answer session which was entertaining and informative. She explained about her foundation, her plans for future books, and assured us that she reads all of the comments made to her blog (I'd wondered about that!)

Out of hundreds, I chose three as the best dressed there. This is number one! Her mom makes these bonnets!

And these are number two and three. We talked to them at length but I forgot to ask their names!

Here you see the rest of the Drummonds signing for folks as they slowly progressed upward.

This was just outside the door of the final destination!

And here, we see the hander-out of t-shirts being toyed with. And we see that someone has found something in the store he wants to take away with him!

Now, look at these! First, they prove we made it to the finish line. Secondly, they show how white (no actions, folks) Ree's teeth are and how dingy ours are. And who looks tired in these? Not Ree!

Weeks ago I saw on Ree Drummond (the Pioneer Woman.com)'s book signing calendar, that she would be at Book People in Austin on Dec.3rd. And she was! Although it was a work night, during my deadline week, I determined that this was an absolute must do it or die event! I was really thrilled that my hub wanted to go, too! Mostly he gets his updates on what Ree is up to from me on our homeward commute. He rarely actually goes to the blog, but, his eldest is a big fan of Ree's as well, so we had double incentive to attend and capture her signature. We got so much more than we'd hoped for!

I'll write more about this soon, but right now I'm going to post pictures (they speak well for themselves). Today is my semester deadline and I'm booked solid all day with appointments, so, can't spend much time on this, but wanted to post something! Come back and read more next week!

Fall

2009-11-20T11:55:00.000-08:00

Our favorite season is fall. This year it was heralded with blessed showers in October. It has rained at perfect intervals weekly since. Between storms (and they haven't been severe) we've had almost springlike weather. Many mornings have been shrouded with fog and our road disappears in the mist. At home we are serenaded by frogs caroling; crickets singing, mockers chirping, owls hooting, and the fox (read the last post)... all manner of creatures are rejoicing in the season. Just this past week the trees have begun to turn and leaves to fall. Autumn is settling upon us like a cuddly throw.

Night TERRORS

2009-11-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

Wow! It has been over a month since my last post; much has happened! We took Ellie and Buck on our church trailride and had a wonderful time! Ellie is such a blast to ride! She thinks everybody is there to be her friend. Her gaits are so comfy! The pictures were taken on the day of the trailride; none of me because I was taking them. And I finally got Kevin to try her out and he agreed she's as pleasing under saddle as she is from the ground. Buck has been lording it over her, but then you have to cut him slack since this is probably the first time in his whole life when he's had a horse buddy he could push around! He's loving it! I'm hoping that as the weather gets colder he'll want to cuddle more and bully less. I could go on quite a while about our latest hay hassles and horse adventures and recent rainfall, but I actually was motivated to post by a recent experience that is a first for me!

A few nights ago (Saturday to be exact) while Kevin was off at choir practice, I came out of the barn (where we have our washer and dryer) into the deep dark of a cloudy night and less than 30 feet away from me a sound erupted which was by far the most blood-curdling, heart-stopping, gut-wrenching noise I've ever heard! I stood still, totally paralyzed, attempting to determine what on earth (or not on earth) could have emitted the cry. I was so shaken that I couldn't even replay it in my mind; I had never ever experienced anything like it; not in my worst nightmares. A few seconds later, an owl hooted in a tree above the spot the sound had come from. I was immensely relieved. I told the owl, "you just scared the s--t out of me!" I couldn't imagine how an owl, even a large one (we have barred owls on our place), could make a sound like that, but I decided he must have been projecting his voice to make it seem to come from the ground. The dogs, too, apparently were fooled. They ran barking to the spot where the cry had come from . Thinking they were wrong I called them back. I fussed at the owl for a few minutes and actually hoped he'd repeat the performance to confirm my conclusion. But, he spoke not another word and the silence was broken only by the panting dogs and my pounding heart. I went on about my evening chores making a mental note to look on the internet to see if there were other people who had been privy to an up close, personal, terrorist owl encounter.

I told Kevin when he got home about it. Then, yesterday morning I started searching on the web and listened to a variety of owl cackles, screams, hisses, clicks, hoots, ...but there was nothing remotely close to what I had heard. I spoke to a bird expert and he said that he didn't believe any owl made a noise such as I described (not that I was able to describe it very well). I said that it was VERY loud, about 2 or 3 seconds in duration, and it was unearthly. Like a banshee? He suggested a possum. I looked that up and no, not long or loud enough (although fighting coons sound like cats fighting). I know what coyotes sound like (and they can be pretty weird, too) and I am familiar with wolf howls, pig screams (we do have wild pigs around), various night birds like night hawks...but this just wasn't anything like those. I began to just try searchwords like: banshee... and up came a youtube with Eerie Fox scream. I played it and that was it! A FOX! Right up by our tackhouse, near the horse pen, only yards from our house. Hard to believe but the sound was unmistakable. I played about four more youtube clips of foxes and found in the comments left that many other people had had similar encounters with them and had come away as terrified as I. It was a huge relief to finally know what was out there. I was very grateful to the owl who had temporarily accepted the blame. His comment on the fox's scream was a blessing since I was able to just go on with my evening instead of hiding in the house waiting for Kevin to come home to cope with I knew not what! Nothing he could have done about it, either.

Go on youtube and put in Fox Screaming Eerie and after listening to that one, try Screaming Fox? On the second one, the person posting it wasn't sure what he'd recorded, but many commenters identified it for him as a fox. The part of that sound clip past the middle is exactly what I heard, only MUCH louder and closer. For those who live in the country, DO listen to this so you'll not have a heart attack if it happens to you! I have no photos to show of this; somethings just aren't visual!

Contrast

2009-10-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

I have three siblings. One of them is in the image above. The other two faces alongside her are her children. Of my three siblings, two are very much like me: emotionally, physically, mentally. We are always easily recognized as related. We have obvious characteristics from both parents. Double chin from my Dad; tree stump legs from him; sturdy bones and teeth from our Mom and a clear complexion from her side of the family; addictive tendencies from him, persuasive language skills from both...

But my other sibling is rather an enigma. I think she harks back to the Irish line. She's a totally different build. No taller, but lighter framed. She's has sharper features and complicated skin. She moves gracefully, but with an awareness of gravity. She can sit or stand in a variety of positions which testifies to her flexibility. She speaks with the strongest accent; she speaks forcefully when she believes in something; she refrains with a sour frown when she cannot expound. She is frugal but proper, much like her paternal grandmother. She is organized and appreciates what she has to work with.

However she is domestic like my Mom and my other sister. Likewise, she does enjoy hostessing. She likes to decorate. She revels in being cozy. She cherishes and cosets her children. She is attentive to her husband. She is greatly involved in her church community. Now that I write this, I see that she is much more like us than not.

So, this post is rather like one of David's Psalms; starting from one premise and ending on another. I could just dump it and begin over, but this sibling needs to be mentioned now and again. This is again. She was mentioned back in January, but since then have come cows, calves, horses, goats, ...(I don't think I've done a post on the dogs or cats, yet) Kevin's kids, grand-kids, ...And just now she's going through some tough stuff: her family needs prayer!

If you want specifics, I'll let her speak to those; she's better at articulating! She's the one that ought to have a blog!

Social skills

2009-10-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well, Fuddruckers may not seem the best place to begin teaching a not-yet 2 year old social skills, but, everybody's gotta start somewhere!

Men and gadgets. Learn from your elders; they know all the shortcuts.

Look in the mirror (that's Biblical). Practice expressions.

Be content with what is already in reach.

Let loved ones back you up.
Don't keep score.

There are many expressions which can be interpreted more than one way. Practice those. If you get down a half dozen of them; they'll serve in all kinds of circumstances.

Appreciate Who has you in their arms.

Study humor.

Riding the range

2009-09-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

It does my heart good to see my hub and his eldest son riding our range. Buck was a stalwart leader for our new Ellie Mae. I think he likes her! With the rain we're getting now (after months of drought) our place is green and bushy again!

A true story

2009-09-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

One day a long time ago, there was a middle-aged woman who was prim and proper and dressed to the hilt. She was all ruffles and curls and posture-perfect. She showed the utmost honor to her husband and devotion to her mother. She was a wonder to behold.

That woman was me.

But that was a long time ago and it was just that one day. Actually, it was just one hour of that one day.

The End.

I didn't want you to miss this story since it does illustrate how important it is to preserve the past. Or at least a few moments from it.

Lifestyle

2009-09-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

WHEEEE! Exuberance! Remember running or rolling down a grassy hill? Those were the days!
I'm taking a Lunch N Lose weekly seminar which has raised some questions in my mind about what amount of physical activity is optimum at my advanced age. I've learned some interesting things already (only been to two sessions). I've learned about websites which allow you to keep a food diary. Keeping one has been eye opening for me. I knew already that being of small stature, and post menopausal, and somewhat sedentary, my caloric requirements were much diminished from my youthful years, but, tracking calories and comparing my intake to what I'm burning through my daily activities, is actually fun. I really like being able to list what I've eaten, see the resulting total and then apply the activities to see how many calories I'm burning over and beyond what I've taken in. Math folks may yawn here. If I'm supposed to stay under 1500 calories a day (and I am supposed to) and my lifestyle requires 2100 a day (for functioning), then the difference of 600 calories is drawn from storage and burned every day. So, if I just did the daily minimum, I'd lose a pound a week. But, I've been averaging 800 more I'm utilizing once I figure in the rest of my activities. That translates into 1-2 pounds a week I can lose if I'll keep puttering!

I've also realized, that if I were to do more weightbearing exercise (like if we lived nearer the grandkids and were lugging them about)
or if the "uphill" walking I do were in NH in the dead of winter
or if I were rounding up horses and harnessing them and walking behind them as they plowed, that would burn more calories that casually tossing them hay and grain...

but, it is still gratifying to see that I do get credit for the walks round campus, doing the laundry, feeding animals, even taking a shower!
I can't eat like a lumberjack, but I am getting some productive exercise. I'm realizing that steaming and grilling food allows some of the fat to just run right off. Twice I've let the water boil out of the pan under the steamer basket and the resulting black syrupy stuff sticking to the bottom of the pan is sugar that I didn't consume! Sugar from lima beans!

Cause to Celebrate

2009-09-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

After months of severe drought, and 68 days of temperatures over 100F, we got 2.5 inches of rain last week, in several installments. We went from brown and crispy to

green and luscious in just a few days! It continues to amaze us how a good rainy week cheers everything on: grass, trees, critters, us...!

And although it may be dreary for a few hours; showers of blessing are well worth weathering!

Our pond is almost brimming again.

Our beasties are getting their greens.

And we finally got back to Square Dancing last night (we had been absent for more than two months). It seemed a "fit" way to celebrate the prospect of fall!

Top of the season to ya'll!

Ellie the Haflinger

2009-09-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

This is Ellie. She is a 6 year old Haflinger mare. She was raised by the Amish. They taught her to work in the fields. She is trained to drive. She was purchased last spring ('09) by a lady who used her in a summer riding program. A 13 year old girl worked with her under saddle. She has a comfy canter!

Haflingers originated in the area between Austria and Italy. They are not tall, but very sturdy. Ellie is 14 hands.

Tips for Shooting at a Wedding

2009-08-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

Before we went "Pro" we shot several weddings for friends
of ours as a wedding gift. We
didn't study or think much ahead of time about what we were
going to do when we got there.

It is a nice gesture to offer to take photos for friends, but
considering what is involved will make the results far more appreciated.

Being the primary photographer at a wedding is a weighty responsibility. It is far more fun and much more comfortable to just contribute photos to the total taken of the event, rather than being the sole documenter of such an important occasion!

Anyway, I thought we'd share some things we've learned
along the way .

Foremost, if the couple has
hired a photographer, then be
sure that you are in no way interfering with their work. Stay out of their way. Know where
they are at all times and
do not get between them
and their subjects. And when they are taking the group shots, stay far off so that the presence of another camera
aimed at
them will not create a distraction. We've noted that having several people taking pictures at once does confuse the subjects.

Let the paid photographer take the usual pictures. You are free to find unusual
angles which will often capture things that the paid photographer won't get.

But, let's say that they didn't hire a photographer. They are actually expecting you to capture the day for them! Here are some tips:

1. If possible go to the church (or where the ceremony will be held) in advance, at the same time of day that the wedding is scheduled. Look over the logistics. Where is the best light coming from?
Where will you be able to sit (or stand) to get the best angles? What might make a nice backdrop for posed shots?

2. Be sure that you have your camera battery charged; it is best to have a spare. Have spare cards, too.

3. Ask the couple if they want you to move around in the ceremony, or shoot from a seat or a balcony or a doorway. Once you know where you will be, take some practice shots to get the settings. If possible get someone to pose for you that is wearing white or black (or both).

4. Children always liven up a picture. Even if they don't end up in it! Having them in view cheers people up. Putting children with grandparents makes appealing shots.

5. Giving people something to do with their hands helps them relax. Let them put their hands on the bride's shoulders, or give them a prop to hold.

6. Make sure that you get full-length shots of the bride and groom! Allow room for cropping (so they can be printed 4x6, 8x10, or whatever!) You'd be surprised how hard it is to get good full-length shots. Make that a priority.

7. Think about what you yourself would hope to have captured if you were the bride: take pictures
which tell a story.

8. Liven up the group by having them do something silly. This frees them. Their expressions are more natural. Their personalities show through.

Our July 09

2009-07-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I almost didn't get a post
up for July '09!! I have several VERY good
excuses!

First of all, the last weekend in
June, we went on a trail-ride with folks from church. The pics are of Johnnie riding Grace and Rely (not at the same time). When I was saddling Rely, he stepped on my foot. He wasn't
willing to get off it before he'd broken my baby toe! I did get on and ride with them even though my foot was protesting. I was able to watch Grace being ridden for two hours; she certainly showed that Johnnie's training was effective!

Since then (over a month ago) I haven't been able to get my foot into any of my shoes. I've been wearing some crocs Mom left behind. They are large enough that they don't put any pressure on my toe. I don't feel very nimble in them, though.

That's excuse number 1. Not that good.
Excuse number two. Amy came to see us so we could take some Texas pictures of her (to celebrate her graduation and upcoming nuptials). The pictures came out great! See more on our website: rhemaranchphotography.com in the Weddings and Aspects thereof gallery. Look under Barefoot Bride. Look also in the On Site Shoots gallery.

That's a better excuse? Yes?
Well, here's the best one yet. That same week, Kevin started having pain in his midsection, on the right side, under his ribs. He said it was about the size of an egg. Very specific spot. Burning pain. At first it was just after meals (about two hours after). It would build to quite intense by bedtime. In the morning when he woke up, it was gone. But, toward the end of the week it was more constant. By the end of the weekend; it was unbearable. We went to the ER. It was (any guesses?) his gallbladder. He had it removed. It was dead on arrival. It was decaying inside him. There was mention of gangrene on the pathology report! So, he spent four days in the hospital. Then another 9 days at home recovering. Meanwhile (since he was told not to lift more than 5 pounds), someone had to do all the chores.

Two weeks of lugging hay to the cows made me desperate for some round bales (we'd been trying to find some for a month). FINALLY (five days after delivery was to happen) we got some very nice round bales. That means that I only have to carry the hay 20 feet or so to the cows (instead of almost 1/4 mile!)

The last excuse is the best of all. My brother's family were in a head-on collision on their way home from church the Sunday after Kevin came home from the hospital. They were all injured. The guys (my brother and his sons) had broken bones (thigh, tibia and toes). My sister-in-law was the most critical. She was Starflighted. She had emergency surgery immediately on arrival at Brack. A partial list of her injuries: collapsed lung, broken ribs, punctured bowel, ruptured spleen, hematoma on chest, fractured clavical and two fractured disks on her neck. She was in ICU for a couple of days, then in step-down and then in a regular recovery room for a few more. All of them are home now, but for a while there was a lot of blood relatives and church family traveling to and from Brack.

So there's a little summary of our month. Illustrations tell the story even better.

Although the month felt fullblown with crises, the TRUTH is that THE LORD spaced them out just right! We did/DO see His Handiwork; His Provision; His Protection; His Mercies; His Goodness! ALLELUJAH!

Grace Appraised

2009-06-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

When a friend of ours, who likes to work with problem horses, asked to "play a bit" with Grace (our three year old filly), we were more than willing to let him take her! He's had her almost three months. He's only had time to work with her a couple of times a week, but after some lively go-rounds, he's gotten her full cooperation. Seeing her give him his due: her attention, was terrific. We called on him Sunday after church. It was over 100 degrees. He said, come on over.

When we drove up we saw her out in the field with two older mares. He called and she came a-runnin'!

Then he caught her, tossed a big stock saddle on her (with a back cinch) and climbed right up on her. Not even in the round pen. He rode her up and down near us and there was a lot of stuff in her space which she hadn't gotten up close to before. She looked and rubber necked a little, but no shy, no spook.

There was a little footbridge over near the tool shed. Very near the tool shed. He had never shown it to her before. She balked briefly, then put a wary foot on it and within 10 seconds she was walking on it!

I said I'd like to see her trot/jog. He
took her in the roundpen for that and she went right into it without a problem. No buck, no hump in her back. She turned, stopped, backed up...I think this was maybe the sixth time he'd ridden her!

So, thanks to Johnny, we're cutting Grace some slack. If she continues to be of sound mind, she may have a future with us yet!

I love the photos of her being worked with. As good as any taken in Colorado or Nevada of ranch handling of rough stock. Johnny is the real thing!

Hot to Trot

2009-06-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Last week we survived four very hot days of shooting at the SDMS Texas Shoot-out. Those little critters were tough; they weathered that heat wave like their desert ancestors. It wasn't just hot to trot; it was hot just standing still! We brought home about 5000 captives. Some of them were evasive, but we bided our time, pretending that we weren't paying attention. But, as soon as an ear twitched, we were on it! We got 'em! Some of the best are on our website.

http://rhemaranchphotography.com/-/rhemaranchphotography/galleryindex.asp?c=17456

Here are a few that are favorites of ours. The driver of the four-in-hand is Tom O'Carroll who trained our horse to drive. He put the pairs of donkeys together for the first time right before the event.

Longears

2009-06-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

This is our big "gig" for the year. Our biggest equine event. Four full days of longears. Both full-sized and miniature. Last year the SDMS Texas Shoot-out only had classes for miniature donkeys. This time they'll have regular donkeys and mules. We took almost 5000 pictures last year. This year will be even more. If you've got to spend 10 hours a day looking through a viewfinder, it helps if the subjects are cute. They really are! Here are a few of my favorites from last year.

Agaritaville

2009-06-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Howdy, Marshall Margason.

Whose horse is that parked in front of the jail?

Hey, Buck, look at the lady.

Saturday we went to Agarita. We rode Buck and Rely on the trails. We rode over the big bridge (which was scarier to me than it was to the horses). I have no photos of that because lugging our canons on horseback is too risky. Rather, when we got back to 'town', I shot at Kevin a few times and got him!

The cat on location came right up and reported for duty. He's played his part well, don't you think?

Hackles

2009-05-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, hurrying home, we were thwarted for a few minutes by a train across the road. I asked Kevin if we could detour briefly to take pictures of some new kids nearby. He stayed in the car while I traipsed along the fence to get as close as I could. It may not be apparent in the pictures, but the nanny had her hackles up. I think she was not sure what the zoom lens aimed at her and her kids meant. I don't blame her a bit for being suspicious.

I was impressed how they watched their mom for cues. These were baby mini goats; they would be only a few bites for a dog or a coyote. But they were in a chain link fenced field and there were larger animals in with them.

If you've watched kids or lambs, they are so full of energy. It would take video to show their antics, but I like the pictures I was able to capture (thanks to a train on the tracks). These pics aren't the liveliest, but they do show the relationship between nanny and kids.

I like detours. When I'm driving I take a lot of them.

Impromptu Shoot

2009-05-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

We took Mom to dinner after church at the Downtown Cafe in Thorndale. Next door is an antique shop (Country Roads) we frequent because it is owned by dear friends of ours. The guys were admiring some old muskets (I think that's what they are; they have bayonets on the ends?) And I suggested they go outside so I could shoot them shooting! They got into it, didn't they!? The text on the last pic (if you zoom in,) says, First Shiloh Militia, Circa Post 1850. The object on the ground which gave them a target was a "marker" left by a neigborhood dog.

Combined Driving

2009-04-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Twice a year we volunteer for CDE (Combined Driving Event) duty at Plum Creek (aka Agarita). Kevin and I don't get the same assignment which means we come back with photos from at least two different marathon obstacles. This time Kevin was at the water hazard and I was at the bridge. Here are a few of our pics (we manage to snap some while we are working). There are more on our website in the CDE gallery. It takes a village to put on a CDE. Lots of coordination is involved!

Spiritually, there are some thought-provoking analogies in these:
When the road is clear before us, smooth and broad, we get complacent.

When we are paired together; we learn quicker to pull our weight; to help, not hinder. As a pair we discover combined courage is generated by functioning as a team. We have more strength than alone. We have companionship when the going gets rough. We have observed that pairing a young, inexperienced horse with a veteran works wonders. The youngster learns far faster that way. When they come to a hazard (like the water crossing for example) and the rookie balks, the experienced horse just drags him right in and across.

We must trust our Driver who gives us direction. Even when the footing is obscured by murky waters, if He tells us our path goes that way, we must believe Him and have faith that He will not tell us to tread out of our depth.

We should not allow ourselves to be driven by those who do not know the course.

Two, pulling as one, is a sight beautiful to behold! Our LORD is with us as we go into the mire and as we come out the other side.

Although the pace is often faster than we would like; He knows the timing of the obstacles up ahead. He knows when we should encounter them; how we should navigate them; how to preserve our energy for them; and that the easy going is beyond.

New camera

2009-04-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

I carry my camera everywhere; I drop it and bump it and expose it to the elements. It has been faithful and by having it with me like an appendage, I've learned to use it in adverse conditions. I've also begun to wear it out. Because we have two big events coming up, we purchased a new camera. Our previous lenses fit it. The picture of the moon was taken with the new camera and our old lens. We've taken moonshots before and this one is far superior. Although it looks like I took it at night, it was actually taken before dark. Then the background was darkened and the dog was added. I wanted it to look like she was howling, but she doesn't howl. Ever. She was just grinning. We have much to learn about the new camera soon! But, this picture encouraged us to practice!

On our way home Saturday from a horse show, we saw that many of our neighbors were burning their brush piles! We found out that we'd gotten almost 7 inches of rain! Enough to fill the main pond to overflowing (and it was down to half full) and fill the lower swampy pond completely (it had been dry as a bone; the cows were down there grazing last week!)

Due to the rain, and grass growth, we've been letting the cows in the pasture now during the day. God is good! Even the bovines have some clue about His mercy. They certainly know we open the gate for them! Here they are galloping to come through! Another analogy for you to chew!

By the way, (click to see the picture larger) that's Rosa in the lead, April four lengths behind, then Lucy, and Dillon bringing up the rear. Where's Blessing? Don't know, but she did come in.

Beth and the heifers

2009-04-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Months ago we determined that we would sell off some of our cows to pay for the wedding coming up. We discussed which cows to sell and which to keep and harder still, which to process (put in the freezer). We decided to sell our mother cows this year and their heifers from last year. And the bull calf. But, Blessing lost her calf, so, as painful as it is to say this, due to demand for beef among our family members and co-workers, Blessing and her calf from two years ago, April, get to go to Gonzales. We won't tell them why. It is humanely done for those of you who are squeamish. That's why we take them that far (there are several places closer). We are keeping my two favorite cows (and one of those is Kevin's favorite, too). Rosa and Lucy get to stay. And Dillon for the time being. But, that meant we needed to sell the two heifers and Beth. Beth is due to calf within a month. It is actually easier on the calf to be born after the cow is moved. If we were to sell them as a pair, we'd need to wait a minimum of a month from birth before transporting them. Even so, moving a young calf has its risks. So, I decided to advertise Beth too. I prayed that the LORD would make it possible to sell the cows for near market value without us having to actually run them through an auction. Auctions are hard on cows. Very. So, I took pictures of the heifers, Dixie and Dorrie, and of Beth. I wanted them to be current photos. I posted an ad on Craig's list. Within an hour of posting the ad, I got a call on my cellphone from a fellow close to 100 miles away who said he wanted the cows and he'd come get them right then! I explained that it would be Sunday afternoon before we'd be home at a time that would allow loading them. So, we set up a time (3:00) and I was ecstatic! The LORD had answered my prayer so specifically! The folks wanted the cows to baby and to have babies. Just as we had. After he'd already agreed to buy them (without haggling at all about the price); I got four more guys saying they wanted them if the first one backed out. I took their contact information. If we'd had a dozen heifers, we could have sold them all in one day! Of course I had waited until we'd gotten rain and there was more predicted so that people would know they would have pasture. Lots of folks sold off their cattle last year because of the drought; we kept ours because I didn't want them to end up in a feedlot. I made it clear in my ad that we'd gone to considerable expense to keep them grass/hay fed and save them from a life in a feedlot. All of those that responded to the ad understood our concern. Yesterday afternoon the couple came and got Beth, Dorrie and Dixie. They seemed satisfied when they saw them. The cows were extremely cooperative and walked right into their trailer! I led them in with a bucket of cubes. The buyers were relieved to see the cows were tame; they'd been eager to buy them because I had described them as gentle, easy to move and accustomed to hot wire.

What struck me today, is that we're selling Beth to pay for her namesake's wedding! And I still have the picture above of Beth as a calf with Kevin's soon-to-be-wed daughter. The other picture is of Beth last week and of the three of them in the trailer which took them to their new home. Not very roomy. Kevin says cattle travel better packed together. The couple that bought them called us when they got them home and into their pasture to say they were settling in well. That was so nice of them!

I am exceedingly grateful for the LORD making the downsizing as painless as possible for all concerned! He took care of every concern I raised to Him!

What we do AFTER work!

2009-04-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

After we get home from a full work day in Austin, and our hour commute, we have a few chores to do. Yesterday, I went down to open the gap so the cows could come home. They were eager to come in. Some folks have a herd of cows; we have a cluster. Once they had paraded up the pasture lane to their bedground, they competed for the cubes we put out. If you look close at the picture of Dorrie, you'll see Kevin toiling up the hill with the buckets of cubes while I was leisurely taking pictures! Actually, we needed the pictures for a Craig's list ad I posted today to sell the yearlings. Rosa, the red cow, is our working cow. Some people have herding dogs, some have cowhorses, we have Rosa. She can gallop with the best of them and she changes leads effortlessly. She also trusts us enough to cross where electric wire was just moments before. The others hang back to see how she fares. Rosa is a keeper. We plan to keep Lucy, too, (the black one), but I noticed last night, that of our seven cows, the two that dislike each other are Rosa and Lucy. Figures. Still, once everybody else is gone, they should appreciate each other.

After we'd tended the cows and I'd fed the horses, Kevin spent a while adjusting the disk on the tractor. He wants to disk up the area in our hayfield where we fed the cows during the winter. He wants to get that done before it rains. Rain is predicted for this evening and tomorrow! We are praying the LORD will send it! The strange pictures were taken by the light of Kevin's headlamp only. No flash. Sort of interesting! Needless to say, by the time we got inside it was like 9:30.

Spring, the real thing

2009-04-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

Halfway through April and we've got Spring! Not the lushest; but, we're grateful for the greening up of the trees, fields, pastures, and roadsides. Here are some definite signs of spring in full-swing around us! On Resurrection Sunday we got some restorative, rejuvenating rain!

Death

2009-04-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

Our calf, Emma, born Monday March 30th, died yesterday April 7th. I spent the week listening and watching to see what the LORD would do and what He wanted me to learn from this experience. He always wants me to pay close attention; some things keep me more attentive than others. He knows me. Problems with the animals get points across to me better than any other means. Still, trying to articulate all that I've realized this week is daunting.

Kevin's summary is simpler than mine, so, I give his first. Death is because of the fall.

The calf, Emma, looked fine when she was born. Her mother is a veteran cow; she knows her job and does it well. For some reason, this calf just couldn't figure out how to 'take hold'. She got to the right area to nurse; she punched and suckled all over the bag; but, she just didn't take the teat in her mouth. We saw her going through the motions (from a distance) and thought she was nursing. Because we are gone all the next day we didn't realize until the end of the second day that she wasn't actually connecting with the flow. At that point we put her and her mom in the round pen so that they would have uninterrupted time together to solve the problem. Both mom and calf seemed committed to each other. The cow, Blessing, stood patiently while her daughter prodded and punched. When I described this to co-workers and family, they all asked, "is she blind?" No, not in the physical sense. She could definitely see. But, in the spiritual sense (we're using this as an analogy; I know the calf had no spiritual sight), she was clueless. She was close to her salvation to smell it, but did not grasp it.

On the third evening we realized she still hadn't been nursing. Kevin made a hasty trip to Taylor to get colostrium and a bottle. We mixed it and took it over to Emma. She acted like it tasted terrible. We were supposed to get almost 2 quarts of it into her and all she would take was about 3 ounces. We knew then that unless the LORD showed her HOW to avail herself of the sustenance she needed to thrive, she would die.

The next day we tried again to get her to take nourishment from the bottle. She drank over a quart. What was interesting though, was that she kept taking breaks and going back to her mom to poke around some more. She seemed to associate the milk in the bottle with her mom, but she didn't make the connection with the nipple. The next morning she didn't want any, but that evening she emptied the bottle. The following morning, Sunday, Kevin had to take his son to the airport. I was apprehensive about trying to get Emma up and feed her by myself. Calves have to be standing up to eat. I prayed specifically about this and when I went over to the roundpen, Emma was already standing! I was relieved by that, and I managed to get the bottle in position and pry open her mouth, but she would only take a few swallows. She ate almost nothing at all. That evening she ate again, but in the morning she wouldn't. That evening she downed a full bottle; but that was the last time she ate. She lay down in a makeshift shelter Kevin created for her (with a tarp). I put hay up against her for warmth (and went back later and put a sweater over her). She survived that night and all of the next day and another night (we had frost). But by then she couldn't stand and when we helped her stand she wouldn't eat. Yesterday afternoon she was dead.

I was grateful that we did realize there was a problem, that we took measures to solve it, that we persevered even when we thought it was hopeless, that we looked to the LORD all the way through for what was ultimately best for all concerned. I can think of reasons why this is best: it is now, after the fact, easier on Blessing; this frees us up for many other commitments we have ahead; Emma herself is spared suffering from other health problems since calves which do not get colostrium in the first 3 days (we learned this) will have health problems and frequently don't survive, and it saved us more needless expense, lost sleep, emotional distress...

Even so, it was hard to see an animal hang on like that but stop short of grasping the real source of nourishment. Her little frail body survived being rained on (that storm surprised us), a hot day (without fluids in her), a frosty night (with so little flesh on her to generate heat...but, right by her all the time was her savior, her mom, waiting to meet her needs. But, Emma just didn't grab hold. She rubbed her nose raw butting into the bag, but never took hold of the teat. I can't explain this missing the mark in cattleman's terms; it does happen. In Emma's case it was like she was declining to suck as she should; she wanted it to be some other way. She kept insisting that the means of nourishment be provided her way; she wanted it on a different level and easier to access. Did you realize (I hadn't) that a calf, a kid, a fawn, a lamb, has to pretty much get DOWN ON THEIR KNEES initially to grab hold of the teat? It isn't at the level you'd expect it to be; it is lower. It is inconvenient. If they don't stoop or bow down, they don't "get it". Once they have learned this, though, they can grab it and then stand up and it comes up to a more comfortable level for them (once they have it in their mouth).

In the analogy I've drawn, there are people around us everywhere who are right at the door to salvation, but they keep looking for another way in. It is even more distressing than watching our little Emma slowly decline into a helpless heap; these people are suffering, blundering, shivering, but they don't want to enter in His way.

If I had time, but I don't, I'd find better words to describe what I've seen, but I think you get the gist.

Poor Emma.

Discovery

2009-04-03T06:06:00.000-07:00

This is not my photo; this is not my child; this is not my house; still, what we have here is well worth study. Watching a toddler explore the world enlightens us as we observe them discovering. They expect to see wondrous things; so should we. They are greatly impressed and edified by every day events; all of their adventures are purposeful, even though to us the same things are mundane. For the child, every item scrutinized, every effort to attain, every beam of light pursued, increases appreciation for their realm. Which of us gains as much in the course of a day's journey?

By the way, the darling above is Kevin's first granddaughter. He has grandsons, too. The photo was taken by our talented family documentor.

And these

2009-03-31T07:00:00.001-07:00

March 30th up close

2009-03-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

Now that you have a sample (in the previous post) of the pictures by the two lenses, see if you can tell which one took these!

March 30th

2009-03-31T06:39:00.001-07:00

This is Emma. Kevin decided we'd name our calves alphabetically so we can remember which year they were born. Last year were the Ds (Dixie, Dorrie and Dillon, in that order). This year we're starting with Emma. She is about 9 hours old in these pics. They were taken when Kevin and I went over to feed the cows close to sunset. Some were taken with our "good lens" by Kevin and some were taken with our newest lens by me. Doubt anyone can tell which is which but us. We know but won't tell. It was sort of a competition between us. Both lenses have an aperture of 2.8. Emma is Blessing's 2009 calf. All of Blessings calves thus far have been heifers. They all look a lot like her.
Actually, perhaps you can tell which ones were taken by each of us?

End of March

2009-03-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

Every spring the coming of the calves is a special time for us. We always get pics of them when they are still wobbly. At the tender age of 30 minutes old we got some wonderful images of Dillon last year. Stunning white against the green. He was born on May 1st. He's a hard act to follow. I'm posting this for those that didn't get to see him. The other pic of him was taken yesterday. He's 11 months old now. Not quite as white! We don't do power washing.

Rain, rain, come and play!

2009-03-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Due to the drought, we spend inordinate amounts of time watching radar and listening to weather predictions. This week there was a serious storm system which marched through central Texas and areas (not ours) got 2-3 inch hail! Lots of damage. We were mercifully spared that. We received a trace of rain and then yesterday another two tenths of an inch. Today, we've been watching the radar feeds from our desks in Austin and it looks like we got some more rain at home. Makes me eager to get home to see! People who live in the country and have critters know how essential rain is. People in town have some clue but they say things like, "I just hope it won't rain during our ballgame, picnic, reunion, BBQ..." We all want things to be convenient, conducive, optimum, for what we're doing. We fed in high winds in the 'dark of the moon' a few nights ago. It was strenuous and frustrating, but, I was glad we had hay to dispense and cows to chase after it! Spring is always a lively season in this clime: hail, tornadoes, flooding, wind damage...but once the storms have passed through; all of nature rejoices!