Sunday Stills ~ Best Shots of 2010

 

This week’s Sunday Stills Challenge is always a difficult one for me, trying to choose just one favorite shot from the previous year. But thankfully I don’t have to, because Ed said to post as many favorites as we’d like. I was still pretty fickle and chose only my top favorites, discarding any that didn’t meet my criteria. But, beware, there’s still a lot of photos to look through.

Here are my chosen favorites of 2010:

1)From “Metal”

 

2)From a “Day in the Life”

3)From “Fruit”

4)From “Black and White”

5)From “History”

6)From “Moods and Emotions”

 

7)From “Potluck”

8)From “Rule of Thirds”

9)From “Potluck”

10)From “Rule of Thirds”

11)From “Sports”

12)From “Hands”

13)From “Hands”

14)From “Valentine’s Day”

15)From “Rule of Thirds”

16)From “Shoes”

17)From “Rule of Thirds”

I think my favorite Sunday Still Challenge for 2010 has to be “Rule of Thirds”. There is something so interesting and challenging about working towards the goal of fitting your photos into the scientific, mathematical, and creative aspect of photography using perspective and subject placement. It just makes for a more pleasing and interesting photo.

I took all of the above photos with my little point and shoot camera (Canon Powershot SX 110 IS) with very little editing for most of them using Picnik or just a basic Windows program to adjust contrast and add a watermark.

Which are your favorites?

 

Happy 2011 Everyone!

She’s Doing Fine

 

No. This isn’t a post about Apache. But here’s a photo of her taken this morning. Can you see her through the blizzard?

No. This post is about another special horse (and another critter, too. More on that later)……….

It’s been a year since Baby Doll went to go live with her new owners.

You can read my heartfelt tribute, see her doting owners, and the last moments we spent together, by visiting this link:

Letting Go Of The Rope

Not more than a week has gone by, this past year, that I’ve not thought of my first horse. Sometimes I’m just remembering her scent, some of her endearing mannerisms, the good rides she gave me, or her beauty and spirit. Sometimes I remember the not so great things, too.

I wonder if her memory will fade someday?

I don’t think so.

Baby Doll will always have a special place in my heart.

At least I know that she is happy and doing well. Her new owners, who live in Eastern New Mexico, in Portales, adore her. They take good care of her, ride her often, and treat her like the princess she knows she is. The following photos were sent to me by her owners, so please excuse the photo quality. 

Baby Doll has some good neighbors and very nice living quarters.

 

She is ridden a lot, by her Dad, T. He takes her out on the trails, with his wife and her mare, and, during the summer, he works on a cattle ranch and takes Baby Doll with him, giving her a job herding cattle. I’m sure she loves it.  

 She might even get more love and attention from T, than she got from me.

 

I sure hope T’s wife, B, doesn’t mind sharing her husband with the other girl in his life.

I still miss her sometimes, but I know she is enjoying her new life and is doing just fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~

On the same note, but a different species of animal, I’ve been wondering how my two sheep, Blanca and Svetlana, that I sold last May, are doing. You can read about that day by visiting this link:

Farewell Ba Ba's

And you can check out a very endearing, funny story that their new owners sent to me last summer:

Blanca and The Llama

 

Last week I received an email inviting me to attend some interesting classes taught by traditional Navajo Pueblo Indians on processing churro wool and mutton. So I forwarded it to Blanca’s and Svetlana’s new owners, because they are focused on the history of Navajo sheep and preserving the Navajo heritage. Of course, I was also hoping for an update on my two very sweet and special ewes.

That evening, I received an email back thanking me for the information along with a few photos and some exciting news about Blanca.   

That’s right! She’s a Mama!

She gave birth to a little female lamb on Dec. 6th. This was not only Blanca’s first lamb, but also the first lamb born to her new owners and their flock. They decided to name her T’aala, which is Navajo for first!

Is that not the most wonderful news?! Receiving the news right before Christmas, was like being given a very special surprise gift! Really made me happy. 

I was told that Blanca is a wonderful Mama and takes very good care of her pretty little baby. T’aala inherited her lovely and unique butterscotch markings from her Daddy, a 4-horned Navajo Churro Ram. He must be very handsome, because she’s beautiful and quite exotic looking!

They are hoping to find Svetlana her own handsome ram someday, but in the US, Karakul sheep are very rare. They did have Svetlana out with the Navajo Churro ram this summer, because Karakuls and Churros are both coarse wool sheep. But her owners don’t believe she was bred because the ram had too much difficulty maneuvering around her tail…….the trademark fatty tail of the Karakul sheep, which is where the sheep store fat to survive in the desert when food is scarce (think camel hump). 

I did a post about my sweet Svetlana and Karakul sheep, as well as my friendly Blanca and Navajo Churros, the day we brought both of them home, when they were still adorable little lambs. You can see photos of them, including Svetlana’s fat tail, by visiting this link:

Welcome Blanca and Svetlana

 

It’s a great feeling knowing your re-homed animals are being taken good care of.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The snow is still falling hard here with wind gusts up to 55 mph. The weather folks said we should expect between 6-8”of the white stuff. I canceled a Dr. appt. I had this morning in Albuquerque, but I’m not sure they believed me that we had gotten about 3” of snow yesterday and we had a storm raging today. Albuquerque is only 20 minutes west of us, but while they are around 4,000’ elevation, we’re above 7,000’ elevation. Big difference when it comes to weather.

(The birds are well-fed and watered, with bird seed and leftover cornbread, and look pretty chipper, despite the blowing snow and freezing temperatures)

I really don’t like to drive in blizzard conditions with thickly falling snow that is blowing sideways, so I canceled about 2 hours before the appointment.

The receptionist was very nice, but she did give me a little speech about remembering to give a 24 hour notice. Well sometimes that’s just not possible, especially in regards to weather in New Mexico. It can change hourly and a common saying here is, “Don’t like the weather? Wait 15 minutes and it will change”

Then you get people from out of state who aren’t used to snow or the peculiarities of New Mexico and the elevation differences.

Reminds me of a story….

Ranchman John was in a Home Depot last winter buying some new snow shovels, and a know-it-all type, new transplant from California (It’s easy to tell, trust me), snickered at the snow shovels in my man’s arms, and told my hubby, “Well, those are a waste of money. You won’t need them here”.

I guess he doesn’t know that, in New Mexico, you can head up to the mountains to go skiing in the morning and head back down for a round of golf in the afternoon. And if you live in the mountains, you will need snow shovels.

Ironically, just about an hour ago, Ranchman John called me from his job in Albuquerque and said that they’re only getting a little rain, with some snow flurries in the foothills.

He called me a second time to tell me the sun was shining. And wouldn’t you know it, just 15 minutes later the sun was shining up here, too. But at the same time the snow was blowing!

Of course, the sun quickly vanished as the clouds, heavy with snow, commenced with their duty of making sure everything is covered in fluffy white.

Sunday Stills ~ Rule of Thirds

 

This week’s Sunday Stills Challenge is Rule of Thirds ~ Back to Basics. I had to use my archives for this challenge as I’ve had a busy week and my camera has been on vacation.

1)

 

2)

 

3)

 

4)

5)

 

6)

 

7)

8)

I Still Miss Her

 

Thank to everyone that gave me some very helpful advice, ideas, or just some supportive words. I must say that my favorite tip was sent to me via e-mail from my blog pal, “Comanche’s Shadow”. This was her advice:

“Lisa.... I think I'd get myself a long stick, some string and a carrot tied to the end of the string hanging from the stick... hold over Apache's head, between her ears...... (LOL).......... and, jiggle it in front of her eyes and nose.  It may be the very incentive she needs to jumpstart her engine!!” 

I was totally cracking up while reading this advice, just picturing me riding my mare all over the place with the stick and carrot! rofl!

Moving on to the subject of this post……...

~~~~~~~~~~ 

(I chose this song Tattoo by Jordin Sparks because the words describe perfectly how I feel about my previous mare Baby Doll)

I know. I shouldn’t have done it.

I should have never revisited my Letting Go of The Rope post. As soon as I did, the tears just flowed. Granted, those tears weren’t like the flood I had when, just before I climbed into my truck on that fateful day, I turned around and saw my mare loaded up in her new owner’s trailer, for the long trip to her new home.

     

I could barely see to drive home, through all those tears.

Her new owners have sent me updates and a couple photos of her. They tell me each time how much they enjoy her and how well Baby Doll is working out. They fell in love with her almost at first sight.

Interesting that it took me half a year to feel the same way. And that same affection didn’t even carry into the saddle. But on the ground, I think the two of of us did have a special bond, although she was more like a begrudging older sister than a willing partner or obedient child. But still, my heart couldn’t help but skip a beat when I would look out to the pasture and Baby Doll would be standing there….waiting……for me.

     

Yes, most of the time she was hoping for a treat. But sometimes she just wanted me to pet her and scratch her furry butt. And other times, she wanted to play some games with me and she and I would play at liberty as we walked through the pasture together.

These games didn’t really start until after I healed from my injuries that she caused. So it did take more than a year before we had that kind of bond together.

You’re probably wondering, why am I bringing this up?

Seeing the photos of Baby Doll reminded me how much I miss her. I know. Crazy.

I have nothing to remember her by, except photos. Even the scent of her on the brushes, halters or tack she wore has faded away and been replaced with my mare Apache’s scent instead.

I’ve asked myself quite a few times if I did the right thing in finding her a new home, wondering if maybe I could have still kept her, and Ranchman John could have ridden her. But then I realize I would have been too worried that she’d do something unexpected, like she often did with me, and hurt him, too. And I don’t believe I could have ever trusted her again to ride her on my own, even though, I’m glad I finally did get back up on her. Sitting on Baby Doll's back on the day after Christmas was such a monumental moment in my horsemanship journey.

I couldn’t have done it without the support and understanding of my neighbor friend, Val, my family, friends and all of my blogger friends, too. I worked so hard to get to that point physically, but especially emotionally. I’m now so grateful that I didn’t rehome my mare until after I accomplished that goal. I wonder if it meant something to Baby Doll, too?

I had a small hope that we could build on that moment and I might have been able to keep her, but when I started taking riding lessons a couple weeks later on a steady-eddie horse, I realized that I liked the feeling of safety I had while riding Rosie, and then Etta Bay.

And I finally knew that small hope was dashed, after my instructor friend, Colleen rode Baby Doll and told me that she wasn’t surprised I had been injured by her, because, just like my neighbor friend Val had told me a year earlier, Baby Doll was not a beginner horse.

So, in my heart I know that I did the right thing. But I still miss that special bond I had with her.

I know I’ve only owned Apache for a couple months and it can take a long time to build a relationship with a horse, especially a mare. Although I do feel safe on her back, I don’t feel that openness, complete trust, and a bond yet. I’m not at that point with Apache yet. And I know I have to earn it.

Recently, my neighbor friend, Val asked if I’d also be leasing the couple hundred acres of pasture land from our neighbor across the ridge beside our houses. She grazed two of her horses over there last summer with my mare Baby Doll, along with another neighbor’s 3 geldings. They all thrived grazing together in their temporary herd. Baby Doll had never looked so glossy, content, sleek and well-muscled as she did last summer.

I’ve been considering allowing Apache the same opportunity now that everything is greening up here. And with all of our extra Spring snow, it promises to be a great year for grass growth. But then I remembered how Baby Doll would usually run to me when I called her, even if she was in a couple hundred acre pasture……with a whole herd of horses. Like she did in this video.

On a different day, it was a very windy afternoon, I went over to the pasture and called her but the wind carried my voice away faster than I could yell. Baby Doll couldn’t hear me…or so I thought. I went into the pasture and hiked over the ridge looking for her in the trees and on the other side of the ridge, in the pasture below. When all of a sudden she came galloping around a grove of trees straight towards me, with the 3 geldings in tow. She had been looking for me, too.

When I haltered her and led her back over the ridge with the geldings following us, I was worried that Baby Doll might try to get loose and run back to them, but she never did. She seemed happy to be with me, and I walked her back home.

Apache and I aren’t at that same point in our relationship yet. She doesn’t wait at the gate for me if she sees me step out of the house. She doesn’t come when her name is called. Of course, to give her credit, she’s only had her new name for a couple months. But I worry about letting her loose in a couple hundred acre pasture, and then not being able to catch her again.

There are moments when I feel Apache welcomes me in and trusts me, and I try to remember to make time for more of these moments to take place.

           

I missed celebrating Baby Doll’s 17th birthday this year.

And I don’t know when Apache’s birthday is, or how old she’ll be. The vet believes she’s 13 yrs old now. I’ve decided we’ll celebrate Apache’s birthday on my daughter’s birthday of March 5th. If it doesn’t snow (hah!) we’ll have a pony party with Apache giving rides to all of Jenna’s friends. And of course I’ll make Apache a special birthday cake and throw her a party, like I did for Baby Doll, too. With balloons, party hats, bobbing for apples for the horses, along with cupcakes and wine for the humans. That year’s party was also to celebrate Nadia’s 26th birthday, too. It was so much fun!

I don’t know where this next year will take Apache and I and how our relationship will grow, but like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I wish for happiness, safety, good health, a trusting partnership, and lots of fun.

 

And I hope that Apache will soon fill this sad little corner of my heart that was once owned by my mare Baby Doll.

Pony Ride

 

As some of you may know, my almost 7 yr old daughter, Jenna has Aspergers Syndrome, which is a high functioning form of Autism. She has her issues, but she is also very bright, loving, affectionate, funny, and she has a keen sense of intuition. Especially when it comes to animals. Laughing Orca Ranch was actually named by my daughter. You can read about that in my very first blog post actually.

One day when I asked my daughter what color horse she would like, she said “An Orca Horse”

So when I discovered Dakotas Baby Doll, a black and white tobiano paint horse, who looked a lot like an orca. I figured it must be destiny.

I obviously let my heart control my head.

Interestingly, I never placed my daughter upon Baby Doll’s back before I bought her, and after I brought her home, Jenna refused to ride her even on a lead line. In the 2 1/2 yrs I owned Baby Doll, my daughter never sat on my mare’s back. She would help me groom her, feed her, refill her water, and even give her cookies, but Jenna didn’t trust Baby Doll enough to sit on her back.

I would say my little girl had excellent intuition.

Now, over the last 2 weeks, I’ve shown my daughter pictures of ‘Sugar’, including the one that ‘Sugar’s’ owner sent me, and she seemed very interested in meeting this horse in person. But I was shocked when Jenna told me that she wanted to ride ‘Sugar’. Jenna hasn’t sat on a horse’s back since she was 3 years old. She was also very affected by the injuries that Baby Doll caused me. I didn’t know if she would ever trust a horse again.

But, thanks to sweet, kind, gentle ‘Sugar’, my little girl has regained her trust.

Jenna insisted on going with Ranchman John and I today for ‘Sugar’s’ Vet Check. Before the vet arrived we visited with ‘Sugar’ in her stall. She seemed happy to see us and I even forgot to bring treats yet again. I was most happy about the gentle and curious way ‘Sugar’ approached Jenna, nuzzling her softly and allowing my daughter to hug her around the head and kiss her on the nose. My daughter was thrilled. It was beautiful to watch.

 

And after the Vet Check (I’ll share more about that later. ‘Sugar’ checked out just fine, though.), I saddled up the little mare and Ranchman John helped Jenna climb up onto ‘Sugar’s’ back.

The ground was covered in about an inch of slick, greasy mud, and I had to hunt for higher ground so I could lead ‘Sugar’ and Jenna around.

I figured we’d walk around a couple times and my daughter would say she was done. But every time I stopped and asked her if she wanted to dismount, she’d tell me no, that she wanted to keep riding. So we did. And ‘Sugar’ was calm, quiet and gentle the entire time, even when the horse herd on the other side of the fence got excited and were bucking and squealing. She watched them, but seemed to know she had a job to do. To take safe care of my daughter.

I was even able to talk Jenna into playing “Flying Horse” a couple of times. She spread her ‘wings’ out and helped ‘Sugar’ ‘fly’ as we took a few steps. That exercise did wonders for my daughter’s confidence as she grinned from ear-to-ear!

‘Sugar’ only did one ‘naughty’ thing while Jenna was on her back, but I credit that to the chiro work that was done on her during the vet visit. ‘Sugar’ was so relaxed and feeling good, she was almost sleep-walking. At one point we walked over a deeper area of mud, and I was talking to Ranchman John, all of a sudden I saw ‘Sugar’s’ knees buckle like she was preparing to lay down in the mud. I quickly told her “No! Up! Stand!” and her eyes shot open and she straightened up right away, seeming to realize that she had made a mistake. But she didn’t startle or jump and unseat Jenna at all. And though Jenna was surprised at being tilted forward and down so suddenly, she and I had a good laugh about it afterwards realizing that Sugar just felt so good and relaxed with us after her chiro adjustments.

We walked around in the wind for about an hour until our tummies were growling for lunch. I think Jenna could have rode ‘Sugar’ all day long, though.

Colleen wasn’t there with us as she had some appointments to attend to over at the horse rescue, but she did show us where the horse treats were, so after I removed ‘Sugar’s’ saddle, we were sure to give her some. I liked how gently ‘Sugar’ took the treats, too.

And she likes to give kisses and nuzzles, too.

After we led ‘Sugar’ back to her pen, we hung around for a little while longer, brushing her and scratching her cheeks (her favorite thing). She really likes to be given head hugs and just totally relaxes in my arms.

‘Sugar’ definitely scored huge points with me today for how well she related to my daughter and for how safely she carried my daughter on her back. Now if only all this mud and snow would dry up so I could ride ‘Sugar’ again.