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……...

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(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.

Frozen Heart

 

Today I had a meltdown in my heart from a culmination of emotional scars, new wounds, confusion, and even fear. I just sat and sobbed my heart out.

It started with the bitter, howling wind, followed by two days of snow that kept me from spending more time with and riding ‘Sugar’. I am so done with winter this year. Last year I was stuck in bed in my tower recuperating from my ACL surgery. This year I don’t want to be stuck inside at all.

                      

              (Photo taken on Sunday afternoon. After several weeks of snow covered ground, we could see the earth again.)

Then Linda shared the story of how her handsome, playful Lyle of The 7MSN had to be euthanized on Saturday. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Maybelline eyelashes himself in 2008 during a visit to the 7MSN. He was very forward, friendly and curious and loved to pick up anything he could find with his very dexterous lips. He made me laugh. I’m honored to have met him. Such a unique and special horse will never be forgotten.

       (Photo taken Sunday Night)

And speaking of never being forgotten, I realized how much I still miss my mare Baby Doll and how sad it still makes me feel to remember the proud and strong bay horse Rojo and the heartbreaking moments before he took his last breath last summer.

Saying goodbye to our precious animals is never easy.

I felt so sad for Reddunappy (There’s a Horse in my Bubblebath) for the loss of her special dog, Teddy this week. And for the loss of CeeCee’s cat, Lucky, too. And the tough decisions facing Kate with her and her daughter’s emotionally unbalanced horse Miranda. And Pony Girl’s My Boy who is going through the discomfort of arthritis. There’s been so much loss, and so many trials and challenges this year. It’s almost unbearable. I wish I could somehow do something to take away all the hurt and sadness that so many blogger friends are going through.

                       

                      (Photo taken Monday Morning)

 

During my emotional meltdown, I was considering giving up my dream of owning another horse, because I tend to get attached and didn’t want to say goodbye again. I told Ranchman John and Colleen that I didn’t trust my instincts for finding a good horse. I had made a huge mistake the first time and paid dearly for that mistake. How am I to know that a horse is a good, safe fit for me and my family? Also how can the first horse I try out (Blackie doesn’t count since she refused to load in the trailer) manage to be the ‘right horse’? Shouldn’t I be horse shopping for much longer, like weeks or months?

 

I spoke with Colleen about my feelings and thoughts today and she tried to reassure me. She asked me to list the pros and cons of this horse and then decide if there was anything that would cause me to have second thoughts about her. I tend to compare all horse behavior with Baby Doll, since she was so difficult and was always testing me.

                   

(Photo taken Monday morning)

In the saddle she was too much horse for me, but on the ground Baby Doll and I had a close connection. ‘Sugar’ acts very much like Baby Doll on the ground, but she is nothing like Baby Doll in the saddle. I still keep waiting for ‘Sugar’ to act up, because that’s how I rode Baby Doll, and she rarely let me down. But so far, ‘Sugar’ doesn’t seem to spend her entire time thinking up things to argue about or get away with. That scores high in my book.

I asked Colleen would she consider purchasing ‘Sugar’ for her riding company, and she said yes. She’d spend a month or two getting her in shape and tuning her up and then she’d have her as a step-up in skill-level from Rosie. Her assessment meant a lot to me and helped me to reconsider giving ‘Sugar’ more time.

            (Photo of our barn on Monday morning)

So tomorrow 'Sugar' is being seen by the vet to check her health, teeth, feet, chiro and a have a flex test. If the vet check reveals any serious issues then, sadly, I know this horse isn’t meant to be. But if all checks out then I’ll spend some time riding her over at Colleen’s ranch afterwards and hoping that the bad weather stays away so I can spend more time riding and getting to know ‘Sugar’ this week before making any decisions…………….

   

Letting Go of the Rope

 

(This is a very long post, so if you’re ready to sit down and read, be sure to use the potty first, grab a beverage and a snack, too) (The song I chose for this post is by Jennifer Hanson: “Beautiful Goodbye”, followed by Nickelback: “Far Away”)

“There are times when we are dealing with horses and/or people and life in general, that things just go wrong in a hurry. And while we are taught to be determined, and ‘stay the course’, if it is putting us in danger of being hurt, it is ok sometimes to just ‘let go of the rope’. Take a second to regroup and either try again, or in some cases move on.“

~ Quote by Fern Valley Appaloosas

 

For me, it was time to move on……………….

I did have a close bond with my mare. We had been through a lot together, both good and very, very bad. I was familiar with her and knew the worst that she would do. That should have made me feel safer, but it didn’t.
I realized that she could hurt me and I knew she could be unpredictable and spooky. And I was aware that Baby Doll demanded a very strong, confidant leader because of how how stubborn, independent and how much of an alpha mare she was.

 

I finally admitted that I was not able to be the alpha that she needed and demanded.

Even though she has taught me a lot in the 2 years that I owned her, Baby Doll was my first horse.  She was supposed to be my Forever Horse. But she was a challenge I think I knew, from the very start, that I was not cut out for.

Many emotions were moving through me the day that I sat up on her back again, the day after Christmas, a year after I fell off of her and severed my ACL.

The biggest emotion I felt was relief. I had conquered my fear and had got back up on the horse that seriously injured me, not once, but twice. I also felt satisfied.

I didn’t have any desire to get back up on her again. I knew in my heart I could never fully trust her again. I was finished and felt complete.

I had come to the realization that Baby Doll had the power to cause me to quit riding horses forever. Between the physical injuries, the emotional scarring, the loss of self-confidence and the the fear of her hurting me yet again, I had no desire to ride her anymore.

 

My mare and I had come full circle together. I fell in love with her as we bonded in the beginning, but then after the multiple injuries caused by her, I wanted Baby Doll gone and could barely stand the sight of her. And finally, in the end, we had re-built that bond and affection for one another again.

Which only made it so much harder to say goodbye.

 

But maybe that's the way it was supposed to be.

 

She was and always will be my ‘heart’ horse and I love her so much it hurts deeply to the center of my core, and I've cried oceans of tears over giving her up.  But, she caused me too much sadness, frustration and pain.

I finally came to the realization that I'm not the only person who can provide a good home for my horse. And I understand now that it was selfish of me to think that only I could provide the best home for her. Keeping her because I love her, and didn’t want to give her up was not in my mare’s best interests. She deserved more than that.

 

 

A blog post over at Mugwump Chronicles ~" Do we love them too much" really struck a  chord with me and helped me to finally move forward.

Baby Doll requires a confidant, strong alpha to ride her and I knew I could not be that kind of rider for her. It hurts to admit that, but the truth often does.....

 

 

Baby Doll knew how to act to scare me and other riders so she could get out of working. She wasn't a mean horse and never tried to purposefully throw me off. She just did little things, like the crow-hops, head tossing, ears pinned, jigging, spinning, etc. Quite a few people warned me or showed concern that Baby Doll was probably not the best horse for me, but it wasn’t until this past year, that I finally realized and accepted that it was true.

 

Some people tried to be helpful and gave me lots of great advice over the past 2 years, and sometimes conflicting advice. I think some folks just expected me to fix something that was way over my head and that I just didn’t have the experience to fix. It's like giving someone a book on brain surgery and telling them, that after they’ve read it, to go ahead and attempt to operate on a brain. Ummmm, it would not be pretty.

I had my mare listed for sale a number of times over the past year, and I had many inquiries and a number of people ride her, but none seemed to be the perfect fit.  I had Baby Doll checked out and she was healthy, strong and had no serious issues except a little mild arthritis in her right hock. She had no cataracts, no pain, no ribs out, and didn't require any chiro adjustments, though she did receive a nice equine massage. Her teeth didn’t even have any sharp points.  Baby Doll was in good condition and all the saddles we tried on her fit well, too.

Last Thursday, a young married couple, B & T, came over to meet Baby Doll and possibly buy her for the husband, T. The wife, B, has been riding since she was in diapers and had been active in 4H, rodeo, and reining events. The husband, T, has been riding for over 4 years and works at a cattle ranch every summer. They both attend college in Portales, NM though they call Texas their home.

(This photo is from the vet clinic after Baby Doll passed her Vet Check. This is the last photo I took of her. She was very tired as it had been a busy day. But she still had a 3 hour ride in the trailer to get to her new home that night)

B has her reining horse mare to ride and T had been riding their 24 year old gelding, but he was getting too arthritic to even load into the trailer and became too tired on the trails.

I felt good that Baby Doll might end up as a ‘Husband Horse’ because she had always done better when Ranchman John rode her and she seemed to respect men more than women, too. In fact Ranchman John had wanted to keep Baby Doll as his horse, but he’s just too busy to ride and in two years had only ridden her twice.  He loves having horses around, but his focus isn’t on learning how to ride, like T’s focus is.

When the young couple showed up on Thursday, I made sure they knew that Baby Doll had not been ridden for over 7 months and she had gotten spoiled and lazy and tended to be barn sour. B had no issues with having to give Baby Doll a tune-up and put her back to work if they bought her.

When the husband and wife each first got up on Baby Doll, she tried her usual tricks: the belligerent head tossing, pissy pinned ears and the defiant crow-hops and then tried to pull them to the barn so she could convince them to dismount. But I was impressed. They had her number and weren't impressed or intimidated by her attitude at all. They rode her with experience and confidence and within 20 minutes Baby Doll gave in and cooperated. It was beautiful. 

I also liked that they were happy to try Baby Doll’s Dr. Cook’s Bitless Bridle after realizing that she wasn’t able to relax in the snaffle bit. They were already planning on buying a new Dr. Cook’s Bitless Bridle for Baby Doll once they got her home, too.

I was also touched to see T give Baby Doll a hug several times on both Thursday and Saturday. Both B & T spent some time grooming her and getting to know her, too.

(This photo is from the vet clinic. T was so excited to put the new black halter on Baby Doll that he had bought her.)

They drove the 3 hours back down to Portales that night, but called me the next day to say they really liked Baby Doll and wanted to come back on Saturday to ride her again and have her full vet check completed on Saturday afternoon.

It was really muddy around here, the boot-sucking kind, but I let them take Baby Doll out on some back roads and trails around our house and they walked, trotted and loped her all over the place.

She tried some more of her defiant tricks a few times, but they were in vain. T just made her work harder. He had already fallen in love with my mare and I could already see a relationship forming between them. I felt sad, but also relieved and happy. It was rather bittersweet, actually.

And he loved her spunky attitude, too. When Baby Doll tried to run off with him, he laughed and made her run faster. It was just what Baby Doll needs. I would have probably taken her back home had she pulled the same thing with me, especially after my injuries that she caused.

(A photo from the vet clinic, just before we unloaded her to go through her Vet Check)

I had to wait a year to find the best home to sell my mare to, and I ended up taking a big loss in the sale, but knowing that she's in a situation that’s a better fit for her is worth that loss.

I’ve been wanting to blog about this all week, but I’ve just been too sad and the words just wouldn’t come out. I’m still finding it difficult to go up to the barn and take care of my other animals right now. Without Baby Doll or any horses up there, it's just a sad place to be. Thankfully John has taken over that job for now. I think I've got a case of  'empty barn syndrome' .

As for Rosie, she’s not for sale. My friend Colleen uses her for her trail riding business, and as everyone knows it’s not easy to find a calm, gentle, forgiving, patient horse that anyone can ride. So, yes Rosie is worth her weight in gold.

I do want to find a horse similar to Rosie, though. Rosie made me realize that I never really felt safe or confidant on Baby Doll and because of her I had almost lost my joy of riding.

Riding is supposed to be enjoyable, and I've had lots of fun riding Rosie. She’s so intuitive that she actually seems to know just how much energy to give you and what you're ready for. I remember the first time I asked her to trot. She hesitated and seemed to be asking me, "Are you sure you're ready?" And when I clucked a second time, off she went, slowly and in a controlled manner.

Baby Doll never did that. She took off in a trot like a crazy camel and jack-hammered her front end until my back and neck ached. I never had fun trotting Baby Doll. In fact I never knew that trotting or loping could be fun at all. All the horses I've ridden in the past have been ranch, rental horses or friend's horses and we usually just walked down a trail. Rosie made me realize that riding faster can be fun, and I’m looking forward to more!

(This photo is from the clinic from two weekends ago. Rosie and I are the third horse and rider from the left)

But I will always have a special place in my heart for my beautiful Baby Doll. I will be keeping in touch with her new owners and hope to visit Baby Doll this summer. I’m glad that she has a new beginning for her life and I have faith that B &T will dote on her and take good care of her while being consistent and firm and providing her the best life any horse could ever ask for.

But I sure will miss her, just the same……..

 

Natural Horsemanship Clinic ~ Part Two

 

Colleen, a friend from the horse rescue where I volunteer, as well as the clinic’s instructor, offered to let me ride one of her horses last weekend, while she would ride and work with my mare. I wanted to see how my horse would do with someone else as we getting some objective opinions on judging her temperament, and getting some feedback on whether or not Baby Doll and I are the right fit for each other.

I had told Colleen that Baby Doll is an alpha mare and tends to be stubborn, opinionated and headstrong. My mare and I have had a number of arguments over the past 2 years, focused on me asking her to do something and her telling me, ‘No, she’d rather not, thank you very much’.

At the beginning of every trail ride, Baby Doll would have to throw a little temper tantrum with a few crow hops, some head tossing, and what I affectionately call ‘The Drunken Sailor’ routine.

We’d go down the road or trail and she would weave back towards the direction of home. I would push her back onto the trail with my leg, and we’d go back and forth like a Drunken Sailor for the first 10-15 minutes of each ride.

Sometimes when she wanted to head back to the barn, and I didn’t,  she’d try to walk backwards the entire way there. When I’d argue with her and attempt to turn her back, she’d commence spinning in circles back to the barn. (click on that link to revisit that experience again)

Yes, she was barn sour. But we began working on that over a year ago, before my fall and injuries. And we were making progress. I’d bring her back to the barn and make her work, and then we’d head back out again, doing that several times, until she never knew what to expect. She was doing better, but we still had our arguments every time we headed out for a ride.

Baby Doll hasn’t been a very spooky horse, usually only snorting while looking at something. But when she did spook, she tended to move rather catty, usually sideways….and big.

She spooked one time when some dogs were running loose on a road behind us and she took off like a rocket and bolted. (click on that link to revisit that experience again). I was easily able to one-rein stop her, but I  began to realize that I couldn’t fully trust her. That she could be unpredictable in a big way.

I also realized that, even though she acted like she wanted to be the boss, she really wanted a confidant, strong leader. She’d test me constantly, laying her ears back flat, jumping into a trot, flinging her head, crow hopping. Anything scary, just to see how it would affect me. Would I buck up and make her mind? Or would I get scared and dismount.

(Photo of a potential buyer/leaser in May 2009)

I never did dismount and I never did let her push me around. We’d argue and argue until she finally let me win. But it got old. She was taking the joy out of riding.

I had waited all of my 40+ years to finally own my own horse. When I found Baby Doll and took riding lessons on her for a few months, before purchasing her, I thought she was the one.

But I had only ridden my mare in the arena and in the round pen at the lesson barn. I had never taken her out on a trail before bringing her home.

My dream was to have a trail horse. To combine both my love of hiking and being outdoors, with my love of horses. All of the horses I’d ridden in the past had been trail horses. They’d all been willing, hard-working, calm, just-get-on-and-ride trail horses.

I’d never experienced a horse that I had to beg, plead, coerce, push, and get tough-with just to go on a trail ride.

On the ground, Baby Doll and I just clicked. She could be sweet, patient, and funny. In the saddle, it was an entirely different ride altogether.

My neighbor friend, Val tried to work with my mare on many occasions. On one ride, she called the adventure, The Taming of The Shrew. (click on that link to revisit that experience again) It was quite a wild ride and Val didn’t back down. But I’m not as experienced a rider as she is and Baby Doll is one smart cookie and she knows it.

I’ve never been able to let my kids ride her on their own, except in the round pen. She’s not a babysitter horse at all. She will take advantage of a young, inexperienced rider and do whatever she wants

(Photo taken of a potential buyer in May 2009)

Personally, I don’t even think she likes children. She would tolerate my daughter brushing her and running around the barn and making noise, but when I used to bring Jenna to the lesson barn, I noticed that Baby Doll would lay her ears back whenever she’d see Jenna.And once, while I was working her in the round pen and my daughter ran past, Baby Doll laid her ears back and bucked in her direction.

Her behavior was pretty ironic because if it weren’t for my daughter, not only would our little ranch not have it’s current name, but we’d probably have never bought Baby Doll at all. (You can read more about this in my very first blog post)

Ok. Well I kind of got side-tracked. Back to the Natural Horsemanship Riding Clinic………….

Colleen knew about Baby Doll’s history and decided that she’d like to try a bit with more control on my mare. She called it a Natural Ring Bit, I believe. It’s completely round and encircles the entire jaw, goes through the mouth and underneath the jaw.

The only thing I could find close enough to what it look likes is This, this, this, and this. It looks similar to a Chifney Bit. Colleen said that Bob Allen, the horse/rider trainer here in New Mexico, uses them and says they work wonders in controlling a headstrong horse.

I don’t have a whole lot of knowledge of bits because I chose to use a Dr. Cook’s Bitless Bridle for my mare and she’s done well in it. I’ve always been told that it’s not the bit that controls a horse, it’s the rider and having a well-trained horse. A horse can ride through any bit if it really wants to.

 

Baby Doll went in a hackamore when I took lessons on her. And I’ve ridden her in a side-pull bridle with a snaffle bit. She’s not happy in a bit, though, that I do know. Her relaxed attitude changes dramatically and she gets rather wild-eyed, jiggy, and ‘rough around the edges’.

But because Baby Doll was in a new place, and in the arena with lots of riders and other horses, Colleen felt like the Ring bit would give more control. I could tell right away that Baby Doll didn’t like it. Not at all.

Colleen rode her bareback at first and Baby Doll stood still for mounting, like a good girl, but that head went up when she felt the contact of the stiff, ring bit.

Baby Doll also wasn’t very cooperative in flexing her neck or bending either.

I kind of felt sorry for her as she didn’t look very relaxed or comfortable at all. She kept getting her tongue up over the top of the ring bit, too. And she looked so crazy with her tongue lolling about and her eyes all wild

Colleen rode her for a little while in the arena, then she dismounted to help another rider and her horse. One of the other riders, Catherine, was encouraged to ride my mare bareback, and I was little worried seeing how nervous she was and how jumpy Baby Doll was acting.

Anna, another friend from the horse rescue, as well as another one of the instructors was able to lend a calming hand, which both Baby Doll and the other rider seemed to really appreciate.

                

In the end Baby Doll was ridden for about 30 minutes on Saturday and about 30 minutes on Sunday.

Colleen finally decided that my mare was too jumpy and unpredictable in that arena environment and she didn’t feel comfortable riding her while trying to help the other riders, who were having their own issues with their horses.

I felt bad, but I can’t say I was entirely surprised.

   

To be continued…………………..

 

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And my Project 365 photo.

Day 15. Polar Bear Paw (Taken at the Rio Grande Zoo)