Little Miss Sunshine

 

When this mule was born hubby thought we should sell her right away. She never got big but mom was only 14 hands. I wasn't impressed with her at first as she wasn't super striking to look at. I didn't feel that she had the best confirmation in the mule world. She inherited her mom's barrel body but did not inherit her mother's attitude.

At the time, I was working with her half brother who was 15 hands who was an incredibly handsome dark bay mule.

Rich put her up for sale and a guy came and looked at her. He wasn't impressed with her looks either so we decided to keep her and make her a grand kid mule. 

Thing is, she became our all around trail mule.

What I never realized in the years I worked with her is that she was absolutely beautiful, kind, sweet, and just like her half brother...she would do anything I asked her to do. I lost Badger when he was 16 years old due to an illness. It broke my heart and I couldn't bear to think of even loving another mule.

In the face of difficult situations in the forest, Sunshine will look at it, assess it, and then deal with it. She thinks, just like most of the mules I've worked with over the past 30 years. 

Sunshine's mother was reactionary. 

A deer would step out of the forest a quarter mile away and she'd generally spin and then stop. Sunshine points her hears, slows down, observes, then walks on. 

When I was working her as a 5 yr old I'd sing from her back, drop her reins, flop around in the saddle, and pull branches off trees and wave them around. I'd cry out, whine, complain, and carry on.

Rich laughed and said I was acting like a 4 yr old and I agreed. If a kid were to ride her, they'd probably do all of these things. 

But she did end up being an incredible mule to carry grandkids.

For whatever stupid reason, she still was not my 'favorite' heart throb mule. I was still lost over losing Badger so I rehabbed Opal the people hating mule. I fell for Siera with her good looks and her incredible gaits.

Time and time again, I returned to riding the Little Red Mule. Each time I discovered more reasons why she was so good.

My friend who has horses had invited me to bring a mule to her place so we could ride together. 

Kristi just wanted to ride and have someone to go with.

My first thought was to take Siera. She is 14.5 hands and a very striking bay mule. She is calm and easy going too. Siera developed that weird lameness so that left Sunshine.

I struggled with that decision because she is 28 but in great health and no issues. But I've never ever been apart from her for 28 years. I didn't know if I could wake up in the morning and NOT see her in the pasture.

This week we finally made a date to move her. My anxiety level went through the roof. How could I let my red head leave the farm?

Another thought struck me. I have raised this mule from birth. I have overlooked her time and time again but always knew in my heart that we have a special connection that normally doesn't occur between equine and humans.

When I took her photo in the pasture the other night I was again struck by her poise and beauty. Plus the fact that I could not step out on the porch without her spotting me from across the field. Always, always, she knickers and watches to see what I am up to.

Was I really that dumb to not appreciate the plain colored red beauty? With my heart in my throat, I took her to Olive's house where we transported her to Kristi's farm.

I put her in the paddock next to Johnny Cash [Kristi's new horse] and observed. Sunshine walked around the paddock while the horses checked her out. The horses bounced around and whinnied. Sunshine gave them the once over and then got down and rolled. Apparently she wasn't too impressed.

Kristi sent me a photo of Sunshine this morning so I wouldn't miss her too badly.

So Sunshine and Johnny Cash got along just fine.  She must like his songs.🎶

I went there last night and we rode for a bit in her indoor arena. 

Sunshine had never been in one and didn't care for it at first.

We then headed out and down her road which is a dead end. The wind was blowing pretty hard but the two equine didn't seem to mind. We traveled through a gate and rode through a large pasture. Sunshine was on a mission and did her best mule walk which is fast.

Johnny is a Western Pleasure horse and walks slow and easy. 

Eventually we went to the outdoor arena and practiced some figure 8's at a trot and just enjoyed the evening.

The kids went by in a UTV, the Amish neighbor was moving sheep and they were making a lot of noise. Tyler the handyman was using a skid steer just outside the outdoor to spread dirt and do landscaping.

Both equine took it all in without batting an ear. Though the crappy shot below shows my long ear watching the Amish Sheepdog.

So.

What does it feel like riding after such a long hiatus? 
Sweet.

I will commend my Little Miss Sunshine for taking it all in at a strange place and not being a butt head. She did everything I asked her to.

Saturday morning we are going to trail ride at Kristi's.

My decision was the right one. Serendipity chose Sunshine and Sunshine once again proved exactly why she was the one mule I've always wanted.

What can I say. Except that I haven't felt this stress free in years. Yes, riding is magical.

Hike to Blackhawk Rock

Monday morning, after taking down the campground and hauling everything back to the house, I asked the pups what they felt like doing for the morning.

Well, they were not helpful at all so I decided we'd take a midday trip to Blackhawk Rock. The sun was bright and glaring but that makes for fun Infrared Photography.

I stop and look at this old tree along the trail every single time I hike the Blackhawk Trail. The tree is an ancient old maple that keeps losing parts.

At one time there was a plaque on it giving it a name and a number.

The trail gets steep once you head up towards the rock outcropping. One of the things I like to warn folks about is that the trail is narrow, steep, and full of poison ivy on both sides of the trail with plants that are as tall as my hip.

I always wear long pants while hiking through there and am careful not to crush any leaves as I go through.

Then you step into an opening of the forest and look up.

The feeling of just looking up at it, is a bit overwhelming. There is a legend that says that Blackhawk the chief of the Sauk tribe rode his horse to the top of the rock. 
The soldiers thought they had him captured, but he and his horse leapt from the rock and escaped.

That didn't happen, but it is a cool legend. 

I purchased a book on the Blackhawk War for my grandson as a gift. It is a pretty interesting book.

Our county has quite a few Historical Markers that a person can follow to read about the travels of the tribe and Blackhawk.

The post office of our town has a mural of Blackhawk. 

When we got to the top of the rock, Hannah slowly walked to the edge with Charlie and then backed quickly away. She didn't go near the edge again while we were there. Charlie took a nap in the sun while we simply enjoyed the view.

The edge of the rock is the same rock as seen from below. Yes, you can look down if you are brave. I usually kneel and then lay down to look.

I wanted to say that this was Hannah's reaction to the top of the rock...it wasn't, she was yawning when I took the shot. 

It was a nice day so we decided to do the whole loop which ended up being 4.99 miles according to the GPS thingy.

Hannah has made great strides in her leash work. We did run into a large group of horseback riders. Hannah was sure they were marauders of some sort. I think that the more often we encounter others on the trails, the less barking she will do. 

Once they passed, she ignored them. But she is part terrier and everything needs to be barked at when she first is surprised by it.

Both dogs were tired and slept on the drive home.

I'm pleased that Hannah and Charlie are doing well with hiking together now on leashes the double leash works but I didn't want two dogs pulling me around on the very difficult climb to the top of the rock.

We have continued our early morning 15 minute workout on a line learning to heel and sit when I stop walking. She is doing the sit now most of the time in the proper spot without me telling her and repositioning her now.

Charlie watches from the house. He believes that he is the overlord of the house and will refuse to join in our foolishness.

 

A place in the forest...

No internet. Spotty cell service. 
A comfy tent bedroom.

Peace.
No walls, open air.

Stars.

Magical blinking lights.

Surround sound.

Coyote calls.

Barred Owl songs.

Deer whistles.

Songs from a Brown Thrasher.

Bird calls.

Campfire.

Smells.

Fog in the meadow.

Dew.

The sound of leaves sighing in the breeze.

No noises other than those made in the forest.

A light show like no other.

Morning mists in the meadow.

A stunning morning view.

Good company.

Where the Earth Breathes

The morning mist hangs low and still,
Upon the green and silent hill.
The ancient trees hold back the wind,
And leave the busy world behind.

A hidden creek flows soft and slow,
Through mossy stones and fern below.
No hurried step, no frantic sound,
Just quiet grace upon the ground.

The golden light begins to fade,
Across the cool, protected glade.
The forest rests, the shadows fall,
And peace settles over all.

~~~Author Unknown

Night of the Fireflies

Miss Ariel came to visit for a short weekend. We went out to lunch, then decided to 'do' downtown Viroqua. The vinyl record store, used book store, second hand stores, and a couple of other downtown shops and the crazy old mall that was once a car dealership.

I picked up a couple of things and fell in love with a gypsy type skirt of wild colors and a pair of gypsy pants. I don't know why I needed something like that, but I did.

I found a t-shirt I couldn't pass up.

Happy me! A new store is opening downtown.

It will be buying and selling used Legos! 

Also other games and of course a gaming club I think!

Yes!!

We spent our downtime teaching Hannah the ins and outs of fetching and 'leave it'. Hannah was entranced with Ariel [Charlie loves her also]. So I had her doing some of the repeat work with her.

Hannah learned that you get a treat once in a while when you 'leave it'  or drop the ball in a human hand.

We did multiple doggy walks and enjoyed the cool air. Ariel wanted to get her steps in. I wanted to exercise the pups. 

When the sunset started I ran inside and grabbed a camera. The colors were incredibly intense.

The pine trees are in front of the house which you might be able to barely see in the bottom right corner.

It wasn't so dark that we couldn't see around us and as the color faded from the skies we started seeing hundreds of fireflies.

I set up the camera during the blue hour and started to use a computational thingy on the camera called LiveComp which records any change in light every 4 seconds or whatever you set it too.

I was super happy with the driveway photo. Ariel watched with some amazement too. I doubt she ever stood and just let nature flow over her like that in the semi dark. I pointed out that the lighting bugs often stayed off the gravel and stuck to the long grasses on each side of the driveway and in the forest.

I turned the camera to the neighbor's meadow which hasn't been grazed or mowed in over 10 years.

I let the camera go on for 20 minutes compiling flashes of light.

Long exposure with moving clouds...

30 seconds of the same area.

It was like the insects were doing a special dance just for us and all we had to do was watch. One even landed on my hand and another in my hair.

You could say I was immersed in it.

As was Ariel.

The pups were sleeping in the house when we finished.

Hannah, Fireflies, Puppy Jake Foundation

First off, I don't mean to go on and on about my dogs or my mules, but they are my immediate 'family' at this time.

My sons are hours away with busy lives and their families. My older grands are busy with working and figuring out their lives too. Most of them that have jobs and vehicles live 2 to 3 hours away. I have heard twice from the stepdaughter since her dad passed away 9 months ago.

I do have my friends, so don't get me wrong at all. I do have a life with humans involved.

Now I better understand people who wrap their lives around their pets. Pets are constant companions who don't have distractions. Their lives depend on you. They are toddlers that need constant affirmation of love and care. Who doesn't love that?

So, I will write about them and talk about them. They are the main focus of things happening in my life at the moment.

Years ago, I had Morris, a Jack Russell Terrier. He was not a typical terrier. He was not fearless and brave, but he was kind and sweet. But he was sure that Fireflies were insane little monsters that were going to eat him.

In 2007 Morris made me aware of the evil fireflies that surrounded our house and fields on summer nights. He knew he had to protect me from the conniving little flashing bugs. We laughed and laughed that such a mild mannered dog was so upset over flying insects. 
Night of the Fireflies is the original post. 

Each year after that, Morris would go out and watch for them with his hair on end and a soft constant growl. He'd even jump on the bed to look out the window and protect us.

Fast forward 19 years [has it been so long???]

Last night Hannah stood on the porch and when Fireflies lit up the yard and garden in front of her. She backed up and growled. Her hair was on end. I thought 'No way!' Charlie never even gives the little flashes of light a second glance.

But there it was. Hannah and the Killer Fireflies. I tried to tell her that they wouldn't harm her. No use. She has her mind set on the fact they are a threat.

Hannah will be 6 months old on the 24th and she'll visit the Vet for being neutered on the 25th. She still nags Charlie but not as bad as she did at first. She is maturing and learning to walk on a leash without distractions and sit when I stand still. Baby steps. 

During this last hot and humid week, I spent some time indoors bored. So I flipped on YouTube to browse things to watch. I ended up on a documentary about the Puppy Jake Foundation in Iowa that trains service dogs for Veterans.

What transpired next was fascinating.

She watched the whole documentary. When a commercial came on, she walked away and looked out the door, when the narrator came back on, she walked back to that spot and watched intently.

I thought it was a fluke or maybe she was interested in seeing the dogs in the program so I put on a dog training video featuring a dog and a person explaining how to use a leash.

Imagine my surprise when she growled and backed away from the TV as if it offended her. She barked and looked at me then at the TV. I doubt she made the connection that I was in charge of the programing, but I changed back to the same documentary we'd been watching.

She was enthralled once more.

I changed the video again to another dog video of sorts. She had the same reaction. 

She is the first dog I've had in all of my years on this earth that has 'watched' TV. Did she like the narrator's voice? Did she like what she was hearing and seeing?

I showed the video to some friends and their reply was 'She wants to be Trained to be a Service Dog!'

Hah.

She is my Emotional Support Dog, right? 

Years ago, I went through a dog obedience class with my first dog Missy. The class was 8 weeks long and by the end of the class Missy would walk off leash and ignore other dogs and distractions. She was insanely good at obedience. The instructor only docked her because she wouldn't take cues from him, but he did suggest that we go to the next level for a working dog and eventually train for Search and Rescue.

It was a path I wished to explore but couldn't as I had two young kids at home. 

Hannah is a quick learner. When she has her 'working line' on she is all business.

Here, she is learning the basics of 'heel' and sit when I stop. It has only taken her two sessions to figure this part out. 

She is 80% consistent with no distractions at this point.

Of course, she already understood sit. However she didn't get the concept of walking at my side with a loose line and sitting when I stopped walking until we started.

At the end of each session [no longer than 15 minutes] I give her a release word and unclip her. She immediately checks with me and then goes into Zoomies.

I wonder what I can accomplish with Hannah.

Charlie? 
He has always been an extremely smart dog. The one thing I had to teach him was to 'come' when called, his manners and leash walking have always been good without any extra work. His duty since puppyhood had been to be with Rich and other elders as a lap dog and petting dog. 

He's decided that it looks like Hannah is going to stick around.

He even allows this:

I've had dogs since I was a kid. It all started with Albert the female mutt we got from my uncle's farm. Some day I'll reminisce about her.

Fun Friday stuff

I ordered the Woodland Mushroom Botanicals for the new Lego release on June 1st. I figured it was a good birthday gift for myself. 

It seems that my Sprite minifigure was absolutely delighted to find the set when I opened it. This is an 'adult' set which means it is a bit complicated. I figured it would be great for when the weather got so hot and beastly humid out. I could spend some time relaxing inside and enjoying cooler temps in the house.

Sprite shares her excitement with her good friend Lilith...

...who brings her magic star wand to help with the difficult parts.

I have to say that it is a beautiful set for display...

and to pose minifigs in.

Sprite seems to think that this should be her new permanent home. I agree, she looks perfectly happy amongst all the amazing fungi.

I'm just going with some things that make me happy. This week was horrible with heat, humidity, and bad weather so I busied myself when I wasn't staring out the window or sweating while mowing the yard...

and I did some distracting play....

I really really needed the distractions.

I'm just going to toss some shots in here for fun with no real explanation. Yesterday was my indoor day because of the non stop storms that were occurring.

My pick from the junk pile to do photography for Thursday.

Siera's Diagnosis.

Don't laugh!

She is fat. I wasn't paying attention. But Rich used to say that Siera could gain weight 

on

Hay Dust.

A couple of years of being idle haven't done her any favors. The nice lush grass in the pastures didn't help her either. She will be going to have to live in a dry lot. A grazing muzzle wouldn't work as she rubs her head against trees and walks through brush. I'd hate for her to get caught on something.

Sure. I take good care of the land and we have an amazing spring with grass and weed growth. Now I have to limit one good grazer.

My hope is to help her recover and gain strength. Her last lameness this week only lasted 3 days. So maybe on top of being Fat, she is a Drama Queen. Or she was lame from a tiny bit of exercise. 

There was the mention of possible beginning stages of laminitis but that is not a sure thing. We'll take all the precautions we can for her to live a good and health Senior Life [with exercise!!!].

We will see what happens. 

To me she looks pretty ordinary but a but chunky over her tail head. The red heads seem to be in much better physical shape than her. 

They are always on the move and doing things.

Chunky Monkey Siera [shhh, don't tell her that out loud]...

Maybe we need to go to the gym together.

The red headed girls below, Sunshine on the right. 

It will be an adjustment for Sundance on the left to adjust to her sister leaving the farm for a while.

Oh to be in charge of these three goofs. They are pretty sweet animals and I really do enjoy them. Feet trimmed, manes trimmed, and pastures mowed. Huh.

Siera just walked across the pasture out front of here with her long gaited strides just to thumb her nose at me.

Life in the slow lane.