Kinda flopped

 The smoke from the fires kept me from seeing the Milky Way and the Northern Lights. But it sure didn't keep me from trying.

I set my alarm for 1:30am and got up and dragged my sorry butt out of bed and walked to the Meadow. I had a little camp chair I took with me and set things up. 

Not much happened in the skies. So I decided to play with my headlamp to see if I could do some experimental light painting on the Hickory tree in the Meadow.

The sky was lit up with very faint colors but it was really just brown-ish from the smoke. Interestingly enough, it was very cool out and there was no evidence of fireflies anywhere.

By 3AM I gave up on the lights but was happy to faintly see the Big Dipper. So I took this last shot and decided to head inside. I got a wee Star Trail as a result. The smoke completely obliterated where the Milky Way was supposed to appear.

I must have bumped the tripod a bit when I walked away. I can see it in the photo but I kept it anyway.

So this is what the skies really looked like above 👆. However, just for fun I did something pretty awful and fun.

Same photo as the one in the Meadow with the orangish-brownish sky.
I cheated with adding a sky swap.
So of course I would title these as what I wish I had seen. However, it sadly was not true.

The scary part it the ease at which I was able to change the photo. 

Okay. Well onto a couple of other Meadow photos that are not faked. I was able to get out just before sunrise and take these as the other half was up on this morning at 4am and had eaten his breakfast and had coffee so I could get out and enjoy a few morning moments in the Meadow.

We had a very busy week last week and even busier weekend with lots of comings and goings.  

The horse we called Fifteen went to her new family where she will get tons of attention and love. 

I was surprised, I haltered her up, and led her to their tiny trailer where she loaded like a pro. To her credit, she is smart but I don't have the time for her. The last time she had loaded into a trailer was the day she came home to us 6 years ago.

The mule gals absolutely had a fit after she left. But after 24 hours, they quieted down as if nothing in their lives had changed.

15 Must be a Princess in Disguise.

Rich noted that 15's halter had gotten muddy. I brushed the mud off and went to get one of our string halters.

He shook his head. He wanted her to wear the bright pink halter.

"She is used to it," he said.
I shrugged. She had never pulled back or has she ever acted up in any manner in all of the time we've had her.

The day was going to be brutally hot and muggy. Her paddock is in the sun during the hottest part of the day.

I offered to put her inside during the hottest part of the day. Rich thought that was a good thing to do, but felt it might be too much work.
I shrugged.
"The more she is handled and led about, the better she will be," I said.

He still wants to finish her training. However he isn't quite up to that yet. She does ride, but not in the manner we'd like to see.

I led her out of the paddock and into the large shed. I put her in the pen and pulled her bright pink halter off.

I turned on the exhaust fan and went to leave.
Rich went rummaging around.
15 nickered at me and I tossed her a flake of hay.

Pretty soon Rich came back with an old box fan. He mounted it on a metal stand and strapped it into place.
I looked at him curiously.

He motioned towards 15 and then at the air surrounding us. "It will get..." he stopped and tried to find the words. He motioned as if he were fanning himself.

"Hot?" I asked.
"...hot in here," he concluded. "Air for 15!" He flipped the switch on and 15 walked into the breeze of the fan and stood.

I had the vision of her posing to let her black mane flow in the fan's air. She then turned and looked at us as if to say. "I deserve this."

I wanted to laugh.
Rich nodded and was content.

I thought. "This little bay horse has him wrapped around her hoof."

15, The Wonder Horse.

Well. The pressure is off. The equine are sorted out and a huge hay bill no longer looms on our horizon.

However that is not the point of this blog.

 I called the mule gang out for a brushing session.

 After brushing, they wander off...except...

Siera who decided to heel me and ask for more attention. 

Lil' Richard cleans up the rough spots

Rich felt pretty down when the others were loaded up and left. I felt a pretty huge sense of loss and change. However, it was necessary.

Pedro went with a team penning gent who fell in love with his color and attitude. Pedro, Willy, and LeRoy are headed off to school. They will have jobs to do also.

I went to the paddock where I am keeping 15 right now for easy access. She goes inside when it the sun is hot in her paddock and comes out for most of the day.

After supper was cleaned up I told Rich that I was going to brush 'his' horse and apply some bug spray to her legs. I would also like to pick out her feet and practice with her a bit more. 

With all the changes in the past three days, I thought a distraction would be nice.

Rich came with the spray. He'd been complaining that it was too hot or too buggy, or too...something and had been ready to go in for the evening. Afternoons are very hard on him. He says that his brain tends to 'misfire' late in the day. And it does. Late afternoons and evenings are tough.

Once he got into the paddock with 15, she perked up and her eyes and ears followed him. He talked to her and told her with mixed up words what he was going to do.

She listened to his voice and relaxed as he sprayed her with fly spray. And she didn't move a muscle.

I took the halter and lead rope off from her and handed them to Rich. 

I turned to leave her pen.

Rich didn't leave. 

He began to run his hands all over her and talk to her. I think she loves his tone of voice. She doesn't mind it if his words are mixed up, she doesn't care if he forgets part of a sentence or stops mid sentence because the words won't come. 

She stood like a statue while he walked around her and talked quietly. He then put his arm around her and leaned into her. She didn't move.

Then he put most of his body weight into her side. She simply sighed and licked her lips.

This from a man who has never had a particular fondness for horses. 

He has always liked them, and treated them well. But mules were his 'thing'. 

15 makes him smile. I think she makes him feel whole.

Who knows?

And does it really matter? 

All that matters is that she is the little Wonder Horse.

15 and the Farrier Visit

The weather was miserable. Cold, wet, rain, cold...wet, wet, cold...well you get the idea.
Dan and Danny Tesar came and we introduced them to our new horse/pony we call 15.
Yes she came from an Amish farm and needs a bit of filling out yet, but we have been so surprised by her super laid back and gentle attitude.  She was supposed to have been 'a good rider'. But as things go at auction, she really isn't what we would call well broke.
That was okay.
Rich and she got along so well. She allows him to do most anything with her. And she will accept a saddle and work with a bridle.

That was pre-stroke. We haven't messed with her except to feed her, clean her area, and brush her a lot. We had a bit of trouble picking up her back feet and I had meant to have her over that before the Tesar's showed up.

The Dan's worked quietly and patiently with 15 and trimmed her feet. She had a bit of an issue with her back feet. But the guys worked with her and concluded that she was not going to kick, she just didn't really understand and was a bit confused and frightened about having her feet worked on.

Rich stood talking to her quietly. She seemed to completely trust him and most of the time stood perfectly still.

As Dan and Danny finished up ... well something occurred that I'd never in my entire time with Rich seen him do.

15 closed her eyes and dropped her head to Rich's chest. Rich leaned forward and planted a kiss on her face.

I poked Dan as Rich turned to take her back to her pen. "Why I never! I have never in my life seen him actually kiss a horse!"

It is obvious that 15 is very important to my husband. She has touched him inside like no other animal I've ever seen. Not even his beloved Fred Mule.

We dragged in wet donkeys from the winter pasture and got their feet trimmed. Some donkeys behaved a bit badly. Normally they are calm and sweet. Dan thought perhaps it was the crappy weather.

I thought a bit and then realized that normally we have all of the donkeys clustered around when trimming. It was probably a herd sour issue. That explained that attitude of our quietest donkey.

Once the weather clears up, the donkeys will get summer haircuts and be bathed. Even Eddie the gelding I raised will be sold. However Bob, ever calm and steadfast Bob will stay. If ever there was a handsome, gentle laid back Jack, it is Bob.

I need to stop here and thank Dan and Danny Tesar of Dan Tesar Horseshoeing Co. for their excellent work and generous gift.
Rich is still pinching himself.

Hey...it isn't raining at the moment! How about some rain? It could get dry!
We only had an inch yesterday!