A Bit Melancholy

As I browsed through my pictures
looking for an inspiration for today’s blog,

I found I’ve grown weary of cold pictures.

As pretty as the snow can be,

I still long for warmth.

A backdrop of green.

The essence of summer.

I want to walk out door without the ritual of bundling up.
I want to wear a baseball cap and t-shirt
instead of a balaclava and coveralls.
I want to feel my horses’ shiny slick coats with my bare hands.
Raise their manes to take in their scent,
not to warm my cold nose.
I want color in my cheeks from the sun,
not from the wind chill.

I want to swim in the lake with Blue
to cool off after a warm day’s ride.
I want to ride down the road on Windy
and smell the apple blossoms on the neighbor’s trees.
I want to see the baby calves at play
and watch the crops come to surface.
I want to watch out for snakes again!

I want to open Ginger up without fear or reservation
and gallop down the “loping trail”.
I want to ride Butter bareback in shorts and bare feet
and capture what’s left of my youth.
I want to groom Baby until her flaxen tail shines.
I want to see if she really will drive.

I want to ride my favorite trails without fear of hidden ice.
And camp with my family and friends.
I want to sit around a campfire with the canopy of stars.
I want Jiffypop over the fire!
I want to hear my horses munching on hay in their make shift pens.
As I drift to sleep after an honest days ride.
I want to saddle up in the early morning
and do it all over again!

I want my truck to start without plugging it in.
My horse’s bit to be warm to the touch.
I want the leather on my saddle soft and supple.
I want the sun on my back
and the reins in my hand
I want to smell freshly cut hay
I want the sky as blue as it was last June.

I want winter to end.


~~~
(Remembering a friend)
Rest in Peace
Sweet Saint
Rest in Peace

Sunday Morning Photo Shoot

This morning brought a few more inches of snow and single digit temperatures. But instead of my usual whine about the cold, I have to say that the morning was breathtakingly beautiful. The snow was light and powdery. You know, the kind that just sparkles in the sun.

I put on my coveralls, gloves and balaclava and Ritz and I headed to the barn. I had opened the gate to the bean field and east pasture yesterday. The herd had returned this morning and were milling around the east side of the barn taking in the warmth of the sun (and I use the word “warmth” loosely!) They stood quietly as I took some shots.

Baby is just made for close-up shots. Her eyes are so expressive.


This was an interesting shot of Butter, looking across Baby & Black’s backs.


Darling Windy is very nervous having all the horses in her run! (“Please make them go away! They are pooping in the wrong spot!”)


You can’t see Ritz, but he and Butter were sparing.


Ritz – yeah – he looks totally innocent. And before you say “what a pretty dog”, pretty is as pretty does!


Don’t you just love how black horses photograph in the snow?

Ginger and Blue were hanging out in the barn and missed the photo shoot.

On another note, The Pioneer Woman has me hooked on Photoshop. I am still learning the particulars – probably never will figure it all out -- but I hardly ever publish a “straight out of camera” shot anymore. Unfortunately, I am awaiting repairs on my main computer and don’t have Photoshop installed on any of my backup computers. After using Photoshop to enhance, frame, crop (and erase bad fencing!), publishing pictures without it is like going to town without make-up. So fired up my old Microsoft Digital Image Pro so I could at least frame the pictures! May not be in full make-up, but likening to at least having on mascara!