Auction and action

Today is Auction Day, we are hosting a consignment auction, which means that our place is going to be overrun with people (shudder) but since I will be so busy clerking the auction it should go fast. The cats aren't impressed because I am keeping them locked up, due to their penchant for climbing into strange vehicles, and the dogs will be locked up too.

I have been having a lot of fun taking action photos with my telephoto lens, but I am going to try to get in a night shot for this week's Sunday Stills challenge, which means I have to read some more of the manual and figure out more of the settings. I have a really nice tripod that Ted got me for Christmas last year.

But I just can't help myself taking photos of my favorite subjects!

Struttin' their stuff

Rio and the 12 o'clock dog, Reba

and of course, Mr. Handsome hamming it up!

Oh yeah, and a glam shot of the little redhead, Josie!

Thanksgiving and some Rio pics

It's Thanksgiving day in the US; we Canadians celebrate in October, so to all my friends and blog followers in the US, happy Thanksgiving, hope you have a wonderful day with all the things that fill your heart - good times with family friends and loved ones, and of course, a great dinner.

Shayla came over and worked on Rio, found all the ouchy spots and fixed what we could, and decided that he needs some massage that I can do, as well as using some essential oils on him, so I have lots to do to help him get supple all over. I'll be hauling to the indoor arena too, he's ready for some work now.

He sure has filled out lately! Starting to get a glimpse of the big boy he is going to be.

He's always been a stylish boy, but now he's starting to show a bunch of speed too.

Big don't matter to Josie though- she holds her own!

Back off, big boy!

Rio does have a little touch of Beamer's tendency to ham it up for the camera

Ya think? 

Wordless Wednesday

A clinic and new digs

On Saturday morning I watched a Jim Anderson clinic that Shayla was riding in. For those of you not familiar with Jim, he's an Alberta man who is a world champion Cowboy Up Challenge, is a Wild Card in next year's Road to the Horse, and is a champion of many reining and NRHA shows. I competed against him in open shows when he was a little kid, my how far he has come!

I took photos of Shayla and another local young lady, here are two of my favorites.

I will be riding Rio in the same clinic in January. Shayla is coming over on Wednesday to do some body work on him, as I find him quite stiff and I want to get him adjusted before I start really making him work.

Now that the mares don't live here any more, I was able to move Beamer so that he is next to Rio and Josie, I think he is pretty happy that he can visit with them. I have a 4 ft. alley between them, but he can touch noses at the water troughs.

 Beamer's new digs are 20 ft wide by 70 ft. long, made out of my corral panels. He still gets turnout in his special paddock during the afternoon. I need to get some plywood for the west side (this is taken facing north) but I don't have shelter from the south wind for him yet, I'll have to rig something up. That's the problem with being a renter instead of a land owner, nothing is ever perfect. His old shelter had no protection from the north.
That overhang at the top left of this photo is where Beamer used to live, it will now house the truck that Ted is building from the ground up, a 1971 Chevy 4X4.

Sunday Stills

Tough one Ed, since you only want us to post ONE photo of our favorite subject! Y'all know how shutter happy I am when it comes to my favorite subject, which of course is my stallion, Beamer.
So I thought I'd give you all something to smile about, since a good photo should elicit some sort of response in the viewer.

Brat

Hey Rio!

Pick on somebody your own size!!!!

Who, meeee?

Fun time

Tess has a date today with Moss, the same dog who sired her first litter. From that litter, all the follow up reports I have are from happy owners, including Jenn who owns Abby, and has competed with her in rally obedience and agility. Abby has won many ribbons and has the distinction of getting perfect scores in obedience. I've been trying for two years for this litter, and this is the first time Tess has come into heat since last December. This will be her second and final litter.

I have been playing around with my camera, it'a a little bulky for packing around but yesterday on my way to work the morning light was so beautiful that I had to take it when I went to work. I think this photo will be a future submission in the local calendar contest.

These big boys were hanging out on the fenceline, looking like they needed a portrait:

Shooting with a telephoto is new to me, the depth of field is interesting, like how the bull at the back isn't in focus. I might play around with some of the settings to see how many different ways I can take the same photo.

I also discovered that in my Windows photo manager photo editing that I could do this- all these years of using it and I had never found this! What fun!
It's in the Rotate and Flip button, I clicked on the "by degree" aid and this is what it does.

Anyway, I'll be packing the camera with me today as I head up to Kimberley area with Shayla; she will be working on Janice's horse again, and I'll be dropping Tess off with her mate. Some lovely scenery up there, and it promises to be another sunny day.

Wordless Wednesday

It's all good.

It's raining, it's pouring.....

The north wind is blowing....

But it doesn't bother me much even though it's a muddy soppy mess, because I have my wood stove going.... and....

I still have pansies blooming....

everything is still green; even some of the trees that aren't naked have green leaves....
and it is past mid November.....

and the ponies have a dry place to hang out.  Yup. It's all good. But the wind could quit anytime! There is a week or so of sunshine in the forecast, so hopefully the lawn won't squish anymore when I walk over it.

Paired up

Coyote Belle has settled in well at her new place, she's back with her buddy Chickory and out with the main herd at Fleetwood Farm in Alberta.
Gussie's new owner was pretty excited- his first words were "I'm in love!" so all's well there.

I'll get updates from time to time and will post them here.

It's trying to be winter here, and now that the leaves are gone from the maple trees I hung out the bird feeders- they are doing their job, it only took the little birds a day to find them

 Looks like I can start filling them to the top, I only filled them halfway until the birds found them so the seed didn't get all soggy.

Josie and Rio always did kind of hang out together, even when Stella was around,and now that they are the only two in the pen, they do a lot of things in unison.

Power take off.....

Play.... Josie has to get pretty high to reach his head! Good thing she has those Beamer moves!

Racing....

and having a cool down drink after all that exercise.

MmmMmm good!

 I guess I still has a happy! How can I not with these two to entertain me..... not to mention Mr. Handsome.

Who, me?????

Yes you, ya big ham. 

Got a question for you horse health folks- how do I get rid of ear crud? You can see it in Beamer's right ear, he really hates it when I try to pull the chunks off. I can try essential oils on the outside of the ear but is there anything safe I can put inside to loosen it up?

Moving on

At dawn this morning, the lady who was hauling for me pulled in; we loaded up the girls and off they went. It was pretty tough for me, and I must admit to some leaky eye stuff; but I contacted the new owner of each of them and they were both really happy with their purchases.

So now, there are 3. Rio, little Josie, and Beamer.

I rode Rio yesterday, and we had a little issue with a ditch, apparently his Lordship thought he shouldn't walk through it- we're talking a really wide gentle ditch that is an extension of our lawn, for cryin' out loud! His version of resistance is pretty funny, it's like slow motion compared to some of the snappier horses I've ridden. A fade to the left, around a tree where a branch snapped on my helmet and made him scoot forward- again in slow motion, or so it seemed- and then instead of making an issue of it, we went  a different route. When we returned, I dismounted and led him through the ditch a few times; next time I ride, we'll try it again. If he stays true to form, he'll waltz right through it.  That has been the pattern with him; he'll take exception to something, and then it's no problem the very next time.

Josie looks little compared to Rio, but she has actually grown quite a bit in the last couple of months.

I know this photo is a bad angle, it makes her neck look really short, but I love it because  the action with the dog going the opposite direction.

Like every weanling I've ever had, her new winter coat is really thick and fuzzy.

I've been having fun with my new camera, but I don't dare pack it on Rio- I will on Beamer next time I ride though. Having a telephoto has really made me happy- I can shoot the moon now! Just waiting for the full moon and the dark to see if I can get as good a moon shot as Ed does. This'll have to do for now:

Also, I can finally zoom in on the resident barn owl- next thing is to get a good photo of her in flight.

Tomorrow Shayla and I are heading up to see Janice. Shayla will be doing some body work on Jazz (Rio's full sister).

One door closes....

....and another one opens. If you recall, I said that Gussie had been sold to the young lady riding her in the photo I posted... well she backed out of the deal (after we shook hands on it, guess that means nothing to the younger generation).

So I advertised Gussie on Northern Horse .com and within 24 hours I had someone who wants to buy her. I won't go into details, but it looks like a good fit- in fact I told him that I'd hold the money for a month and he could return her if he doesn't get along with her.Not only that- it's in Turner Valley Alberta, my old stompin' grounds. So I can visit her when we travel up that way.

It will be a less demanding lifestyle for the big red girl, mostly trail rides and hunting trips. Speaking of big... I measured her with the weight tape, she is around 1350 lbs. and that's not fat.
I found someone on Facebook who was looking to fill her trailer on a trip through here to Alberta, so both mares are leaving tomorrow morning.

It's tough selling horses. Especially when you've had them for so long, and they trust you. I feel like a traitor! But circumstances get in the way of dreams, and I think I am doing the best I can for them.

Bluesbuster

Sometimes things just fall apart- which is why I didn't say much about the prospective place we had to move to.We checked it out thoroughly today, and there are many issues that the landlord is not prepared to fix, or let us fix and take it off the rent. Which is really unfortunate because that means we have to stay here until at least spring. A place that has mold issues, a leaky roof in at least 4 places, walls that are disintegrating, and windows that don't keep out the dust that rolls in off the gravel road. I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle trying to find a good place to live in this area, and I'm about ready to throw in the towel and head back to Alberta.
Good thing that I have lots of therapy standing out in the horse pens.

Well, maybe not standing!

He does gladden my heart!

He cheers me up....

and chases my blues away!