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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Busy week

The past week was a busy one for all of us here. Stitch started a new position with her employer, the Cooker and I each had separate out-of-town appointments, our farrier spent a day trimming the horses hooves, I had an after work open house for vendors and clients, etc. I don't think any of us stayed awake past 9 on Friday evening.

The women are trying to get Mirage and Gyllen Aften (aka Pookie) ready for the Minnesota Horse Expo in less than two weeks. They are part of the breed demonstration a couple of times each day while they are there. It is fun, but exhausting. Pookie was born here in 1996 and went to the Kentucky Horse Park for about 7 years as a driving horse before coming back home. Stitch just rides her now. The Cooker and Pookie never got along very well because they have similar, strong personalities. They are both very opinionated and a bit stubborn and seem to butt heads when they try and work together. Stitch, however, has developed a pretty good relationship with Pookie. Here is a close up of her.
On Thursday, when Deb the farrier was here, I came home after the vendor show at work to find five women sitting around the dinner table, finishing off a delicious meal of chicken cilantro and a large bottle of wine. They were yucking it up pretty well after a long day in the barn and I hope my presence didn't put too much of a damper on their fun.

I have been selling a bunch of old coins on ebay lately in order to buy a few camera related items. I finally made enough to get a nice zoom lens (DA 55-300 if anyone cares) in order to get some better bird and wildlife pictures. I bought it used from a guy in Toronto and it is lovely. I shot a few pictures, but it was late and I didn't have too much time to play with it. Here is one from the deck shooting over the barn.
Another by one of the ponds.
I am waiting for the warblers to come back for some colorful shots. The Spring Peepers started singing in earnest last evening and it was nice of them to sing us to sleep. Thank goodness it was warm enough to leave the windows open last night. Enjoy it while we can as there is a winter weather advisory for tonight through morning. One to three inches of snow is expected. Yippee skippee.

I need to go out and transfer some hay from  the storage shed to the barn and run in shed. It's nice to be getting my strength back after last autumn's surgery. It's always good to wake up on the right side of the dirt. I leave you with a picture of Cotton lounging on the steps and sunning himself, enjoying the life of leisure that we allow him.

15 comments:

  1. You have been a busy fella!!!!

    Love the photos -- especially Cotton chilling out!!!!!

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  2. I may try to figure out a way to get my granddaughter/s to the horse expo. It sure would be a way for them to learn about all of the breeds.They love horses so much. Not sure if it would be too much for the 3 year-old, but the 5 year-old would be in heaven.
    Life on a farm is never without work to be done, is it? Glad you are feeling your strength again!

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  3. the shot of the barn looks like the ocean in the distance. Saw a great documentary the other night about a horse whisperer. The one that worked with Redford on the movie. Darn it, a sudden brain cramp has made me completely forget the man's name, which is also the name of the movie. Wait a minute, news flash... Buck was the name. I imagine you will like it a lot.

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  4. Hmmm, I've got the DA 50-200 (and the DA* 16-50), in hindsight I wish I'd have gotten the 55-300, it would have made a better fit.

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  5. Kay,I need to learn from my cats' napping abilities.

    chlost, the expo is like a slightly smaller state fair. If you get there, stop by and see the Fjords. If I don't have something to do, it's because I have forgotten.

    Mr.C, not the ocean, but the inland sea of Lake Superior. One of Buck's proteges opened some doors and turned on some lights for us about 10 years ago. We haven't been the same since.

    Batty, sometimes you scare me! Pentax, Les Paul, Iceland, Laxness, Marantz 1060, Poplar Lake. Were we close friends in a former life?

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  6. I got tired just reading your post! A 55-300 mm lens will work for almost everything. Looking forward to your pictures! Whenever I save up for camera stuff, we eat a lot of lentil soup.

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  7. Wow, I must confess, every time you blog about farm work I breath a sigh of relief that the only outdoor work and husbandry we have to do is mow the lawn and keep the bird feeders filled. Obviously you love it, though.

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  8. I love the look of a horse after winter. Even groomed, there's a look of hardiness...

    Didn't know you were in Minnesota. :-) Or maybe just the horse show is?

    Greetings from Mpls,

    Pearl

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  9. It's a busy life on the farm, but as you say, being the right side of the dirt is what it's all about. I like that expression, I'd never heard it before.

    Have fun with your new lens.

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  10. When folks sum up their week with tongue in cheek and an attitude of good humor, it sounds idyllic whether it is or not.

    I did have to pause at "transfer some hay from the storage shed to the barn and run in shed," but then I put a treadmill into the picture and smiled at it.

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  11. PP, I just love getting a new toy, especially when it can't happen very often.

    Robert, otherwise I would turn to a blob of jello.

    Pearl, and the smell of a clean horse is wonderful. Yes, I am up in that NE corner.

    Friko, I love colloquial expressions from across the pond.

    Nance,it's all about attitude. Treadmill is a good analogy. Hold a 70# bale when you do it next time ;)

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  12. Ugh, I can't lift a 70# bale, but I can manage straw bales! Still, I love being out in the barn doing stuff like that. I had to curtail my water-bucket carrying, though. I did in my back carrying two full water buckets back and forth this winter. Wimp! :)

    Love the horse and kitty photos, and your new lens sounds sweet.

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  13. Isn't that true, about the similar personalities clashing?
    Love love love the horse picture. So sweet.. Enjoy the new lenses!!

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  14. Busy and, from the looks of it, content, aren't you? I envy that.

    Pearl

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  15. Great photos but my favorite line in this post: "It's always good to wake up on the right side of the dirt."

    Farm wisdom -- the best kind -- at its best.

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