ColliesHorsesArtLove

Playing Dog Show (Photographer)

I'm in one of those moods.....I don't want to organize paperwork, I don't want to clean Parker spit off of the walls, I don't want to ride my horse in the mud. I want to groom Squishy. I can't wait to show him!!!

I kept waiting for the horses to come up to the fence, but they waited til I had my camera back in the bag and in the house. I was hopin' for a little animation from Ty via horse action. I have several pictures where his eyes are closed. Having a second person sure does help with photographs! Anyway, I thought these were pretty enough.

He's got the fluffy ruff going!!  

  

Bye!!

My Grooming Table Is Long In Back

I've only had this grooming table for a few years and it doesn't seem to be holding up as well as my original one bought in 1979, which was shorter. This is theoretically the reason you shouldn't buy a horse that's long in back. They get dippy. But, I like this table. It's long and I can put brushes on it and they don't get in the way. My long-in-back horse (Sabi) is a cadillac ride. There's still snow on the ground, I couldn't ride so these are important things to ponder for me today.

The Snow Is STILL Here!!

I blogged all day. What a bum. Then I went out and took more pictures to blog. So here ya go!!

Aura. She looks a lot happier with the sun out.

 

Tirzah and Soleil. They love playing, but really seem pretty wild about the snow!

Zoe was a little slower than the young dogs.

I love this picture of Ty. I put him in this next picture, even though it's really kind of odd looking for a variety of reasons. I like the halo around him!

This is real! Squishy!!!

Tahoe eating some grass that finally surfaced. He's so pretty!

Tahoe & Ali'i. Sabi is in the background.

Zoe & Soleil ~ You gotta think if they were wolves my horses would be much more scared!! Actually I make sure my dogs are afraid of the horses. I usually don't let them get this close when everyone is out loose.

This photo was taken earlier today as the sun was trying to peek out. 

This photo was seriously Photoshopped as it was almost black when I opened it up. We went for a drive thru our neighborhood and as we drove home there was a lot of "fog" around the streams and ponds. You can kind of see it behind the trees, but this picture doesn't do it justice. Really intense!!!            

It Really Snowed Here Jolene!!!!

 

I thought I'd go tracking today........

Ty & Soleil slept in the garage all night. I didn't see them til early this morning. In the middle of the night I saw the horses moving across the property really slow. It's amazing how easy it is to see them when they're surrounded by white! Tony was on the phone with several people this am telling them there was 2' of snow.....Of course I'm more anal than he is about certain things and measured....7". It must be an Italian thing.

 

Here's Parker. I think he thought he went to a very cold version of H E L L. He wasn't out very long.

 

T & the collies. 

 

Freezing Lana. Poor girl has no undercoat. She's inside now.

Zoe's foot was probably frozen so she wasn't complaining.

SeaB & Soleil.   

 

 

 

   
Blondie. The fluffy dogs had a LOT of snow stuck to their coats. Why wasn't I informed of this (Jolene???). I never saw pictures of Tate & Kort with snowballs glued to their coats like this!! Geeeezzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!

 

Tirzah was so bound up with snowballs she couldn't move!!! Poor Licky Licky!! This is crazy!!

 

 

Aaaawwwwwwhhhhhhhhhh........Squishy........

 

He was also stuck in the snow!

This is what my dogs look like when I chalk them for the shows. Gotta make sure you bulk up those legs.

 

Oh, and don't forget the Ducky White on the nose!

 

I went out to feed the horses. They were a little cranky. I don't know if Aura's ever seen the snow. And, don't ask me again why Ali'i has a blanket on. He's fluffy like a burro!

Feed ME!!!!! And, BTW I hate that Ali'i!!!

 

Sabi. He looks a little shell-shocked.

After I fed the horses I noticed the cows making their way towards our hay. The hotwire is half under the snow so I'm not so sure they won't just step over and have some free hay. 

T went over to herd them back where they came from. 

After 3 years he's become quite trainable!!! "Go By! No, Away to me!!!". He's the man.

 

All this excitement PLUS we put up our Christmas tree last night. 

All the retired dogs are in the house. SeaB had gone in a crate. Parker in the bedroom. The fluffy punkies in the garage with the snowballs still attached to them! What a life.

It's Freezing Here ~ But Not Like Igloo Land!!!!!

I know all you Canadians....there is no snow on the ground...but remember I'm not the tough one!!!! (Or so you think!!!) 

The Cows Are Close!!

I got early this morning because the dogs were really barking. (See, the sun's not even up yet!! It's like zero-dark-thirty!!!)

Anyway, I knew the cow guy was getting ready to let his cows graze (he used to have access to our property before we got it) because he was driving around fixing all the hot wire. Last night all the horses were weirded out snorting and not showing up for dinner, so I figured they could see the cows.

They're making their way towards the house & horses.

Except this one. Maybe the wrong color???

Aura, Tahoe & Ali'i. They're so fascinated by these short stocky animals. Don't ask me why Ali'i is the only one with a blanket on.

Winter Sage Fix

I was off to see Pierre's parents on Monday for a few days. Alicia was driving up for So. Calif. for one night so we got to see her also. I left very early so I could spend more time with them and certainly not miss any 7 & 7's. There was quite a bit of snow on the Eastern Sierra and I missed taking several photos because I didn't feel safe pulling off of the road. The snow was glistening like a million little Christmas tree lights on the ground and in the sage brush and it was so beautiful. I don't remember seeing this quite so intense before. I don't know if it was the time of day, or I'm just paying more attention. It was incredible.

I thought Happy Cows lived in California......oh, duh ~ it's Nevada!

This was overlooking Mono Lake. The cloud cover was gorgeous from above. It was almost like being in a plane.

Mono Lake from under the clouds.

It was really great seeing Pierre's parents. We had leftover Thanksgiving dinner, which was delicious. Most of the time, we sit outside on their porch and Orville calls his rabbit Edgar, who comes when called. He wanted me to Google the lifespan of wild rabbits and apparently it's between 4 months and 1 year old. Domesticated bunnies can live up to 10 years old. Edgar is already about 2 years old and if he sticks around eating Orville's apples, he should make it to 10!

Orville told me one day Edgar brought his girlfriend to (apparently) watch him eat. When she stole his apple he never invited her back! Not sure I'd be going out with a guy who would take me out then expect me to watch him eat!! Anyway, it sounds like he just keeps her in the den having you know whats! He's still really adorable.

Germaine wanted me to take a picture of her table. I see my 7 & 7 glass is empty.....

Here's Alicia & Germaine. (Love those fluffy green slippers!). They're standing in front of Pierre's Memorial, which is next to my dad's cherry tree they planted for me when I first met them.

Alicia & me. Miss you Alicia!!!!!!!! Oxoxoxoxoxox

A Day In The Life Of The Punkettes

Here's the punkettes waiting for me to finish my coffee and take them for a "W  A  L  K".

While I was out shooting pictures of the collies, I noticed movement across the pasture. There actually was a beautiful buck and two does. I was too slow to get all of them, except the one doe.

Then, looking out my kitchen window I see about 30 or so wild turkeys. It's a horrible place to live.......

The horses think so too.

Sabi waiting for his breakfast. He's so handsome! They're fed so they don't go on the W  A  L  K  with us.

We're finally off for the W  A  L  K.

First all the punkies run really fast around the pasture by the house and bark a lot. Soleil and Tirzah have a barking problem. Getting out of the dog yard is a feat, because Soleil likes to body slam me over and over with her front paws. She's especially adorable.

  

Squishyness has a lot of fluffiness going on! 

Zoe before she re-hurt her foot. She's doing a lot of crate time now. Not a happy camper.

Lana usually scarfs horse shit for the first 5 minutes of the W  A  L  K  then hangs by me. She'll play a little bit with the other dogs, but if a bunni is spotted, she's HighSpeedLana.

I particularly love this part of the property, though all of it is beautiful. This is very private and the granite rock outcroppings are gorgeous. This is SeaB coming towards me.

  
Here's Licky Licky.

Ty, Tirzah & Zoe. 

Zoe what beautiful teeth you have!! 

It's kinda ugly here too!! Hahaha!!!!

Here's the fluff ball again. BTW, I was walking the dogs down the road yesterday and found fur balls that had blown there, 3/10ths of a mile away. Not just one, but several! Tony saw them also and said they're taking over his life! Hehehehehe!!!! Even I was impressed with the big trip they took!

 

Zoe looks like a bear waiting for some morsel to come out of the grass.

Lana hates to get her feet wet. She'll jump as high as she can to cross the creek so she doesn't land in the water. It's got to be very hot for her to go in the stream.

Zoe, on the other hand, LOVES the water. She goes in any water even when it's freezing outside. 

Tirzah also loves the water. 

Even SeaB will go in the water, but he's a little like Lana. He has to be really thirsty or hot. It's not on his list of "must do everyday" activities.

Lana's on the wrong side of the stream, so she had to jump back without getting wet. 

Squishy's off and running again after a drink. 

This is where the buck & his two girlfriends were hanging out earlier looking from the other side. They're smooth. Just disappeared. The dogs knew they were there because they were sniffing the ground and rocks like crazy. 

Blondie's starting to calm down a little. By the time we get back she stops attacking me for a few minutes til she gets her second wind. Usually by then I'm back in the house.

One last really fast run before we make our way back to the house.

Later on that evening...

Parker and Lana on the little couch. (Parker goes on his own walks, or only with the girls.)

Squishy in the bedroom. 

SeaB, Tirzah & Soleil. Where's Tony sleeping????
  
 

Tracking Tirzah

Tirzah and I took a tracking seminar last month that Sue Larson and her tracking club put on. My friend Cindi came up with her two collies, so we got to visit with her for a night (whenever Tony can't remember who's who of my friends from So. Calif. I always tell him she's the one who thinks he smells nice!). Anyway, the day before the seminar it poured (a tracker's "dream"), but the actual weekend was clear though quite cold. It was a great seminar and Sue is a wonderful and talented teacher. This isn't really the time for me to commit to training anyone, because of my obsession with Tevis, so maybe next fall....assuming I get a buckle in July. Anyway, Tirzah had fun. It brought back great memories of training Kiita for her TD (and Kaia). Thanks Sue for a great weekend!

Fall Leaves

I took this picture today in Nevada City with my new cell phone camera. I love this phone. I thought I'd never like a cell phone so much, but it's easier to text and the camera is a 3.0 megapixel. The phone is an LG enV3. Technology. Wow. I've been playing with my phone so much I haven't blogged several posts that I have pictures for....I promise, I'll catch up!