Gone

My heart is broken and I am almost without words.

My sweet old horse died this afternoon, just a few steps out of his barn.  I was getting ready to feed him before we went to eat supper.  I looked out towards his usual hangout, where he would stand to escape the flies and the sun.  I knew when I saw him down he wasn't getting up again.

He was 39 and until the last couple years he had been in perfect health.  He had been having some breathing issues the last year or so, but he never was in distress.  He just slowed down.  He ate his breakfast this morning with his usual relish and gusto.

 I wasn't expecting it.  I still don't believe it.  I keep looking out to see where he is.

But he's gone.

I know I will look for him every morning.  I will feel like I should be feeding him, heading out to see him watching for me.  Listening to him call when I come out the door.  Sticking his nose out to get rubbed, scratching that spot under his neck that sent him into another place.  Licking my hand and arm when I'm trying to fix the fence or reach the feed buckets.

He was such a good horse, so sweet natured.  So funny.  So calm. The horse I always wanted and more than I could every have hoped for.

Good bye Jac.  I hope your life was as good as you made mine.

Best of the summer- wildlife photos and maybe some not so wild

Whilst perusing the summer photos for these posts I very much enjoyed seeing all the kinda good animal pictures that I got this summer.  I like animal pix, but I don't always have the patience to wait for the critters to stand still or come close or what have you.  A longer lens would be pretty awesome and quite helpful.

Loon on Smith Lake

But because of previously mentioned (to the point of obnoxiousness I am sure) kayak, I have been able to get a little bit closer to those creatures that hang out by navigable bodies of water.  

The Eagle who hangs out on the north side of Butternut Lake

Strange looking deer near Golden, CO (not kayaking but oh well.  Its my blog and I can go off topic if I want)

It took me a while to get the hang of the whole paddling and maneuvering the camera, but I managed.  Getting the dry bag for my DSLR was super helpful, as it is tucked down between my knees and readily available for use!

Early spring Loons with baby

I surprised this deer who was wading in the water on Smith Lake

I saw things that I never would have, because I have control over when I could get out onto the water.  And a lot of the time I was just lucky!

32 turtles, baby (Flambeau River)

The Loons on Smith, apparently doing a male domination ritual.  That was fascinating.

Really lucky!

Juvenile Merganzers (Boulder Junction area)

A very noisy young Eagle over near Boulder Junction

I was thrilled to get this shot, those blue herons are shy and flighty!

Blue heron- they are the reason I decided I need a longer lens!  :D

Mama of the noisy young Eagle as previously shown

So I had lots of good shots from the kayak, but I also found a few interesting things in my own back yard, or there abouts.

Tree toad- a very little tree toad that perched on my door's window

Tree toad that had been on my garage door and fell onto the side of my car!  Not quite so teensy

I have this guy hanging around all the time!  But there are lots of other places that I found sort of not real wild life.

Jac says hi!

This guy is always happy to see me, and the feeling is mutual!!

Mama deer and baby seen near the bike trail

I have a big old spider to add to the mix, but did not stop to shoot (as I had no GUN) the bull snake that was lying across the Tuscobia during my bike ride.  I was too busy shrieking and cursing.  I don't do snakes well at all....

Lookie the little spider I found on the horse bucket.  She's pretty cute

LOVE this guy.

The MA thinks I should try to find the Leopard frog that is lurking about the area but I didn't feel like it.  If he presents himself in the next day or two, I may add him below.  Do not hold your collective breaths.  That little sucker is fast.

Some of my best pictures of the year!  I can't wait to see what else I can get, as my adventures are not done yet.  And that gives me a lot of joy...

Picture post

In my zeal to clean and such, I have neglected my pictures a little. The lack of proper sunshine is not helping..... AT ALL!  BOOOOOOOOO

So being the optimistic person I am, I went for a walk on Saturday, snapped a few and then Sunday morning went outside in a beautiful fairyland of fresh snow. So here it is.  THEN, I found myself goofing around with my friend Lori at the gym and photos resulted. And that was fun. Here is one of those as well.

Butternut Creek

Hangers on-ers

Curly and wet

Yep, out in the robe again!

Lat pulldowns

My buddy

fairyland

Hope your weekend was joyful!  Only a few days of work and then some eagerly anticipated days off. And that is a lovely thing!

Snow Day- Part 3!

At least I got something accomplished on this snow day! I got an exercise session in and I did 3- count 'em - 3 blog posts!!!  Great way to end a month.

So this afternoon I got a ride to the favorite tree and the stone house.  The MA had a little time after lunch to drive me around- like the Cinderella I pretend to be- and I did a deep snow drive by shoot!  The truck is tall enough that I didn't even need to get out of it.  Unfortunately, the wind was strong enough to have knocked a lot of the heavy snow off of the branches and such, but it still is a somewhat different look than the other snow pictures this winter.

And Wow,  did we get a lot of snow.  Haven't seen this much since I don't know when.  I went for a snow shoe walk back to Little Cabin in the Woods this afternoon and it was an effort.  Took lots of photos- over 100.  

Along the driveway

The mailbox! 

There are two buckets under the snow here somewhere

I felt at times like I was in a fairy land.  The woods were so quiet, it was so bright and clean.  The snow covered all of the branches and dead grass and gave a pristine look that emphasized the rhythm and flow of the branches and trunks.  The patterns of nature that man strives to emulate, but can never duplicate.

I felt amazingly alone.  There was no traffic that I could hear, no snow-mobiles, no chain saws.  I had my camera and my phone, but didn't use my heart rate monitor or my ear buds or listen to music.  I just listened to myself.  My breathing, my thoughts, my eyes, my camera, my shutter click, my ski poles crunch, my knees bend, my feet sink down, my heart beat.  There was me and the wind and the snow and the branches.

I almost stopped a few times and turned around, the walk was tough, but I found as I walked that though I was breathing hard- I wasn't tired.  My legs were fine, my endurance is good.  So I overcame my mental obstacle and dug deeper- I went on to my original destination.  You'd think the way back would have been easier, but that isn't true.  The snow was so deep that it only made me have to decide whether to step on my previous snow shoe tracks or not- it was not a simple follow the path back walk.

Little Cabin in the winter

But I made it fine and this is what was waiting for me- watching for me..... Good old Jac!  He loves me even when I am not about to feed him. I love the smell of horse and hay- gotta love a good horse slobbery lick!

He was waiting with kisses!!

Snow shoes on the butterfly chair

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost