Dawn finds me wrestling with sleepiness and bales of grass and alfalfa,  with now 16 horses, stamping and snorting..demanding breakfast ..NOW!!!!

From a Welsh/Morgan mix, to a thoroughbred..they all feel they should be first, Smokey nickers from his stall.."don't forget me', which I have done on occasion, when the pastured horses demand my time and attention, and I only recall that he has been overlooked when I've locked the gate and drive by him to tie up the bales and leave. I get a baleful stare even after tossing his grass flake to him, so I have to make up by hand feeding him for a few moments, and rounding up his toy...a  orange highway cone.

The old ranch truck roars to life and it's time to load the grass and alfalfa..then up the road to the three pastures to feed and give the horses the once-over for any bites, cuts or any other mischief these equines might have gotten into over night. 

 

 

 

 

 

"well now that you mention it, I did nick myself right about here

       on that #@!! barbed wire!"

 

I may grumble and groan in the early morn' but getting out among the hills, and the view of the ocean..the light dancing off the water, the smell of eucalyptus and these beauties to greet me...softly blowing..with my hand resting on a soft nose, I forget my complaints and enjoy the breaking dawn with them.

(see below regarding new 'neighbors that have chosen to join us in the mornings)

       

come'n get it!!                                  moseying...                                          good morning titan  

                 

she bucks and roars                          early breakfast                                           more lovin'

  "  you're gonna forget me again aren't ya? huh? Well?"

                                     

       decisions, decisions, do i need an arabian stallion?  am I crazy? do I need the additional work, time needed? somebody stop me!!!!  ( addendum: crisis over, rode out the 'wants' and came to my senses)

October finds  a new addition, a beautiful mottled palomino filly named Moon.  She was due to be 'put down' "isn't that a polite term for the actual truth?" Yep they were going to kill her. At first things were rough, as she was used to having to fight for her food and gashed Misty's leg and  Misty had to be corraled separately until she healed...to date Misty is back in the high pasture and Moon and she do pretty well together and Moon is getting better about  thinking she has to battle for a mouth full and has done j some changes in her attitude.   :)

Blue Belle, the welsh/morgan mix was up among the trees one morning and she blended so well, that initially I didn't see her and was calling for her to come for breakfast when I finally spotted her and took a double take..seems she had an extra leg or two, so I whistled for her to come and out stepped from behind her, two does who delicately made their way down towards me and then crossed the pasture road and disappeared into the trees.  I have now seen deer, a coyote and a red fox!! The coyote and red fox are becoming fixtures and the horses pay them little mind. A family of about 15 quail have made a home here also and I find them running about and calling to one another, the babes are almost as big as their parents now.

Oh, also a little female tabby cat, comes running when I drive up in the mornings, and now is spoiled and only accepts Eucaneuba cat food..tho she still hunts..but then she's a cat isn't she? 

 

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                    Wazzsup?         

 

 

Down soft nose

Quivering flank

Wind tangled mane

Dancing hooves flashing sparks on stone

Fathomless eyes take in the heavens

as fore hooves rake the sky

Transcending domestication

for wild abandon

Once again as your forebears

free of the hand of man

Ruler of the prairie

         c 2001