Snotty Nose, Drooling Mouth

A spot of disappointment when we learned that the brown gelding we'd wanted for Ty had been shipped east to the adoption facilities there. I sent him a few new faces to look at, however, including the bay buddy of the brown horse here, and Ty agreed that the bay was very nice. In fact, he looked like he may be a little taller than the brown, which for someone who is roughly 6'4", would come in handy. And look at that bay face...does he not look like a sweet Sandy boy? I'm terribly fond of him already, even if he wasn't the brave one of the two.

Meanwhile, out in the round pen, Impulse is dripping...

I'm not really sure what's going on here, but when I first walked out she had saliva dangling at least two feet out of her mouth. Never have I seen anything like this! I went back in for the camera, and of course it was all gone, and this was the best I could get. Have you ever had this sort of drooling going on?

I'd wondered if perhaps it was a tooth issue, and it well could be. But the part that is concerning is that she's got such a snotty nose along with it. The other day, it was green and runny. She refuses to try any grain so far (and for those of you who are wondering, alfalfa pellets are also out), so can't get any powdered antibiotics down her. I've sprinkled it onto her hay, but she avoids it. So plan B (or is it C?) is to contact the vet Monday morning and get something that can be put into her water, and only give her small buckets so that she simply must drink.

Being that she's rather sick, and pregnant, I'm trying not to push her along in the gentling department. But with the sun out the other day, I grabbed a long stick and rested it on her back. I don't think she felt well enough to really complain. Or maybe she's just easy? She trotted a lap or two, turned around, then came to a stop. I rubbed and rubbed the old hair out, and eventually got close enough to run my fingers along her hip before she walked off. Was good stuff, it was!

Hello, November!

First off, a Happy Birthday wish to my father...The Mule Whisperer!

October was a crazy busy month for me, from Kitty's and my first cutting (green/green...me, Kitty and one cow), to our trip to Oregon with my folks.

A week after returning from Burns, I was asked to photograph the youth show, which was held at BB Stables. This is where Darling used to lesson with Steve Holt!; beautiful views, but a bitter, chilly northeast wind. I came home chilled to the bone.

Freezer camp awaited Sizzler, the pig. I drove in the driveway to find her loose in my yard, playing with 'toys' such as empty trash cans and the hose. I thought she was so cute! Ran and grabbed my camera so I could get a photo of her running with the hose. I let the dogs out of their very large run (formerly Momma Pony's turn out area) and hoped to lure Sizzler into it. No way was I going to be able to get her into her pen. Opened the gate, and she came running toward me...only it wasn't to investigate the open gate.

She BIT me! Grabbed my leg in her mouth, she did. The only thing I had to smack her with was my camera. I actually thought twice, but then...THUMP!...and was happy it connected on the back side rather than the lens.

She snorted, shook her head, and came at me again. All I could think was 'how quick can I climb the gate?', but then she saw the opening and squealed in delight as she ran off into the grass. Whew! Crisis averted.

The horse show seemed to have knocked the wind out of me, though, and the following days I was suffering from fever and chills, alternatively, and after that, coughing that racked my body to it's core. After a week, I decided to head to the doctor, as I had the Cascade Horse Fair in just a few days. I saw my favorite Nurse Practitioner (former eventer) and she gave me some drugs to help reduce the coughing over the weekend so that I could function.

No rest for the wicked, they say, which must mean I'm pretty darn wicked! Ken McNabb was here this year and it was wonderful! Our parking lot was full both days. Curt and his HydraBull were a mega hit as well...and look at that Cowboy dancing during Saturday's karaoke!

By Sunday night I was exhausted, but it wasn't time to stop. Not yet. Had to make trips to the bank to deposit money, and while I was there...well...I had to use the little girl's room. Not that you really need to know that, except there was a sign in there telling us to wash our hands, and giving the symptoms of H1N1 flu...aka...swine flu! And do you know what? It matched exactly what I've been experiencing! I think I've got the swine flu! And you know, that pig bit me, so it all makes sense!

No, not really...I don't think getting bit by the pig was the culprit (just in case you thought it was!) But I sure was sick there for awhile, and I'm happy that all the craziness of October is over, and that November is here. I think I'll like November much better. After all, it looks much cheerier, doesn't it?

Impulsive Moment...

Call it an impulse buy...call it a reflex...call it an accidental bid. All are true! In fact, they are so true that the Kiger community have begun calling her Impulse.

City Boy seems to be somewhat smitten with her. She's no Lefty, of course (no one ever will be), but there is something to her, something that gives a hint to a sweet lady who'll take you down the trail without complaint. It will be fun to see how she progresses.

We had one more day in Burns; a day without Kigers or wild horse corrals. We were heading up to the mountain again in search of more wild ponies. This time, rather than heading down past the water hole, I pointed toward Burnt Car Rd (so named for the burnt car at the end of it), and City Boy turned the Dodge to the right and headed up the hill.

Burnt Car is where Darling and I first met the love of her equine life...Dibs. My, how long ago that seems! It's where we met and named Honor, Sox, and Darling Calls Dibs. Who else was there then? Cascade was there; so was Golden Boy. Bird, Gunner and Raven, all later gathered and adopted out. Last Cry was there...we hadn't known it would be the only time we'd see him. A friend photographed him last year and he was a walking skeleton...so sad. But mostly our memories of that hill are good ones.

But as we drove, I think the others had their doubts about this new direction. Up on the horizon, though...what was that shape I saw? I studied, quietly from the back seat, not saying anything until I knew for sure. Horse on the horizon!

She? He? I haven't a clue. It stood like a sentry overlooking the valleys on both sides. We climbed slowly over the knoll, and up ahead we spotted our friends Cortez, Noelle and Holly walking up from the shaded region below. Yet off to the left is where my attention was diverted. Horses I'd not met before, though at least one who's been spotted by a couple other photographers now and again. The elusive silver bay...

He is not one known to tolerate company. He has charged a photographer. He runs his herd off. And he is definitely not one to be spotted with the rest of our well known cast of characters. But on this day, he didn't charge, and while they didn't stick around long, it was long enough to get some lovely shots of him and his band.

Another sentry, posted at the opposite end. A black horse reminding me so much of Sox on my first visit...young, not quite enough seniority to join the band. He paced the ridge, looking down below, sensing and seeing danger approaching...

But the danger he saw was not us. It was Cortez, the lovable rascal who's always in scrapes and fights with every stallion he comes across. The elusive Silver Bay and the rest of his band moved silently out beyond the tall grasses and disappeared from sight. Cortez and his ladies, however, did not seem the least bit fazed by the goings on of the horses on the ridge. They simply marched on up the hill, pausing to look at us, then continuing on their journey.

I told you they paused to look! Holly stopped at stared at my father for the longest time before following her mother and stallion up the hill. It's so hard to believe that Holly is just 18 months old. Look how tall that girl is! I swear she's at least 15 hands already. And pregnant...she looks very pregnant.

Down below to our right we could see more horses, so we trekked the half mile or so across the desert and got some good shots of some dear friends, including a mare who's stolen my wild side heart...Delight! And look at that new baby of hers! Delight lost her foal last year. We don't know what happened to it, but after a couple of months, it disappeared. We sure hope that doesn't happen again. Delight is in Golden Boy's band still, and there are a few pinto babies...but Delight's by far is the cutest!

We walked back to the road (well...gravel excuse for one) and started back the way we came, very happy with finding such a nice couple of bands. That's when I spotted more ears. Majesty, One Eared Jack, and their band were quickly spotted, and we made one more stop to snap a few more photos. We'd seen these horses two days before, but one can never have too many wild horse close encounters, can one? Another vehicle had stopped to talk to us when we pulled over, saying that Cortez had been by and fought a bit with Jack. When I started looking at photos once we were home, I thought Jack's eye looked a bit odd. I blew it up to get a better look.

Well, this is definitely not right. There'd been no trouble with it two days ago, so this was likely from his close encounter with Cortez. The other stallions do not like Cortez, but Jack is the most willing to engage in battle with him, it appears. And this time he seems to have come up short. The injured eye is normally blue. Not sure when I'll be back down to see if that eye heals up or not. If it doesn't, he'll not only be one eared Jack, but One Eyed Jack, as well.

Poor Jack...