Horsey

This is the horse that's featured in my goofy post. We've seen him often, but not as close to the fence. He's a gorgeous chocolate color, but has obviously had a good roll before these photos. He has the most unique marking on his face. Normally, that much white over the eye would mean a glass (or blue) eye. He was super sweet, and I'm not sure if he or I enjoyed his face rub more:-)

He was so cooperative, keeping his ears up without spooking:-)

I have a fascination with horse eyes! This side was in the light (cloudy), with good reflection.

And this eye was on the dark side - I think it almost doesn't look like a horse eye with those markings! I kept playing with the crop, because it looked odd to me. Very cool, though, and I'm thinking there's some Paint in his breeding.

Sanity

Okay, it’s past time to put up some positive images on my blog! I shouldn’t have left it so long, but it was hard to think of what to do after that last post. I’m proud of what I wrote, but it definitely wasn’t the cheeriest of posts.

So, for this post, I’m going to put up some of my favorite images from the past year from the wonderful drives my mom and I have taken. Last October, when it had finally cooled down, we took a drive up into the foothills. This led to the discovery of a whole new world around us – the foothills are much more like the California we remember. It’s been wonderful to find the beauty and serenity that exists up there. It’s where we go to regain our sanity and perspective:-) We have a special road that we discovered, and there’s always something magical to see.

Right now, though, it’s been too hot, and everything’s dried out, so we haven’t gone for a while. However, I’ve taken so many photos, I can relive the experiences over and over. I hope you’ll enjoy these as much as I do…

Getting started - the foothills, March, 2009

"Bird on a Wire" - Savannah Sparrow

"Poppies Poppin' Up!", March, 2009

"Golden Girl", June 2009

Lovely lone lupine, March 2009

"Just the Two of Us" - California Quail couple, March 2009

"Dare to be Different!", late March, 2009

"Moo-ther and Child" - Happier California Cows who get to be cows, Jan. 2009

"Reaching Out" - "Grass Nut" native wildflower, April 2009

"Ladybug Love" ;-) April, 2009

One of the absolute best-ever sightings - a bobcat! Late March, 2009

I hope you've enjoyed this little journey as much as I did:-) I have so many photos, it's hard to choose - these are some of my absolute favorites, though. That bobcat was spotted just as we rounded a corner. We stopped a little distance away, and I quietly opened my door, stretched around, and started shooting. S/he was still a little ways off, and didn't notice us for the longest time. It was quite an experience, and an honor. Nature is so amazing, and getting back to it feels soooo good!

More to come!

A Horse a Day Challenge #27 - Quarter Horse Colt

Continuing my baby kick, here's a Quarter Horse colt:-) The foals are more challenging than the adult horses to me, and I'm really enjoying drawing them. They have to look like babies, they have to look like their breed, and they have to look different from each other - so far I think I've done it!

Here's the blurb on this one, which tells why the Quarter Horse was tonight's breed:

"Baby #3! After I posted #2 foal on Flickr (My Pics), one of my contacts, PaprikasPlace (also on Etsy) responded to my question, “Who knows what tomorrow will bring?” She suggested a Quarter Horse foal, and I took her suggestion. I’m always open to ideas:-) It can be helpful to have suggestions, because I sometimes have problems deciding what next. Too many choices! So, here’s a little American Quarter Horse colt. I worked at maintaining his “baby-ness” while giving emphasis of those big muscles to come. I also have an adult Quarter Horse drawing as my #6 horse here in the challenge. The do-it-all horse!"