A Repost From Eight Years Ago~More Pictures...Fewer Words

It is...was a beautiful day. Warm, windy, and did I say wonderfully, comfortingly warm!
No snow, no rain, only mud left over from both.

Started at the barn with my four God-Given equine treasures.

(Refer to previous post, My Mistakes, My Glories.)
All not recently groomed with their winter coats.

As you can see the wind is blowing.

I took pictures of Arrow's whorls so I can get them read by some whorl experts (y'all!). 

In this picture you can see plainly why he is dubbed Broken Arrow.

Knot was too busy eating to smile for the camera.

Showing Magic's blue eye.

It was a day for muck boots, not these!
 It was warm enough that the mud felt quite wonderful pouring through all the holes
while I was trying to keep my balance.

Maggie and Lil anticipating the walk
Then we walked.

One of five ponds we have. This is the New pond, meaning it was built in the last twenty years. We also have the Top Pond, the Highline Pond, the Frog or Hog Pond and the Spring Pond.

Parts of the creek no one sees

Another hidden jewel

Help! I've lost my feet!
The sky darkens!
Watching Lil hunt a varmint.
Enjoyed the day and took many pictures.

and found my feet!

This post was written eight years ago, two months after I entered the blogosphere. Circumstances may have changed but I think I may be about the same.

Happy Holidays!

There Are Kingdoms and Reaches

far more than we know.  There is a world within our world where magic lives by many names and coexists with the ordinary. A few glimpse it and sense it around them in Nature's Realm.

Every tree has its Dryad and each Dryad has its dragon/tree.  It is a special relationship. One cannot exist without the other.  If one should die, the other will too.

Sometimes an ordinary moment with extraordinary power can bring back the Dryad's music and lift the dragon's wings so they may live again.  Few are fortunate to witness this re-birthing.

Many may remember the discovery, the imagining and the journey.  Who knew it would take me so long!

Presenting the rebirth of a tree dragon and her Hamadryad living again in my heart and my yard.

She may change as she tells me

but for my birthday she is poised for flight.

May we celebrate the magic and beauty around us
and always feed our imagination. 

Resurrecting The Dragon

I discovered the trapped dragon on a cool autumn day in a dry creek.  She could not escape without my help.  I called out the big equipment and climbed carefully down into the unknown to help resurrect this lady.

Stopped in her tracks and trapped here for decades maybe centuries of floods.  Once majestic now worn and polished by time, sand and water.

I carefully placed the logs tongs around her middle and stood by for the big equipment to safely extract her.

 Up she rises, wings 

as if in flight.

Lizzy directed my climb out by cheering me on.

 As the dragon rested I planned safe transport.

While the Man In Charge directed (much like Lizzy)

I hooked my dear dragon for her home journey.

I hooked her again

and again.

 She is airborne! 

Almost home

She lies in wait for me to awaken her magic.

A Wise Crow

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie 

Writing Prompt

The crow warned him

"Do not give your heart"

"She's mad but she's magic"

the poor lost soul replied

His slate wiped clean

by opiates shared

He was buried beneath the tree

as she escaped by air

also submitted to
Imaginary Garden With Real Toads
The Tuesday Platform

Tranquility

There are spots upon the land

Where magic always grows

Beauty born by Nature's hand

Hidden deep to touch the soul

I'm blessed I'm proud to say

It's never the same place twice

A spot finds me every day

I smile, sigh and soak in the sights

And if I'm very lucky

Which I often am

I sooth my feet in water rocky

And simply know "I am."

For MindLoveMisery's Menagerie 

Open Link Night dVerse~Poets Pub

Dragons Nine

Jiulong

in2travel

Beneath the falls the dragons sleep
Above butterflies sing
Below turtles and fishes weep

Magic rests in the dragons' nests
Called they will arise
Wings of heroes will pass the test

Once again the dragons nine
Will rise on wings to protect
All 'til the ends of times

For Imaginary Garden With Real Toads with Hannah

Visiting Middle Earth

We walk in a magical world
We conquer the dark
To live in the light

When catapults throw defeat
And rams batter your door!
Don't run

Stand tall
When the dragons cry
Add your roar

"There's some good
in this world
and it's worth fighting for"*

When we battle with a Samwise heart
We've won again another night
Never forget YOU possess the light

*J.R.R. Tolkien

Open Mic at Imaginary Garden With Real Toads

Another View Through My Windows

The ice still clings to branches

like a shy child holding onto a mother's dress tail.

Icicles grow. 

Dog food bowls fly like hockey pucks

when I slide the food outside.

The stock is fed.

The fires are warm.

The cupboard is stocked.

We find the magic in the ordinary things.

We are blessed.

The Magic Recliner...

Once upon a time 

I bought a magic chair

No matter where I place it

Hubby finds it there

No way to resist

You always fall asleep

Whether it is man

or beast.

He's gonna kill me!!!

The flash woke up Bonnie and made Hubby move

but they fell under the spell of the chair again.

Speaking of Dreams

This is the wall painting I did on the Dreaming Porch, long before I had big horses. I had painted several different scenes only to paint over them. This one stayed and the horses became a reality. Notice one is the color of Knot and one the color of Charme, my first two big horses.
A little artsy display in my utility corner. Charcoal and pencil were fun to play with. These were also drawn before I had riding horses.
~

Maybe there is magic here At The Farm.

My Mistakes, My Glories

Many of you have asked about my horse story so here I begin, maybe not in order, but the whole story will play in bits and pieces. Here's hoping you will enjoy the story.

My hubby and I are enjoying "Walkin' Small At The Farm", stable name, Buford. As you can tell I love play on words and name twisting. The old house behind us is Grandpa's. When Dad's family moved here, they brought two small houses by horse and sled from down the creek and put them together. Two rooms with a kitchen lean to on the back side.
Rolls Royce, my stud was purchased as a young colt. His dad sold for $45,000. I thought maybe he would be a good start. (And, no, he was a bargain because the color did not suit them.) I went to the White County Fair and met Royce there. It took me a few weeks but I did buy him. He ain't his daddy, but he ain't bad!

What can I say? From one to many...I loved these little guys! I researched, I shopped on line, I read every thing I could get my eyes on. I visited a trainer. I visited a show barn. I finally drove to a mini farm. I bought two bred mares and a filly, a pinto, a red roan and a brown...Fancy, Luci, and Phlo. They knew the owner of Royce so I bought him too. They delivered! In a van! Four horses in the back of a van, now that was amazing!
Fancy is now in New York State in a loving home with a long time horse owner. She is no longer able to ride so is trying Miniature horses.

My first foal born was a filly out of my Red Roan. Had trouble naming her. Asked my friend how do you decide on names. She said I wait for their personality because you don't want to name them Rose when they are a stink weed. Well, guess what happened, she became Stink weed. I googled stink weed and came up with the name "Angels Trumpet AT The Farm".

Now, this is supposed to be a business you know, buy, raise, wean, sell. Not as easy as it sounds! A lady contacted me and said she had a really good year with her Arabians but she had too many boys. Would I be interested in trading a filly for a colt? I agreed. She trailered Tally Ho's Kadir and came for Stink weed. I could not load her, I was bawling like a baby!!!! My husband had to load Stink. Later I was able to come out and meet my new boy. Not being used to the Arabian head, I said he's a knot head...from then on he has been Knot Head or just Knot.

Knot was young when I got him. Has grown a lot in this picture. He wanted to be with the babies so badly.

Later the first people I purchased from were selling more mares...a chestnut, a gray, and a grullo. You guessed it! I made an offer and here comes the van again! This is Betty...please remember I did not name these mares. I would have been much more creative.

I got to name this one! A man had miniatures and had not kept the papers current. He asked for help. In his whole pasture I saw this filly and I wanted her badly...did not know why. When I was helping him with the papers I noticed this little filly was a granddaughter of Paul Bunyon, the 1969 National Winner. He said girl, you got the eye! Of all those horses, you saw her.

I named her Tracer Backta Bunyon or Tracer.

A much younger Jake chose Tracer as his favorite and I believe she chose him. Please note the border collie is not leaving Jake's side.

Then my second amazing trade came along. All the things I dreamed came to me. I wanted a bomb proof, low to the ground (not so far to fall), a gentle, loving horse to ride. Two minis for one Haflinger!
I immediately fell in love! I could get my foot in the stirrup! Meet Charme's Delight. Haflinger registry requires that you name the foal after the first letter in the dam's name if it's a filly and first letter of sire if it's a colt. So she is called Charmie as in charming my socks off.

Jake, my middle GS, with my oldest daughter, Melissa.

Charme and Tracer...good big, little lesson.

My first GS, Andrew, (boy, has he changed!) trying out Charme.

And finally the picture you have been dying to see, hoping for, dreaming of, MY FIRST RIDE! I did not know how she would ride. I am a novice if I even rate that high. I'm always the one friends put on the crazy horse. You know the horses I am talking about, barn spoiled, pond loving, run you under a limb horses that noone could control.

This picture needs a setup. I did not dress properly, grabbed a pair of boots I bought only for decoration in the house, and grabbed the saddle. My husband had quite a laugh!

Charme is not liking this bridle!

Hubby helping his horse dumb wife!

Sad, isn't it?

Charme was bred by a Doc Bar Quarter Horse, unknown by all, except the two horses involved. Our Pinto came as quite a surprise...thus, Magic Man.

We cut Knot a week too late and we gained one more horse, registrable this time. Chadir's Broken Arrow(a mix of Knot and Charme's name with his marks).
T
hat is how I got my free horses! Two can be ridden, Magic will be trained soon, and next year Arrow will be old enough to ride.

Here they are today in all their winter glory!

Thank God for my horses!