Our Fall sunsets & clouds have been colorful, unfortunately it was a no-photography week for me. My plan was to choose an archive photo. I was happy to hear quackers on the move yesterday, while bringing the horses in:
Dogs are one of my absolute favorite things to photograph!! They are so expressive and willing.
It was hard to choose which photos (and dogs!) to feature. Most of you know I currently have three dogs in my life: Tank (yellow Labrador) is ours. Grand dog Jameson (black Labrador) lives with us. I watch my other grand dog Remi (Bernese Mountain Dog) at least a couple days a week. We call it, Aurora's Doggie Daycare. I get paid with companionship, full of love and licks. I frequently post photos of all three. For this challenge, I will feature a recent selection of our Tankeedoodle.
Tank's favorite toy is my horse Koda's jolly ball.
He frequently brings it on walks. The ball can be found anywhere on our property.
(Jameson in background)
I looked across our valley and tried to figure out what I was seeing. I was stunned! There were hundreds and hundreds of fast flying creatures zooming around the fields and pastures, shimmering in the early evening sunlight. The flying phenomenon stopped me in my tracks. Were they lightening bugs? I took a short video, and then walked down to the field for a closer look.
After I figured out what was dancing before my eyes, I hustled back to the house to grab my camera. That caught Brad's attention. He came outside to see what was going on "are those all Hummers?"
I was like a kid in a candy store! Natures show lasted around 10-15 minutes, then poof!! They were gone. Capturing the ever changing super fast magical shimmer performance of the Green Darner Dragonfly, was one of the hardest things I've attempted to photograph. What an incredible experience!!
"The common, huge green or blue dragonfly most often seen in heavy numbers during late summer and fall, the green darner is known as one of our few migrating insects. Large hatches may occur simultaneously during August, with tens of thousands of insects moving south along with monarchs into fall."
Sometimes you get an unexpected uplifting surprise, when you need it the most.
If you missed day one and two of Padame's horse show debut, you can find the post here. I received updates throughout Sunday about her third day at the show. Once again, all photo credit & quoted captions are Brad's.
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Checkers and Padame were both "more up" and a bit grumpy to find themselves back at the show. All horses get tired of the work scene towards the end of a long show. It didn't help Padame was pulled out of the pasture with her gelding buddy, shortly after turnout. Apparently the message didn't get relayed to the hired help. Easily happens.
In a nutshell, Sunday was more of day one & two but with less time to settle in. Taking the above into consideration, things continued going really well. Brad shared that Padame did spook a couple times on Sunday, but quickly got over it. I asked what her spook was like, he said a short sideways move. Padame continues to prove everything her breeder said about her to be correct. If you let her know it's okay, she is trusting and willing.
When Brad was riding, Padame wasn't sure about the woman selling large horse paintings on a display table by the ring. There were also a couple hunter horses causing concern in the practice arena. One rider had no control of her horse. Always a scary scenario. She would ask the horse to go forward, it went back. If she asked it to go back, it would go forward.
While lunging, some dumb ass rode his horse right into Padame's lunge circle. Not only rude, it's dangerous. Brad said the horses damn near collided. Instead, I guess Padame spooked to the side. Brad mentioned another woman that was also lunging and saw what happened, had her mouth dropped open glaring at the stupid human. Thankfully, no one got hurt.
If you are curious, here is a link to the show bill. It will give you an idea of the insanity lengthy show. The link will eventually be deleted, but will work for a while. I can't upload pdf's and don't want to give anyone a headache from reading small blurry typed jpg words. They did Ranch classes different this year. Not only did they separate the different organizations they added a couple classes, Ranch Rail and some Reining. I think these changes are all kinds of dumb. Especially considering the patterns are the same, and say what? a Rail class? I suppose it mimics riding a fence (insert eye roll).
Any who, I will close with Brad's Sunday funday photos:
"Finally, I’m done. What a day. Load me in a trailer, haul me on an hour long trip, back to the giant place, unload me, tack me up, lunge me in a little arena, ride me in a big arena, take a snack and water break, back to the arena, then to a bigger arena to ride around, now finally some lunch. Hey, I’m a baby. Oh well l had a nice lady tell me, l’m very beautiful and fun to watch. What a day. "
The AQHA State horse show is this weekend. I am not going to the show. However, I am happy to report Brad said he was nothing but smiles! Day one & day two. I tried to talk him into writing a guest post. He declined, but sent me photos throughout the day complete with captions. All photo credit & quoted captions are Brad's. His sheer joy of being at the horse show with Padame, is nothing short of heartwarming. Brad is SO very smitten with her. I am super happy for him!!
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Padame hasn't been trailered since she was delivered to us in February. She loaded and unloaded well. She backed out and into a bustling noisy strange world. Padame slowly made the big exit step down off our trainers four horse trailer, paused and just stood looking around. Not the typical scooting of a young horse with the unknown. Brad walked his very interested girl into the huge pavilion towards her stall, through typical show hoopla. Complete with children and dogs running amuck. Padame instantly made friends with a neighboring mare, who was even willing to share her hay. It was so sweet, like they were old friends. The mare's owner was okay with her horse sharing, and left the hay bag hanging accessible to both stalls. Most hang hay bags where it wont potentially become an issue.
Brad is very proud of how Padame is taking everything in stride, and listening. Really really well, like a seasoned show horse. The huge five day show was quieter than years past. Perhaps due to lingering pandemic related things. In the Ranch circuit, there were multiple riders missing. They retired horses and are either still looking for new ones or not ready to show new mounts. Class days are always split, except for halter. Halter shows in front of all four judges in one day vs two judges per day for everything else.
This year Ranch falls on Friday morning and Sunday afternoon. Padame arrived Thursday, and went home after watching Fridays Ranch classes. She will travel back for the day on Sunday with Checkers. The other ranch riding mare from the barn. Checkers is a seasoned older mare, being shown for the first and last time this season. It is just the way things worked out this weird year. Checkers has appeared on my blog before as well as her owner, who we trail ride with.
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Padame calmly watched and soaked all show things in. Brad said her ears were constantly moving around like antennas. He started introducing her by watching arena activity, then lunged her in different scenarios.
Padame wasn't fazed by the big horses. Not even when two side-by-side riders approached on the rail, and then split. Padame became a Hunter sandwich, and kept her stride in between facing big horses.
