Sunday, January 20, 2008

Sunday Evening





This is a drawing by artist Paul Cameron Smith. I learned about him from Jen over at Copenhagen Kisses. I just love his work and plan to order some prints after I finish this post. This one is called Sugar Kisses. The other one I am ordering is Daddy's Ranch Hands:








If anyone is interested you can see his work at paulcameronsmith.citymax.com No, I don't get a commission, I just like his work! :O)



Jen and her Hubby just went on a trail ride with 300 other riders! I just can't even imagine going with that many people. I think the most I have ever gone with is maybe 10!



It's Sunday night and bitterly cold here in rural Maine. I just got a call from the stable and my young Thoroughbred/Welsh pony seems to be cold. The stable owner threw one of her blankets on him but it is a bit big so I went down in my barn and got his own winter blanket. I had just written in my last post how we like our horses to go without blankets in the wintertime if at all possible and usually they grow a nice thick coat and don't need them.




There's always the exception and our Nick is one. He came from Maryland originally and then moved to Massachusetts when his owner bought a stable there. He had never seen a really snowy winter until he came here when we bought him. Last winter he just didn't seem to be growing much hair so I put a blanket on him as the vet said it might take him a couple winters to acclimate. Guess he was right as this is the second winter and he still doesn't have the nice heavy coat that he needs.



Horses are funny though. They get varying amounts of hair, some of them like Buddy get coats that are like a woolly mammoth and some of the other ones don't have nearly as much but they are plenty warm. Bucky, my friend Ann's horse doesn't get a long coat but it's thick and stands right out straight. Kipper our little Welsh pony looks like he was put through the dryer without a dryer sheet as he has soooooo much hair and it sticks out all over! Skipper our other little Welsh has a thick coat but it lays flat and he get lots of hair around his feet like the big Budweiser Clydesdale's.



Anyway that's my Horse Hair Class 101.




One of my horse buddies Rising Rainbow has given me an award this week called You Make My Day Award. Thank you so much, it's such a delight to receive an award from a fellow blogger and know that you've made someone smile! Now if you want to smile go to her site and see and read about her GORGEOUS Arabian horses! The stories, which are true, will keep you on the edge of your seat! This gal has more horse knowledge in her little finger then I have in my whole body and I learn something from her posts every time! Thanks again!!!





I just turned on the back flood lights and my deer herd has grown again. I counted 8 this time and they were chowing down like little pigs! This has not been an easy winter for them with all of the snow so a free hand out is like manna from heaven. I can see my grain bill is going to be substantial this winter.......



Today is my son's 32 birthday. We are celebrating tomorrow night when he and his family come over for dinner. I wished him Happy Birthday today in church and we all went out to lunch together but tomorrow is going to be the main event with his favorite meal and pumpkin pie for dessert. How do you think a candle will stand up in pumpkin pie???



This picture was taken when he was only 3 and half months old in 1976.




He was an easy baby. He weighed 10 and a half pounds at birth and started sleeping through the night at two weeks. We was a compliant child, a very mellow disposition and could entertain himself for hours. This picture was taken when he was about two months old.





He has grown into an adult that I am really proud of. He has a good work ethic and provides for his family. He married a lovely gal that we are blessed to have as the mother of our grandchildren. They are teaching the children the ways of the Lord and for that I will be eternally thankful.



When he got into junior high he decided he wanted to lift weights. My husband being a former weight lifter himself was a wonderful coach and together they made a good team. By high school we were traveling all over the US with him competing in Drug Free sanctioned meets. It was a wonderful family time which I felt brought us even closer together. I think this meet was in Oklahoma City and these were some of the trophies that he won.




We have been very blessed. Our son works in the business with his father, grandfather and one of his uncles and he lives just a 3 minute walk through the woods from us. I could go on and on and you all would be asleep at your computers so I will stop and just say Happy Birthday Son!



13 comments:

Donna. W said...

10 1/2 pounds? Good grief! He was a pretty baby, and is a handsome son now.

I worry about any animal if they shiver from the cold. That's the time to take extreme measures. Sounds like you have a great place to keep your horses, if the people there keep that good an eye on them!

Needled Mom said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, son. I know that you guys will have such fun celebrating. Does it seem possible that it was 32 years ago? It never does to me. Life goes by much too quickly.

I'm so glad that you got that blanket on the baby. I can't stand being cold and those horses certainly do not make me have a warm feeling!!! I would need an electric blanket to stay under for the whole winter.

We have a new storm coming in tonight which will cool us down too. I'm glad that it will not be as cold as those football games today.

Have fun celebrating.

Mississippi Songbird said...

Happy Birthday to your son!
Great pictures.. Have a wonderful evening!

Anonymous said...

Ok, I gotta sing to him... here I go:

"Your friends from far and near
Have all gathered here
To celebrate this day
Together we will say.....

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
May all your dreams and wishes come true
Happy birthday to you

Another year has gone
Since last we sang this song
We all remember when
And so we sing again...

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
May all your dreams and wishes come true
Happy birthday to you

May good fortune come to you
In all the things you do
In the year that lies ahead
Remember what we said.......

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
May all your dreams and wishes come true
Happy birthday to you!!!"

[lyrics by: Tom Gardner and Danny Quinn]

Musings of a Housewife said...

Love those old pictures. Happy birthday, Cuz!

Susie said...

Happy Birthday to your son! He looks like such a happy baby and I can tell just how proud you are of the man he has become. My first baby was actually due on Jan 20, but was born a week later. He'll be 39 next week!
Hope you enjoy the birthday celebration!!
love and ((hugs))

Kerri said...

A very happy birthday to your son! I enjoy getting to know your family. He's a handsome young man and it's wonderful he gives you reason to be a proud mom :)
Sweet baby pictures!
Beautiful sketches!
It's frigid here too, but you're probably even colder than we are. I can identify with 'Nick'. Being from 'Downunder' it took me a while to become acclimatized too :)

Anonymous said...

Oh Lord 10.5 lbs - I can't imagine, both my girls were under 8.0! But you truly seem to have "raised him right" and he seems to be passing that on in the grandchildren! Happy belated b'day!

We don't blanket our horses either. I have friends that do and friends that don't. Hubby surprised me though and was asking me if they shouldn't have blankets on and even wanted to keep them in their stalls the other night. He is a real softy sometimes about the gals!

I love the drawings. I will have to go look at some more of his work.

Have a great day! I am off for MLK day and am soooo glad!!!

Frazzled Farm Wife said...

I hope your son had a great birthday!

Love seeing pics of the horses!

Unknown said...

I was 10.5 lbs myself! Happy Birthday to your son!! Love the drawings and the pictures and CONGRATULATIONS on the award. You certainly deserve it!!! Give the horses hugs and kisses for me!

Dave said...

First time to your blog. Great looking layout. Thaks for the information on the artist. Beautiful sketches.

Take care! :-)

KC said...

Happy birthday to your son. Sounds like you had a great night planned for him tonight.. hope it all went well.

poor little horse in that cold weather.. It has been freezing here also.. but we don't have any snow.

Jen said...

Im glad you enjoy Paul's work just as muh as i do! Ranch hands is a fave too :0) There are so many western artists out there but I don't think any compare to his pencil drawings!
Wow electric blankets...it's amazing the difference in weather conditions from coast to coast. I guess we are having what y'all call "t-shirt weather"lol.
Happy Birthday to your son! That's neat that he lives so close. I live about 10 minutes horseback from my mom as well.
I am home today taking care of another sicky. This time my youngest Isaac aka Stinkbait. I'm also feeling pretty "blah" myself.
Have a blessed Day!

Jen