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!