The Black Helicopters

Tuesday November 12 2013

They've been flying directly over us in this Owyhee desert for weeks now, day and night. The black helicopters.

Claude Dallas was an outlaw in the 80's who shot and killed 2 game wardens, and hid out in the Owyhee desert for some 15 months before he was caught. Maybe they're searching for another outlaw?

They're clearly doing something besides just flying. They've flown directly overhead way too many times for it to be a coincidence. Sometimes they fly high, sometimes low. Sometimes they fly slow, or fast, or they hover. Sometimes at night they use spotlights. Some might think they are black military helicopters.

I think not.

They are masquerading as military helicopters, but I know what they really are.


Paparazzi! You know how they fly over movie stars' houses, right? Here they are obviously spying on The Most Beautiful Horse On The Planet, having finally discovered where he lives, trying to catch him in some compromising position. Today two of them flew in a box directly over me. Then one flew back and forth, back and forth over me. Trying to figure out exactly which brown blob was TMBHOTP. I didn't let on which one he was.


Well, it won't happen anyway. Whatever Stormy does, he's beautiful, never compromising anything. Even first thing in the morning, without his makeup, he's beautiful. Even in his winter fat, which isn't quite there yet, he's beautiful. Even when he's rolling in the dirt, he's beautiful. Even when he's tried to scratch himself on the bushes, and has saltbush stickers in his tail, he's beautiful. Even when he's passed out in the poopy uneaten hay, he's beautiful.

So, the helicopters can fly and spy all they want: Stormy has been, is, always will be, in any position, The Most Beautiful Horse On The Planet.


And on a serious note with Veterans Day just past, I am so grateful I don't live in a war zone, where the constant sound of helicopters brings fear, not curiosity, where one expects accompanying machine gun fire or the explosions of bombs, and I'm grateful for those veterans who have, do, and will give their lives, in legitimate and even illegitimate wars, so I can live with my Most Beautiful Horse On The Planet.

Our Newest Owyhee Celebrity

Thursday September 8 2011

Our Newest Owyhee Celebrity

Following in Stormy's footsteps, when he made the cover of the Washington Thoroughbred magazine, Rhett is our latest Equine Celebrity on the crick!

He and Steph made the cover of the Endurance News magazine. Rhett was pretty amazed.


Stormy was impressed. He added his snort of approval.


We have had a few dealings with the paparazzi out here, but hopefully these two Cover Boys live far enough out in the boonies so they don't start a stampede of them out to Owyhee. The two 20-year-old grand old boys prefer to live out their celebrity in quiet Owyhee anonymity.

Paparazzi II: Star Struck

Tuesday May 12 2009

OK, I better fess up.

I must admit, I can get a little excited over certain celebrities. Some can make my heart pound, make me freeze up, lose my voice, some can make my knees tremble.

It was at Santa Anita Park for the 2003 Breeders Cup, where I was shooting for a magazine.

There she was: Six Perfections, a magnificent black mare, stunning in her beauty. And very unique: true black Thoroughbreds are rare. Never seen a horse like this before. Poised, classy, elegant - and a winner over the boys in the Mile. I gaped, I followed her around. I so wanted just to touch her sleek coat! I wanted her to look at me, to notice me. I wished I could yank out just a small lock of her mane to keep! She seemed so kind, like everybody's horse, like my horse.

Then don't EVEN ask me about Falbrav - my GOD he was stunningly gorgeous. HE made my knees weak. I fell in love with him instantly - love and obsession at first sight. I started following him around the backstretch, shadowing him to the track, stalking him around his barn. I knew he'd never notice me, he was way out of my league, but I could gawk. When he schooled in the paddock the day before Breeders Cup Day, I drooled over him; I swooned when he walked past me on race day. And as he was coming down the stretch in the Turf race - one of the best Breeders Cup races I have ever seen - don't ask me how I was able to shoot photos, because as he (on the rail) and High Chaparral and Johar were fighting neck and neck the last sixteenth mile, I was screaming, "OHMIGOD! OHMIGOD! OHMIGOD!" Falbrav fell short by just a neck, (Johar and High Chaparral dead-heated for first), and oh boy, I almost passed out.











Okay, so those were celebrity horses. There were a few human celebrities there who also made me a bit giddy.

There I was, among the elite horse and sports photographers from around the world, only one of 2 photographers there still shooting film. With my little Canon EOS Elan, and my little 1-300 zoom, I was pretty insignificant amongst some of the Big Photographers with their lenses so big they had an assistant just to carry the lens and tripod. Some lenses were as big as cannons. I was too timid to talk to any of them.

One morning me and my little camera and lens were ensconced in a row of Big Photographers leaning over the rail shooting the Breeders Cup horses on the track. I stepped back to take a breather in the shade, and found myself somewhat near two big photographers who started talking to each other. My heart started pounding when I heard names - Katey and Skip - and I realized: OH. MY. GOD! I am standing beside Katey Barrett and Skip Dickstein! Only two of the most famous and talented Thoroughbred racing photographers around! (IMO). I couldn't work up the nerve to speak to Skip, but when he walked off, I stepped up to Katey, my nerves fluttering, my tongue tied, and introduced myself. "I love your work!" (Ugh - don't fans always say that?) I don't think I made a fool of myself, though. She was quite gracious.

And to top that off, on Breeders Cup day I met, and even spoke with for a while, Barbara Livingston - only another of the most famous and talented, and nicest, Thoroughbred racing photographers on the planet!

Lucky me - five celebs in two days! So I suppose all this proves that I do get star-struck at times.

Or maybe I just recognize and appreciate good talent, and I enjoy beauty.

Or at least that's how I could justify my actions and reactions, right?



(But seriously - how could this sight not stop your heart?)

Owyhee Paparazzi

Thursday May 7 2009

I was in the LA airport recently, walking in the door to check in for my flight when i was passed by a guy running by with his camera.

Celebrity alert!

As I stood in line I watched, and soon several legs and camera lenses flew past the windows, then suddenly - some guy (or gal) in a black-hooded sweatshirt was swarmed, and, flash flash flash! Strobe light camera flashes in the hood's face!

Who was the celebrity? Who cares - I am fascinated by the photographers. What do they do, come stake out the airport and wait all day hoping a celebrity worthy of photos will come? (They obviously get tipped off, to know where to wait, otherwise the chances would be nil of being at the right door for 20 seconds.) Do they work for themselves? Are they assigned by magazines? Is the airport their best bet, or do they have other places, and how many celebrities do they get on an average day? Does it pay the bills, that one hooded sweatshirt on Tuesday? What do they think of what they do - running like a pack of rat terriers and flashing someone in the face? Would I ever do that?

Well, I do, in a way. I stake out the place here in Owyhee (exact location vague, so as to protect the celebrities here), look out the window and see Jose cavorting around, or Mac and Finny kissing, or Rhett scratchin' an itch, or Dudley fixin' to get himself into trouble, or Jose and Mac being naughty (playing with Not Toys), or someone looking filthy dirty, or a bunch of them passed out from partying, or a bunch of them looking like drowned rats, or Stormy just looking gorgeous in general, and I throw everything down and run outside with my professional cameras and lenses, one in my hand changing settings as I run, the other slung around my neck, to catch them in the act, to expose their beautiful faces and bodies to the world.

They really don't mind, and generally are used to the crazy paparazzi person here, and usually continue with their activities and gorgeousness without interruption. Stormy is very lens-conscious and knows how to pose very well.

However, if too many paparazzi showed up here, the equine celebrities might clam up or start avoiding the lenses and I wouldn't have any exclusives. Hence the vague location, and the keeping of my celebrities to myself.