One of Those (Shoe) Days

Tuesday January 15 2008

It was one of those days - 30 degrees and breezy, 17* with the wind chill. Still some snow, and a lot of ice on the frozen ground. 6 horses to shoe or trim. Well, it was better than last week, where it was about 28* with a much stronger wind, snow blowing sideways, making us wimp out to where we postponed the shoeing for a week.

Today we went under the roof of the hay barn and used the big hay bales for a partial wind block. Definitely "partial." I had 5 layers on top, 2 on the bottom, hat and gloves, and as long as I had my back to the wind coming around the corner of the bales, my body maintained at just over freezing. Feet and hands, though, that was another matter. My feet turned numb over a few hours, and my fingers wouldn't work - had a hard time tying and untying the halter knot.

It was one of those days for the horses, too. The first one, Finneas (used to lots of uncomfortable handling, what with his big Back Leg Accident) was fairly good, even though his as-yet-to-fully-heal-cut bothered him as Bruce held that leg up. Quickie, the last one, was fairly good - she fidgeted constantly for me, but was still whenever Bruce held a foot up.

The others, though...

Dudley was a butt - not so spooky but objecting to having to stand still and have his feet worked on. After months of dieting, Bruce noticed how good he looks, having lost a good 100 lbs, and his feet look good enough to put shoes on him. Which Dudley was not thrilled about.

Mac, normally quiet, was quite jumpy.

Princess didn't want to walk near the barn, convinced there was a cougar across the creek in the bare swaying tree branches.

Diego - my sweet little brave Diego! - wigged out walking close to the barn (of course they never do this when they are walking or running or romping by on their own), sure that Princess had been right about a cougar. He about ran over us a few times while working on him.

The cold wind just did its spooky work today - good thing Bruce is quick.

The horses ran one by one, skidding on the ice, as they were turned loose, back to the comfort zone of the hay bales, far away from the cougars in the windy trees by the barn.

I was a frozen popsicle and couldn't feel my feet when I hobbled back in the house. I stuck my feet right on and in the stand-up heater for a half-hour till I could feel them, then took a long hot shower to completely thaw, then had a nice cup of steaming French Vanilla coffee.

Silence

January 9 2008

Listen:

The pure big silence of a snow-covered winter desert in the evening.

It's not a death-silence (go visit Dachau, in Germany), but a life-silence:
a temporary absence of tumbling wind, trickling water, rustling sagebrush, swishing rabbit brush, chirping birds. The clouds are hanging motionless over the mountains.

No movement of any kind, but it's all there, still and full and listening. The canyon is covered with myriad footprints of rabbits, birds, rodents; one bird has left wing prints as if it had taken a snow-bath; but right now they all remain secretly still and hidden, attending and shaping this big soundlessness.

No sound of any kind but 14 footsteps crunching in the soft snow (me and 3 dogs) as we wind our way up a canyon, following a ridge, some spots on the crest blown bare by the wind that howled from the northwest two days ago. No sound but the dogs panting after returning from chasing a single rabbit through the blanketed sagebrush. We stop on top of the highest hill and listen.

Returning home near dark the nature-silence is broken: a great-horned owl hoots from up the canyon where we've been. I stop to listen, hoot back. I stand for 10 minutes listening to the owl, and even the dogs sit still and stop panting and listen to the owl and the silence.

In some cultures the owl is the harbinger of evil and death; in some it is a messenger of the Gods (Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, had an owl). For me it is good luck. I expect this one was singing his approval of the fall of night over this spectacular silent desert.

(Snow) Shoeless

Tuesday January 8 2008

Bruce the farrier called first thing this morning, on his way here to shoe 6 horses. "I don't want to be a wimp or anything..."

I looked out the window - 6 horses covered with the same fresh inch-blanket of snow the rest of the Owyhee world was covered with, with little gusts blowing big fat flakes and skiffs off roofs sideways. 100% chance of snow all day, wind between 10 and 15 mph.

"... but it's blowing like crazy here on the freeway in Boise and snowing hard."

Far be it from me to call someone a wimp, when I myself didn't fancy standing out in the white cold holding six horses for him to shoe. We rescheduled for next week, and I bundled up to go out for a few pictures (before coffee!)

The horses looked comfortable: nobody was shivering, and they weren't gorging at the hay bales either. Princess came up to get her itchy hairy neck scratched, while the snow stuck to her eyelashes. Diego sported a snow mustache to try out a new grown-up handsome look. Dudley licked the snow off Diego's rump (before biting him).

A good day for taking a few pictures then getting back inside, watching from the (relative) warmth of the house as the flakes got bigger and fatter and continued piling up.

Wild Horse Ride

January 4 2008

The last few days we've been playing hide-and-seek with the storms, "winds between 19 and 24, gusts up to 37 mph," and have slipped out to ride. We're still riding on snow and trying to avoid the ice (been white on the ground for a month now!), and have had some still, beautiful days, though not above freezing.

Today, while the west coast and the Sierra Nevadas are getting bombed by wind and rain and snow, we were waiting on the wind to hit here "between 24 and 28, gusts up to 43 mph." Looked good this morning though, so we slipped out for another ride.

We decided on the Bilbo Baggins loop, via the Lamplighter Gate, heading north out of the canyon up onto the flats, down into a canyon over that way, back up onto the flats then drop back down into Bates Creek Canyon. Well, the wind was up on top, that's where the wind was. Apparently it's coming at a 90* angle to our SW-NE canyon. It's almost completely still below, with only the smallest whisp of a breeze occasionally poofing past the house.

Up on the plateau we had a stiff breeze to our back most of the way, and when we dropped down into the canyon, it was almost still again. Along the wind-shielded trail, in the distance we saw a few cows. "I'm surprised they're this far from the highway already," said Carol. Normally they like to mow down the grass along the highway for two months and scare motorists, especially on black nights.

As we got closer, "Those aren't cows, those are horses!" Wild horses - this far east!? Well, they belong to the Oreana rancher who also owns the cows, so no, they weren't wild horses. But try telling those horses that! We stopped, and Carol called to the 4 or 5 horses so they wouldn't suddenly spring up and scare Justy and Mac; and those 'tame' horses threw up their heads, whirled as a team, and sprinted for the Canadian border. They were turned out for the winter and no WAY were they getting caught by anybody already! Justy saw them and got excited, but Mac didn't see them, and anyway they were quickly gone over a hill.

As we continued trotting along the trail - the snow well pounded down by many horse hooves having hung out there quite a while - Mac noticed and smelled the fresh horse poop, moving along at a trot with his nose to the ground, inhaling the smell of the new intruders.

After a half mile, with the wind breeze now picking up from our right side, apparently that's where the horses were over the hill, because both Mac and Justy were looking right as they trotted straight along the trail, having picked up their scent. Another half mile and the hills beside us opened up, and we saw the herd a little behind us - not just 4 but almost two dozen horses - galloping towards us! Yikes!

Our horses stopped and turned to face them, very excited. Mac beneath me grew two feet taller and let out a great whinny, like I've never heard him do before. We yelled at the horses - I could just see this herd come galloping by us and sweep our horses along, while leaving me and Carol on the ground to contemplate the state of things.

Fortunately they were still suspicious of getting caught and veered away from us, galloping over another hill. I'd gotten my little camera out to take some pictures of the 'wild' horse herd on the hill with the snow-covered mountains in the background, but Mac, having finally found what he's really been looking for all along (ranch horses running wild), was getting more animated by the second. Remembering just 2 months ago watching Karen B's horse take off running and unseat her then proceed to run off and get lost for 2 weeks, I thought it prudent to put the camera away immediately and put both hands on the steering wheel. I didn't want to have to answer Steph when she next asked, "How's Mac doing?" by saying "Well, ask me after the spring roundup."

Both Justy and Mac stayed quite exuberant as we climbed the hill back up onto the flats, and there we had not only wild horse memories to deal with, but a taste of that wind advisory in our face. Earlier I'd been comfortable riding in 3 layers, being overcast and in the 30's with the wind at our back - but it was much colder now, wind speed blasting enough to drive the water from your eyes and snot from your nose and blow it sideways, and cold enough to numb your cheeks. Mac's snot was flying sideways too, and he turned his concentration from wild ranch horses (which we couldn't see or smell anymore) to keeping his head down against the wind and watching for icy patches.

By the time we dropped back down into Bates Creek canyon - where it was still as can be - I was quite chilled. Carol said "My thighs are numb. Does that mean they're gone?" We got off and walked home on the slick icy road, and there Mac had a bucket of oats then Talked Story about wild ranch horses to his own herd.

America's Next Top (Equine) Model

January 4 2008

Dudley's Audition Portfolio, showing off his best poses and acting talent.


Sporting an equine Mullet



Kissable equine (Come on, kiss me!)



Best equine Smile



Flexing manly equine musculature



Rakish, devil-may-care equine look



Bubba Gump equine imitation



Acting little tipsy



Acting a LOT tipsy



Exhibiting an equine model's good dental hygiene



Exhibiting flaring equine nostrils



Fierce equine look



Uproarious equine laugh



Best equine Cheese pose



Equine funny bones


Vote today for Dudley!

New Years Resolutions and Desires

Wednesday January 2 2008

HORSES:
DIEGO:
To keep looking cuter than everybody else no matter what I do. To not have to work beyond standing still and wearing a bonnet and saddle and necklace. To get lots of hugs and lots of carrots because I am funny and cute. To keep rubbing my mane in the sagebrush so I always smell very good and M buries her head in my mane with more hugs. To be fed grain.

FINNEAS:
To be worshipped. To get lots of attention. To have my way in everything. To not have to be ridden away from the house onto the trail (though once I'm out there, it's kind of fun). To get lots of kisses. To have Connie come visit me and ride me. To get lots of carrots dipped in molasses. To get all the women. To be The Ultimate BIG BOSS. To be fed more grain.

MAC:
To be retired. To find my Nebraska ranch home. To find cows and ride herd (if I must work). To not be eaten by those Horse-Eating Monsters hiding in and under sagebrush. To get more carrots. To be fed more grain.

PRINCESS:
To be treated like the Princess I am. To have M always scratch my hairy itchy neck. To get more carrots. To be fed grain.

DUDLEY:
To remain slim and cute while eating lots. To eat lots. To get into as much mischief as possible. To escape from every pen I am in. To be remembered as the famous Equine Houdini. To be in the circus or Cavalia (those Lusitano stallions have got nothing on me!). To get more hugs. To get more carrots. To be fed grain.

QUICKIE:
To not get caught. To get more carrots. To be fed more grain.

DOGS:
QUINCY:
To get M to take us on walks twice a day. To get to sleep inside on the couch every day and night. To eat more horse poo without getting caught. To get more dog food.

AUSTIN:
To get M to take us on walks five times a day. To get to sleep inside on the floor every day and night. To catch a rabbit. To eat more horse poo without getting caught. To get more dog food.

GIRLIE:
To get M to take us on walks ten times a day. To get to sleep inside on the couch every day and night. To be petted till I explode. To catch a deer. To catch a rabbit. To bite horses when nobody's looking. To eat the cat. To eat more horse poo without getting caught. To get more dog food.

KITTY:
To not get eaten by Girlie.

ME:
To ride more. To eat more. To touch a (live) Raven.

THE RAVEN II:
What more is there, after you've climbed Mt Whitney, ridden 3000 endurance miles, sat on the Royal Yellow Carpet, ridden horses around the world? Well then, just to do more more more!

Good Bird Day

December 31 2007

Without trying today, I saw: a bald eagle, 2 red-tailed hawks, several kestrels, ravens, and magpies. The bald eagle was impressive (and not so common around here; we mostly have golden eagles), and the flashy, iridescent, long-tailed magpies are entertaining to watch - sometimes they like to play around and on the horses.

But of course it's the Raven that I'm obsessed with. Who wouldn't be, with all the history and mystery and myths of Ravens down through the ages and different cultures:

In Norse mythology, Odin, the father of the Gods, had two Raven informers, Hugin and Munin.

In Celtic mythology, Branwen, Goddess of love and beauty can take the form of a white crow.

In several Pacific Northwest Indian cultures, the Raven is revered as the creator of humans, or the one who found the first humans in a giant clam shell and let them out; the stealer of light (he stole the sun from a greedy man, and put the sun, moon, and stars in the sky for humans); a perpetual trickster, and a storyteller.

In Arabic, the Crow is "Algorab." My friend Maryanne in Egypt lives right by the partially buried ruins of an ancient sun temple, Abu Ghorab. It is rumored to be one of six sun temples, only 2 of which have been discovered so far. Abu Ghorab means "Father of Crows." In Egypt, crows are a nuisance to the farmers. Farmers try to scare them away or shoot them, so the clever crows hang out during the day at the trash dump and other places away from humans, and in the evening they fly one by one to hide behind the sun temple. There they wait until the call to evening prayer, when they fly into the orchards at the edge of the desert to roost, because they know people are at their prayers. : )

In several cultures, the Raven and crow were originally white.

In Australian Aboriginal legends, the crow turned black after he wrestled with a hawk (they fought because the crow would not share his meal, as they had agreed to do) and rolled in the black ashes of a campfire, which never washed off.

In ancient Greece, the White Raven was a sacred bird and messenger of Apollo, the God of light, sun, music, poetry, and fine arts. (In some myths, it was a crow.) But, due to some mischief the Raven got into, as Ravens are wont to do, (depending on the tale, either narking on Apollo's wife, or mistress, or it didn't fetch water quickly enough for Apollo), Apollo flew into a rage, as Greek Gods are wont to do, and turned his white Raven to black.

And I came across this nugget from this spring: a clutch of white Ravens were abandoned by their parents and rescued in a churchyard in England: www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=461265&in_page_id=1770

Any Ravens I see here at home in the canyon, I think one of them must be Hoss, one of the baby ravens the neighbors Linda and Mike and Carol raised last year. Especially when even I can get fairly close to him without him being very concerned. Maybe he's a distant descendant of one of the Ravens in myth and legend, comfortable being around people and Gods.

Then there's always the Raven II, popping up at random places.