Turkey Vultures

Every morning, the turkey vultures sit on the pasture fence sunning themselves.  They are kind of creepy looking but they are extremely efficient at what they do and don't bother any of the live animals.

Shuffling into position

Coming in for a landing

Looking for the right spot

Sunning themselves

They have a huge wingspan, over five feet, and stretch their wings out to catch the morning sun.  They will turn so that the sun can hit the entire wing.  Really cool to see!

Wordless Wednesday - Sleeping Rooster

Keeping up with Maccabee

T is getting ready for show season and has stepped up her riding.  She did some schooling with Zip in the ring the other day which included a couple of small jumps.  He may not be graceful when he jumps but he's efficient and he never hesitates.

Clearing the straw bales

Big jump, small bales

The other jump was a crossrail which he basically just strided over at a canter.  He didn't even really need to jump it.  He's such a good boy!

The View from Up Here

T and I explored the trails behind the farm yesterday.  Zip was being very quiet but Rooster was quite full of himself.  I guess he's tired of being in the riding ring too.  I didn't want to risk taking too many pics and either dropping the camera or falling off.

Crossing the field and heading into the woods

Following Zip and blazing a trail

We are definitely going to do some more exploring including the creek.  These trails will be really fun once the weather warms up.

Sunday Stills Challenge - the Color Blue

This week's Sunday Stills Challenge is the Color Blue - An easy challenge until you realize no SKY pics and no archives.  Ok, so I had to work for this one...

Dark blue polo wraps on Cowboy's front legs (Nova in the front)

T's blue jeans

A Tom Turkey at the feed mill

More Sunday Stills

Skywatch Friday, Season 4, Episode 37

Gypsy Cob Stallion

Llama Encounter

We took a ride to a tack store in Kutztown on Saturday and stopped at one of our favorite farms.  The owner stands a gypsy cob stallion (gorgeous!) and always has minis and a few driving horses.  The stallion was as beautiful and friendly as ever.

He's even prettier in person -
one blue eye, one brown,
only about 12.2 hands and stocky

In the field next door were two llamas.  I am not a big fan of llamas since I've seen one spit in someone's face so I didn't venture too closely.  This guy really wanted to see what I was doing and he looked like he was talking to me.  Thank goodness for a long lens :)

Don't you love the giraffe spots??

Wordless Wednesday - Enjoying her Freedom

Jump for Joy

Maccabee absolutely loves to jump.  Whenever T rides him, she usually takes him over a jump or two even if she's riding in her Western saddle.

He's one tired pony when they are finished but he seems to like having a job.

Wanna Be a Cowboy

He's a Thoroughbred gelding that is going back to the racetrack soon and that's really his name.  Who knows - some day he may live up to it.  He's one of my favorites at the farm.  What an absolute sweetheart.

Sunday Stills - Canine Companions

This week's Sunday Stills Challenge is Canine Companions.  This was a fun challenge since my dogs are two of my favorite subjects to photograph.  Bandit isn't a big fan of the camera and is difficult to snap pics of because he turns away.  Zoey, on the other hand, is quite the ham and isn't bothered by the flash or the camera.

Bandit, Border Collie

Zoey, Border Collie/Aussie Shepherd

View other Challenge participants here.

Watching the Camera

T has been stepping up her riding now that show season is right around the corner.  The horses are still hairy beasts but they are getting used to the increased workout as well.  I love how Zip was cantering around but watching Craig while he was taking pictures.  He can certainly multitask!

Skywatch Friday, Season 4, Episode 36

Sunset at the farm.  I love the lines the clouds made in the sky.

Wordless Wednesday - Whiskers

"Whatcha got in that camera???"

Larky, POA mare

Macro Monday - First Blooms

These crocus are the very first blooms that appear in my garden each year.  This was taken on Saturday.

Spring is on the way!!

Sunday Stills Challenge - the letter "P"

I'm  getting back into the swing of things and back to Sunday Stills.  I missed searching around for photos to use for the challenge.  This week's Sunday Stills Challenge is the letter "P".  At first I didn't think that I would find anything but then I started to see all kinds of things.

P is for Pony.  His name is Nova.

P is for Pink on the jockey's silks.  

P is for Puddles.  We got 3.5 inches of rain in a 24 hour period the other day which resulted in puddles.  Craig was cleaning the mud off his boots. 

And last, but certainly not least, P is for Poop

View other Challenge participants here.

Ritz

Isn't he pretty?  He's an off the track Thorougbred that's in for a layup.  He's got a gorgeous mane and forelock and is very photogenic.

Skywatch Friday, Season 4, Episode 35

A red tailed hawk soaring in the updrafts on a windy day

Maccabee 'tude

T rode Maccabee in the ring the other day after it rained.  The footing was deep and he was pretty tired but he had fun cantering around.  This hop was followed by a rather graceful buck and he never broke stride (I missed the buck and didn't realize I got the front hop).  T didn't even blink and just chuckled.  He's so silly.

Wordless Wednesday - Mounting Up

Done, done, and done!!!

This was a 3 day weekend for me and we had a bunch of stuff planned.  Friday night was a much needed and long overdue hair cut (I'm planning to donate my hair to Locks of Love a bit later in the spring so this was just a trim).  Craig and T also picked up a new saddle.

Saturday was off to the hay auction.  Three and a half tons later - we bought really nice heavy small bales of mixed grass with some timothy, alfalfa and clover thrown in.  These bales are HEAVY.  They average about 60 pounds where most other small bales are between 40 and 50 pounds.  We were tired by the time they were all stacked!

Sunday was cleaning up, running errands and a ride in the big field with the track.  The weather was beautiful once the rain cleared and it was a fun ride.  We also dropped my car off to have a tie rod replaced and the front end alignment done.

Monday was up bright and early to head over to New Holland to check out the tack sale and then to the grain mill (with a stop along the way for Fastnacht doughnuts at the Amish bakery).  We picked up almost 600 pounds of custom blended grain - crimped feed with alfalfa pellets, soy beans and flax.  The horses love the new hay and are hoovering the new grain.  I didn't realize that the mill could do custom blends for us so now I have the "recipe" and will probably do it again.

Our field gets the full morning sun and is sunny on the hill for most of the afternoon.  The three redheads enjoyed some sun bathing while Maccabee looked for grass nibbles.

Back to work for me today...

Making Friends

We went to the hay auction on Saturday morning in Kutztown.  It's a great place for people watching and there's usually a dog or two wandering around from the neighboring farms.  This girl looked like a pint sized version of Bandit but with Zoey's personality.  T made friends.  They were really cute sitting together on the steps.

We're off...

...to the hay auction this morning and to run some errands.  Not much time for picture taking lately but the camera is coming along for the ride.

Wordless Wednesday - Profiles

Moving Day

This winter was a harsh one with some form of precipitation, mostly snow with some sleet and freezing rain thrown in, just about every 3 days during January and the beginning of February.  Since this was the second winter in a row of above normal snow, we decided that we needed to find another barn that would afford us more hay storage (we had hay on hold but we didn't have anywhere to store it).  We found something closer to home that would allow us to keep the horses out with access to a shed big enough for all four of them and have a place to store as much hay as we needed.  Plus we have a separate barn, access to an outdoor lighted riding ring, a large pasture with a conditioning track for riding, and some trails.  And it's close to the county park with riding trails - a very short trailer ride down the road.

We moved everything and everyone on Saturday morning (multiple trailer trips) and spent most of the weekend getting the barn set up including rolling out a round bale.  We even found some time to ride Zip and Rooster on Sunday morning.  Maccabee and I took a stroll down the driveway while the curious Thoroughbreds crowded along the fence on either side but he handled it well and listened to me.  T gave Rosie a good grooming in the barn while we strolled.

Sunday turned out to be a beautiful sunny day with a hint of spring in the air.  The horses enjoyed a romp around the field followed by a good roll in the mud and hay munching. 

Monday brought more precipitation in the form of rain but the weather forecasters are calling for seasonal temps and sun (glorious sun!!) for a few days.  I'm looking forward to spring!