As for Bruno ...

Himself, having a munch of lunch. It's become very cold again, so he is wearing a quilted blanket under his winter blanket. It feels like about -5C out there right now, with a howling wind, too.

That scraggly weed is dock weed. When I looked it up, the note said it might cause an allergic reaction in horses if ingested. I believe this was the culprit that caused Bruno's hives, which are still being treated.

There was a line of the weeds along the fence line [nothing but barely visible stumps now], and I have now roped this area off.

He also pruned the honeysuckle I had planted along one side of the ring. Believe me, there were plants there. :) Thankfully, they are not noxious for horses, and grow very well even when cropped to the ground by someone with teeth needing exercise.

He also re-contoured the fence ...

... and the fence posts.

This is the new charger I bought yesterday, as the old one was doing nothing.

Last night, when I went to feed him around 9:30, this insulated handle was on the ground, not hooked up to the connection, as I had left it.  He had obviously been playing with the gate, and knocked it to the ground.  And when I opened the gate to go in, he jumped up in the air and 6 feet backwards. Usually, he is at the gate, over the gate, mugging me for goodies. So, it seems the zapper is doing what it is meant to do.
Horses like to chew, some of them more than others, and some develop neurotic behaviour associated with chewing -  usually the more highly-strung and very bored horses. They will chew and gnaw wood like beavers! Some people resort to trying various unpleasant-tasting solutions applied on the wood [which doesn't work]; others will put a top-line of metal stripping on the fence; and some resign themselves to their horses' habit, and just replace the boards as they are chewed through. I have found, for this property, the electric fencing works best. It delivers a relatively mild jolt - I know, as I have been at the receiving end many times. It's just enough to discourage most horses from chewing up the fences. There you have it - a little introduction to fencing-in horses.

Thank you so much for dropping by. I hope you enjoyed the post!!!

BUSY Day!

The spare stall is stacked to the ceiling with wonderful, soft hay.

There are even bales stacked in the alleyway.

Garden is still doing well. The snow-peas and lettuce are great [had some for dinner], and everything is growing.

I have darkened the background. As I thought, the shadows and colors in the flowers need to be strengthened - they are just overpowered by the darks.

I started the ink and wash as well. So far, so good ...

I was up early this morning, as I knew the hay was being delivered. But I thought Andy would call first. NO ... I was in the bathroom, and had to call out to tell him I'd be a minute. Then I helped unload 120 bales of hay - my stash for the year. It is beautiful this year - soft and green - as we had more rain. It is SOOO nice, I am going to have to put His Imperial Chubbiness on a bit of a diet. He is ready to inhale as much as he can get. Probably a hay-net will be in order, to slow down his eating.
So between unloading hay, going on a small cleaning rampage, and doing some painting, it has been a full day.

As always, I thank you for dropping by, and welcome your comments! 

It's Been a BUSY Day ...

I left off here ...

Eyes added, and more shadow on neck

Shadows on face

Shadows on shirt

W/w wash over all of shirt in original pink hue

Starting to touch up post
I think it's about 2/3 done.

The sparrows looked so cute having a splash on top of the pool cover.

Hogs fuel delivery today - essentially an evergreen mulch, used for footing.

ACK ... over $400 worth! But Bruno will have dry feet this winter. ;)

Huge truck, barely made it under the telephone and power wires. I really admire the driver's skill. 

The inspector

Also inspecting the group cutting the brambles in back.

Bruno with his mound of hogs fuel.

It really was busy here today, with animals, trucks, landscapers coming and going, and making sure the animals were safe. But it's done. All I need is to get someone with a bobcat or tractor over to spread this out, and we'll be fine.
And somehow I managed to find time to paint. I am excited [in a watercolory sort of way] about how the portrait is coming along, and I just had to work on it. Also, it's back to scaling teeth tomorrow, and I know I won't feel much like painting after work.

As always, your comments are most welcome.

The Dog Days of Summer

Bruno following me. I guess I look more interesting than the horse next door; their screaming match was what brought me outside.

The hay guy delivered today ... 

One of the spare stalls is stacked floor to ceiling with 2nd cut local hay.

I had to postpone the delivery for a week because of the swallows. I wanted to wait till the babies were flying, so they  and their parents could get in and out of their nest.

I was out in the near dark last night, trying to re-set the gate. It was originally put up in such a haphazard way that the hinges are out of alignment.

I couldn't find my set of wrenches, so I called Andy, and asked if he could bring some.

And then he fixed the gate! :)

Andy, the hay guy, came today, and stacked 108 bales of hay in a spare stall. That should do Bruno for a year. I think Andy thought I was a bit mad, asking him to wait for a week till the swallows could all fly. I HAD to - they bring me so much joy when I am out there in the summer - swooping, soaring, and chirping and singing. They started flying on Tuesday, and today they are pros.
And a bit of information about the term "dog days of summer". Apparently it predates the Romans, but they named it. At this time of year, Sirius, the "dog star", in the constellation Canis Major, rises and sets with the sun. It was believed its presence added to the heat of the sun during the summer days. The Romans gave the time between July 23 to August 23 the name of "dog days". The Farmers Almanac lists the dog days as those from July 3 to August 11.
I absolutely love this time of year. We have glorious hot weather now - up in the low 30's C. And it's predicted to last for a few weeks, so my open studio/show/whatever should be lovely weather-wise.

As always, your comments are most welcome!

An Unexpected Day Off

Smoke from my fire

Lucy, one of my barn "helpers"

Pumpkin, not much of a helper, but here she is

My aunt, who drove 50 miles to "play with fire"

Bruno, self-designated Fire Marshall, and me

Not too interested in having his picture taken

Ahhh ... that's better



I was expecting to work today, but the receptionist called yesterday to let me know I was only booked on Friday. So I decided to take advantage of the good weather, and burn off all the old and moldy hay, blackberry bush cuttings and other garden- type waste. Out here, you are still able to burn outdoors in October and April, if you purchase a burning permit from the township. I KNOW it's environmentally a big NO-NO [and I'm so good in most other environmental aspects], but there is something atavistically appealing in burning a large pile of stuff outside. When I was a child, home owners in Vancouver were permitted to burn all the leaves raked from their property. I loved raking and playing in the leaves, and then burning the piles early in the evening in the gloaming.
I started collecting and piling garden clippings, then got to work inside the barn. I had so much hay I hadn't had a chance to get rid of, from previous years. And this last winter there was so much that His Imperial Self refused to eat, though I did manage to give away 30 bales to my farrier [who also owns a boarding barn, and can always use extra hay].
Anyway, there we all were in the relatively warm sunshine, having a good time. My aunt and I worked for 5 fun-filled hours
 I just realized, you probably have never seen me before this. Please do not let yourselves be overwhelmed by my chic attire! I am a high-fashion "barn grunt", and proud of it!!  :)