Wednesday, March 31, 2010

I LOVE my posters!

Juliette from Honeysuckle Faire has really made me happy with these fabulous posters of my mare and I!
My husband thought they were so cool, he gave me a gift certificate for framing and told me, (treating them as  a prize possession) " you can NOT show them to anyone, before framing them". He does not want  me to ruin them by touching them too much, or bending them.
How cool...so I will honor that, and next chance I can, will go to our local frame shop! I just want glass, I think.

Oh...this should be fun...a poster for all my friends horses and them! What a great gift idea..and the possibility's.... ~ Are endless~!
Do go check out her poster art and blog ...tell her KK sent you!

Monday, March 29, 2010

My World Tuesday Adventures with ELK pt2

The  second day,  at the Bay Ocean House in Tillamook, Oregon had started out very wonderfully for us, with our Equines last week. The gorgeous morning had us Hand grazing in our pajamas!

The sunrises on the bay are heavenly...this time, very misty, with a bite of frost ~
( to see any photo larger in detail, simply CLICK the image)




 Eagles had been calling out and flying above us, and we noticed a nest in the craggy tree they favored. This eagle had a pesky bird daunting it.

 The day ahead of us held some horseback riding on the beach and later, working in the yard to prepare for a  rental  party of 10 people with Equines.This wonderful Rental Property has many takers for the enjoyment that is to be had...but sometimes we must travel down ahead of them (oh darn) and make sure the Temporary horse fences are set up properly. Last year a group knowingly disobeyed the owners wishes, and put it up in the yard, next to the house. There will always be someone, it seems, that feels they deserve something different than what is offered, and just Takes it!

So we set off for the Bay Ocean Spit parking lot to ride our horses...they seemed well this day, after a harrowing event for them the night before with ELK (click left  sentence to visit post of that).
Romeo seemed a little pensive to enter the dune trail to the beach..but he did go forth!


I shot no pictures during the dune trail ride... just in case of another dashing event!
Wa was very buddy sour this day..and I was forced to stay rather close, instead of our usual jaunting off here and there. 

 
When I tried to go ahead or somewhere else, she totally acted out.. the near 70 degree day-though windy on the ocean front here, I think caused her to be in High season as well.


I decided to get her attention a much safer way, by dismounting and doing groundwork up the beach.
We did side passes and change of direction moves... Some circles with me asking for bend...which she really took offence to! I  do think her mind was mush after the day before's events and the season thing...this attitude on the beach- was a first for us. Some fear can go along way.
We finally made it to the Jetti of the spit and bay to get off the beach and out of the wind!

Calm Romeo before he lost his mind.....


 Romeo Now, decided to Jig and be high energy man...Oh what a day!
We were hearing the Coast Guard Chopper overhead and we thought, " Hope no one capsized in the ocean at the Jetti".... just our luck they'd fly closely around the corner and spook the horses...so we prayed for whatever outcome would avail us, and others, safe.



My mare spotted the chopper , I could barely see it at the tippy most of the lowest branch- at right-here~






Heading home now..with the rising tide, starting to fill up the bay on the right~



Little did we know...what lay in store for us as we returned home again!!!!



We rounded the last corner before the driveway...and wow...so many cars were there!!
And one was directly in the driveway entrance, blocking us .
They were apparently seized by the sight of something -IN THE BAY!



To the naked eye...it looked like a large log or overturned brown boat....




I put the camera on top of the Telescope and this is what I saw...
WHOA- ELK!



There were many Cows and many males too....and this little guy...An albino calf!


So the story goes....they entered the bay through a slew near the top, close to the some of the Tillamook dairy cows fields. It is the opposite direction from the Ocean. They have done this thing, walking on the sand bars at LOW tide, several times before.  Always they exit somewhere down by the spit..where we just came from.
Yet..this day...being  warm and sunny, The cars of Gawkers were a plenty...seemingly blocking them from an exit route! The tide was rising  fast, and they had calves.



But, they seemed to be going ahead with the trek...farther and farther from view they got~
Till...wait...they turned around and headed back our way!



I don't know why, maybe the rising tide was too much for the calves, maybe the route was blocked?
They stood for HOURS- right out in the middle-on a sand bar, till the tide began to lower~


I was helping my friend make the Temp stalls in between monitoring the elk...I would come back and they would be moving, but always not too far, as the tide was definitely in!


Some 4 hours had passed and the tide was now receding..I felt terrible for them having stood in the water for so long! Now they had about an hour and a half, before sunset and dark falling on the bay~

The Little Albino had come out to the edge for us to see!


It must have felt very good, getting some warmer sun on the body...but they tarried sooo long before moving again!


Finally, at 6:30pm they started again, toward the Bay spit and Ocean~



I watched them, happily thinking they were finally going to get out of the water to safety, there were plenty of limping stragglers now~ 
While they were strung out like this..I counted 30 Elk!


I thought that this would be my last shot of them..the light was fading and they were almost beyond my view!


OH!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes! They had gotten spooked again..and turned around- with only just time to get themselves out before dark!


So this is where I really had a difficult time...they came all the way back up to where we had seen them  at 1pm in the afternoon. But, this time, they were much  closer to the bay than before. 
There was NO-WAY they could make the 6-7 mile bay swim now!
I had a good cry and pleading prayer to the Lord for He cares for all His creatures...even if they had listened to an old cow and went into the bay, forgetting the tide table!

I had no idea that the mornings sunrise all beautiful & calm, would not be that way now for my heart.

I came in the house, after it had gotten darker and lamented.
 I decided to TXT all my friends to pray for these creatures that had gotten themselves into a weirdo predicament. It was now about 9pm.
At 10 pm, I had gone outside to the furthest tip of the deck, to try to receive any TXT's back..the reception is better there.
I started to get some!! People where praying and.....and....I heard noise!
I heard Geese really chattering , at the top of the bay. AND then...I heard splashing sounds!
I called my girlfriend out from her resting position on the couch, and then we saw them! Shadows in the dark light...Elk bodies, coming out of the bay to the hillside of Timberlands, behind her house!
They made it!
From noon till 10 at night..those Elk had been traversing the Tillamook Bay!
Bet they slept all of the next day and ate grass right where they lay~

 Next morning, we finished the fencing project...we enjoyed the sunshine, allowing the horses to graze~


Everywhere we looked, colorful spring was blooming~




PLEASE do visit others today, by clicking the hand held world!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Sunday Stills A day in the Life

Our Host For Sundays Stills has challenged us to share a day with you...through 4 frames only. Okay...here we go! Was a tough week and I will end it with my 4 frames here!

Driving into the country, I was focused on a circumstance that had snared me for a time~


Then, I opened my eyes to see the whole picture and my focus broadened and became much more beautiful ~
I saw the wonderful "Bouquets" that God had placed right before me, beyond the fence of my disdain.



The Country, had once again, lifted my minds clouds. Then riding out with my mare & friends, we strode into God's Grace and Mercy together~


After the lovely ride,
I gave the mare a bath. It was near 70 degrees this day. She  promptly rolled and showed me how good she was feeling...and I agreed, I will lift my eyes as you lift yourself, My mare; we shall laugh at calamity and throw ourselves high upon the wind of change!


Thanks Ed for another fun Weekends Challenge! Please do CLICK the title to go a visiting for many others views of "A day in the Life" through 4 frames!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Adventures with ELK- pt 1 horse version


NOW...it is somewhat funny, to recap our rides of this trip to the beach.

We arrived late in the day to the Bay Ocean House my friend and PBO owns at Tillamook, Oregon. We went to do a little work for upcoming renters bringing 10 horses. After the 90 minute drive, we unloaded the horses, unpacked the truck and trailer and my friend asked if I wanted to try to ride...A YEA, of course!
It was about an hour and a half till sunset.. My favorite time to ride of all times of the day!


We just rode up the bay, to the first trail to the beach. We then rode around in the waves...it was a windy time this time..so we bundled up.
Oh...Found out what my Fleece "Shadow Roll" is really good for..
Waves and ripples...Wa did not shy once, while we traversed the criss/ cross waves and ripply surf!


we really enjoyed riding at that time of day with our horses...Me taking photos at sunset!

.....but the anxiety was increasing for them...I found out as we turned to head up the dune hill....
Wa Mare was rigid- and WOULD NOT MOVE forward

She balked and made faces at me as I squeezed her to go forth and home...it would soon be too dark to ride the grassy path back.
NOPE...not moving...okay, so I let Romeo lead the way...he balked too...but went on EVER-SO-slowly.

This was not the first time my mare had balked at the thought of entering the "SCARY GRASSY TRAIL". Many weirdo things have happened to us there, it being a multi -use trail with Bikes, large coolers held up over peoples heads.. people diving suddenly into the brush, avoiding us, and looking too lurky- hidden away..oh there are so many things! I don't blame her really...it is an unknown and always changing!
We topped the ridge and blamo...we were instantly siting upon ROCK HARD, TREMBLING horses!

 They were transfixed with something in the distance.....


There they were ...a rather large grouping of mature ELK!

And I have come to realize...Elk are not like deer to my horse....I mean, we may ride into leaping, fleeing and skirmishing deer..no problems...she looks and sees and ignores.
Not ELK! They smell altogether Dangerous!
So we finally got the horses to moving forward...they were very round and uppity though...
Look at the picture of Wa's ear close up..the break in the trees, near the lft ear...that is the trail we HAD TO  travel home.
We got nearer to that point..I could feel the tension in my mare's back...I said aloud to my friend, " I'm Seriously holding onto my grab strap!"
Then...another Blamo....my friend says sheepishly so, "a, Kacy, look up to your right!" There they were...HUGE-O- ELK herd- looming above us...and one large bull ,with black hood and horns! Just as soon as I saw...Romeo did a complete FREAK.....jump to the left, jump to the right, then head for the hills!
My Mare Heard his sudden moves...and WHOOSH...we were half way to the trailer before I could even get her to register I was asking for stop!
This is one time..I am soooo happy I used my bit!

It totally had me worried that I could not see or hear my friend...not for a long while..I started to go back towards where I thought they may have gotten to..and there they were..her on her horse!
We found a dude to take our photo...WE SURVIVED the ELK!
The horses would not stand for the sunset behind us for the  photo...cause these creatures were looming in the sunset direction..watching us still!
OH...there is so much more to this ELK story.......

Sunday Stills ORANGE

Orange Sunset Ride


Our chosen "Sunday Stills" Subject is the color ORANGE! 
Of Course, the interpretation is mine....being a hairdresser I know how many shades of any color there are... no one has the same perception of color!
These all were from the last beach jaunt days ago...it was SOOOO nice!

Though these Orange and darkened critter s= gave our horses a FRIGHT!!!(story coming soon)

Waking up the next morning, to a warm and glowing Sunrise, refreshed us from the previous days events.... The Quince took on a faded shade of itself...deep Orange.

For more renditions of the -COLOR ORANGE- please visit our Host ED by clicking the Post Title~



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