Our Life With Horses

New Blog

2008-09-01T15:15:00.001-06:00

We're putting this blog to rest and starting a new one with a broader perspective.

Check us out at Dan & Betty's Place.

A Time for All Seasons - NOT

2008-08-31T20:13:00.004-06:00

Ok, ok. You win. We'll keep a blog going - at least for a little while longer - but we're also going to take the advice that we will do it on a random basis - when we actually have something to say.

However, we want to start fresh so we're going to move our thoughts to Dan and Betty's Place. This fits more with the fact that our horses are only a part of our lives. This gives us the opportunity to wander off into other areas which may or may not be interesting to anyone.

If you're really interested you can follow us there. Here's the link to our new blog...

http://danandbettysplace.blogspot.com/

Seriously, thanks for the encouragement.

Dan and Betty

Ecclesiastes 3, verses 1 and 7 say there is a time for all things...

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.

A time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak.

We especially like the latter half of verse 7, "...a time to be silent and a time to speak." We wish more politicians would take this verse to heart (just a side - snide - comment at this political time of the year).

We started this blog to share our life with horses. Our inspiration was the blog of our good friends Max and Michelle Wade at Galloping Grace Youth Ranch. Their blog is a delight to read and the pictures are wonderful.

From the many comments to their blog we have learned to follow the adventures of Laughing Orca Ranch and 7MSN Ranch - both New Mexico neighbors. We have become good friends with Mark and TJ at The Ranch on Salmon Creek. And, we've enjoyed the adventures of Trailboss and her granddaughter, Papa Joe, and her great dogs and horses.

Life has interfered in many ways both good and bad with keeping our blog going in the way we would like.

On the good side our granddaughter Juliet was born and we have wanted to spend as much time as possible with her and her parents in Fort Collins, Colorado. Also, our church has been blessed with significant growth, going from about 400 on a weekend to almost 1,000 in less than a year after our move to a new facility. This has been wonderful, but it has more than doubled our work as volunteer associate pastors who do pastoral counseling. There are a lot of hurting people out there, but we are blessed to do what we can to help.

On the bad side, 2008 has been a not-so-great year for Betty as she has dealt with recovering from an accident, an emergency appendectomy, and a bacterial infection from the appendectomy.

Our blog has been a good outlet for us at times, but it has been harder and harder to find the time to write and worthy subjects to write about.

We feel this season of our lives as bloggers has come to a close. We have enjoyed it, but we want our time to be used as well as possible - and that includes having more time to read the great blogs mentioned above. At our age, making good use of our time is a high priority.

So, this will be our last post and we will delete this blog in a day or so.

To those of you who have faithfully read our ramblings we appreciate your time and especially the comments you have shared. Who knows? Maybe we'll start another blog in the future on the joys and challenges of getting older.

God's blessings to you all.

Dan & Betty

Lessons from a Cartoon

2008-08-30T12:16:00.009-06:00

One of my dreams as a younger man was to be a cartoonist. I was the editorial cartoonist for several years for my college paper - The UT Beacon (that's University of Tennessee) - back in the 1960's. However, I knew that cartoonists had a hard time making a living so I gave that up for more practical means of making a living for me and my family.

I continue to love reading cartoons. I save the cartoon section of our paper and read it last each day as it is the favorite part for me.

My all-time favorite cartoon was Calvin and Hobbes. I was so sorry to see that one come to an end, but fortunately they are rerunning all of his strips so I can still read it every day.

My second all-time favorite is For Better Or For Worse. It's a family cartoon drawn by Lynn Johnston, a Canadian artist. Over the years we've been able to watch the adventures of the Patterson family and watched as kids were born, grown up and married in their own right.

Today's strip is right after the marriage of the daughter, Elizabeth. She and her new husband Anthony have gone to visit her grandfather right after their wedding. He is in the hospital and not doing well. The older woman is his second wife as Elizabeth's birth grandmother died several years ago.

I know the words are hard to read so I'll give you the gist of what is said.

Elizabeth in the second panel is saying that looking after him day after day can't be easy. Her step-grandmother responds...

"It's not easy. But we made a commitment, just as you did today - and although it's not easy, this is all part of loving someone with all your heart - and with all you have to give! It's a promise that should last a lifetime. It defines you as a person and describes your soul. It's a promise to be there, one for the other, no matter what happens, no matter who falls. For better or worse, my dears - for better or for worse."

I love the thought that our promises 'define us as a person and describe our soul.' I grew up believing that a man's word should always be good and his handshake was as good as gold.

Betty and I believe that, after our personal commitments to God, our marriage commitments to each other are the most important words we will ever say in our lives. And, Lynn's comic strip today perfectly illustrates how we feel. We want our promises to each other to define us as people and describe our souls.

You never know what you'll find in the comics.

Today is August 30 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Andy Roddick (pro tennis player), Cameron Diaz (actress - "Shrek" and "Charlies Angels"), Peggy Lipton (actress - "The Mod Squad"), Frank "Tug" McGraw (professional baseball player and father of singer Tim McGraw), Jean-Claude Killy (French Olympic gold medal skier), Warren Buffett (incredibly rich man), Ted Williams (one of the best ever baseball players), Fred MacMurray (actor - "Flubber" and "My Three Sons"), and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (author - "Frankenstein").

On this day in 1862 the Union was defeated by the Confederates at Bull Run. In 1967 the Senate confirmed Thurgood Marshall as the first Black Supreme Court Justice. And, in 1993 the "Late Show with David Letterman" premiered on CBS.

A Good Day at the Ranch

2008-08-29T20:10:00.000-06:00

I won't steal Michelle Wade's thunder as she'll probably write about the day at Galloping Grace Youth Ranch today. I got to go out after a long absence because of us being gone and Betty's bacterial infection battle (which hopefully should be over soon). We're believing in God's healing power over these little @$&!##*.

It was a good day and truly illustrated the purpose of the ranch - to bring joy to children through horses - and that happened today.

Plus I got to work with kids and horses and that adds up to a good day in my book.

Today is August 29 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: John McCain (presidential candidate and authentic war hero), Robin Leach (host of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"), William Friedkin (director - "The Exorcist"), Elliott Gould (actor - "M.A.S.H."), Richard Attenborough (director - "Ghandi"), Isabel Sanford (actress - "The Jeffersons"), Ingrid Bergman (actress - "Casablanca") and John Locke (English philosopher).

On this day in 1966 the Beatles played their last concert in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. In 2005 hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Anger, Fear and Impatience

2008-08-28T19:52:00.000-06:00

I ran across the following quote from "Horse Smarts for the Busy Rider" by Rick Lamb and realized that it not only applies to our relationship with horses, but also to our friends and family.

Anger, Fear, Impatience

There are three human emotions most of us feel every day that will sabotage communication with a horse.
It's normal to feel angry when a horse misbehaves, afraid when you think you're in danger, or impatient when training takes longer than expected. But in every case, responding emotionally makes the situation worse. Since we can't simply turn off our emotions, Dr. Robert M. Miller offers this suggestion.

"We have to discipline ourselves that when that occurs - not if, because it will occur - we're human beings, we're going to get angry sometimes, we're going to be afraid sometimes, and we're going to be impatient sometimes. And what you do is stop right there and walk away from that horse, because you have lost the ability to communicate with a horse when you are impatient or angry or afraid."

Walking away may require swallowing your pride. But that's one more emotion you can't allow to rule you.

That's not a bad rule for our interactions with other folks.

Today is August 28 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: LeAnn Rimes (country singer), Jack Black (actor - "School of Rock" and "King Kong"), Jason Priestly (actor - "Beverly Hills 90210), Shania Twain (country singer), Billy Boyd (actor - "Lord of the Rings"), Scott Hamilton (Olympic gold medal ice skater), Daniel Stern (actor - "City Slickers"), David Soul (actor - "Starsky and Hutch"), Donald O'Connor (singer/dancer), Charles Boyer (French actor), Leo Tolstoy (author - "War and Peace"), and Elizabeth Ann Seaton (first American Catholic saint).

On this day in 1922 the first radio commerical aired on WEAF in New York City. It was a 10-minute ad for Queensboro Realty Co. who paid $100 for the ad time. In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. And, in 1996 Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana were divorced after 15 years of marriage.

Nothing Much Today

2008-08-27T20:21:00.000-06:00

Today was one of those days where I did things, but didn't really get anything accomplished or do anything special or fun.

Originally, Betty and I hoped that we could take the horses out for a walk to give us and them a little exercise, but Betty's battle with the bacterial infection kept her from doing what she wanted. My number one priority is her so I don't want to do anything with the horses - ride or take a walk - when she's not feeling well.

I did go out and get some groceries and messed with a computer problem, but, other than taking care of the horses that was it.

Today is August 27 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Alexa Vega (actress - big sister in "Spy Kids"), Alex Lifeson (lead guitarist for "Rush"), Paul 'Pee Wee' Herman (not sure what he is), Barbara Bach (actress - married Ringo Starr), Drayl Dragon (Captain in "Captain and Tennille"), Martha Raye (comedian), and Lyndon Johnson (36th US President).

On this day in 1859 Edwin Drake drilled the first successful oil well in Titusville, PA; in 1883 the volcano on the island of Krakatoa erupted, and in 1962 the US launched the Mariner Space Probe that flew past Venus.

Tuesday - Trip to the MVD

2008-08-26T18:54:00.002-06:00

Today was an errand day.

It started off with me going to exercise first thing this morning. Normally, Betty would go too, but she's still working to get rid of this bacterial infection. As soon as it's gone, she'll get back into the exercise habit.

Then I went to the place that I hate almost as going to the dentist - the Motor Vehicles Department. My driver's license expires on September 16 so I figured I better get it done now. New Mexico has gone to a new 'secure' driver's license. It supposedly has a slew of security features. Initially, they give you a temporary license then you receive your permanent license in the mail.

I showed up at the entrance to the MVD about 9:30 AM and it surprised me to see no one at the check in desk. Usually there's a line. I got my number - 59 - and waited first to get my picture made - you know - the one you hate most of all - the one that makes you always look like a dork. Then I took my seat among the masses and waited for my number to be called. They were calling number 40 when I sat down so only 19 people ahead of me.

Fortunately I remembered to bring a book with me and I got several chapters read before I heard them call for number 57. Good, I'm getting close.

I heard them call for number 58 to go to desk number 5. In a few minutes they called my number, 59, to go to desk number 5. Oh, I figured whomever had number 58 either left of went to the bathroom - their bad luck.

As I walked toward desk 5 a little old lady walked in front of me to desk 5 - she was number 58. She had gone to the wrong desk and was confused about where to go. The MVD lady asked me to take a seat and she would get to me next.

The little old lady had a hard time with the instructions she was given - how to use the eye test machine, what forms to fill out, was she taking any diabetes medicine, etc., - so it was taking a little time. Naturally, I heard number 60, 61, 62, and 63 called for other desks as I sat there waiting.

Finally, she got everything finished and I went up to get my license renewal. The young lady who worked there apologized and, you know what, it was OK. It was no big deal.

God has always been working on me to learn how to be content in all circumstances and this was just another object lesson for me to learn, I guess.

Finally, I went to Comcast to turn in some equipment that I no longer needed and that went smoothly. The rest of the day was regular chores around the place. Hopefully, we'll get some rain tonight.

Today is August 26 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Keke Palmer (actress - "Akeelah and the Bee" - great movie by the way), Cassie Ventura (R&B singer), Macauley Caulkin (actor - "Home Alone"), Brandford Marsalis (jazz saxophonist), Geraldine Ferraro (VP candidate), Mother Teresa (Catholic nun), Chris Burke (actor - "Life Goes On"), and Albert Sabin (developer of the polio vaccine).

On this day in 1920 the Constitutional Amendment to allow women to vote went into effect and in 1939 the first Major League baseball game, between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers played at Ebbetts Field, was broadcast by the experimental station W2XBS.

A Friend

2008-08-25T18:45:00.003-06:00

I want to talk briefly today about a friend (and perhaps embarrass him a little) because he is someone who I admire and from whom I learn much about what it means to be a man - especially a man of faith.

His name is Max Wade and he and his lovely wife Michelle run Galloping Grace Youth Ranch.

This is a picture of Max at a horse event held yesterday in Corrales. You can read more about the event and what Max was doing there in Michelle's blog for Sunday, August 24 - "Horsing Around". The two boys are Max and Michelle's sons - Grant (the smaller one with the balloons) and Garrett. They also have two neat daughters, Claire and Brooke.

This is a picture of Max and me at the event yesterday. (Thanks, Michelle, I stole it from your blog.)

Max is first and foremost a man of faith. His relationship with God comes before everything else and motivates everything he does in his life.

Next, he is a good husband and father. After God, it is clear that his family comes first in his life before all else.

He has a great sense of humor and is a lot of fun to be around. The kids who come to the ranch love him and he makes each one feel special. He has the ability to quickly evaluate each kid and match them with the right horse. He's also not afraid to let them stretch themselves a little and discover that they can do things they didn't think would be possible.

He's also a good horseman. When he rides, it looks as if he put super glue on the seat of his pants before planting himself into the saddle. He and the horse are one. It is my dream to be able to ride like that some day.

But, what intrigues me the most about Max is he's the most honest and humble man I know.

When I say humble I don't mean he thinks of himself as weak or he puts himself down. That's not an accurate understanding of humility.

Max is humble because he sees himself as God sees him - no more and no less.

He recognizes his strengths and realizes that he can take credit for them just about as much as he can take credit for the color of his eyes. He knows his strengths are gifts from God to be used in his service. He also recognizes his weaknesses and finds compensating strengths for those weakness from Michelle and his friends - and from his faith in God.

Betty and I are truly blessed to have Max and Michelle in our lives and, hopefully, we have been able to share a little of our lives with them.

Enough embarrassment for Max for one day.

Today is August 25 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Claudia Schiffer (supermodel), Rachael Ray (TV cooking show host), Billy Ray Cyrus (country singer and Dad to Hannah Montana), Tim Burton (slightly twisted director - "Beetlejuice" and "Edward Scissorhands"), Elvis Costello (punk rocker), Gene Simmons (singer - "KISS"), Regis Philbin (TV host - "Live with Regis and... whomever"), Sean Connery (actor - James Bond and Indian Jones father), and Walt Kelly (my favorite cartoonist of all time - "Pogo").

Today in history the National Park Service was established as a part of the Department of Interior in 1916.

Sunday in Corrales

2008-08-24T20:05:00.001-06:00

Corrales is a nice place to live. A lot goes on in the Spring, Summer and Fall. One of the highlights on Sunday mornings is the Corrales Growers Market. It's held every Sunday in the parking lot of the recreation center. The vendors come from all over the area, but the requirement is everything they sell must be grown or made locally - no buying boxes of fruit and produce from a distributor. So, most of the vendors are local people with small truck gardens. It's a popular place to be on Sunday morning.

Enterting the market with shopping bags in hand.

Stylish hats are always in style on a sunny morning (and most are) and there are always plenty of dogs.

More dogs after encountering each other.

The line for the breakfast burritos (with green chile of course) - they're delicious. I like the guy with the long, gray pony tail wearing shorts and knee boots.

Late in the Summer, roasting green chiles bring a special aroma to the air that we all know and love (more on that in a later post).

A nice way to spend a Sunday morning before heading for church.

And, for my friend, Michelle, who asked to see the flowers I bought for Betty, here they are. I buy fresh flowers and Betty enjoys arranging them.

Today is August 24 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Rupert Grint (actor - Ron Weasley in "Harry Potter"), Dave Chappelle (comedian), Marlee Matlin (actress - "Children of a Lesser God"), Craig Kilborn (commentator/actor), Cal Ripken, Jr. (baseball player - most consecutive games played), Steve Guttenberg (actor - "Police Academy"), Yasser Arafat (Palestinian leader - known liar), and Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaiian surfer).

Kids Will Be Kids - Even Birds

2008-08-23T15:00:00.001-06:00

For those of us who have children, we know they can be the greatest of blessings - and the greatest of pains. We have a resident Roadrunner, Simone, who lived in our stable all winter. Then she stopped coming and we speculated whether she had gone off to have a baby Roadrunner.

Normally, Roadrunners are like pigeons - you rarely, if ever, see young Roadrunners.

We were just about to go out to feed the horses their lunch today when we saw an adult Roadrunner (Simone?) with an obvious youngster following her around.

Here are some pictures to show that kids are kids... (double click on any picture to enlarge)

"Hey, Mom, don't you think it's time for lunch? Feed me!"

"Come on, Ma. Don't turn away from me. Feed me!"

"Maybe if I act like a baby horse and nudge underneath your belly, something will happen. Feed me!"

"Ma. Ma. Don't run away! There's no where you can go that I can't follow. Feed me!"

On second thought, it's most likely a teenager.

Today is August 23 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kobe Bryant (NBA superstar and Olympic player), Nicole Bobek (Olympic figure skater), River Pheonix (actor - "Stand By Me"), Shelly Long (actress - "Cheers"), Rick Springfield (singer), Keith Moon (drummer - "The Who"), Barbara Eden (actress - "I Dream of Jeanie"), Vera Miles (actress - "Psycho"), and Edgar Lee Masters (American poet).

Another Day

2008-08-22T18:28:00.001-06:00

All I did today is set up a new cable modem and wireless router for our computers. Oh, I bought some flowers for Betty since she's still a little under the weather.

Today is August 22 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Howie Dorough (singer - "Backstreet Boys"), Tori Amos (singer - "Little Earthquakes"), Cindy Williams (comedian - "The Laverne & Shirley Show"), Valerie Harper (comedian - "Rhoda"), Carl Yastrzemski (first baseman - Boston Red Sox), Ray Bradbury (author - "The Martian Chronicles"), Norman Schwarzkopf (Army General - Desert Storm), John Lee Hooker (jazz quitarist), Deng Xiaoping (Chinese Prime Minister), Dorothy Parker (author), Claude Debussy (French composer - "Claire de Lune"), Honor Blackman (actress - "Goldinger"), and Milan I (King of Serbia).

Bad Days for Birds While We Were Gone

2008-08-21T17:23:00.002-06:00

We are home and Betty is still up and down with this bacterial infection. It definitely was the right decision to cancel the rest of our trip and come home.

While we were gone, our horse sitter said two weird things happened - both in Gletta's stall.

First, she found a dead quail in Gletta's stall and a couple of wall boards broken - obviously by Gletta's kick.

Her best guess was the quail ran/flew into her stall while Gletta was eating. This startled her and she kicked out resulting in one dead quail and two broken boards.

The other weird thing is the Roadrunner (Simone?) had a run in with one of our fly strips.

None of us have any idea how that happened, but we know it did.

Weird.

Today is August 21 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kim Cattrall (actress - "Sex and the City"), Kenny Rogers (singer - "The Gambler"), Wilt Chamberlain (NBA superstar), Jack Weston (stage and screen actor), Chris Schenkel (ABC sportscaster), Count Basie (bandleader), Archie Griffin (Ohio State All-American running back), Princess Margaret (British royalty), and Alfonso VI (King of Portugal).

Driving Home

2008-08-20T17:11:00.002-06:00

This morning, Wednesday, August 20, we'll leave Raton, New Mexico and drive South to home in Corrales, New Mexico.

We're disappointed that we're not making our trip to Montana and Canada to visit with friends, but we know we're making the right decision.

Today is August 20 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Amy Adams (actress - "Enchanted"), Fred Durst (rapper - "Limp Bizkit"), Al Roker (Today Show weatherman), Robert Plant (singer - "Led Zeppelin"), Connie Chung (TV journalist), Isaac Hayes (composer - "Shaft"), Jacqueline Susann (author - "Valley of the Dolls"), Benjamin Harrison (23rd US President), Shirley Booth (actress - "Poseidon Adventure"), and Bernardo Bittoni (composer).

Driving to Raton, New Mexico

2008-08-19T17:00:00.001-06:00

We left Fort Collins this morning and drove South to Raton, New Mexico - the first town in Northern New Mexico - on our way home.

Today is August 19 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Lil' Romeo (rap singer), Matthew Perry (actor - "Friends"), LeAnn Womack (country singer), Adam Arking (actor - son of Alan Arkin), John Deacon (bass player - "Queen"), Tipper Gore (wife of Climate Warming King, Al Gore), Bill Clinton (42 President), Willie Shoemaker (jockey), Gene Roddenberry (creator of "Star Trek"), Malcolm Forbes (publisher), and Orville Wright (inventor of first powered airplane and lost luggage).

Last Day in Fort Collins, Colorado

2008-08-18T17:06:00.004-06:00

It's a beautiful day in Fort Collins, Colorado. We have watched the Olympics until we are suffering from terminal "Michael Phelps disease." We had a nice lunch today with our son, daughter-in-law and precious granddaughter.

We're heading home tomorrow. Due to a relapse of the bacterial infection in Betty, we decided the wisest decision was to cancel our trip to Montana and Canada and return home where she can be close to the doctor. Normally, we drive it all in one day - about 8 1/2 hours, but to keep it from being too tiring for Betty we're going to do it over two days. We'll spend the night in Raton, New Mexico.

So, this last Colorado post will be full of our favorite subject - Juliet.

Juliet with her Daddy, Wade Daniel.

Enjoying a bottle with her Nana.

Playing peek-a-boo with both of her grandmothers - Nana and Grandma.

Just enjoying the world.

Hey, I'm close to crawling so watch out world. Here I come!

Say, what?

Trying to get my Daddy's glasses.

There's nothing better than being with family.

Today is August 18 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Malcolm Jamal-Warner (actor - Theo on "The Cosby Show"), Edward Norton (actor - "The Fight Club"), Christian Slater (actor - "Heathers"), Patrick Swayze (actor - "Ghost"), Martin Mull (comedian), Robert Redford (actor - "Horse Whisperer"), Rosalyn Carter (wife of President Jimmy Carter), and Meriwether Lewis (explorer - Lewis & Clark).

Pooch Plunge

2008-08-17T20:49:00.006-06:00

We're in Fort Collins, Colorado visiting our son, Wade Daniel, daughter-in-law, Marie, and granddaughter, Juliet. The family also has a great dog named Kona - a mixed breed - most likely Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd.

Fort Collins is a very family-oriented city with great activities and great parks. At the end of each summer they hold a "Pooch Plunge" at one of the city pools. It's the last activity before the pool is closed and cleaned for the Winter.

Tickets are sold in advance and lots of people bring their dog to this pool and it's turned over to the dogs. There are hundreds of dogs running around both in the pool and out. It's a ton of fun for the dogs and for the spectators.

Here are some pictures from this afternoon.

Waiting in line for the gates to open at 5:30 PM. We were the second in line.

Kona heading for the pool before it gets crowded.

Wade Daniel throwing a ball for Kona to retrieve while Marie, Betty and Juliet look on.

Kona bringing the ball back in.

Chasing the ball down with another dog in chase.

Kona being very gracious - "Na, na. na, na. I beat you to it."

Beating another dog to the ball by just a hair.

Heading into the water for another retrieval.

Hey, folks, look at me.

Look out. I'm coming out.

Another dog enjoying jumping up into a column of water.

Marie, Juliet and Betty enjoying the shade.

Heading home after a fun, fun afternoon.

Today is August 17 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Jim Courier (top-ranked pro tennis player), Donnie Wahlberg (actor - started with "New Kids on the Block"), Sean Penn (actor and blazing liberal), Maureen O'Hara (actress - "The Quiet Man"), Mae West (actress - "Come Up and See Me Some Time"), and Davy Crockett (frontiersman and US Senator who wore a dead animal on his head).

Back in 1945 On This Day

2008-08-16T16:07:00.001-06:00

On August 16, 1945, the US was digesting the news of the fact that the war in the Pacific was finally coming to an end and would be officially over in early September. At St. Thomas hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, Dorothy Erwin Cooksey gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. She, and her husband, Clyde Daniel Cooksey, decided to name him Junior and Clyde Daniel Cooksey, Jr. came into the world.

I grew up listening to the adults in my life talk about their WWII experiences, playing soldier and Cowboys and Indians.

From 8 years old to 16 years we lived in Birmingham, Alabama when it was still a steel town. I can remember watching the glow when they did a steel pour at night. It was also famous for it's statue of Vulcan, the god of the steelmakers.

When I was 16 we moved back to Nashville where I met my love and future wife, Betty, when we were both Juniors at John Overton High School. We both went to the University of Tennessee and, for you Texas folks, it was the original UT.

After college, I joined the Navy - it was either that or be drafted - and became an Ensign on the USS WILLIAM H. STANDLEY DLG-32. Originally, I was the Gunnery Officer, but I stayed on the STANDLEY and became the Navigator. We did two tours in Vietnam and both of our sons were born while I was in the Navy. I still hold the commission of Lieutenant in the Navy Reserve.

After the Navy I went back to the University of Tennessee to get my MBA and then went to work for Procter & Gamble. I had a 27 year career before retiring in 2000. We moved to New Mexico in 2004.

Sixty three years later, I'm celebrating my Birthday with my wonderful wife, Betty, my older son, Wade Daniel, my very neat daughter-in-law, Marie, and the one and only grand daughter, Juliet, to whom I am Papa.

Today is August 16 and if your Birthday is today then you share your day with: Yours Truly, Steve Carell (actor - "The Office" and "Get Smart"), Timothy Hutton (actor - "Ordinary People"), Madonna (singer - "Material Girl"), James Cameron (director - "Titanic"), Kathie Lee Gifford (TV host), Lesley Ann Warren (actress - "In Plain Sight"), Robert Culp (actor - "I Spy"), and Fess Parker (actor - "Davy Crockett").

Feeding the Wild Baby in Her Natural Habitat

2008-08-15T19:47:00.005-06:00

For those of you who have encountered the baby of our species, you know that feeding time can be an adventure for all concerned. Here is a 'typical' feeding of the granddaughter baby known as Juliet.

First, if you're slow with your feeding, the baby in question will take things into her own hands, or in this case, mouth - and chew the furniture.

Most feeders of this breed of baby will try to keep her occupied with a substitute - such as Cheerios.

Finally, the baby gets the real food that she's looking for.

And, all's right with the world.

Today is August 15 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Joe Jonas (singer - "The Jonas Brothers"), Ben Affleck (actor - "Good Will Hunting" and "Pearl Harbor"), Jimmy Webb (composer - "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park"), Mike Connors (actor - "Mannix"), Rose Marie - (comedian - "The Dick Van Dyke Show"), Huntz Hall (actor - "The Bowry Boys"), Julia Child (chef and OSS spy during WWII), Ehtel Barrymore (actress - sister to John and Lionel Barrymore), and Napolean Bonaparte (French emperor and noted itch scratcher).

Driving to Fort Collins, Colorado

2008-08-14T17:00:00.000-06:00

We're heading North in our Toyota Tundra truck to visit with our son, Wade Daniel, daughter-in-law, Marie, and granddaughter, Juliet, who live in Fort Collins, Colorado. It's a long drive - 8 1/2 hours - but the scenery up through Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado is beautiful. We're taking our truck so we can take our saddles and hopefully use them on the horses we'll ride in Canada.

We love to look at the Pronghorn Antelope that graze in the prairies along I-25.

For the next five days, most of the posts will be just updates on our visit in Fort Collins.

Today is August 14 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Halle Berry (actress - "Catwoman," "Monster's Ball"), Magic Johnson (pro basketball player), Gary Larson (cartoonist - "The Far Side"), Danielle Steel (author - romance novels), Susan Saint James (actress - "MacMillan & Wife"), Steve Martin (comedian/actor - "Roxanne," "Father of the Bride"), Lynne Cheney (wife of VP Dick Cheney), David Crosby (musician - "Crosby, Stills and Nash"), Russell Baker (writer - NY Times), and H. C. Oersted (scientist - discovered magnetic effects from electricity).

Happy Birthday Wade Daniel

2008-08-13T10:15:00.001-06:00

Today, August 13, is our oldest son's Birthday - Wade Daniel Cooksey. His due date was very close to my Birthday, August 16, so when he came early I was still with my ship in Jacksonville, Florida. We had just come back from our first Vietnam deployment and Betty was living in Brentwood, Tennessee with her family. When I got the word that she had gone into labor I got a quick flight to Nashville (it was a lot easier in those days). I missed Wade Daniel being born by an hour, but in those days I couldn't be in the delivery room - just wasn't done.

He's been a joy and blessing to us in many ways - both as a child and now as an adult.

To celebrate his Birthday, here are a few pictures from his life.

Wade Daniel enjoying the sun through the patio door.

The older brother being really nice to his younger brother, Chris.

Enjoying his first real Halloween - this time as a Bunny.

Enjoying his favorite free-time activity - fly fishing - and he's quite good.

Like his brother, Wade Daniel is not a horse person, but he wanted to ride Morgunn while visiting us for the Balloon Fiesta.

Watching a balloon (What Would Jesus Do?) land behind our house during the Fiesta.

Sporting his Blue Man Group t-shirt. During their performance he was one of the lucky few called up onto the stage with them where they created this shirt by spitting paint balls at it while he wore it.

Wade Daniel is now a great father to Juliet as well as a good husband to his wife, Marie. Here he is with Juliet and both are wearing matching "fish" shirts.

A family picture of all of us during a recent visit at their home in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Wade Daniel, you are a good husband, great father and a very good man. Your Mom and I are proud of you and wish you a very happy Birthday!

Today is August 13 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Our oldest son, Wade Daniel Cooksey (an all-around good guy), Dan Fogelberg (singer/songwriter), Don Ho (Hawaiian singer - "Tiny Bubbles"), Pat Harrington, Jr. (comedian - superintendent Dwayne Schneider on "One Day at a Time"), Fidel Castro (Cuban dictator), George Shearing (blind jazz pianist), Alfred Hitchcock (director - "The Birds"), Bert Lahr (actor - Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz"), Annie Oakley (sharpshooter in "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show"), Danny Bonaduce (Danny on "The Partridge Family"), Scott Hamilton (Olympic gold medalist ice skater), Richard Basehart (actor - "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"), and William Caxton (first English printer).

We're Heading Out of Town

2008-08-12T16:43:00.000-06:00

On Thursday morning, we're going to pile into our Toyota Tundra truck and head North.

First stop will be Fort Collins, Colorado for a five-day visit with our son, Wade Daniel, daughter-in-law, Marie, and granddaughter, Juliet. I'll have my laptop with me so I will be able to do posts on what we're doing with them. Part of the fun is celebrating Birthdays. Wade Daniel's birthday is tomorrow, August 13 (see Wednesday's post) and my Birthday is Saturday, August 16.

Next Tuesday, we'll drive North again through Wyoming and into Montana for a couple of days sightseeing as we've never been to Montana. Then we'll drive into Southern Alberta, Canada to join friends from Canada, England and the Netherlands to do some horseback riding. I have scheduled posts for each day as I'll leave my laptop with my son.

So, everyone be good while we're gone and stay out of the cookie jar.

I'll close with this photo from two nights ago when it looked as if our Sandia Mountains had become a volcano (at least to my imagination):

Today is August 12 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Pete Sampras (tennis champion), George Hamilton (supposed actor, ladies man and tanning promoter), William Goldman (screenwriter - "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), John Derek (actor and husband of Bo Derek), Jane Wyatt (actress - Mom on "Father Knows Best" - oh, the good old days), Cantinflas (Latin entertainer), and Cecil B. DeMille (director - "The Ten Commandments").

Saddle Cleaning Time

2008-08-11T18:17:00.001-06:00

Betty and I are headed out of town in a couple of days (more about that in tomorrow's post). We'll do some horseback riding at one of the places and, since we're driving our truck, we're taking our saddles.

But, they needed cleaning so that's what I did most of this morning and early afternoon. Both of our saddles are Steele Endurance saddles - just slightly different styles.

Here's a picture of Betty's saddle in process.

Now here's Betty's saddle all done.

My saddle in process.

My saddle all done.

We even cleaned and conditioned our riding boots.

When we lived just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio we often visited an Amish saddle shop about 30 miles from where we lived. The shop was owned by an old Amish gentleman and his two sons. They made saddles and leather tack and goods for their local Amish community. I asked him once what they used to condition their leather goods and he said they used Bickmore Bick 4 Conditioner. I bought some from him and I have been using it ever since as it works very well.

Saddle cleaning and conditioning is not something I enjoy doing but I'm always happy with the way the saddles look when I'm done.

Today is August 11 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Hulk Hogan (pro wrestler), Steve Wozniak (founder, along with Steve Jobs, of Apple Computer), Rev. Jerry Falwell (Liberty College president and minister), Arlene Dahl (actress), Mike Douglas (daytime TV talk show host), Alex Haley (author - "Roots"), Dik Browne (cartoonist - "Hi and Lois" and "Hagar the Horrible"), and Cato M. Guldberg (Norwegian mathematician).

Our Second Home

2008-08-10T17:34:00.000-06:00

It's Sunday and every Sunday, unless we're out of town or sick, we go to our second home, Destiny Center, our church.

Destiny Center is a non-denominational church in Rio Rancho on Northern Boulevard. When we first started attending over four years ago it was about 125 people meeting in a strip mall. Today, over 1,000 people call Destiny Center their church home. We have three services on Sunday morning and a Sunday evening service. God has been good.

Betty and I serve at Destiny Center as volunteer associate pastors with responsibility for the pastoral care ministries. We have people in our ministry who cover the hospital visits and other hands on ministries so Betty and I can focus on pastoral counseling with individuals and couples. We're not professional counselor, but for almost 25 years we have been helping people see where God is in the midst of their life situations and helping them understand what he might want to say to them through His word.

We want to share Destiny Center with you so here are some more pictures from this morning.

A closer view of the entrance with our pastor Jerome Wade greeting people as they arrive.

The children's playground is on the side of the church and every Sunday School room has a door that opens to the playground.

The patio is in front of the children's playground on the same side of the church and it has a beautiful view of the Sandia Mountains.

The lobby is just inside of the entrance. The children's rooms are straight ahead, the offices are in the glassed area to the right, and the auditorium is down the to the right.

Looking across the lobby through the cafe area toward the offices.

Looking into the auditorium as the worship band begins to lead worship.

Jerome, in the white shirt, greeting people as they leave after the service is over.

If you're in need of a church this is a good one.

Today is August 10 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Nicole Bass (champion female body builder and wrestler), Antonio Banderas (actor - "Zorro"), Rosanna Arquette (actress - "Desperately Seeking Susan"), Ian Anderson (singer/musician - "Jethro Tull"), Rocky Calovito (Cleveland Indians outfielder who hit four home runs in one game), Jimmy Dean (country singer and sausage magnate), Eddie Fisher (singer and rotating husband), Rhonda Fleming (actress - "Spellbound"), and Herbert Hoover (31st US President).

The Saga of Chloe

2008-08-09T19:07:00.004-06:00

Due to an overwhelming demand from our friend Michelle at Galloping Grace Youth Ranch, we're going to share with you the saga of our Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie), Chloe.

We got Chloe from a Sheltie rescue shelter in the summer of 2000. When she was a puppy she was adopted by a family with no children and everything was great. Then they had two babies in fairly short order. Chloe is skittish around little children and the only time she howls is when a baby cries. So, you can imagine how much howling was going on in that house with two small babies.

They decided that either Chloe had to go or the babies had to go. I suspect that wasn't too hard a decision and Chloe wound up in the rescue shelter. When we contacted the rescue shelter they said they had the perfect dog for us. We met Chloe and she went home with us. The only problem was she weighed over 26 lbs. and, for a dog that should weigh about 20 - 21 lbs, she looked like a little barrel on four small legs. Between some exercise and low-calorie dog food we managed to get the extra weight off.

Then we moved to New Mexico and not long after we discovered some lumps on her sides. The vet said they were probably benign, but to be safe they needed to come off. That means that Chloe got both sides shaved and she got to wear one of those very fashionable cones on her head....

One extra outcome from her surgery is they spotted a hypo (low) thyroid condition through her blood tests. Thus, we started a regimen of thyroid pills twice a day for the rest of her life. The vet said that her hair should start growing out in about six months.

Well, after a year and no hair growth we asked the vet, "What's going on?" He said that she might have Cushings disease, but he still thought that her hair might come in.

However, six months later we noticed that not only was her hair not growing in, but more hair was coming out. She continued to lose more and more hair and all the vet can tell us is it's some kind of metabolic problem. Here's a picture taken just this afternoon....

Yes, that's the same dog as the one in the picture at the start of this post. Now, she's our little, neurotic, hairless (almost) Sheltie. We figure that God gave her to us because He knew we wouldn't give up on her.

So, that's the saga of Chloe.

Today is August 9 and if today is your Birthday then you share our day with: Gillian Anderson (actress - Scully in "The X-Files"), Eric Bana (actor - "The Hulk"), Deion Sanders (only athlete to play in both the World Series and the Super Bowl), Whitney Huston (singer), Melanie Griffith (actress - "The Working Girl"), Sam Elliot (actor - "The Shadow Riders"), Robert Shaw (actor - Quint in "Jaws"), Doug Williams (first black NFL quarterback), Rod Laver (Australian - pro tennis player), and Izaak Walton (author - "The Compleat Angler").

Quail Explosion!

2008-08-08T14:19:00.004-06:00

We have had a quail explosion this summer. We suspect it may be due to the fact that we don't have as many coyotes as we did a few years ago even though we see one or two periodically.

We have two species in the area, Scaled Quail and Gambrels Quail. The Scaled Quail is a mostly gray quail with white spots on their breast and wings. I had a few pictures of them in our courtyard awhile back.

The Gambrels Quail has more brown, both dark and golden brown, and they have the distinctive little topknot protruding from the tops of their heads. The picture to the left is a female Gambrels Quail.

We have seen probably up to a dozen family groups with the parents leading as few as one chick and some with up to 12 chicks in tow. It's interesting when they cross the street. One of the adults will stay in the middle of the street until all the chicks are across - kind of like a quail safety guard.

Here are some more pictures of the Gambrels Quail that were in our courtyard this morning.

An adult Gambrels with some of their chicks on the courtyard adobe wall.

The family feeding in the courtyard. We have two sunflower seed feeders for the finches. The quail, along with the doves and pigeons, are ground feeders.

An adult Gambrels searching around some of the rocks. Betty and I think they just want to get away from the kids for a few moments.

A couple of Gambrels adults in front of the rocks.

We also had a hawk around this morning, but he/she didn't stay around long enough for me to get a picture.

Today is August 8 and if your Birthday is today you share your day with: The opening of the Beijing Olympics, Roger Federer (tennis champion), Dave "The Edge" Evans (guitarist/singer - "U2"), Donny Most (comedian - Ralph on "Happy Days"), Keith Carradine (actor - "The Long Riders"), Connie Stevens (actress - "Hawaiian Eye"), Dustin Hoffman (actor - "Hook" and "The Graduate"), Mel Tillis (country singer), Esther Williams (actress/swimmer), Rory Calhoun (actor - "The Texan"), Rudi Gernreich (designer - creator of topless bathing suit), Dino De Laurentis (director - "The Bible"), and Matthew Henson (explorer - first to reach North Pole with Matthew Peary).

Thursday Ran Out of Time

2008-08-07T17:24:00.002-06:00

This was one of those days where I didn't do that terribly much, but the day just got away from me. So, the best I can do today is wish everyone well in the midst of whatever is playing out in your lives. We have learned that there is much in our lives that we can't control. Either we believe in a God who still has our best in mind even though we can't understand it, or we despair. We choose the former.

Today is August 7 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Charlize Theron (actress - "Mighty Joe Young"), David Duchovny (actor - "X-Files"), Garrison Keillor (radio host - "Prairie Home Companion"), Carl Switzer (actor - Alfalfa in "Our Gang"), Stan Freberg (comedian), Louis Leakey (paleontologist), Billy Burke (actress - Glenda the Good Witch of the East in "The Wizard of Oz"), and Mata Hari (WWI spy).

Book Report 4 - Animals in Translation

2008-08-06T15:49:00.005-06:00

Here's another of the books that had an impact on how we think about our animals - especially our horses. It's "Animals in Translation" by Temple Grandin.

She's a professor at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. She's also functionally autistic. The subtitle of the book is "Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior."

Over time she discovered that people with autism can often think the way animals think and see the way animals see.

She has used these learnings in her work with various animal enterprises that 'process' animals so that the work is done in the most humane way possible.

The two key things that I took away from this book that changed my relationship with my horse are: (1) People are verbal and animals are visual. That sounds obvious, but her descriptions and experiences make that statement a profound one in our understanding of animals. (2) People see "the big picture" and animals see details. We tend to take in details and our brain functions correlate them into a generalized view of what we're seeing. In so doing, we often 'miss' details as they are merged together. Animals, on the other hand, see only details and their brain functions cause them to focus on each detail as each detail may be a matter of life or death. A butterfly which to us is a part of a beautiful scenery as we ride is a sudden movement to my horse who may be convinced it is a sudden attack.

The book is an easy read even though she is repetitive in places. It was also a fascinating read with some learnings if you can apply what she says to your experiences.

Today is August 6 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Jon Benet Ramsey (child murdered in Colorado), Geri Estelle Halliwell (Ginger Spice in "The Spice Girls" singing group), M. Night Shyamalan (director - "The Sixth Sense"), David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs center - former Navy academy graduate), Michelle Yeoh (actress - "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), Andy Warhol (pop artist - "15 minutes of fame"), Robert Mitchum (actor - "GI Joe"), Lucille Ball (comedian - "I Love Lucy"), Clara Bow (silent movie actress - "Wings"), Hoot Gibson (cowboy actor), and Alfred Lloyd Tennyson (English poet laureate).

It's a "Fig" Deal

2008-08-05T18:26:00.005-06:00

My wonderful wife comes from a family with deep roots in the South, especially middle Alabama. Her aunt Elise still lives in the farm home that was built by a great - great - etc. - grandfather in Carlowville, Alabama in 1837.

Betty spent a part of each of her growing up summers visiting her aunt and two cousins, Bob and Calhoun, on the farm.

One of her favorite memories is a big fig tree/bush that grew to the side of the farm house. Each summer the figs would ripen while she was there and they would have fresh figs over vanilla ice cream. She also had vanilla ice cream and fresh cantaloupe, but that's another story.

Betty has always wanted her own fig tree/bush and, last Sunday morning at the Corrales Growers Market, we bought a small fig bush from the "Fig Man."

Here's a picture of our new baby in all her glory:

So, in three or four summers you're all invited over for fresh figs and vanilla ice cream. Our treat!

Today is August 5 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kajol (actress from India), Adam Yauch (guitarist - "Beastie Boys"), Patrick Ewing (NY Knicks center), Maureen McCormick (actress - Marcia Brady on "The Brady Bunch"), Loni Anderson (actress - "WKRP in Cincinnati"), Neil Armstrong (astronaut - first man on the moon), John Huston (director - "African Queen"), Selma Diamond (actress - "Night Court"), and Thomas Lynch (signer of the Declaration of Independence).

Mundane Monday

2008-08-04T20:26:00.003-06:00

Absolutely nothing happened today of interest to anyone else. So, go read the Galloping Grace Youth Ranch blog.

Today is August 4 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Jeff Gordon (NASCAR racing champion), Roger Clemens ( great baseball pitcher and frequent subject of congressional hearings), Barack Obama (US Senator and Presidential candidate), Billy Bob Thornton (actor - "Sling Blade"), Louis Armstrong (jazz musician), Elizabeth (Queen Mother), and Percy Shelley (poet).

Sunday Quotables

2008-08-03T16:10:00.003-06:00

It's late Sunday afternoon and it's a time that I can be a little reflective.

I love quotes as well-said phrases can tell us a lot, sometimes make us think, and, in a few cases, maybe make us smile.

Here are a few for your reflection.

Plutarch: "A good man will take care of his horses and dogs, not only when they are young, but also when they are old and past service."

Phil West: "You don't break these animals. You come to an understanding with them."

Robert Smith Surtees: "There is no secret so close as that between a horse and his rider."

Winston Churchill: "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man."

Peter Gray: "We have almost forgotten how strange a thing it is that so huge and powerful and intelligent an animal such as a horse will allow another, and more far more feeble animal such as us, to ride upon his back."

John Adams: "Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."

God's blessings to all who read this on this Lord's day.

Today is August 3 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Betty's older brother, Bill Wade (neat guy), Tom Brady (Superbowl champion NE Patriots quarterback), James Hetfield (lead singer - "Metallica"), Jay North (child actor - "Dennis the Menace"), Martha Stewart (businesswoman and ex-felon), Martin Sheen (actor - "West Wing"), Tony Bennett (singer - "I Left My Heart in San Franscisco"), Ernie Pyle (WW II correspondent - lived in Albuquerque, NM), and John T. Scopes (teacher convicted of teaching evolution in "Scopes Monkey Trial").

Artsy Saturday

2008-08-02T20:06:00.003-06:00

Nothing exciting or that interesting in our lives today. So, I thought I would share a couple of pictures of Gletta taken recently that I kind of like.

Gletta resting in the hot afternoon.

Gletta's three color mane.

Today is August 2 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Hallie Eisenberg (cute Pepsi commercial girl), Edward Furlong (young John Connor in "Terminator 2"), Jeremy Castle (country singer), Victoria Jackson (comedian - "Saturday Night Live"), Peter O'Toole (actor - "Lawrence of Arabia"), Carroll O'Connor (actor - Archie Bunker in "All in the Family"), Myrna Loy (actress - "The Thin Man"), Butch Patrick (actor - Eddie Munster in "The Munsters"), Wes Craven (director - "Nightmare on Elm Street"), and Nanny I. Larsen-Todsen (Swedish opera singer).

Happy Birthday Chris!

2008-08-01T10:31:00.009-06:00

In August of 1971 I was in the Navy. My ship was coming back around the world from our second Vietnam deployment. On August 1, while we were still in the South Atlantic heading for a port call in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, my second son, Christopher Lee, was born in Jacksonville, Florida. I didn't see him until he was over two weeks old when we returned to our home port.

Chris has been a joy and a blessing to Betty and me. To celebrate his birthday today here are a few pictures from his life.

A tired Chris in his Donald Duck hat while we were at Disney World the very first year it opened while we were still in the Navy.

Me and Chris shortly after I got out of the Navy and headed to post-graduate school.

Chris as a young man in our house in Memphis, Tennessee.

Chris (lower) with his older brother Wade at Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio.

Chris playing a game. He and his brother are both big game players, a trait they definitely inherited from their mother and not me.

Neither of our sons are horse people, but Chris did go for a ride with us (that's Betty behind him) while we were in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

His mother made him a surprise gift of a quilt made out of Chris' old t-shirts from when he was a kid and a teen.

Chris, Tracy and their dog, Esme, on the swing of their second house in Martinsburg, Ohio. They call this house Venture House and use it for Christian retreats for churches, youth groups, and church staffs.

This is a picture of the four of us at their house in Mount Vernon, Ohio during a Christmas visit.

Chris is now a great father to his soon-to-be adopted 17 year old son, Javier Benavidez.

Chris, you're a good man, a good husband, and now a good father. Your mother and I are very, very proud of you. You have been and still are a blessing to us as well as many others.

Happy Birthday and much love from your Mom and Dad.

Today is August 1 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Our great son, Chris (husband, father and all-around great guy), Tempest Bledsoe (actress - middle daughter on "The Cosby Show"), Adam Duritz (lead singer for "The Crows"), Jerry Garcia (singer - "The Grateful Dead"), Yves Saint Laurent (designer), Dom DeLuise (comedian), Herman Melville (author - "Moby Dick"), Francis Scott Key (composer - "National Anthem"), and William Clark (explorer - "Lewis and Clark").

A Day at Trails End

2008-07-31T19:07:00.000-06:00

We call our place 'Trails End' because, unless God has other ideas, we expect this to be the place where we will live until we die. Our home has everything we have always wanted and we're very happy here.

Here are a few things that happened around here today.

First, a cricket (I guess it's a cricket - I'm not a bug expert) decided to visit one of our sage plants in our courtyard. This is the first time we have seen one of these.

Morgunn decided to take a nap with the entrance to their stalls as a pillow while Gletta scratches an itch in her neck.

A quail took a quick dash across the paddock while Morgunn was sleeping and Gletta was scratching.

Our 18 year old cat, Sarah, having an afternoon snack on the kitchen table. Given her age, we try to make it easy for her to eat or drink at any time throughout the house.

It appears that her afternoon snack was lip-smacking good.

Another exciting day at Trails End.

Today is July 31 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Dean Cain (actor - "Superman"), J. K. Rowling (author - "Harry Potter"), Wesley Snipes (actor - "Blade"), Bill Berry (drummer - band "R.E.M"), Barry Van Dyke (actor - "Diagnosis Murder" - son of Dick Van Dyke), Geraldine Chaplin (actress - "Dr. Zhivago" - daughter of Charlie Chaplin), Curt Gowdy (sports broadcaster), Milton Friedman (economist), Ted Cassidy (actor - Lurch in "The Adams Family"), and Maximilian II (Emperor of Germany).

Appendectomy Ride

2008-07-30T20:51:00.000-06:00

Betty was told by the doctor that she shouldn't ride for three weeks after her emergency appendectomy while we were in Ohio. That should be tomorrow, Thursday, but we cheated one day and went riding this morning. We did a short ride around our neighborhood and Betty did great, but it did wear her out. She's still regaining her strength after recovering from the surgery.

Here are a couple of pictures from this morning.

Betty getting Gletta ready to go.

Morgunn decked out in his riding fly mask. This is the worse time of the year for flies and these riding masks make their rides a lot more enjoyable.

Hopefully, things will get more back to normal and we can ride two or three times a week.

Today is July 30 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Hillary Swank (actress - "Million Dollar Baby"), Vivica Fox (actress - "Independence Day"), Lisa Kudrow (comedian - Phoebe on "Friends"), Delta Burke (actress - "Designing Women"), Arnold Schwarzenegger (actor/politician - "Terminator" Governor of California), Paul Anka (singer - "Put Your Head On My Shoulder"), Peter Bogdanovich (director - "The Last Picture Show"), Edd "Kookie" Burns (actor - "77 Sunset Strip"), Thomas Sowell (columnist), Casey Stengel (manager New York Yankees and noted speaker), Henry Ford (founder Ford Motor Company), and Emily Bronte (author - "Wuthering Heights").

Hoof of the Horse

2008-07-29T16:21:00.009-06:00

In previous posts we have looked at the eye and ear of the horse to understand what God has done in these beautiful animals. Today, we're going to learn more about the hoof.

Old-time horse folks have a saying, "No hoof, no horse." A horse is only as good as his/her hooves. When an experienced horse person inspects a horse for purchase the first thing he/she will usually look at is the hooves. If they're sound then they'll inspect the rest of the horse. If there are hoof problems, they'll stop right there and move on to another horse.

The anatomy of the hoof is made up of several parts. The key parts are:

Outer Wall - The outer wall is what we usually see and call the hoof (see picture above). This is similar to our finger and toe nails and grows in a similar way. The hoof, just as our nails, should be strong and pliable. In the wild, mustangs keep their hoof walls worn down by traveling miles each day over rough terrain. Domestic horses require regular trimming by a farrier to do the same.

Sole - The sole is all the white area in the picture above. In a healthy horse the sole is hard with a slight concavity. When the horse puts its weight on the hoof this sole area should give and flex.

This flexing of the hoof wall and sole stimulates blood flow throughout the hoof and helps the hoof to stay strong and healthy.

Frog - The frog is the wedge shaped, tough material close to the heel of the hoof. It is similar to our finger tip.

Heel - The heel is the back of the hoof and its relationship to the rest of the hoof is critical to the health of the hoof and ultimately to the health of the horse. In the wild, the mustangs keeps their hoof heels worn down so the relationship to the overall hoof is correct, i.e., the heel is kept 'low' relative to the rest of the hoof. Again, the domestic horse requires regular trimming to do the same.

Here is a picture of the bottom of a healthy hoof with no horse shoe.

The interior of the hoof is also important to the health of the horse.

Coffin Bone - The key structure in the interior of the hoof is the coffin bone (A in the picture above). In a healthy hoof the coffin bone is similar in shape to the overall hoof and sits within the hoof in the same relative position - i.e., the bottom of the coffin bone is parallel to the bottom of the hoof.

When the hoof is not healthy, the coffin bone 'rotates' downward so that the point of the coffin bone touches the bottom of the hoof and, in extreme cases, can actually protrude through the hoof sole. This is painful for the horse and, if not treated quickly and well, can result in the horse being euthanized. The treatment is not easy, nor is it short-term. The horse will require lots of care over a long period of time, but it can be done.

Good food, good exercise and regular, competent trimming by an experienced farrier can help the horse keep his/her hooves healthy and strong.

Barefoot vs. Shoes - There is a lot of good discussion in the horse world over the advantages of a horse being barefoot (i.e., no horseshoes), or wearing horseshoes. In the wild, mustangs have healthy, strong hooves and domestic horses can have the same quality of hooves with proper care, regular trimming by a farrier trained in barefoot care, good diet, and regular exercise.

Our horses, Morgunn and Gletta, are barefoot. We know Morgunn has never had a horseshoe in his 9 years of life. When we bought Gletta she was barefoot and her hooves had obviously not had any shoes on them for a good long time, if ever. Her hooves are exceptionally strong and healthy. Our farrier comments every time about how good her hooves are. Morgunn's are good as well, but her hooves are exceptional.

Even though we obviously buy into the barefoot program, we don't say all horses should be barefoot. Horses are asked to do many different things in many different environments and it's up to each owner to decide what is best for his/her horse.

We don't pretend to know everything about hooves and we're still learning. Feel free to correct or add to any of the above in the comments.

To sum it up, just as the eye and the ear, the hoof is also one of God's amazing creations.

Today is July 29 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Martina McBride (country singer), Peter Jennings (ABC News anchor), Elizabeth Dole (wife of Senator Dole and President of the Red Cross), Clara Bow (silent movie actress - "The It Girl"), Stanley Kunitz (US Poet Laureate), Benito Mussolini (WW II Italian dictator), Daniel Day-Lewis (actor - "Last of the Mohicans"), Jerry Seinfeld (comedian - "Friends"), Zubin Mehta (symphony conductor), and Hirohito (former Emporer of Japan).

Remember When?

2008-07-28T16:22:00.006-06:00

One of the things I love about living in New Mexico is our 'big sky.' I know a lot of other states rightfully crow about their big sky, but I'll put New Mexico's big sky up against any other.

This time of the year is a great time for dramatic and interesting cloud formations. It often reminds me of my days as a kid watching the clouds and seeing different, interesting things in their formation and in my imagination.

So, to reclaim a little of our youth, I'm giving everyone who reads this a chance to remember when you were a kid. Following are six pictures of cloud formations and I invite you to share your imaginative ideas in the comment section about any or all of the clouds.

Cloud formation #1
Cloud formation #2:
Cloud formation #3:
Cloud formation #4:
Cloud formation #5:
Cloud formation #6:

Tell us what you see.

Today is July 28 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Sally Struthers (actress - Gloria on "All in the Family"), Jim Davis (cartoonist - "Garfield"), Rick Wright (musician - Pink Floyd), Bill Bradley (US Senator), Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (wife of President John F. Kennedy), Rudy Vallee (radio singer), Beatrix Potter (author - "Peter Rabbit"), Marilyn Quayle (wife of VP Dan Quayle), and Ludwig A. Feuerbach (German philosopher - "A man is what he eats.").

Book Report 3 - For Love of a Horse

2008-07-27T18:15:00.005-06:00

We have reviewed several books that we have learned from - all the Mark Rashid books and "True Horsemanship Through Feel" by Bill Torrance.

Today we want to share a book that's just a good read. The author is Max Evans. Max is probably in his early 80's by now. He lived in New Mexico all his life, through the depression and World War II. His grandmother was a full-blood Cherokee. He worked as a cowboy on several ranches as he was growing up. He is quoted as saying "life is both ridiculous and fun." One critic said of him, "he's the kind of guy you can take anywhere --- and still be ashamed of him."

He's an accomplished artist as well as author. Probably his most famous book is "Rounders." "For Love of a Horse" is his newest book. It contains new stories about some of his boyhood experiences with horses as well as stories he wrote for publication in the 80's of special horses he knew. Additionally, there are quite a few pictures of Max and his friends on horseback as well as some of Max's artwork.

Each chapter is a complete story so it's a good book to pick up to read for awhile and be able to put it down and be satisfied.

If you're looking for a good, late summer read, we recommend "For Love of a Horse."

Today is July 27 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Alex Rodriguez (shortstop for the New York Yankees), Maureen McGovern (singer - "The Morning After"), Betty Thomas (actress - "Hill Street Blues"), Bobby Gentry (singer - "Ode to Billy Joe"), Jerry Van Dyke (brother of Dick Van Dyke, comedian, "Coach"), Norman Lear (producer - "All in the Family") and Stanislav Binicki (painter).

Watching the Kids Grow Up

2008-07-26T19:52:00.003-06:00

This is a great time of the year around our house. We have a ton of quail and they have been having their babies over the last month. The first batch has gotten large enough that they can join their parents when they fly up to our courtyard wall and then hop down to eat sunflower seeds that fall from our feeder. They are still small enough to be cute.

A family decided to have their breakfast this morning in our courtyard. Here are a couple of pictures.

One of the adults with a couple of the kids walking on the top of the wall.

The other adult with two more of the kids looking for seeds.

Today is July 26 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Sandra Bullock (actress - "Miss Congeniality, " "Speed"), Kevin Spacey (actor - "American Beauty"), Dorothy Hamill (Olympic gold medalist ice skater), Roger Taylor (drummer for "Queen"), Helen Mirren (actress - "The Queen"), Mick Jagger (singer - noted big lips), Stanley Kubrick (director - "2001"), Vivian Vance (comedian - Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy"), Gracie Allen (comedian - "Burns and Allen"), Carl Jung (Swiss psychiatrist), and August Beernaert (Belgian Premier).

The Marvels of Technology

2008-07-25T18:37:00.002-06:00

Later tonight, Friday, at 8:45 PM Mountain time, Betty and I will talk with Betty's sister, Margie, our nephew, Patrick, and his fiancee, Michelle. The three of them are in Singapore where Michelle lives. The beauty of it all is we'll also see them through a live video feed using the Skype network. This is a free network that allows you to do video calls.

This was particularly helpful during Betty's rehabilitation from her accident last fall. We were able to talk with our son and daughter-in-law and see our new granddaughter. We have also talked with a friend in England and another friend in Holland.

I know this is not horse-related in any way, but it's the best I can do since I'm still getting over my back spasm. It's better today, but it still hurts. Hopefully, I'll be closer to normal (as I define it) tomorrow.

Today is July 25 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Louise Brown (first 'test tube baby'), Matt LeBlanc (actor - "Friends"), Walter Payton (Chicago Bears running back), Estelle Getty (actress - "Golden Girls" - recently died), Walter Brennan (actor - "The Real McCoys"), Peggy Fleming (Olympic gold medal ice skater), Woody Strode (actor - "Cotton Club"), Jack Gilford (actor - "Cocoon"), and Alessandro Galilei (Italian architect).

Don't You Hate It When...

2008-07-24T19:04:00.004-06:00

I guess I could list a lot of things that bother me, but I'll focus on today. This morning my lower back went out on me - back spasm. I hate it when it does that. Fortunately, it does not happen very often. For the rest of today I have been sitting in the recliner because every time I have to move it hurts.

So, to keep this from being a wasted post, I'll post a picture we got from a friend in Holland. This is for all of you who love both horses and dogs.

Hi, ho Wiener Dog, away!

Today is July 24 and if your Birthday is today you share your day with: Anna Paquin (actress - "The Piano"), Jennifer Lopez (actress), Barry Bonds (professional baseball player and noted medical authority), Lynda Carter (actress - "Wonder Woman"), Michael Richards (comedian - Kramer on "Seinfeld"), Ruth Buzzi (comedian - "Laugh In"), Zelda Fitzgerald (wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald), Chief Dan George (actor - "Little Big Man"), Amelia Earhart (pilot), Alexandre Dumas (author - "The Three Musketeers), Simon Bolivar (South American General), and Victor Emmanuel I (King of Sardinia.

Mid-West Trip Recap

2008-07-23T17:16:00.007-06:00

Here's the last post about our mid-West trip to visit family. The original schedule was (1) spend time in Cincinnati, Ohio with our friends, Bob & Molly, (2) stay with sister, Jane, and brother-in-law, Hack, in Bowling Green, Kentucky for a family reunion, (3) visit with Betty's stepmother, Nita, and sister, Margie, in Franklin, Tennessee, and (4) spend time with our son, Chris, daughter-in-law, Tracy, and newly adopted grandson, Javier, in Mount Vernon, Ohio. As most of you know, the second segment was canceled due to Betty's emergency appendectomy while in Cincinnati.

So, here are pictures in the order they occurred - sorry, no pictures of Betty in the hospital or pictures of her incisions - per her orders. And, we have more pictures of our time with our new grandson, Javier.

Here's a picture of Jingles - Bob and Molly's laid back beagle.

Believe it or not, these figs were a big deal during our visit in Franklin. Betty's sister brought them from the family farm in Alabama from a fig tree that was around when Betty was a little girl.

Even though we had to cancel our Kentucky visit, we did stop to visit our our nephew's wife, April, and their son, Jory, who also live in Bowling Green.

This is a picture of Chris, Betty and Tracy as we watched Javier at his high school football camp.

Javier waiting for his turn to run some plays.

We went to Cleveland for a Puerto Rican festival which was important to Javier as he's from Cleveland and his birth mother was from Puerto Rico. The young girl is Sam, Javier's girlfriend.

Chris and Javier trying to decide whether to buy a souvenir t-shirt.

The last thing we did was attend a church picnic and this is Javier with his grandma.

So, that's the end of our trip and a new post will come tomorrow - not sure what.

Today is July 23 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Daniel Radcliffe (actor - Harry Potter), Monica Lewinsky (friend of President Bill Clinton), Slash (lead guitarist for band, Guns N' Roses), Woody Harrelson (actor - Woody on "Cheers"), Don Imus (frequently fired radio host), Don Drysdale (great pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers), and Schotzie Schott (former dog mascot of the Cincinnati Reds).

We're Home and Worn Out

2008-07-22T20:47:00.002-06:00

We had a long day yesterday. We got up at 6:00 AM at our son's home which was 4:00 AM here in New Mexico. We drove three hours to Cincinnati, had lunch with some friends, and then flew to Atlanta and then to Albuquerque. We arrived home at 10:00 PM last night. It was especially tiring for Betty who's still getting over her emergency appendectomy.

Hopefully, I'll have a better post tomorrow - but who knows?

Today is July 22 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: David Spade (comedian - "Saturday Night Live"), William Dafoe (actor - villain in "Batman"), Danny Glover (actor - "Lethal Weapon"), Don Henley (singer - founder of "The Eagles"), Bobby Sherman (teen singing idol), Alex Trabek (host of "Jeopardy"), Louise Fletcher (actress - Nurse Ratchett in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"), Bob Dole (war hero, Senator, Presidential candidate), and Rose Kennedy (mother of President John Kennedy).

On Our Way Home

2008-07-21T18:32:00.001-06:00

Today is Monday, July 21 and Delta is winging us home. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a direct flight so we're having to go through Atlanta which is just this side of Hell (just my opinion having flown through there many times).

Hopefully, tomorrow and maybe over the next couple of days, I'll share some pictures and stories from our trip.

See you soon.

Today is July 21 and if today is your Birthday you share your day with: Hatty Jones (child actress - "Madeleine"), Josh Hartnett (actor - "Black Hawk Down" and "Pearl Harbor"), Jon Lovitz (comedian - "Saturday Night Live" and "City Slickers II"), Robin Williams (comedian - "Mork and Mindy" and "Good Will Hunting"), Cat Stevens (singer), Kenneth Starr (lawyer and investigator of President Clinton), Don Knotts (comedian - Barney on "The Andy Griffith Show"), Isaac Stern (classical violinist), and Ernest Hemingway (author - "Old Man and the Sea").

Last Day in Mount Vernon, Ohio

2008-07-20T18:24:00.001-06:00

Today is the last day of our trip and our visit with our son, Chris, daughter-in-law, Tracy, and our new grandson, Javier.

Chris and Tracy always knew they wanted to adopt a teenager rather than having their own children. They both have extensive experience working with teenagers over their 15 year marriage.

Over the past year and a half, God has led them through the maze of working with state agencies and, in May, Javier finally came to live with them. It takes six months for the adoption to be legal, but to them he's already their son and to us he's our grandson.

As you can see from the picture, he's a big kid and he hopes to play football next year for the high school in Mount Vernon. We're very, very proud of all of them.

Today is July 20 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Carlos Santana (guitarist - "Black Magic Woman"), Kim Carnes (country/pop singer), Diana Rigg (actress - Emma Peel on the TV show "The Avengers"), Natalie Woods (actress - "West Side Story"), and Sir Edmund Hillary (New Zealander who was the first to climb Mount Everest).

Still in Mount Vernon, Ohio

2008-07-19T18:18:00.000-06:00

We're still with our son, Chris, and daughter-in-law, Tracy who live in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Actually, their 'main' home is in Mount Vernon, but they own a second home (shown to the left) in Utica, Ohio.

They have always wanted to own and run a retreat center and, when this house and 11 acres became available, they bought it. It has been beautifully rehabbed and is a great place for a church leadership group or youth group to come for retreats.

In the picture to the left, Tracy is holding Esme, their Chihuahua who thinks she's the queen of the house.

Today is Saturday, July 19 and if today is your Birthday you share your day with: Anthony Edwards (actor - "ER" and Goose in "Top Gun"), Brian May (lead guitarist for "Queen"), Vicki Carr (singer), George McGovern ( Senator from South Dakota), Lizzie Borden (gave her mother 4o whacks with an axe), and Edgar Degas (French impressionist artist).

We're in Mount Vernon, Ohio

2008-07-18T18:09:00.000-06:00

Today is Friday, July 18 and we're in Mount Vernon, Ohio with our son, Chris, our daughter-in-law, Tracy, and our new grandson, Javier.

Chris and Tracy met when Chris was going to Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. Tracy had done there as well. Two years later they were married.

Originally Chris was working on a PhD in Physics Education at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. However, as in their words, "they were tired of being poor," so Chris took a job with NationWide Insurance and he's been with them ever since.

Tracy does consulting work with churches and takes care of their Chihuahua, Esme.

They are great kids and we're very proud of them both. In a later post I'll share about their newest adventure, their son Javier.

Today is July 18 and if today is your Birthday you share your day with: Vin Diesel (actor - "Fast and the Furious"), Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Records and Virgin Airlines), Martha Reeves (singer with "The Vandellas"), Joe Torre (baseball manager - Yankees and now with Dodgers), Dick Button (champion ice skater and commentator), John Glenn (astronaut and Ohio Senator), Nelson Mandela (president of South Africa), Harriet Nelson (wife of Ozzie Nelson), Red Skelton (comedian), Hume Cronyn (actor), and George "Machine Gun" Kelly (prohibition era gangster).

On Our Way to Mount Vernon, Ohio

2008-07-17T17:49:00.000-06:00

Today is Thursday, July 17 and we're making the longest drive - from Franklin, Tennessee to Mount Vernon, Ohio - a drive of about 9 hours. We're on our way to visit with our son, Chris, his wife, Tracy, and our new grandson, Javier.

Today is July 17 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: David Hasselhoff (actor - "Bay Watch"), Camilla Parker Bowles (the other woman for Prince Charles), Diahann Carroll (singer), Donald Sutherland (actor - Hawkeye on M.A.S.H. and father of Keifer Sutherland), Phyliss Diller (comedian and frequent plastic surgery patient), Art Linkletter (host of TV show "House Party"), James Cagney (actor - "Yankee Doodle Dandy"), and Erle Stanley Gardner (author - "Perry Mason").

Last Day in Franklin, Tennessee

2008-07-16T17:44:00.001-06:00

Today is Wednesday, July 16 and it's our last day in Franklin, Tennessee with Betty's stepmother, Nita, and her sister, Margie.

Good people and a great time.

Update: Betty had her best day today. No nausea and only minor pain. Things are looking up.

Today is July 16 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Corey Feldman (actor - "Goonies"), Barry Sanders (running back for the Detroit Lions), Will Ferrell (comedian - "Saturday Night Live," "Elf," "Talledega Nights"), Michael Flatley (Irish dancer - "The Lord of the Dance"), Ginger Rogers (dancer with Fred Astair), Barbara Stanwyck (actress - "The Big Valley" TV show), and Roald Edmundsen (Norwegian explorer - first to reach the South Pole).

Still in Franklin, Tennessee

2008-07-15T17:39:00.000-06:00

We're still in Franklin, Tennessee. Besides Betty's stepmother, Nita, we're also visiting with Betty's sister, Margie Wade who lives about 5 minutes from Nita.

Margie is a neat lady. She has her PhD and was an educational administrator her whole career, working at several colleges.

She and Betty and really close and share great times together.

Today is July 15 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Emily Roeske (7 years old national Karate champ), Forest Whitaker (actor - "The Last King of Scotland"), Jesse Ventura (professional wrestler who surprisingly became Governor of Minnesota), Linda Rondstadt (singer), Alex Karras (professional football player/actor - Mongo in "Blazing Saddles"), and Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch artist).

We're in Franklin, Tennessee

2008-07-14T17:31:00.000-06:00

It's Monday, July 14 and we're in Franklin, Tennessee with Betty's stepmother, Nita Wade. Betty's birth mother died from cancer when Betty was 20. Two years later, just after Betty and I married, Betty's father married Nita. She's a wonderful woman and grandmother to our two sons.

She has a great laugh and a tremendous sense of humor. She was born in Franklin, Tennessee 82 years ago when it was just a small farming community. Today it has grown enormously and is the home of several country stars. Alan Jackson's home is only a couple of miles from where Nita lives.

Today is July 14 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Tommy Mottola (Sony CEO and husband of Mariah Carey), Roosevelt Grier (football player and strong Christian man), Polly Bergen (actress), John Chancellor (NBC news host), Dale Robertson (actor - "Wells Fargo"), Ingmar Bergman (Swedish film maker), Gerald R. Ford (38th US President), Woody Guthrie (folksinger - composed "This Land is Your Land"), and William Hanna (cartoonist - created "The Jetsons" and Yogi Bear").

On Our Way to Franklin, Tennessee

2008-07-13T17:27:00.001-06:00

Update: As I write this update on Sunday morning, Betty's feeling a little better and we're hopeful we can make the drive to Franklin, Tennessee this afternoon. It will be six hour drive from Cincinnati instead of just an hour from Bowling Green as originally planned. We'll take it easy so she can rest as much as possible. If everything goes well today this will be the last update as the rest of the posts will be as planned. If anything changes I'll let you know. Thanks again to everyone for your posts and your prayers. Dan

We're driving from Bowling Green, Kentucky, through Nashville, Tennessee (where I was born) to Franklin, Tennessee to spend time with Betty's stepmother, Nita Wade, and her sister, Margie Wade.

Today is July 13 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Cheech Marin (comedian - "Cheech and Chong"), Erno Rubik (inventor of "The Rubik's Cube"), Harrison Ford (actor - "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars"), Patrick Stewart (actor - Captain Picard in "Star Trek - The Next Generation"), Jack Kemp (former NY congressman), Bob Crane (actor - "Hogan's Heroes"), and Nathan Bedford Forrest (Confederate general and founder of the KKK).

Family Reunion Today

2008-07-12T17:20:00.001-06:00

Today is Saturday, July 12 and we're still in Bowling Green, Kentucky with my sister, Jane, and her husband, Hack. The picture today is the two of them with Betty on a Riverboat when they visited us in Ohio to go to Tall Stacks, a riverboat celebration in Cincinnati.

The plan for today is for all of us to drive down to my cousin's house in Tennessee for a family reunion on my side of the family. We get together every year on the first Saturday after the 4th of July. It's always a lot of fun and good food.

Update: Today, Saturday, has been a not so good day for Betty. She had a high temperature last night, but, thank God, that's passed. Her temperature is normal. However, she's battling nausea (sp?) today. She's also sleeping a lot which is not unexpected given that she's missed a lot of sleep and rest the past three days. We're taking it one day at a time which is all we can do.

Many thanks to everyone who reads this blog and especially those of you who have let an encouraging comment. It reminds me how important friends our the body of Christ is at a time like this.

Today is July 12 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kristi Yamaguchi (Gold medalist Olympic ice skater), Cheryl Ladd (actress - "Charlie's Angels"), Richard Simmons (fitness guru), Bill Cosby (comedian - "The Bill Cosby Show"), Van Cliburn (classical pianist), Andrew Wyeth (artist), Milton Berle (comedian - "Uncle Miltie"), R. Buckminster Fuller (architect - inventor of the geodesic dome), George Washington Carver (scientist - found 100 uses for peanuts), and Henry David Thoreau (author - "Walden").

We're In Bowling Green, Kentucky

2008-07-11T17:13:00.002-06:00

It's Friday, July 11 and we're in Bowling Green, Kentucky with my sister, Jane, and her husband, Hack. Jane is a homemaker and Hack is a salesman for Hilti Systems. They make construction grade power tools. He's planning to retire in August.

The family has been big in river adventures. Hack and their two sons, Kelly and Gary, plus Kelly's wife April, are big into canoing, kayaking and rafting. They are qualified to be rafting guides and river rescuers.

The picture is the two of them when they came to visit us for the Balloon Fiesta. The plaque is down at the Old Town Plaza.

Update on Betty: We came home from the hospital this afternoon. Betty's in some pain, but it's normal for this kind of surgery. She had some problem with bleeding from one of the incisions last night so neither of us got much sleep and she didn't sleep much the night before when this first became a problem. So, she'll be catching up on a lot of missed sleep over the next day. We're still at our friends, Bob and Molly, in Cincinnati. We hope to be able to go to Tennessee on Sunday to see Betty's stepmother and sister, but we'll take it one day at a time.

Today is July 11 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Mark Lester (child actor - Oliver in "Oliver Twist"), Leon Spinks (heavyweight professional boxer), Giorio Armani (Italian designer), Tab Hunter (actor - "Damn Yankees"), Yul Brynner (actor - "The King and I," and "The Magnificent Seven"), E. B. White (author - "Charlotte's Web"), and John Quincy Adams (6th US President).

On Our Way to Bowling Green, Kentucky

2008-07-10T17:08:00.001-06:00

The post below and the next several are now kind of defunct. We took Betty to the ER this morning, Thursday, because of stomach cramps and vomiting. Just after noon today they did an emergency appendectomy for a burst appendix. She'll be in the hospital overnight and then we'll spend a couple of extra days with our friends, Bob and Molly. It's a God thing as Bob works as a lab tech at a hospital that's only 2 minutes from their house. So, being that close and having everyone know Bob we think Betty got some extra care which may have made a real difference. She's sleeping now as I write this. The surgeon says we should be able to pick up on our travel plans on Sunday or Monday at the latest depending on how she's feeling.

If you believe in God and prayer and can say a quick one for her uneventful recovery we'll appreciate it. Warmest regards to all. Dan

It's Thursday, July 10 and we're driving South from Batavia, Ohio, through Louisville, Kentucky to Bowling Green, Kentucky. Bowling Green is where my sister, Jane, and her husband, Hack, live.

Today is July 10 and if your Birthday is July 10 you share your day with: Jessica Simpson (blonde singer who gives truth to blonde jokes), Arlo Guthrie (folksinger, son of Woody Guthrie), Arthur Ashe (professional tennis player), Fred Gwynne (actor - Herman Munster), Jake LaMotta (professional boxer - "The Raging Bull"), and David Brinkley (newsman - NBC News).

Still in Ohio

2008-07-09T17:04:00.000-06:00

Today is Wednesday, July 9 and this is the last day with our friends, Bob and Molly Dutina.

The picture at left was taken during our visit to Mesa Verde.

Today is July 9 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Fred Savage (actor - "Wonder Years"), Courtney Love (singer?), Kelly McGinnis (actress - "Top Gun"), Tom Hanks (actor - "Saving Private Ryan," "Cast Away"), Jimmy Smits (actor - "LA Law"), and OJ Simpson (football player and permanent golfer).

Still in Ohio

2008-07-08T16:58:00.000-06:00

We're still with our friends, Bob and Molly Dutina.

The picture at the left was taken when we visited with them to Mesa Verde.

Today is July 8 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Toby Keith (country singer), Kevin Bacon (actor who's six degrees from everyone else), Angelica Huston (actress), Steve Lawrence (singer with wife Edie Gorme), Marty Feldman (actor/comedian - Igor in "Young Frankenstein"), Roone Arledge (TV executive who invented "Wide World of Sports"), and John D. Rockefeller (billionaire).

We're in Ohio

2008-07-07T16:50:00.000-06:00

Today is Monday, July 7 and we're visiting with our good friends, Molly and Bob Dutina who live in Batavia, Ohio (which is East of Cincinnati). When we lived in Ohio, they were our best friends and they still hold a special place in our lives.

Bob is a lab technician at a local hospital and Molly is a nanny. They love the outdoors and enjoy walking and hiking, especially in the Smoky Mountains.

The picture at left was taken when the four of us made a visit to Reelfoot Lake which is in the Northwest part of Tennessee. We went in the winter to go see Bald Eagles that come down from Canada to winter there. We had a grand time.

Tomorrow will be just a Birthday post so if your Birthday falls tomorrow you can see who you share your day with. Our next 'real' post will be Thursday as we go to the next place.

Today is July 7 and if your Birthday is today you share your day with: Michelle Kwan (Gold medalist Olympic ice skater), Shelly Duvall (actress -Olive Oyl in "Popeye"), Ringo Starr (drummer for The Beatles), Doc Severinsen (bandleader for Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show"), Pierre Cardin (fashion designer), and Robert Heinlein (science fiction author - "Stranger in a Strange Land").

Winging Our Way to Cincinnati

2008-07-06T16:37:00.001-06:00

As you read this post, Betty and I are winging our way to Cincinnati, Ohio on a big Delta jet. We'll grab our bags, get our rental car and go to our friends, Bob & Molly Dutina, who live in Batavia, Ohio.

As we're far away from home, church and friends, we offer this prayer:

Lord, there is no place we can go
Where your love can't find us.
We also know that your love covers
Our home, our church and our friends.
We put all we hold dear into
Your hands and heart,
Trusting them to you,
Your protection and your grace.

Amen

Today is July 6 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: George W. Bush (President of the US), Geoffrey Rush (actor - Pirate in "Pirates of the Carribean"), Sylvester Stallone (Shakesperean actor - "Rocky"), Burt Ward (actor - Robin in TV show "Batman"), Dalai Lama (Tibetan spiritual leader), Della Reese (actress/singer - "Touched by an Angel"), Janet Leigh (actress - "Psycho"), Bill Hailey (singer - "Rock Around the Clock"), Nancy Reagan (actress/wife of President Reagan), and John Paul Johns (Revolutionary war hero).

Eastward Ho!

2008-07-05T15:46:00.004-06:00

Betty and I are heading East tomorrow morning. We're flying to Cincinnati, Ohio where we'll spend several days with our good friends, Bob & Molly Dutina. Then we'll drive to Bowling Green, Kentucky to spend several days with my sister and brother-in-law, Jane & Hack McCauley. While there we'll go to a family reunion on my side of the family. Then we'll drive to Franklin, Tennessee, South of Nashville, to visit with Betty's stepmother, Nita Wade, and her sister, Margie Wade. Finally, we'll drive back up to Mount Vernon, Ohio, Northeast of Columbus, Ohio, to visit with our son, Chris, daughter-in-law, Tracy, and new grandson, Javier.

I scheduled some posts each day if you're interested in where we are and to keep the Birthday sharing going if you have a Birthday while we're gone.

Be good while we're gone.

Today is July 5 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Huey Lewis (singer - "Huey Lewis and the News"), Warren Oates (actor - "The Wild Bunch"), Georges Pompidou (former President of France), P. T. Barnum (circus showman), Bill Watterson (cartoonist - "Calvin & Hobbs"), Julie Nixon Eisenhower (daughter of President Richard Nixon), Milburn Stone (actor - Doc on "Gunsmoke"), and Sylvester Graham (inventor of the Graham Cracker).

Small Town 4th of July

2008-07-04T13:18:00.015-06:00

Our little village, Corrales, New Mexico, still puts on a great, old-fashioned 4th of July parade. Here are some pictures from today's parade.

First, of course is the presentation of the colors.

There were lots of people just having fun.

Of course, the Boy Scouts were there.

No parade is complete without dogs.

And some more folks just having fun.

Lots and lots of kids, including a little girl sitting next to us who held her ears when the fire truck sirens went off.

No parade is complete without clowns.

There were a ton of antique cars.

There were fire trucks and bicyclists, including this woman who towed a small trailer with a cage holding two of her chickens.

There were llamas.

No agricultural community parade would be complete without tractors.

Most important for us were the horses of Corrales.

Finally, no parade that has horses can do without these incredible volunteers.

Betty and I had a ball. We're glad there are small towns and villages that still find it important to celebrate our country and the freedoms we have. We hope you all have a great Independence Day!

Today is July 4th and if your Birthday is today you share your day with: George Steinbrenner (New York Yankees owner), Gina Lollobridgida (Italian actress), Neil Simon (playwright - "The Odd Couple"), Ann Landers (advice columnist), Mitch Miller (bandleader), and Calvin Coolidge (30th US President).

Cowboy Dreams

2008-07-03T12:23:00.005-06:00

Awhile back I wrote about giving up on my dream to become a cowboy and replacing it with the more realistic dream of becoming a better horseman (see "Changing Dreams").

However, the dream sometimes returns in the most unlikely places... such as this cartoon I ran across:

Don't you think that's me? The dream never really dies. Max, I'm ready the next time you need a header or heeler at the ranch.

Today is July 3 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Tom Cruise (actor - "Mission Impossible" - and Oprah couch jumper), Montel Williams (TV talk show host and MS crusader), Tom Stoppard (playwright - "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" - I actually saw this in Boston in 1969), George M. Cohan (stage performer - "Yankee Doodle Dandy"), Jean Claude Duvalier (Haitian dictator), Jan Smithers (actress - Bailey on "WKRP in Cincinnati"), and Achilles Alferaki (composer).

Simone is Back!

2008-07-02T17:42:00.000-06:00

Simone, our resident Roadrunner is back. She's not coming back to sleep in the stable like she did all last winter, but she's coming back on a regular basis to get drinks of water from Morgunn and Gletta's water tank.

After drinking, she hops up to the top fence rail and let's the world know she's there.

Simone is one of the many reasons we love to live in New Mexico.

Today is July 2 and if today is your Birthday you share your day with: Lindsay Lohan (actress and troubled young woman), Jose Canseco (baseball player and steroid user), Vincente Fox (President of Mexico), Richard Petty (NASCAR champion driver - "The King"), Dan Rowan (comedian - co-host of "Laugh In"), Thurgood Marshall (first black Supreme Court justice), Jerry Hall (Mrs. Mick Jagger), Dave Thomas (founder of Wendys restaurants), Walter Brennan (actor - Grandpa on "The Real McCoys"), and Valentinian III (Emperor of Rome, 425 AD).

It Happened in 1967

2008-07-01T15:44:00.004-06:00

1967 was an interesting year. The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl I against the Kansas City Chiefs, 35 - 10. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. The number 1 song for the year was "Kind of a Drag" by The Buckinghams (no, I don't remember it either). The number one movie was "The Dirty Dozen." The Academy Award for Best Picture was for "In the Heat of the Night." The most popular TV show for the year was "The Andy Griffith Show" followed closely by "The Lucy Show." Congress created the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

More seriously, Israel won the Six-Day War and China exploded its first hydrogen bomb. Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first black Supreme Court justice and astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee were killed in a fire during a test in their capsule. Dr. Christian Barnard conducted the first heart transplant, but the patient died 18 days later.

The price of a first-class stamp was 5 cents and gas was about 35 cents a gallon.

More specifically, on July 1, 1967, The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" went to number one on the charts. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) conducted its first color broadcast and "Funny Girl" closed on Broadway.

Perhaps most importantly, at least for Betty and me, is we were married on July 1, 1967 at St. Bartholomews Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee. We had a simple, but beautiful wedding followed by a reception in the church fellowship hall with a wedding cake, mints, peanuts, and punch. Afterwards we drove to Jekyll Island, Georgia for a week's honeymoon.

We celebrated our 41st anniversary today by going to see "WALL E' which was great and going to The Golden Corral (world's greatest pig-out place) for lunch.

Betty and I went together for six years before we were married. We met in High School when we were both sixteen (Awwwwwww). So, we've been sweethearts for 47 years.

It's been a great 41 years (plus 6)!

Today is July 1 and if today is your Birthday you share your day with: Us and our 41st anniversary, Liv Tyler (actress - "Lord of the Rings"), Pamela Anderson (actress? - "Baywatch"), Princess Diana (one-time future Queen of England), Dan Akroyd (comedian - "Saturday Night Live," "The Blues Brothers"), Jamie Farr (Klinger on M.A.S.H.), Olivia DeHavilland (actress - Melanie in "Gone With The Wind"), Charles Laughton (actor - "Hunchback of Notre Dame," and "Mutiny on tne Bounty"), and Gittfried Leibnez (German composer).

Rainbow Days

2008-06-30T12:45:00.004-06:00

We finally had some rain late yesterday afternoon. One of the things we love about where we live is we often get great rainbows. When we have these afternoon rain storms the sun sets to the West behind our house and we face East toward the Sandia Mountains. The rain often goes up the valley between us and the mountains and, when it does, we get great rainbows.

This one was a full rainbow where we could see it all from end to end. Like this one, they often are double rainbows. I wish I had a wide-angle lens for my camera so I could catch the whole rainbow, but I don't and probably never will.

Rainbows always lift our spirits as they're a reminder of God's promises, especially the promise He made that He would no longer judge the world through floods like the one Noah and family sailed through on the ark.

In closing, let me give you an old Irish blessing:

May God give you...

For every storm a rainbow,
For every tear a smile,
For every care a promise,
And a blessing in every trial.

For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh a sweet song,
And an answer for every prayer.

Today is June 30 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Michael Phelps (Gold medal Olympic swimmer), Fantasia Barrino (2004 American Idol winner), Mike Tyson (professional boxer and famous ear biter), Harry Blackstone, Jr. (magician), Susan Hayward (actress - "Demetrius and the Gladiators"), Lena Horne (singer - "Stormy Weather"), Robert Ballard (explorer - discovered the Titanic), Dorothy Malone (actress - "Peyton Place"), and Adolf Furtwangler (German archaeologist).

When We Are Old

2008-06-29T14:51:00.004-06:00

I modified the following poem, "When I Am Old," by an unknown author to be inclusive of both Betty and me.

"When We Are Old"

When we are old
We shall wear diamonds and wide brimmed straw hats
With silver and leather on it,
And we shall spend our Social Security
On white wine and carrots,
And sit in the alley of our stable
And listen to Gletta and Morgunn breathe.

We will sneak out
In the middle of a summer's night
And ride our Icelandic Horses
Across the moonstruck meadow
If our old bones will allow.

When people come to call we will smile and nod
As we walk them past the courtyard gardens to the stable
And show, instead, the beauty growing there
In stalls fresh with grain and hay.
We will shovel and sweat and
Wear hay in our hair as if it were a jewel.

And we will be an embarrassment to all
Who look down on us.
They've not yet found the peace in being free
To love a horse as a friend,
A friend who waits at midnight hour
With nuzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For the kind of old man and woman
We will be when we are old.

Today is June 29 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Fred Gandy (actor - Gopher on "The Love Boat"), Richard Lewis (comedian), Gary Busey (actor - "The Buddy Holly Story"), Slim Pickens (actor - "Dr. Strangelove"), Little Eva (singer - "Locomotion"), and Ray Harryhausen (stop motion artist - "Clash of Titans").

Happy Birthday Morgunn!

2008-06-28T11:56:00.009-06:00

On June 28, 1999, an Icelandic colt was born in Corrales, New Mexico and he was given the name "Morgunn" which is Icelandic for "Morning." His owner was a woman named Mary Ross.

This is a picture of the brand new Morgunn shortly after he was born. The person in the picture is our good friend Eleanor Bravo who rode with us in the Bosque yesterday.

In 1999, Betty and I were still living in Loveland, Ohio and I was still working for Procter & Gamble. We were just beginning to think about retiring in a year or so. Little did we know that an event across the nation in New Mexico was happening that would eventually have such an impact on my life.

When we moved to New Mexico in 2004, we were serious about getting our own horses, but we decided to wait a year to be sure we knew what we were getting into. Through a trainer friend, we actually met Morgunn and rode him a couple of times, but he wasn't for sale.

On June 30, 2005, our trainer friend called and said he had just talked to Morgunn's owner, Mary, and she tearfully said that she needed to thin her herd down from 4 horses to 2. She didn't have the time to give them the work and attention they all needed. So, she wanted to sell Morgunn and his younger brother, Digger. Morgunn had just turned six years old.

We called Mary and immediately went over to see her. The next day, July 1, 2005 (which was our 38th wedding anniversary) Morgunn joined our family and my life has never been the same. Here's a picture of Morgunn on the day we bought him.

So, Morgunn, on your 9th birthday here are some of my favorite pictures among many that we have taken over the last 3 years.

Morgunn's personality is very, very friendly and he loves to check out whatever is going on.

Morgunn's favorite past time is eating and he's always in his stall waiting impatiently.

He often tells Betty, "What took you so long to bring my food?"

As we've shared before, he loves to supervise whenever we're clipping Gletta - "I think you missed a spot. Yep, I'm pretty sure you did. Hey, are you listening to me?"

I'm glad we don't get much snow, but I think Morgunn would love more. I guess it's his Icelandic genes.

Other than eating, he loves to be out riding with his best friend, Gletta.

So, Morgunn, on your 9th birthday we all wish you a Happy Birthday! Maybe I'll peel a carrot as a special treat for you today.

Today is June 28 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Morgunn (wonder horse and all around great companion), John Cusack (actor), John Elway (Denver Broncos Super Bowl Champion quarterback), Gilda Radner (comedian - "Saturday Night Live"), Pat Morita (actor - "Karate Kid"), Mel Brooks (comedian/director - "Blazing Saddles," "Space Balls," "Young Frankenstein"), Richard Rodgers (composer), and John Wesley (English clergyman and founder of Methodism).

Bosque Ride

2008-06-27T13:38:00.002-06:00

Today was another first for us since Betty's accident almost 7 months ago. We trailered Morgunn and Gletta down to our good friend Eleanor's house where we joined her and her Icelandic Horse. We rode down into the Bosque, the woods along the Rio Grande River. The morning was cooler than it has been so it was a delightful ride. We even tolted several times through the woods which was great fun.

Here are a few pictures from our ride this morning.

The view of the trail ahead through Morgunn's alert ears.

A quick picture back behind me at Betty and Eleanor.

A very nicely posed picture of Betty and me by Eleanor who is an excellent photographer.

It was a great ride and another good confidence booster for Betty on Gletta. She's doing great and is really focusing on becoming a much better rider than she's ever been.

On the ride home as we turned onto our street we saw a Quail mother or father with some of her or his newly hatched chicks. There were more than these two, but they had already run into the sage...

One, two three... "Awwwwwwwwwww, how cute!"

Today is June 27 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Tobey Maguire (actor - "Spiderman"), H. Ross Perot (millionaire with big ears who ran for President), Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangroo and Clarabelle the Clown on "The Howdy Doody Show"), Helen Keller (deaf and blind - became influential person - protrayed in the movie "The Miracle Worker"), Trisha Yearwood (country singer), and Charles IX and Louis XII (both Kings of France).

Gone With the Wind

2008-06-26T14:47:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, we were sitting in our living room reading and watching TV (and I can do both at the same time). Suddenly, Betty said, "Oh my goodness, look at that!"

I looked out the front windows and just down the way from us was a large dust devil. We see a lot of dust devils where we live, but what made this one different is it must have hit a place where a bunch of tumbleweeds had collected. Tumbleweeds were flying everywhere and way up into the air. Many of them hung in the air for several minutes.

By the time I grabbed my camera it had died down a little, but was still worthy of a picture.

It even caught Morgunn and Gletta's attention.

Today is June 26 and if today is your Birthday you share your day with: Derek Jeter (New York Yankees shortstop), Shannon Sharpe (professional football player), Greg LeMond (first American bicyclist to win the Tour de France), Peter Lorre (actor - "Casablanca"), Jay Silverheels (actor - Tonto on "The Lone Ranger"), Colonel Tom Parker (Elvis Presley's manager), Pearl S. Buck (author - "The Good Earth"), and Abner Doubleday (inventor of baseball).

Good Ride

2008-06-25T12:44:00.003-06:00

We had a good ride this morning. We trailered Morgunn and Gletta down to the public arena in Corrales with the objective that we were going to do some work with the horses before taking a trail ride along one of the irrigation ditches.

This was another milestone for Betty as all of our riding to date has been walking. Today she wanted to tolt again with Gletta. For those who may not know, a tolt is the Icelandic Horse's special gait - a fast walk. The arena was a good place to work on moving the horses up to a faster gait.

We all were rusty as it has been 7 months since we have ridden Morgunn and Gletta this way. Betty and Gletta got into riding form quicker than I did with Morgunn. There were some other horses around and Morgunn was full of himself. I had to do some groundwork with him to get him to settle down. Once he did, he was fine.

We rode in the arena for about 20 minutes and then we went on to the irrigation ditch trail that runs right behind the arena. We walked about a mile down the trail and back.

Betty had an interesting experience on the ride and handled it very well. While walking, Gletta stumbled and almost went down on her front knees. Betty did a super job of keeping her balance and didn't let the experience get her rattled. As a result Gletta just regained her balance and didn't spook at all.

Betty really is a good horse person and takes her learning and growth very seriously. Her hard work and determination to continually improve sets a great example for me and challenges me to do my best.

A good day. I'm sorry I forgot to take our camera.

Today is June 25 and if today is your Birthday you share your day with: Marie Cooksey (our wonderful daughter-in-law, wife to our son Wade Daniel, and mother to our beautiful granddaughter Juliet), George Michael (pop singer), Jimmy Walker (comedian - "Dy-no-mite!"), Phyliss George (Miss America 1971), Carly Simon (singer - "You're So Vain"), June Lockhart (actress - "Lost in Space"), George Orwell (author - "1984"), Danica Patrick (race car driver), Tom Glavine (pitcher - Atlanta Braves), Sarah Jessica Parker (actress - "Sex and the City"), Aretha Franklin (singer - "RESPECT"), James Lovell (astronaut - Apollo 13), Howard Cosell (commentator - Monday Night Football), and Henry II (King of England 1154 - 1189).

The Ear of the Horse

2008-06-24T16:00:00.002-06:00

A while back I wrote about what I learned about the eyes of the horse. Today it's the ear of the horse.

A horse has two ears. OK, you already knew that, but did you know that a horse 'talks' with his ears. You can also tell his temperature through his ears. And, if you know what you're doing, they make pretty good handles in a pinch.

Horses hear pretty well, but not really that much better than we humans do. They can hear more sounds in the higher ranges, but our hearing in the lower ranges is better. If you talk real low and soft to a horse he may not hear you. It's better to speak in a normal voice.

Even though the horses hearing is pretty good it's not precise. When he hears something it's hard for him to identify the exact location of what he's hearing. That's why some horses will spook at an unexpected sound. They can hear it, but they're not sure where it's coming from - and, of course, whatever is making the sound definitely wants to eat them so they better get ready to get out of Dodge.

How we speak can affect our relationship with our horses. If we speak in a normal, calm and steady voice then they are more likely to trust us. If we speak firmly they will know we mean what we're saying. If we speak uncertainly, our horses may decide that we're not a good leader and not very trustworthy. If we get excited in our speech then they will also get excited. If our horse does something unexpected, it's best to deal with it without making a sound - if that's possible. Sometimes it's hard to keep that scream from coming out.

Horses 'talk' to us through their ears by their direction and placement. If a horses ears are casually moving about, he's usually relaxed and just keeping in touch with what's going on around him. If both ears point forward in a direct, attentive way he has heard something - most likely a bear who wants to eat him - and he's trying to locate it. If he pins his ears back he's not a happy camper. Something is bothering him and if it does not go away soon he may have to do something about it such as a kick or a bite.

Normally, a horses ears are cool. However, if he has a temperature you can feel the heat in his ears. It's a quick and dirty way to check his temperature before resorting to that awful thermometer which has to go you know where (horses don't do well holding a thermometer in their mouths).

It's an old cowboy trick, but you can restrain a horse by holding onto his ears. It's important how it's done. You don't grab them hard and jerk them around. But, if the ears are grasped gently but firmly and pressure is applied and released, the horse will pay attention to what you're doing and calm down.

Another of Gods pretty good inventions. Ear! Ear!

Today is June 24 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Mick Fleetwood (musician and founder of group, "Fleetwood Mac"), Jack Dempsey (professional boxing Champion), Al Molinaro (actor - Al on "Happy Days"), and Chief Dan George (actor - "Little Big Man"),

One More Time

2008-06-23T17:42:00.003-06:00

Dum de dum dum - dum, de dum. Dum de dum dum - dum de dum, dum, dum.

In case you didn't recognize that, it's the theme song for the Indiana Jones movies.

Betty and I went to see "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" this afternoon. That's what you can do when you're retired. We enjoy movies - mostly through Netflix - but we rarely go to the big screen movies anymore even though we can get in for Senior prices.

However, there are some movies that need to be seen on the big screen and any Indiana Jones movie fits that category. The first movie, "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" was great because it was so unique and fun. We saw it with our two sons and we all loved it. The second, "Temple of Doom" was the worst. It was gory, gruesome and had very little fun in it. I hated it and to this day still refuse to watch it again. The third, "The Last Crusade" recaptured a lot of the original fun of the first movie and Sean Connery was great as Indie's Dad.

This movie, "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," in our humble opinion captures the same fun as the first and third movies. What was fun for us was seeing an older Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford is actually 3 years older than we are and they did not do anything to make him look younger which was a wise decision. There was still a lot of action and Harrison Ford obviously did some of his own stunts so he made all of us older folks feel good about ourselves.

So, what does this have to do with horses? Very little other than Indiana rode horses in the first and third movies, but not this one. And Harrison Ford is a pretty good rider.

You have to suspend your disbelief and just go see it for what it is - a fun, action movie.

Today is June 23 and if today is your Birthday you share your day with: June Carter Cash (country singer and wife of Johnny Cash), Bob Fosse (choreographer), Clarence Thomas (US Supreme Court Justice), Edward VIII (King of England who gave up his throne to marry an American divorcee), Johannes Gutenberg (inventor of the moveable type printing press - Gutenberg Bible), and George Sax (inventor of the Saxophone).

My Day Is Ending

2008-06-22T17:21:00.002-06:00

Lord,
You have been with me all through this day,
stay with me now.
As the shadows lengthen into darkness
let the noisy world grow quiet,
let its feverish concerns be stilled,
its voices silenced.
In the final moments of this day
remind me of what is Real.

But let me not forget
that you were as present in
the stresses of the day just past
as you are now
in the silence of this night.

You have made me for
day and for night,
for work and for rest,
for both heaven and earth.

Here in this night
let me embrace and not regret
the mysterious beauty of my humanity.
Keep me in the embrace of your Reality through the night,
and the day to come.
Surround me with your silence
and give me the rest that only you can give--
Real peace,
now and forever.

- Evelyn Underhill

Today is June 22 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kurt Warner (Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Cardinals quarterback and devout Christian), Amy Brennaman (actress - "Judging Amy" TV show), Meryl Streep (actress - "Sophie's Choice"), Lindsay Wagner (actress - "Bionic Woman"), Kris Kristofferson (actor - "Billy the Kid"), Billy Wilder (movie director - "Some Like It Hot"), and John Dillinger (bank robber).

Good Day With Horses

2008-06-21T19:17:00.006-06:00

Today was a good day for us with horses. This morning Betty and I worked Gletta and Morgunn in the round pen. Gletta is not an easy horse to work with in the round pen and Betty does a great job with her. She's very patient and, at the end of her session, Gletta was following Betty which is a sign that she trusts Betty. When I asked Morgunn to first move out, he kicked his heels and started galloping around the pen. He settled into a steady canter for a good 10 or so rounds. We think he just wanted to get out some energy as we haven't ridden them for several weeks. Once he settled down he was great. We hope to ride them tomorrow morning as we're going to our church's new Sunday night service to check it out.

Later this morning we headed over to Galloping Grace Youth Ranch to help Max and Michelle with a Birthday party. Most of the kids were anywhere from 3 years old to about 8 years old with most being around 5. We had two horses in the round pen, Red and BeBe, and Betty and I worked together to give the kids a ride around the pen with us leading them. It was a lot of fun and great to see kids have such a good time around horses.

Here are some pictures from today's party at the Ranch.

Betty leading one of the older girls riding on BeBe.
Me walking one of the little boys back to his parents after his ride on Red.
Betty and Me posing with the Birthday girl, Lauren on BeBe.
All the 'volunteers' from today's party - one of the things that makes it such a good experience is getting to know these good folks. Max is the good looking guy to my left. Michelle is taking the picture and is so pretty she doesn't want to embarrass the rest of us by putting her picture on the blog.
Another great day.

Today is June 21 (longest day of the year) and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Prince William (heir to the throne of England), Meredith Baxter (actress - Mother on "Family Ties" TV show), Michael Gross (actor - Father on "Family Ties" TV show), Jane Russell (actress - "The Outlaws"), Al Hirschfeld (caricaturist), Rick Sutcliffe (Pitcher - Chicago Cubs), Daniel Carter Beard (founder of the Boy Scouts), and Martha Washington (President Washington's wife).

Visiting the Old West

2008-06-20T17:21:00.010-06:00

Even though I would probably never be a member, I enjoy going to the End of Trail competition for the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS). It's held every June at Founders Ranch which is South of I-40 out towards Edgewood.

It's a beautiful setting with plenty of safe areas for the shooting competitions, an Old West town with plenty of merchants with a lot of items you won't find anywhere else, and a very nice arena for the mounted shooting competitions.

Betty and I went out this morning and got there about 9:30 AM and it was a pleasant morning with a nice cool breeze. We visited all of the merchants, but didn't buy anything. I was hoping to find a pair of leather chaps for riding, but I guess I will keep on looking. My skinny frame makes it hard to find what I want in a size that will fit me.

Toward the latter part of the morning we went over to the arena and watched the mounted shooting. They have to navigate a course not to dissimilar to barrel racers. Along the course are balloons that they shoot with blank charges. If there aim is good the balloon will break from the force of the exploding charge. Their score is a combination of time and accuracy. There was one 14-year old girl who was deadly accurate and blazed around the course with a reckless abandon that you only find in the young.

Here are some pictures from our adventure this morning.

Some SASS participants outside one of the merchant tents.

One of the shooting competition sites.

A Wells Fargo stage going over the hill.

The mounted shooters getting last minute instructions.

You don't want to mess with this lady.

Taking aim and getting ready to shoot.

Other contestants waiting for their turn.

We really had a good time and enjoyed being with people who really enjoy doing what they do. It appeals to the frustrated cowboy in me.

Today is June 20 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Nicole Kidman (actress - former wife of Tom Cruise - and she's probably glad about that), John Goodman (comedian/actor), Lionel Richie (singer/composer), Anne Murray (singer/composer - "Snowbird"), Brian Wilson (singer - founder of "The Beach Boys"), Martin Landeau (actor - "Mission Impossible" TV series), Chet Atkins (guitarist), Audie Murphy (actor - "To Hell and Back" - most decorated soldier in World War II, including Congressional Medal of Honor), Errol Flynn (actor - "Robin Hood"), Michael Landon (actor - "Bonanza" and strong Christian), Cyndi Lauper (singer - "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"), and Bob Vila (carpenter - "This Old House").

Thursday at the Ranch

2008-06-19T14:33:00.003-06:00

On most Thursday mornings you can find me at the Galloping Grace Youth Ranch which is run by our friends, Max and Michelle Wade. I originally volunteered to come out each Thursday to work the horses - round penning, riding out problems, whatever. However, some days you just need to do what is needed.

I could only stay until Noon today as our farrier came this afternoon. When I arrived about 9:30 AM, Max was on the phone. So, I grabbed a trash sack and picked up some trash left over from a party yesterday (Happy Birthday again, Brooke - from the looks of the trash it was a good time for all). I'm glad I got it all picked up as Max's Dad came driving up and this was the first time he had seen the ranch so it was nice for him to see it reasonably clean.

After that, I shoveled some manure which is God's way of keeping our feet on the ground - the Bible calls this humility which is an appropriate word as it comes from the same root for 'humus' which means ground or dirt.

Then I helped Max move a generator to a water tank so we could use a sump pump to pump water through a hose to water some of the trees - those the hose could reach. After getting the easy ones, I used a bucket to water some more trees. Anyone who raves about the "Good Ol' Days" has never carried water in a bucket for any length of time.

Finally, just before I had to go I got five horses from the corral and brought them out so Max could work with the kids who were there for the day.

I enjoy being at the ranch for three reasons: (1) it's great to see kids around horses, (2) Max and Michelle are good people with gentle spirits who love the Lord, and (3) God is there because the ranch is doing His work.

On Saturday, Betty and I will go out to the ranch to help out with a Birthday party. It should be a lot of fun.

Today is June 19 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Paula Abdul (singer - judge on "American Idol"), Kathleen Turner (actress - "Body Heat" which I didn't see - too 'adult' for me), Phylicia Rashid (actress - Claire Huxtable on "The Cosby Show"), Pat Butram (comic sidekick to Gene Autry and Mr. Haney on "The Green Acres" TV show), Lou Gehrig (pro ball player - died of ALS and had the disease named after him), Guy Lombardo (band leader - "And a one, and a two..."), Moe Howard (comic - lead of "The Three Stooges"), and Blaise Pascal (French mathmetician and devoted Christian).

Hot Days = Clipping Days

2008-06-18T16:00:00.000-06:00

The arrival of hot (mid-90 degrees) June days means it's time to clip Morgunn and Gletta again. It's not our most favorite job (unless you like kneeling and squatting with horse hair getting into your mouth, eyes and ears), but it's one we're glad to do because we know it makes them more comfortable when the weather gets this warm.

Here are some pictures from our work today...

Morgunn checking out the clipper before we begin... maybe something good to eat? Naahhh.

Betty and Gletta getting started on her cut.

Working on Gletta's belly where most of her body heat goes.

Morgunn showing up and volunteering to help in any way he can.

Yep, I think you missed a spot here on Gletta's rump... you definitely need to do this over... are you listening to me?

Dan taking over to work on Gletta's lower parts.

Wait a minute. Those aren't Betty's feet. They're too big!

Hey, now you're working on me!

You're looking a little warm there, Danny boy. Let me remove your cap for you.

Always an adventure.

Today is June 18 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Carol Kane (comedian/actress - "Princess Bride"), Isabella Rossellini (actress - Ingrid Bergman's daughter), Roger Ebert (movie critic), Jeanette MacDonald (singer/actress with Nelson Eddy - "I Am Calling You"), Kurt Browning (Gold medal Olympian ice skater), Paul McCartney (singer - "The Beatles"), Richard Boone (actor - "Have Gun Will Travel"), and Red Adair (oil well fire fighter).

We're Home

2008-06-17T20:39:00.003-06:00

We got home this evening and all I have time and energy to do is post one more picture of our Colorado cutie...

Today is June 17 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Venus Williams (tennis pro - sister of Serena Williams), Dan Jansen (Olympic gold medalist speed skater), Joe Piscopo (comedian - "Saturday Night Live"), Newt Gingrich (former Speaker of the House), Ralph Bellamy (actor), M. C. Escher (artist who made impossible designs), Igor Stravinsky (composer), Barry Manilow (singer), James Brown (singer - Ambassador of Soul), and William Hooper (attorney and signer of the Declaration of Independence).

Heading Home Tomorrow

2008-06-16T16:43:00.004-06:00

We're heading home tomorrow, Tuesday, so there will be no Tuesday post. We plan to clip the horses again on Wednesday morning so that will probably be the topic for our post that day.

Until then, here's one more picture of our Colorado sweetie sleeping in her Nana's arms...

Today is June 16 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Phil Mickelson (pro golfer), Joan Van Ark (actress - "Dallas"), Jean Peugeot (automobile manufacturer), Stan Laurel (comedian - "Laurel and Hardy"), and Nathaniel Schnittelbach (composer).

Happy Father's Day from Fort Collins

2008-06-15T19:24:00.005-06:00

Happy Father's Day to all - especially to Max and Mark our blogging buddies and to Chris and Wade Daniel our sons who are both first time fathers this year. You guys are going to be great Dad's to Javier and Juliet.

We spent today at a local park in Fort Collins. This city is the most people friendly city in the world with great parks and other family friendly amenities. Betty and I along with Wade Daniel, Marie, and Juliet joined Marie's sister, Melissa, her husband, Nick, and their two children, Maggie and Kaley at the park. We were also joined by Marie's parents, Nancy Jo and Gary, who drove up from Denver.

We had fried chicken, potato salad and fruit salad - all the great picnic fixings. For dessert Betty fixed a couple of chocolate pies which are delicious.

Here are some pictures from today...

Getting all the food settled as we arrive at the park pavillion.

Marie and Juliet with Juliet's cousins, Maggie and Kaley, looking for fish in the lake.

Marie, Wade Daniel and Juliet enjoying the wading pools close to where we ate.

Wade Daniel holding Juliet's feet to the little water fall in the wading pools.

Wade Daniel and Juliet being greeted by their dog Kona after coming back from the wading pool.

It was a great day and a great way to spend Father's Day.

Today is June 15 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Courteney Cox (actress - "Friends"), Helen Hunt (actress - "Twister"), Jim Belushi (comedian), Neal Patrick Harris (actor - "Doogie Howser"), Brett Butler (actress/comedian - "Grace Under Fire"), Dusty Baker (professional baseball player/Cincinnati Reds manager), Waylon Jennings (country singer), and Rachael Donelson Jackson (wife of President Andrew Jackson).

Saturday in Fort Collins

2008-06-14T16:28:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, Friday, June 13 was our son and daughter-in-law's 10th wedding anniversary. Wade Daniel gave Marie a Wii game console and she gave him a beautiful photo book with pictures from their 10 years of marriage. They went out to dinner last night at a Melting Pot while we stayed home with Juliet who was asleep the whole time.

Today we went to lunch at a Mongolian beef place (which was great). Then we walked around Old Town, looking at old cars in a car show. We also stopped at a Ben & Jerry's for some ice cream. Yum!

All in all a great day. Here are some pictures from our day...

Today is June 14 and if your Birthday is today you share your day with: Steffi Graf (German tennis pro), Boy George (???), Donald Trump (famous hair stylist), Gene Barry (actor - "Bat Masterson"), Burl Ives (folksinger), Harriet Beecher Stowe (author - "Uncle Tom's Cabin"), Che Guevera (revolutionary murderer), Lash Larue (cowboy actor), and Charles Augustin-de Coulomb (formulated "Coulomb's Law")

Friday the 13th Oh My

2008-06-13T08:59:00.005-06:00

Lions, tigers and bears, Oh my! It's Friday the 13th!

So, what!? I absolutely refuse to give any credence to the superstitions that surround Friday the 13th. Besides being a scary movie, it's just another day. God's still in charge. I probably won't take up sky diving or bungee jumping today, but that's because I'm a coward and has nothing to do with today being Friday the 13th.

Betty and I made a safe trip yesterday to Fort Collins, Colorado to visit with our son Wade, daughter-in-law Marie, and granddaughter Juliet. The weather was great and I love the scenery up through Northern New Mexico into Southern Colorado. We saw lots of Pronghorn Antelope in Northern New Mexico. We stopped at a great tack shop in Brighton, Colorado, but all I bought was a magazine.

I hope to have some pictures of Juliet up either later today or tomorrow.

UPDATE:

I made it today. Here are a couple of pictures from this afternoon:

Have a great day.

Today is June 13 and if your Birthday is today you share your day with: Mary-Kate and Ashely Olson (famous twins and supposed actresses), Ally Sheedy (actress - "The Breakfast Club"), Tim Allen (comedian - Tim Taylor on "Home Improvement"), Richard Thomas (actor - John boy on "The Waltons"), William Butler Yeats (Irish poet), Ben Johnson (actor - "Chisum" and real cowboy before becoming an actor), Red Grange (football player - "The Galloping Ghost"), and Charles Algernon Parsons (British inventor who invented the steam turbine).

Party at the Ranch

2008-06-11T17:28:00.005-06:00

Betty and I went out to Galloping Grace Youth Ranch this afternoon to help Max and Michelle Wade with a party for about 16 kids between 3 and 6 years old. As you can see from the picture below, Max and Michelle were meeting themselves trying to be in three places at once.

There was a place where the kids could paint pictures on one of the white horses (Cochise), they could throw horse shoes. They could ride a horse in the arena or in the round pen. And, they could learn how to groom a horse and give them treats.

It was a lot of fun for the kids and for us. It's great to see kids get exposed to horses and how much fun they can have with them.

For those of you who may read this blog, please know that we are heading for Fort Collins, Colorado tomorrow (Thursday) to see our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. We'll be gone until next Tuesday evening. We'll try to post a few times while we're there, but we may miss a day or two - priorities, you know.

Today is June 11 and if your Birthday is today you share your day with: Shia LeBeouf (actor - "Transformers"), Hugh Laurie (actor - "House"), Joe Montana (quarterback, San Franciso 49ers), Gene Wilder (actor - "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles"),Vince Lombardi (professional football coach - Green Bay Packers), Jacques Cousteau (underseas explorer), and Javier Benavides (our 17 year old grandson).

The Eyes Of A Horse

2008-06-10T16:39:00.009-06:00

It is said that our eyes are the windows to our soul. I believe that is also true of a horse's eyes. We can often tell a lot about what's going on with Morgunn and Gletta just by seeing their eyes. We also get clues from their ears, tails and body posture, but the eyes tell us a lot.

It is interesting to study how God made eyes for the horse. Here are a few things that I have learned.

Almost 360 degree vision - Horses' eyes are placed on the side of their heads rather than together on their face like our eyes. This means that they can see almost everything that is going on around them. Their only blind spots are directly in front of their noses and directly behind their tails for up to about 6 feet. That's why you don't want to approach a horse directly from the front or directly from the rear - they can't see you. When kids come up to horses they love to reach to the horses' nose to pet him or her. Often the horse will shy away and that's just because they couldn't see the hand it touched him or her and it's often a surprise.

They see most things with only one eye at a time - They have monocular vision instead of binocular vision like we have. They see most things with only one eye at a time. That's why a horse may spook at something on one side and then spook again when it's on his left side. He's seeing it again 'for the first time' with the other eye. This also explains why we have to train horses from both sides. You can train a horse to do something from one side and then when you walk around to the other side it's like he has no idea what you want. He has to be trained on that side with that eye as well as the other.

He has only two ways to bring things into focus - The horse can change the shape of his eye with tiny eye muscles, but the most common thing a horse will do is to move his head to see something better. When he sees something far away he will raise his head and perhaps turn his head slightly to bring one eye to bear. When he wants to concentrate on something close he will lower his head. That's why our horses will raise and lower their heads when they first see something for the first time. He will raise his head to focus on something initially and lower it as he approaches it. It's important for us to allow him to do this so he will feel comfortable with what he is seeing.

He has the largest eyeball of any land mammal - This large eyeball allows him to magnify things and see them 50 percent larger than we do. This helps his distant vision and that's why he can see things long before we do (as well as hear and smell). It also explains why horses have such good vision at night. A horse's vision is even better than a cat's night time vision.

Most of all, I love the eyes of our horses. Except when they are fearful, their eyes are usually soft and show an impressive depth of awareness to everything going on around them.

"A dog looks up to a man.
A cat looks down on a man.
A horse looks a man in the eye and sees an equal."
--Anonymous

Today is June 10 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Tara Lapinski (Olympic gold medal ice skater), Elizabeth Hurley (actress - "Austin Powers"), John Edwards (former Senator and perennial presidential candidate), F. Lee Bailey (attorney), Maurice Sendak (children's book author - "Where The Wild Things Are"), Judy Garland (actress/singer - "Wizard of Oz"), Bobby Jindall (Governor of Louisiana), and Hattie McDaniel (actress - 1st Black to win an Oscar for "Gone With The Wind").

PS: There's a post on today's Galloping Grace Youth Ranch blog that everyone should read to help you better understand the grace of God.

Sunset Ride

2008-06-09T21:02:00.007-06:00

For the first time, Betty and I decided to do a ride in the evening. We usually ride first thing in the mornings when it's cooler, but even then it can be pretty warm in the open sunny areas. So tonight was our first sunset ride.

We fed the horses an hour earlier and we went out to get them ready for the ride about 7:20 PM. The sun was already low in the Western sky. I don't know if Morgunn and Gletta were sure what was going on as this was a first for them as well.

The grooming and saddling went fine. After a short warm up in the back paddock, we took to the road. We rode up to the end of our road where we could enter the open sage area.

The air was definitely cooler and we saw that in Morgunn and Gletta's energy level as the ride went on. We had to periodically work them to get them to relax and slow down.

It was nice riding through the open sage with the Sandia Mountains beginning to get their evening glow.

We had to work a little bit, but all in all it was a good ride.

Today is June 9 and if today is your Birthday you share your day with: Michael J. Fox (actor - "Back to the Future"), Natalie Portman (actress - "Star Wars"), Johnny Depp (actor - "Pirates of the Caribbean"), Les Paul (guitarist), Cole Porter (musician/composer), and Fred Waring (musician/composer/inventor of Waring Blender).

Poll is Over

2008-06-08T16:09:00.004-06:00

Well, only two people voted in the "Favorite Horse Movie" poll. Michelle voted for Seabiscuit and my son Wade Daniel voted for "Dreamer" which happens to be my favorite movie as well. I was hoping for more votes, but so did Hillary.

Oh, well.

Today is June 8 and if your Birthday is today you share your day with: Nancy Sinatra (singer - "These Boots Are Made For Walking"), Joan Rivers (comedian), Jerry Stiller (comedian and father of Ben Stiller), Barbara Bush (wife of George H. Bush and mother of George W.), Robert Preston (actor - "The Music Man"), and Frank Lloyd Wright (architect)

Big Brown - What Could Have Been

2008-06-07T16:52:00.003-06:00

Betty and I just finished watching the Belmont Stakes, the third crown of the Triple Crown in horse racing. Everyone in the whole world expected Big Brown, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, to win today and be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed won it in 1978 - 30 years ago.

But, it was not to be. For some reason Big Brown didn't have it today. It was hot (about 94 degrees) and humid. The Belmont is also the longest of the three races - a mile and a half. To his credit, his jockey pulled him up when it was obvious (in his words) that "he didn't have a horse today." Initial reports are that Big Brown was not injured.

We know from our horses, Gletta and Morgunn, that some times they just have an off day - they're not at their best. That's something we accept as our horses are living, breathing beings with physical and emotional ups and downs just as we have.

Perhaps Big Brown just had an off day.

Today is June 7 and if your Birthday is today you share your day with: Anna Kournikova (professional tennis player), Prince (supposedly a singer), Ken Osmond (actor - Eddie Haskel in "Leave it to Beaver"), Liam Neeson (actor - "Schindler's List"), Tom Jones (singer), Dean Martin (singer/actor with Jerry Lewis), Jessica Tandy (actress - "Driving Miss Daisy"), and Paul Gauguin (painter).

Your Favorite Horse Movie

2008-06-06T19:20:00.002-06:00

I added a poll (above) that will run for a couple of days to find out what your favorite horse movie is. I put in some of the classics, but you have the choice of "Other" and you can put your choice into the comments.

Let me know which horse movie you like the best.

Today is June 6 and if you today is your Birthday you share your day with: Jim Wade (Betty's younger brother), Bjorn Borg (champion tennis player), Max Casella (actor - Vinnie on "Doogie Howser, MD"), Dana Carvey (comic - "Saturday Night Live," " Wayne's World"), Robert Englund (actor - "Freddy Kruger"), and Pearl S. Buck (novelist).

Grace Really Does Gallop

2008-06-05T14:54:00.004-06:00

One of the joys of my life is going to Galloping Grace Youth Ranch and helping out in any way that I can. Our friends, Max and Michelle Wade, run it as a place where kids can come FREE and experience the joy of horses. Check out their link on the left of this blog to read about what they're doing and enjoy Michelle's slightly twisted sense of humor (and I mean that as a compliment).

I try to go out on Thursdays to work with the horses or shovel manure or whatever. It was raining first thing this morning and I didn't think I would get to go. However, it stopped and I decided to go out. I'm really glad I did.

There is a program for girls that comes out on a regular basis and they bring some the girls who are experiencing various problems in their lives. Only two girls came out today. After lunch, Max worked with one girl in the arena as she rode Black, a gentle, experienced horse. I worked with the other girl in the round pen teaching her how horses communicate and how we can use groundwork to gain their respect and trust.

It was great to see these young girls get an 1,100 pound horse follow them around the round pen without any lead rope. The horse, through the ground work, had learned to respect and trust them which may be pretty rare in their lives.

Galloping Grace Youth Ranch is a place where kids can come to be loved and respected - both by Max and Michelle and also by the horses.

One of my favorite places.

Today is June 5 and if your Birthday is today you share you day with: Michael Winans (Gospel singer - "The Winans"), Kenny G. (saxophonist), William Boyd (Cowboy actor - "Hopalong Cassidy"), Igor Stravinsky (composer), and Pancho Villa (Mexican activist/bandit).

Another Book

2008-06-04T13:49:00.006-06:00

Awhile back we shared Mark Rashid's books that we enjoyed and that influenced how we think about horses. Here's another book that has had an influence - "True Horsemanship Through Feel" by Bill Dorrance (told to Leslie Desmond).

First, a little about Bill. He was born near Enterprise, Orgegon on January 19, 1906. Bill spent 80 plus years working with horse, cattle and doing general ranching. He died at age 93, just before this book was published. Bill was still riding and teaching riding through feel at age 92.

The heart of this book is a quote from Bill, "I've always liked horses and I've always wanted to help them do their job better, whatever it is they had to do." He chose the title because he felt that 'feel' was the horse's true language. They communicate with each other through feel and, if we want to communicate with our horses, we need to do it through feel.

One of the difficulties of the book is Leslie Desmond wrote it as Bill spoke - with all of his ranch vocabulary and vernacular. Sometimes you have to read something more than once to fully understand what he's saying. Here's an example.

"There's some horses that will let you have all the chances you want. That kind of horse is just waiting for you to get things sorted out, and it's real helpful to be around a horse like this when you haven't got much experience. A fella's guesswork isn't a threat to a horse like this. And a horse like we're speaking about now isn't apt to bring your own feelings of self-preservation to the surface. The thing to remember is that there's all kinds of exceptions to anything that a person could say or show you about this."

Besides the concept of feel, one of the things I learned from this book is the importance of patience, or as Bill would say, "going slow."

"This approach has to be taught going real slow from the start and staying slow enough to where that slowness has some actual value. It can be done right or not, even if it's slow. But the chance of a horse remembering what he's supposed to be learning is a lot better when a person isn't trying to rush the results."

A good book if you have the time to read it - and sometimes re-read it again and again.

Today is June 4 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Angelina Jolie (actress - "Laura Croft and the Tomb Raider"), Noah Wylie (actor - "ER"), Michelle Phillips (singer - "The Mamas and the Papas"), Dennis Weaver (actor - Chester on "Gunsmoke"), Rosalind Russell (actress - "Mame"), and George III (English king during American Revolution).

No Horses Today - Just a Cutie

2008-06-03T15:01:00.003-06:00

Today has been a fairly busy day so nothing complicated or deep about us or our horses. However, we want to share a recent picture of our granddaughter Juliet that we received from our son and daughter-in-law.

Is that a great picture or what? See you tomorrow.

Today is June 3 and if today is your Birthday you share your day with: Colleen Dewhurst (actress), Tony Curtis (actor - "Some Like It Hot"), Tom Arnold (actor), Larry McMurtry (author - "Lonesome Dove"), and Jefferson Davis (Confederate President during the Civil War).

Horse Addiction

2008-06-02T13:32:00.006-06:00

I found this and thought I would share it with all of you who, like us, find that your horses have an undue effect upon your lives...

The Twelve Steps of Horse Addiction

1. We admit we are powerless under the rule of our horses - that our lives have become periods of servitude interspersed with occasional chances to purchase new play things for the horses that "own" us.

2. We have come to believe that there is no power greater than our horses that will keep us sane and happy.

3. We made a conscious decision that we have turned our will and our lives over to the care and entertainment of our horses.

4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of our barn and still think we might have room for just one more horse.

5. We admitted to God, ourselves and our friends that our shoes will always be muddy and there will be horsehair and horse snot on our clothes.

6. We were entirely ready to remove all these defects of character, but decided against it when our horse nickered and nuzzled us.

7. We humbly asked for removal of our shortcomings - so we could have more time to spend with our horses.

8. We made a list of all persons we had slighted when we were late because of chores or a long trail ride and became willing to make amends to them all - even though they still didn't want to hear about our horses.

9. We made direct amends to these people wherever possible, except when they didn't want to help us unload the feed bags or 100 bales of hay.

10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it to our horse... who knew it from the start and had been telling us that all along.

11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with our horses as we understood them, praying only for knowledge of their will for us and the power to carry that will out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we will carry this message to those faced with Horse Addiction and practice these principles in all our affairs.

Take it one day at a time, folks!

Today is June 2 and if it's your Birthday you share your day with: Wayne Brady (comic, TV host), Dana Carvey (comic - "Saturday Night Live"), Jerry Mathers (actor - The Beaver on "Leave It To Beaver"), Sally Kellerman (actress - Hot Lips in "M.A.S.H."), Johnny Weismuller (actor - Tarzan), and Henry VIII (King of England - notorious beheader of his wives).

Changing Dreams

2008-06-01T12:11:00.009-06:00

I was born in 1945 at the end of the Second World War. My childhood years were in the late 40's and early to mid 50's. Me and my childhood friends played four games -baseball, football, army, and cowboys. The baseball and football were pick up games in the neighborhood. Playing army was influenced by our closeness to the end of the war. My father had a war dependent job so he didn't serve, but many of our family friends did. Conversations about Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge were common. However, my favorite games had to do with cowboys.

Wanting to be a cowboy came from those Saturday afternoon matinees where for a quarter you could see two of the old (late 30's to early 50's) Westerns and several cartoons. I never wanted to be Daffy Duck, but I did want to be Roy Rogers when I grew up.

There were many great movie cowboys during those days - Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, Lash Larue, Bob Steel, Randolph Scott, Harry Carey (Sr. and Jr.), the Cisco Kid, the Lone Ranger, Red Ryder, and, of course, John Wayne.

But, to my boyish imagination there was only one King of the Cowboys and that was Roy Rogers with his magnificent horse, Trigger. This was before the TV series when Dale Evans became his partner.

I don't remember if I had all the outfit, but I do remember getting a Roy Rogers gun and holster (cap gun of course) for Christmas when I was about 6 years old (1951).

A little Roy Rogers triva: Question: What was Roy Rogers real name? Answer: Leonard Slye. Question: Where was he born? Answer: Cincinnati, Ohio. His boyhood home is right about where the Cincinnati Reds baseball stadium now stands along the Ohio River. Question: What was Trigger's original name? Answer: Golden Cloud. Question: What movie was Golden Cloud in before he became Trigger? Answer: Robin Hood with Errol Flynn. Golden Cloud/Trigger was Maid Marian's horse. Question: How much did Roy pay for Trigger? Answer: $2,500. He later spent $5,000 for a saddle and tack with gold and silver appointments. In today's dollars that would be like spending $22,000 for Trigger and $44,000 for his saddle and tack. Question: Was Trigger a Tennessee Walking Horse? Answer: No. This is a common myth. His sire was a Thoroughbred and his dam a Quarter Horse.

Roy Rogers had several side kicks in his movies and Pat Buttram in the TV show with his jeep, Nellie Belle. However, one sidekick was with him more than others and that was George "Gabby"Hayes. I actually met Gabby Hayes when I was about 7 years old. Our neighbor owned a furniture store in Nashville, Tennessee and was an early local sponsor of the Gabby Hayes TV show which aired from 1950 to 1954. Gabby Hayes came to Nashville to shoot a local TV promotion and I got to go to the TV studio to watch and meet him. Quite a thrill for a 7 year old boy of that era.

I don't think I grew out of those early cowboy days, but the entertainment industry did away with cowboy movies and TV shows as I grew out of childhood. Over the years, I have learned that I still had that deep dream of being a cowboy, even if I finally realized that I would never be Roy Rogers. So, when Betty and I took up horseback riding about 13 years ago at age 50, my dream of becoming a cowboy seemed to be coming true.

However, as I learned more about horses and we eventually got our own horses, Gletta and Morgunn, I realized this dream would never come true. A hard fact that I have learned and come to accept is that cowboys are people on horseback who make their living by moving and working cows. I have 'played' working cows on horseback several times, but that's the extent of my being a play cowboy.

The good news is that as I have had to give up the dream of becoming a cowboy, a new dream is taking it's place - one that is realistic. My dream now is to become the best horseman that I can be. I still have a long way to go, but I know this dream is attainable. I will never be really good, but I am a better horseman than I was last year and I'm working to be a better horseman next year.

All in all, not a bad dream to have in the latter part of my life.

Today is June 1 and if your birthday is today you share you day with: Morgan Freeman (actor), Pat Boone (singer), Andy Griffith (actor), and Marilyn Monroe (actress).

Pagosa Springs - Part Two

2008-05-31T14:05:00.004-06:00

As I mentioned in our post yesterday, one of the highlights of our trip to Pagosa Springs, Colorado was our hike along the Piedra River. We drove about 16 miles into the country to a trail head for the Piedra River trail. There were several cars there, but we only saw one man with two Golden Retrievers.

The river goes through a winding canyon along the river. The day was beautiful with a cool feel to the air. Here are pictures from that hike.

All in all, a great trip.

Today is May 31 and if today is your birthday you share your day with: Colin Farrell (actor), Brooke Shields (actress), Sharon Gless (actress - "Cagney and Lacey"), Joe Namath (NY Jets quarterback), Clint Eastwood (actor - "Dirty Harry"), Walt Whitman (poet)

Pagosa Springs - Part One

2008-05-30T10:35:00.013-06:00

We're back from our jaunt to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The hotel we stayed at, The Springs, did offer Internet access - at $10/day. We love you guys who read this blog, but we're also cheap and $10 is $10.

Pagosa Springs is located in Southwest Colorado between Durango and Alamosa. It's situated along the San Juan River which has some of the best trout fishing in the country. And, it is surrounded by the majestic San Juan Mountains.

What gave Pagosa Springs its start are the hot springs along the river. Pagosa is a combination of two Ute Indian words - Pah - meaning 'water' - and Osah - meaning 'boiling.' It was a sacred, healing place to both the Ute and Navajo Indians before the settlers came. Today, Pagosa Springs is a tourist town, but it is still very much a small, ranch-based community as well.

The Pagosa Springs area has some of the most beautiful horse country you can find anywhere.

We stayed at the hotel that is associated with The Springs. The picture to the left is Betty sitting at the fountain with The Springs bath house in the rear. People can come and, for a daily fee, enjoy the hot springs. If you stay at the hotel as we did you can have access to the springs any time you want. The picture below was taken from downtown Pagosa Springs. The bath house is to the left, the hot springs in the center, and our hotel on the right.

Here are some more pictures of the hot springs. There are over a dozen different pools with the water temperatures ranging from 96 degrees all the way up to 109 degrees. We liked the pools that were between 102 and 106 degrees. For those hardy enough, there are steps down to the river where you can cool off at a bone-chillin' 46 degrees.

Besides the hot springs, Pagosa Springs is a good place for outdoor activities, especially on the river. This first picture is a rafting group coming down the San Juan River.

Here's a picture of a young man working the rapids in his small kayak (this is for my brother-in-law and his sons, our nephews, who are avid and experienced river folk).

There are lots of great hiking trails in the area and, in tomorrow's post, we will share pictures from a great hike we took along the Piedra River.

Today is May 30 and, if today's your birthday, you share your day with: Wynonna Judd (great country singer), Meredith McRae (actress- "Petticoat Junction"), Gale Sayers (Chicago Bears running back), Benny Goodman (muscian, band leader), and Mel Blanc ("What's up, Doc?" - voice of Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and Porky Pig)

"That's all folks!"

Happy Memorial Day

2008-05-26T08:04:00.009-06:00

Happy Memorial Day! Stop and take a moment to remember the men and women who have given their lives for our freedoms.

It's a beautiful morning here and on a holiday that means we have a lot of hot air balloons as Albuquerque is the hot air balloon capital of the world. We were drinking our coffee and reading the paper when Betty said, "That sounds like a balloon is close."

When the winds are right, some of the balloons will fly close to us and on some occasions even land close to our house as we have lots of open sage areas around us.

This morning several balloons landed just up the street from our house. As they fly over at one height they move in a North Westerly direction. As they drop down the lower air currents bring them back in a South Easterly direction for a landing.

We have seen thousands of balloons since we have lived here. Each October the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta has 700 balloons and all through the year we see balloons flying most every day that's nice.

By now, Gletta and Morgunn have gotten used to the balloons. They usually just watch as they fly over. The only time I've seen them scared is when one balloon came over our house to make a landing behind us. They were only a couple of hundred feet high when they passed over the stable and the sound of the propane burners spooked them a little. I usually go out so they have someone to connect with while the balloons are around. This is Morgunn coming over for a little reassurance this morning.

We leave for Pagosa Springs in about two hours. If we have a wireless connection there I'll see you tomorrow. If not, see you on Friday.

If your birthday is May 26 you share your day with: Hank Williams Jr. (Country singer - Betty and I went to high school with him), James Arness (Actor - Gunsmoke), Peggy Lee (Singer), Jay Silverheels (Tonto with the Lone Ranger), and best of all - John Wayne (Actor)

Grandparents Once Again

2008-05-25T16:41:00.003-06:00

As most of you know we're the proud grandparents of Juliet Elizabeth Cooksey, now 7 months old, who lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Over the past two weeks we have become the proud grandparents of Javier Benavides, a 16 year old boy, who is being adopted by our other son, Chris, and his wife, Tracy, who live in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Chris and Tracy have been married for almost 15 years and, from the beginning, we knew they did not want to have any children of their own. They have always talked of adopting an older child and, in the past year and a half of working with the system in Ohio, it is becoming a reality. They have legal custody of Javier now and in six months the adoption will be legal. Both Chris and Tracy have extensive experience in working with teenagers so they're well prepared for this.

We will meet Javier for the first time in July when we go to the mid-West to visit with family. We'll spend about four days with them in Mount Vernon.

We're very excited and happy for all three of them and consider this one more blessing in our lives.

If your birthday is May 25 you share your day with: Frank Oz (one of the Muppet guys), Tom T. Hall (country singer), Beverly Sills, (opera singer), Miles Davis (jazz musician), and Ralph Waldo Emerson (poet).

(PS: Betty and I are heading for Pagosa Springs, Colorado tomorrow morning for a 3 night get away and reconnect time for us. We'll return on Thursday evening. I'm taking my laptop and, if I can get a wireless connection, I'll continue making posts. If not, I'll be back on by next Friday at the latest. I hope you'll check back in when we're on line again.)

Back to Narnia

2008-05-24T16:23:00.006-06:00

Betty and I went to see the movie "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" today. We've been looking forward to this movie for over a year. In February of 2007 we were able to take a three week trip to New Zealand. As part of that trip we visited the South Island to a place called Glenorchy, NZ. We took two horse back rides that day. The morning ride was the Rings Tour ride and it went through several areas where the Lord of the Rings was filmed. We saw where Frodo met the elves for the first time, the place where Borimer died, and the mountains in the mountain crossing scenes. Betty even rode a horse that had been used in the movie.

During that ride they said that we would pass a new set for the second Chronicles of Narnia movie. We rode about 15 feet from some workmen doing some paint touch up on this huge, gnarled tree stump. We were told that we couldn't take pictures, so we didn't. So it was neat to see our stump in the early part of the movie today:

On our afternoon ride we did a ride called the Dart River ride. This was one of the areas from the Lord of the Rings where Gandalf did his long horseback ride during the third movie. We were pleasantly surprised to see the Dart River in today's movie as well:

It's a fun movie and we enjoyed it very much. It was also fun to have been where some of the scenes were filmed for this movie and the Lord of the Rings.

If today, May 24, is your birthday you share a birthday with: Bob Dylan (folksinger), Gary Burghoff (Radar on MASH), Patti LaBelle (singer), and Priscilla Presley (Elvis' wife).

Books We Have Learned From

2008-05-23T10:58:00.011-06:00

Every once in a while I will share some information about horses that has been particularly helpful for us. There's no question that experience on horses, especially in the company of better riders than us, has been the greatest teacher. However, there have been several books over the years that have been good teachers as well as good reads.

Without question, the books we have enjoyed the most and learned the most from are by a horse trainer named Mark Rashid who lives in Estes Park, Colorado.

His first book, "Considering the Horse" was the first book of his that we read. Unlike a lot of books written by horse trainers, Mark's books are good stories. His first couple of books tell about his experiences as a young boy when he worked with "the old man," a horse trainer by the name of Walter Pruett, and the lessons he learned from him. The most basic lesson he learned (and we learned from Mark) is to look at situations from the horse's perspective before deciding what to do next. I rarely read books more than once, but I have read this book at least three times and probably will read it again several more times.

His second book was "A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color" in which he continued his stories about his experiences with "the old man." He learned that buying a horse because of how he/she looks is never a good idea. He learned to evaluate a horse from the hooves up. If the feet are not good, then no matter how the horse looks it will not be a good horse.

His third book, "Horses Never Lie" helped us to learn that what you see in horses is what you get. They don't know how to lie or be deceitful. They don't play games with you. We have learned that we can learn a lot about ourselves from what our horses tell us. We know now that when something is not working with our horses, we look to ourselves first to see what we can do different. Our basic assumption for Gletta and Morgunn is they are always trying to do what they think we want and, if what they're doing is not what we want, then we're not communicating well enough.

We have read all his books now and learned something from each of them.

"Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse"

"Horsemanship Through Life"

"Big Horses, Good Dogs, Straight Fences"

If you want a good read and perhaps learn something about horses along the way, then we highly recommend Mark Rashid's books.

In the Beginning

2008-05-22T12:37:00.006-06:00

One of our blogging friends recently shared her introduction to her life with horses. I decided it was time to share how we got started.

Betty had hurt her back in the mid-90's. As part of her recuperation she read a lot of books about strengthening her back - exercise, stretching, etc. One of the books said that horse back riding was good for your back if you learned to ride properly - with the correct posture. We were planning a trip to Alaska and one of our stops was at a wilderness lodge East of Denali where the only things you could do (besides veg out) was to hike or ride horses. She suggested we take some riding lessons to see if we liked it and if her back would handle it.

So, we took some lessons at a local riding stable that basically focused on defensive riding - what to do to keep yourself out of trouble. Betty fell in love with riding and, eventually, I did too. Our trip to Alaska was great. At the lodge we rode along glacier rivers during the day and, after supper, we would ride to an area where we could have a camp fire. On those evening rides we would see moose grazing next to a little pond. We even did an all day ride up to a mountain pass where we saw caribou, mountain goats and evidence where grizzly bears had been recently. At the end of that ride a river we had to cross to get back to the lodge had risen significantly so we had to swim our horses across. It was all a great adventure and we were hooked.

That was about 12 years ago. From that point on we would schedule horse back rides wherever we went on personal vacation or business trips. In 2001 we decided to go to see the Calgary Stampede, a big rodeo/fair in Calgary, Alberta. We asked our travel agent to find us a guest ranch where we could go riding for a week while we were in that area. That's how we found the Lazy M Ranch and Lane and Margie Moore. All the other ranches we had visited prior to this trip were places where your horse was saddled and ready in the morning and they took it from you after the last ride of the day. At the Lazy M Lane wanted us to learn all we could about horses so we were responsible for everything. They taught us how to groom, pick feet, saddle, and take care of the horse after the ride. They also had riding camps in the Canadian Rockies where we had some real riding adventures. We loved it and went back to the Lazy M every year after that. We learned about horse training in the following years and talked a lot with Lane about what it meant to own a horse. They encouraged us that we could be horse owners and do very well. They have also become some of our best friends as well as horsemanship mentors.

In 2004 we moved to Corrales, New Mexico with the idea that we might buy our own horses. However, we decided we would take at least a year to make that decision to be sure we didn't rush into anything. During that year we went riding at a stable South of Santa Fe - Broken Saddle Stables - where we were introduced to gaited horses. They have both Missouri Fox Trotters and Tennessee Walkers. Gaited horses have a flat, running walk that can be extremely fast, but is also extremely smooth which was nice on our older bodies.

In the Spring of 2005 when we decided to buy horses we met a gaited horse trainer who lives in Corrales and he introduced us to Icelandic Horses. As he told us, "Their tolt (smooth gait) is easy on old bodies and their shorter stature means that when you fall off you're closer to the ground." We rode one of the Icelandic Horses that lives in Corrales and fell in love with them. We started researching Icelandic Horses that were for sale - all out of state at that time.

About that same time we decided to keep our horses at our house rather than board them which is a decision we have never regretted for one second. The man who built our house is a horseman - he breeds show Appaloosas - and he built our two stall stable over the next several months.

In late July of 2005, the owner of one of the Icelandic Horses we had ridden, decided she needed to reduce her herd and reluctantly put Morgunn up for sale. One day later he belonged to me. The neat thing is we bought him on July 1 which is our anniversary.

A month later Betty spotted an Icelandic Horse for sale in Utah. Our trainer friend joined us, we hooked the trailer to the truck and headed for Spanish Forks, Utah about the middle of August. After meeting and riding Gletta and getting a vet check (which she passed with flying colors), Gletta belonged to Betty and we brought her home.

Since then we've ridden around our neighborhood, through the Bosque (woods) along the Rio Grande, along the many irrigation ditches, in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains, and even in a gaited horse show at the Sandoval County Fair in Cuba, NM. We've had our bumps and bruises, but we've also had some of the most enjoyable times of our lives.

What started as an enjoyable vacation experience flowered over the years to a way of life that we now love.

Bridles, Bits, Bosals -- and Hackamores, Too

2008-05-21T11:40:00.008-06:00

I thought I would talk a little today about where we are on how we communicate with our horses, Gletta and Morgunn. When we first brought them home to live with us we were using the traditional bridle with a metal bit. Over time with the assistance of our trainer we tried different bits and they worked reasonably well. We didn't have any problems getting Gletta and Morgunn to take their bit, but Gletta particularly would 'mouth' her bit all the time while Betty was riding her.

About two years ago I started researching the idea of bitless communication. There is the traditional bosal, a tear-drop shaped piece of tack, usually made of rawhide, that goes over the horse's nose. The reins are attached to the bottom of the bosal. A bosal is often used with young horses before a bit is introduced to them. Here's a picture of a horse (not ours) wearing a bridle and bosal...

Another traditional, non-bit item is the hackamore (sometimes spelled hackimore). This is a mechanical device that again goes over the nose, but uses metal shanks to create pressure on the nose. Here's a picture of a horse in a hackamore...

The third traditional non-bit item is the side-pull. This is a bridle where the reins attach directly to the side and it allows a direct pull from each rein. Here's a picture of a horse (again not ours) wearing a side pull bridle...

A little over a year ago we finally decided to go with a bitless bridle similar to the side-pull bridle. However, instead of a direct pull as in the side-pull, our reins are attached to a leather strap that goes under the horses chin. When we pull the right rein, the pressure is applied to the left side of the horse's head instead of the right side as with a side-pull. This bridle was developed by a vet named Dr. Cook. We have almost a year's experience with both horses and we're very happy with the results. Both Gletta and Morgunn are just as responsive as they were with the bit, but they both seem much more relaxed with this bitless bridle. Here's a picture of each of them with their bitless bridles on...

So, that's probably a whole lot more than you ever wanted to know about bitless bridles.