horses, dogs, alpaca and Sunday morning rambling

Picture this, now close your eyes. It is just before dusk, the winds have died down. The sun is a huge golden orb, the skies are dark turquoise and the overhead billowy clouds blanketing the skies are orange/pink in color. As the sun is setting below the Rockies, looking like heavy eyelids slowly starting to close, sleep overcomes Colorado. As you gaze off over the prairie, movement catches your eye--off in the distance you notice a band of horses--some are contentedly munching the browned dormant grasses. Their tails are switching from side to side as if to flick off some unseen pest. And you notice as the dust rises off their backs, off to the side, a middle aged gray mare watches. Alert. Listening. Her nares begin flaring, in and out with anticipation--then she gets that look in her eye and takes off, running with abandon, the rest of the band follows at her heels.
Now watch them run in slow motion--their large muscles bunching and relaxing in cadence, over and over--as their hooves become airborne, clumps of sod goes flying. As a cloud of dust surrounds the band, you can almost smell the sweat as it collects on their shiny coats. You feel the jarring of the earth as each hoof hits the ground. Moving as one unit, they suddenly stop as all their energy has been released.
Just like me, the thoughts have been building--and now the release--time to write my blog again!!!
But seriously, I have always loved horses, starting at age 9. I wanted one so bad, but by the time we were able to relocate in the country, I felt that I was too old to start with horses, as well as being a nurse, I had taken care of too many folks that were injured around horses. But our place here we are surrounded by neighbors who have horses. I can look out my window and see them contentedly grazing or being worked.
This is a picture of our neighbors team of draft breed horses this past fall out our front window.


Doesn't this just take you back to days long past?

DOGS LIFE
Good news, our new dog Lulu is getting along splendidly with both Bear and Casey(our 10+ year old lab). Casey checking out the kennel. Seen in this picture below.
A little information on Casey, she was a rescue dog from some neighbors we had in Minnesota. These people wanted a lab in the worst way. They had 2 puppies before they had Casey. They did not last even a month at their place as they got run over by some member of the family. Then they got Casey. She was their 3rd puppy that summer. Poor little Casey did not get much attention and was left tied up all day when they were off to work. When they would get home from their full time jobs, they would let her loose. Of course she always ended up at our house. She would hang out with our Rottweiler Reba, and they became good buddies. She also would take Dennis shoes and chew them out in the yard. We kind of considered her family at that point on.
The owner would come over and retrieve her, then beat her for coming over. And every time he would come over, I told him that if he did not want Casey that I would take her. Well, before we were transferred back to Minneapolis, I told this guy that we were moving and that I would take Casey. He was still adamant that he wanted to keep her. One week before we were scheduled to move, he brought Casey over and said that I could have her. Needless to say, it was months before she would let us pat her head without flinching. To this day she still does not like her head touched, but will tolerate it with her morning loving up. She to this day has low self esteem I believe from her earlier days of abuse, but is such a good dog. I am so glad that we have Lulu and that Lulu is trying to get Casey to play with her, as Bear does also.Picture of dogs playing.
The dogs in a huddle, no doubt talking about tonight's big game!


The following picture is of three of my alpaca. Roxie is the dark colored one on the right, she is mother to the other two. You never know what color of alpaca that you will get. Roxie has always been bred to a white male. Alpacas come in over 22 colors and variations there of. Rock Star is in the center and you have already met him, and Emma is on the left side. She is a medium fawn color. I hope in next writings to include more alpaca information.
As I started my writings with a horse scenario this morning I thought that I should end with one. What got me to thinking of horses today is the big Superbowl that will be going on. I don't really watch the game, but sure do hope that they have memorable commercials with Clydesdale horses.
More later.