ephemerallife

haley and the horses

 

I think you might remember little Haley from some of my previous posts. She is a remarkable little girl. An area that I have noticed Haley having an exceptional gift is with the horses on the farm. Not just the horses, anything equine, such as the mules and the donkeys seem to all love her.

 

 

The horses seem to universally ignore me and most other people. I could wave fresh clover and juggle apples while completely naked and they wouldn't even glance in my direction. Haley on the other hand simply has to walk over to the fence and call their names. Soon, she has them all going all crazy for her affection.

 

 

I've noticed the "Haley Effect" on many occasions and have often wondered about her way with the horses. She doesn't feed them treats . She does talk to them and she does pet them gently. Is it her gentleness or something else that they like about her?

 

 

The Haley Effect only seems to apply to the equine breeds. Sarah, the resident barn cat, only tolerates Haley as much as she tolerates the rest of us. Pet her a little and scratch her ears a little more and she is about done with you.

 

 

Once picked up, Sarah quickly frees herself and goes looking for someplace else to take her nap. The other farm animals just ignore Haley as they do the rest of us. The one exception might be Zack, the goat. Zack thinks he is a draft horse and that might be the reason he likes Haley. If she's good enough for the rest of the horses, Zack figures she's good enough for a goat-horse like him as well.

 

Who knows? However, as long as I see those horses become so affectionate in her presence, I will always find the reaction remarkable. Especially since they are never phased by somebody as wonderfully kind, good looking, intelligent, and friendly as me. Dumb assed horses. I don't want to be your friends anyways. Me and the rest of.. I mean, me and the hogs are going to hang out in the sun for a while.

 

 

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speaking with John Dunn

reading by the window light

bat for lashes

 

OK then, we have established that the flamingos are number one on my list of favorite critters at the zoo. Number two are the huge bats. Flying foxes. They are almost canine until you remember the enormous wings that envelope their bodies as they hang down from the ceiling. Each like a giant webbed hand.

I do like the bats.

 

flamingo Shadow

 

As you can see, I have been to the zoo again. I don't keep flamingos in the back yard. Really, I don't think they would like the cold or the snow. Every time I visit the zoo, I spend time with the flamingos. They have that vibrant and saturated shades of coral color that I don't see in my every day experience.

 

 

So, I have a whole flock of flamingos standing in the bright sun. What can I do with that scene? Maybe the challenge is one of the reasons that I like the flamingos so much.

 

 

The first thing I always do is break the big picture into it's smaller parts. I like to find the details and the individuals within the flock and focus on them. I usually leave the big picture up to others and go small.

I think this approach worked out pretty well. How about you? How would you tackle a large flock of flamingos at the zoo?

 

the morning herd

Morning Heard

 

I came across this herd as I rode around Saturday morning, hoping that the sun would come out. Alas, the clouds and overcast skies held sway until mid afternoon, too late for any good landscape photos.

I watched the cows eating and wandering the field as the farmer drove his truck around and unloaded bails of hay. To my surprise, t he cows pretty much ignored the farmer's offering, instead continuing to east the winter grass. What do I know about being a cow? I thought they would run for the hay. I know nothing about being a cow.

 

koi

 

 

smoking

 

The morning sun had done it's job well. The birds had slowly warmed themselves and were now ready to launch their bodies skyward with powerful thrusts of their wings. It was time to leave the safety of their roost in search of food to power them through yet another day. Tonight, they would return to huddle for warmth against the cold winter night.  But for now, they would rise like smoke and scatter on the wind.

 

time to lean

 

Sometimes you just need to take a lean. Maybe your hoofs are a little tired or you back is sore. Leaning just seems to be the perfect solution. Even if you are a cow.

 

 

little lambs

 

Eight lambs were born on the farm this month. At last check, all were healthy and doing just fine. I'll visit and check on them this weekend. I'll be sure to report back to you.

 

just duckie

Duck in the Park

 

It's been a while since we had the opportunity to enjoy a visit with one of our fowl friends. The ducks in Snyder park are conditioned to see every approaching car as a potential source of food. Indeed, sometimes Jodi and I stop to feed them. The problem is that as soon as they see a car coming down the road, they begin to waddle in the street. Sometimes there are dozens of them standing in e road. Driving becomes a little tricky as you try to ease your way through them without injuring any of the birds.

To tell the truth, it feels a little like they are highwaymen and you are riding in a coach. "Throw out the crackers and nobody gets hurt. Quack!"

bath time

 

I always wonder about cats and their bathing habits. One can be walking along and suddenly, they fall to the ground and start licking away as though the planets had suddenly aligned into their perfect bathing position. Drop whatever you are doing, it's time to wash up. Just as suddenly, they can stand up and resume their walk, satisfied that they got that one spot perfectly clean.

I have other wonders about cats. However, they can keep for another day. Do you have a cat? What kind of cat behavior do you wonder about?