The Boyfriend and I get really serious....

As we say down here, "Ain't he purdy?"  All grown up, five years old now and a few months of training under his cinch.  No, I am not on his mouth, just started to ask him to back when this photo was taken.  We were working on baby steps here.

And here we had worked on trotting.  My inner thigh muscles were sore from holding on the first time a couple of days ago but for this ride I was fine.  I used the new saddle I bought for him two years ago.  Very comfortable and my knees didn't hurt when I got off.  Oh, yeah, getting up was accomplished without too much drama.  He's so....big.....at least 16 hands, I will try to measure him next time I go.  The round pen was ankle deep in mud but I found a lower place to have him stand so I could get up on him...by myself.  This is a real accomplishment!  Shopping has commenced for a mounting block.  I think I would do ok if the ground was level and not deep in mud.
Jacques is doing very well and will be coming home this week for a little more getting the feel of him in our round pen, some rides around the property and then off to the trails!
I've waited a very long time for this.
Oh, by the way, that is him at about 6 months old in the little photo on the blog, if you want to see how adorable he was when I bought him.

Gone Ridin'. 

The End.

Fun Names of Towns!

I believe I have mentioned the town of Marrowbone at some point in this blog, if not, well, yes, it is a real town.  I have not been able to find out the reason it was named this. There are also TWO Marrowbones.  So if I ever have a corgi picnic down here, I have to make sure people get to the right one!

 We also have Eighty Eight and Forty Four down here.  So I grabbed the map and have found some more fun names here.

Good Night

Knob Lick (Anything with the name Knob or Lick drives Jerry into giggles....got to love that 60 year old teenaged mind)

Nobob (No Bob!  Just for Helen!)

Dog Lick

Bandana

Beaverlick

Bee Springs

Broad Fields

Bluehole

Bimble

Cranks

Flippin (one  of Jerry's favorites)

Dog Walk

Dwarf

Gap in Knob

Fourmile

Goldbug

Indian Hills (not so unusual but there are three towns named that!)

Kinniconick (wonder if this is like Kinnikinick?)

Linefork (what exactly IS a linefork?  And where can I get one?)

Louella

Mousie

Moon

Oddville

PeeDee

Peoples

Quicksand

Rabbit Hash (I think this would be my second or third choice to live in!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_Hash

Apparently for some years they vote in local dogs as Mayor of Rabbit Hash.  Here is Lucy Lou, one of the previous Mayors:

http://blog.mackenzieland.com/2008/11/theres-new-dog-in-town.html
I AM going to go and visit Rabbit Hash one of these days!
Raccoon
Redfox
Ringos Mill
Salt Gum
Sassafras
Science Hill
Shopville (let's go!~)
Shoulderblade
Soft Shell
Skylight
Teaberry
Sunfish
Viper
Wellington (not unusual, but there are two of these, too)
Zion (ditto)

I love the name Summer Shade and am so glad we live here, but Marrowbone just is a perfect place to live if you have dogs....

Our Local Celebrity

When we moved down here, I kept seeing this very bizarre van in town.  What on earth?  :)  Turns out it belongs to a lady who also raises and shows her Afghan Hounds.  As far as I can figure out, she is a smoker and a defender of smokers' rights.  She has taken her van and made it into a political statement.  It's best to find the van parked somewhere and read the signs and things on it, or you would surely drive off the road trying to do so.  She is even mentioned in Wikipedia for Edmonton.
I have been stalking the town, waiting for a opportunity to take a photo of it, but either I'd see the van and not have the camera, or the reverse.  :)  However, I happened to find this website where there are some great photos of it, so will direct you all there to take a peek!
Oh, and she also decorates it for the various holidays.  Christmas was....stunning...I can't think of another word for it.  There is just no good word to describe it.  In these photos, it is decorated for Valentine's Day.
But God Bless her for being able to express her opinion in her own way.  It certainly does get attention and gets her message out to people. There is no mistaking her feelings on several subjects!
Only in Kentucky..... :)
http://www.libertyvan.com/

Happiness, The Bluebird

Yep, he exists.  He lives here with Mrs. Happiness, who is nesting in the nest box out back.  They raised two broods last summer, one nearly lost his life late one evening, the corgis were after "something" and I ran down the one who had something in its mouth.  It was Little Happiness (not sure if it was a boy or a girl) who was newly fledged and stupidly decided to begin his/her maiden voyage of flight very late one evening.  I managed to save it, stuffed it back in its little box and the next morning he/she was gone. Thankfully!  :)  I'll try to get a better photo of Happiness for you all.
My friend Jan, came to visit a few weeks back and so I made her a picture pie.  Here it is:

I did it in honor of Spring, which she doesn't have. And probably not even just yet, as she lives in mid Maine!  We had lots of daffodils blooming then so I thought this was an appropriate subject for the pie.  It was chicken and Jan loved it!
And don't think I don't mess pies up.  I mean, they always taste good but I tried to do one with the sun, moon and a comet on it.  Oh, my!  It didn't even rate a photo.  The comet resembled a four tailed sperm.  I didn't want to end up on Cake Wrecks or anything!  (see www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com for more incredibly bad as well as incredibly amazing cakes!).
Last are some photos of the pups. Here is Kitten:

This is Carling (Kar-leen):

Last of all is pretty Zophia:

I'll give them all a kiss from each of my readers!  :)