Friday, November 12, 2010

Found in the Fog!

These photos, taken today when I was riding Sovereign bareback, give a hint of how gorgeous our weather and light have been. Today was easily 60 degrees and the yellows and greens are amazing!!! These shots were taken with my beat up cell phone - the one that takes the mystical, foggy photos, but at least it captured some of what we were seeing. The ride on Pie yesterday was equally beautiful. The boys are sleepy and calm in our warm, yellow snowglobe with leaves falling around us like snowflakes.

Ha! This picture makes me crack up laughing out loud (so much so, that I just woke Noodlebug from a snuggly catnap!). This looks like Sovey is wearing a hat (a goofy hat) but actually it is my mom standing in front of Sovereign feeding him carrots and she is wearing the (goofy) hat!!! This reminds me of a photo we have of me on my pony Dimples and my mother is holding Dimples and the angle it was taken makes my mom look like she has a tail! I will have to post that sometime.

Here is Pie, back in the small paddock looking for us. Of course, we are in plain view, but dear, slow, Pie is mixed-up about our location.

Sovey's adorable ears in the woods.


Our shadow on the driveway. (Pie had a big gash on him and I had put Neosporin on it earlier and had the tube still in my pocket. I whipped it out on the driveway and didn't see it there when I snapped the photo of Sovey. Oops. Of course, my crazy cell camera puts that in perfect focus!)

After this lovely dash through the woods, we tumbled out into the hayfield. One neighbor was using a leaf blower and Sovey didn't care, but I was on bareback so I quietly gave the universal symbol for "cut". He kindly stopped and waited until we passed. Comically, two houses down we came upon a whole army of lawncare workers. There must have been 5 or 6 using leaf blowers, lawn mowers, rakes - it was crazy. Sovey did nothing - good boy.
After my ride, I was out in our far pastures picking up manure and the boys wondered up there. They were so sleepy and quiet, following me around in the sunshine. I would pick up a pile and Pie would walk up and softly push his head into my hands for some scratching. I would stop and love him up and walk on and get back to work. He would follow me and ask for more loving. This went on all the rest of the afternoon. I can't tell you how perfect this day was for me.
And, then, this evening, we had some very exciting news! Awhile ago, I posted about the possibility of seeing Sovereign's full brother. Sovey's racing name is Suave Lord and one night in July I was on my computer looking up his pedigree and watching replays of his races. Somehow, I stumbled on a site that lists Thoroughbred Dams and all their foals and I found Sovey's mother, Western Groom and saw her babies. I realized that one of them, Found in the Fog, was sired by Suave Prospect, just like Sovey! They were full brothers! Then, I searched for the whereabouts of Found in the Fog and saw that he was racing at Philadelphia Park - 3 hours from here! We just couldn't seem to coordinate a visit, but I kept it in the back of my mind as something to sort out soon.
On Sunday evening our whole family went to see the movie Secretariat. This was a big deal for me because: 1. I don't see animal movies because I cry too much and 2. I don't watch horse races unless it is a replay and I know that all the horses survived without injury. Like, for example, I have never seen The Horse Whisperer or Seabiscuit because I couldn't physically take the headache from crying. I know the Secretariat story so I chanced it and did end up crying through the whole movie because it was beautiful. With the visions of the night before dancing in my head, I read my emails the next morning and found one from Found in the Fog's owners asking me if I was interested in owning him because they are ready to retire him!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about a loaded deck! I was definitely "on tilt" (as in, not thinking straight).
I am practical about animal ownership and motherhood. I can only handle one. One cat, one child...and in the case of horses, one would be cruel, so two. Really, seriously, I do not want or need a third horse. I like to do things well, not hurried, or halfway, and my horse time allotment per day is perfect at two. If I do not take him, they will retire him to the Thoroughbred rescue organization, Turning For Home. But...to not see this horse would be foolish...so we are heading down/over to Philadelphia on Wednesday. Honestly, I am freaking out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

23 comments:

  1. OOhh Freakking out= with you from here!!!!!
    Too totally cool...Oh a trip to see him sounds so neat-o!
    Wise...yea, I would be wanting to have him too...but wise you are.

    When I had Pantz (2 years ago)and my sissy asked me if I wanted to own her..I really, really wanted to..I mean I already did all the work of two.. rode them both..had one for freinds to ride...but I only paid for Washashe and as Pantz became a hard keeper..oou, it became only logical, for me to relinquish her back.I cried for weeks .

    Going backwards...LOVED all the shots from the glowing sno globe world you rode in!!! I thought maybe the neosporin made the photos greasy...but that is just action shots...makes them look fast!
    DREAMY Corn Field rides yea!!! And that signal would be" hand slitting the throat"?!! Yea...motor bikers always laugh..when I(had to, long ago) do that from horseback!!
    I too...did the double take- then laughed it up, with the goofy hat shot...tehehe!

    Oh...it's the waitng that will be tough...have a fast and fun weekend..it'll be Wednesday B-4 you know it!
    XOXO

    ReplyDelete
  2. Scott & kids hung his cowboy hat on one of Dream's ears today and it just stayed on. I MUST get a photo of that up.

    I have to find out how to see his races online. That is so exciting, getting to see Sovey's full brother~! xo

    I loved the photos.

    I am just now learning to think about how much we can really handle. But I think all these kids would have shown up, anyway. lol

    My 3" of snow/ice melted yesterday. Yippee to however many warm days are left to us!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I heard that Secretariat is good. We've been so busy that we haven't had the chance to go see it. I guess we'll see it on DVD. I like your photos. The play on the light is quite interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So exciting! Can't wait to hear how this visit goes!!! Glad you are having such wonderful rides. I know that if I see Secretariat I'll cry through the whole thing too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks everyone! I am so excited. equestian_librarian - I love your new avatar. Are you on the mare? (I think your sweet tb boy is a chestnut.) The photo is great! You look so happy! That is how I ride - smiling all the time!

    ReplyDelete
  6. To answer your question on my blog... Just doing my usual blog surfing. I've made some interesting friends the past four years doing the same. Thanks for surfing back to mine.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the photos, they have a mystical painterly effect ~ what a wonderful ride! Sweet nudges, just melt your heart.

    Wow what an exciting and special opportunity you have to look forward to. A hard decision no doubt. Enjoy your trip, can't wait to read about it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a beautiful day and I am excited for you to meet Sovey's brother too!!! eeek

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh Juliette, if you are anything like me, going to see an animal up for adoption seeking a home is as good as AGREEING TO ADOPT HIM!! Luckily, if you do not, he will have a good retirement placement through the Thoroughbred retirement people. Still, this is an exciting blog chapter and I will be waiting to see in a few days what your blog has to say about it!
    We are having some really beuatiful weather here too. The only bad thing has been that the leaves are now so loud and crackly underfoot that I can't hear a single thing my riding companions are saying! Bill said it's like he's talking to himself! hah! Yesterday on our ride we saw two coyotes boundi through a pasture. This made for one wiggly horse under me!
    I cannot wait to see Secretariat. only last weekend while at a diner, there was a guy at the next table who had just seen it and was talking SO LOUDLY ABOUT IT that I seriously feared he was going to ruin it for me!! I kept saying to Brandon, Why doesn't that man just pipe down? And if you ever want to borrow The Horse Whisperer or Seabiscuit, I have them both on DVD!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Juliette, I love your image of riding in an autumn snowglobe - how pretty! What a nice ride you had and such pretty pictures you took as well! It is so interesting how you found Sovey's brother, and now have a chance to go see him! What serendipity! I saw Secretariat and loved it. It was both thrilling and touching. And it was special to us here in Virginia because he was born here. The day after the movie, I got to go out to the farm he was born on and just walk around reminiscing (because they were hosting the Equine Extravaganza on his former farm). Good luck to you on Wednesday - sounds wonderful to meet your boy's brother!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Those photos came out really dreamy, didn't they?
    I especially like the shadow one.
    Wow, that sounds exciting to go see his brother. It seems like Serendipity that they found you too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Silly! You did not sound bossy at all-- just like a teacher who cares! :-)

    Have fun seeing Sovey's full sibling tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow those photos are so dreamy!! Very beautiful, love your blog, just found your shop and so happy I did. Gorgeous work!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. First, gorgeous photos. Second (since I am reading this series months late and backwards) HOLY CRAP! this is sorta fate-like, isn't it? I can't even grasp how the stars aligned for you to share your life with this boy. Now I'm going to move ahead and catch up with how the herd has adapted now. Congrats, Julie. I am SO happy for you!

    ReplyDelete
  15. 이것에 대해 알아내야 할 많은 것들이 눈에 띄게 있다. 옵션에서도 좋은 요소들을 만들었다고 생각합니다.우리카지노

    ReplyDelete
  16. I got a web site from where I be capable of really obtain valuable information regarding my study and knowledge.
    Great Article… Good Job… Thanks For Sharing…

    Website:부산달리기


    ReplyDelete
  17. Those photos came out really dreamy, didn't they?
    I especially like the shadow one.
    Wow, that sounds exciting to go see his brother. It seems like Serendipity that they found you too. เว็บพนันถูกกฎหมาย ufabet

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to visit Honeysuckle Faire!