Half-Breed

Ding Dong!

Who is it?

Landshark.

You’re not a Landshark! You’re Gigi! Come on in!

Those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about are either too young or too intellectual to have watched such banality.

But the rest of us thought it was funny.

Anyway, this post is about the Saturday Night skit. It’s about Gigi, the half-breed who lives down the street. She really not a half-breed per se…she’s a thoroughbred Labra-Doodle. And so lies the weirdness of nature as God designed it.

Maybe we shouldn’t have let her inside.

For you see, dogs can be bred for specific characteristic and behavorial traits. If you want a breed to specifically snif out bombs at an airport, you can breed one in less than four generations. If you want a dog with an acute sense of hearing, you can breed on the same way. All dogs are descendants of the wolf but generations of breeding domesticity into them have completely removed the independent wolf instinct.

Labra-Doodles are a cross between Labradors and Poodles. They are bred to have the easy going, loyal, and disposition of Labradors but have the intelligence and the non-sheddability of Poodles. It means they supposedly don’t shed. I know it’s not a word.

How do I know? I saw it on the National Geographic Channel while on vacation to New Orleans a couple of years ago.

Really.

So my weird mind asks this question. What about other breeds? Cats? Rabbits?….People? Gulp.

Told you my mind works in weird ways.

She’s so cute.

As it turns out, this phenomenon of breeding is confined to just dogs, as far as we know. They’ve tried it with cats to no avail. No one has actually tried on humans, as far as we know.

Sorry to get all Dr. Frankenstein on you…but I know that you’ve thought about it too.

Maybe not.

One thing for sure. Gigi the Labra-Doodle who lives down the street can beat my own sweet dog in a beauty contest any day. Somebody neglected to breed our dog for the “pretty” gene. But she IS ours and we love her shed-like-crazy-bald-headed-stout-big-boned self.

Thank goodness it’s not all about beauty.

Time to go home Gigi. We have enough animals running around here.

Posted on Wordful Wednesday.

It’s Animal Love

It’s not just a celebration of human love this week.

I love the dog too. She’s my companion every morning for our daily walk. And I don’t even have to put her on a leash.

I was going through my old archives and I found these photos of her birthday from last November. We got her an angus burger from McDonald’s for her birthday.

My pastor once asked people to email him with any questions they had about heaven. The most asked question?

“Will my pet go to heaven?”

He says we won’t like the answer. He says that animals don’t have souls like humans do. So they can’t possibly go to heaven. But that heaven is such a place where everthing is perfect so it will be like having our pets with us.

What does he know?

Happy New Year Mosaic Monday

On Tuesday.

Trench Warfare & Christmas Time

One of my favorite Christmas stories ever is a true one. Please forgive me because I’m going by memory. I’m not googling it.

During World War I, the world was at war and the Allie and German troops were conducting trench warfare somewhere in France. On Christmas Day, they put down their arms and celebrated Christmas together. Some people would rather emaphasize the fact that they then went back to warring with each other after that. But I like to take away the fact that there will always be difference, and disputes and well – war.

But on that one day, there was peace. And the peace was bigger than man, country and war. And it came from a place that is not of this earth. Now that’s the true story of Christmas.

We’re on our way home from my parents’ house. I hope that cat and dog are as peaceful with us and each as they were on our way up here.

I may post again when I get home today. For some reason I’m feeling chatty.

November 20, Making Hay

I know it’s a silly title. I love the lines in the stall door and barn. And the horse is cute too.

Chasing Sunflare, A Tutorial

focal length: 23 mm
shutter speed: 1/250
aperture: f/25
ISO: 200
flash: not fired

Last weekend was the girl’s second meet of the year and we settled down to it like old pros. Or at least she did. I continued to wonder what a lead change was.

“Did you see that flying lead change?”

Sure I did.

focal length: 23 mm
shutter speed: 1/250
aperture: f/25
ISO: 200
flash: not fired

And I was looking for great shots of my little girl and her little teammates. I read a tutorial in iHeartfaces about sunflare and I was determined to find some. Unfortuntely, the day’s events were slightly overwhelming for me. I was tasked to also keep score for the team. I couldn’t remember anything in the tutorial except for this, have your kit lens and a narrow aperture (a big number on your aperture setting).

focal length: 23 mm
shutter speed: 1/50
aperture: f/25
ISO: 200
flash: not fired

But it was still dark so I slowed the shutter speed. Little Alexandra came in to help the girl tack up Chocolate. I love her little braids.

focal length: 23 mm
shutter speed: 1/25
aperture: f/25
ISO: 200
flash: not fired

I slowed the shutter speed even more. It’s better. Notice I should have changed my ISO but she was going to be done any second.

focal length: 23 mm
shutter speed: 1/8
aperture: f/22
ISO: 200
flash: not fired

I had just enough time to fiddle with it one more time. Slower shutter speed still, quick adjustment on the aperture. And there’s Little Alexandra again. She’s so little and so cute.

focal length: 18 mm
shutter speed: 1/8
aperture: f/22
ISO: 200
flash: not fired

A little more fumbling and the sun started to go away.

focal length: 18 mm
shutter speed: 1/8
aperture: f/22
ISO: 200
flash: not fired

By the time Little Madison came to help, the sun was gone. I guess I could have helped also.

focal length: 18 mm
shutter speed: 1/8
aperture: f/22
ISO: 200
flash: not fired

I could have done something with the ISO. I always forget the ISO! But tacking up Chocolate took just minutes and I would have missed it if I hadn’t been there with my camera.

All of these photos are straight out of camera (SOOC).

Hugs all around.

November 4, Wordless Wednesday

Oakcrest @ Home, 2009

As we open the equestrian season, I can’t help but think of how far I’ve come. Really. I’m not being braggadoshish. I have.

Last year at about this time, we were at our very first equestrian meet. I was so lost. Here’s a link to the post on my old blog. That will put things in perspective for you. But I still have a long way to go…a very long way. I have the perfect illustration of that but I can’t share it here yet. Sorry about the tease.

The girls get together before the meet to do a little football huddle.

I have mixed feelings still about the day. The girl has been ill since last Thursday. She had a high fever and the doctor said she had “flu-like” symptoms. I, of course, thought the worse. Swine! Swine! Swine! She was so sick that I thought that she couldn’t ride on Sunday. Just can’t do it. Period.

Not so fast.

I rode to the farm with the girl the day before to tell Miss Tina that she may not make it. Miss Jen, a trainer said, “All she has to do is come and ride. She doesn’t have to do any work. She can rest in between her classes.”

“(Girl), you’re one of the high point riders. We need you.”

“Of course, if you’re sick, then you’re sick.”

Uh huh.

And they play little hand games to pass the time before the meet.

We see Miss Tina who exclaims, “If her fever broke, then she should come. She can get here right before her class and ride. Just point the horse. We’ll take care of the rest.”

What is this? the Olympics?

The husband made a comment about how loose they seemed. Not uptight at all. I guess success breeds confidence.

I ask the girl if she wants to ride, knowing what the answer would be. She nods weakly and croaks, “I want to ride, I’ll be okay.”

Uh huh.

So the girl wakes up yesterday and declares herself cured of the flu. It’s a miracle.

Things turn serious in due time.

As a mom, I was really torn. It’s not as if she was playing a soccer game or a sport that relies only on her strength and capability. There’s that horse. The unpredictable beast. She has to be focused and if she’s weak, she can fall. And hurt herself. And make her mom feel guilty for the rest of her life.

So I said, “Lets see what Daddy says.” I’m a wimp.

But Dads are worse suckers than moms. Here’s her dad making out with Brave Mouse.

Needless to say, she was doing really well on her first class, that is until her horse stopped in the middle to get a drink of water.

The team and trainers watched in confusion until it sunk in that everyone else was riding except for the girl. There goes her placement. Oh well, at least she didn’t fall off.

Hello000…. Jokerrrr…! You know there’s a meet going on don’t you?

She did end up doing just fine even after being weak from fever. She won first place in her second class and she really perked up then. All better now! Better than her mom who now needs professional help with all the second guessing I did. I was so glad the day was over.

I entered her room this morning to see what the school situation was. She now has a cough…what kind of mom would have her child outside all day in the cold after having the flu? Me, that’s who. I let her stay home today. She is peacefully sleeping, dreaming of horses I’m sure.

I am gladly accepting nominations for Mom of the Year. Thank you, thank you.

Horse Doctor & Love Thursday

If the girl doesn’t become a horse doctor I’ll be surprised. Actually I won’t be surprised because I know that teenage occupational goals tend to be based on emotion rather than practicality and can be fleeting.

A horse can become lame for many reasons but a couple of weeks ago, Joker becomes lame from thrush.

“Her feet hurt,” the girl says.

She lifts up the hoof, scraps out the dirt…

…and puts on healing medicine.

I thought, “She knows how to do this?”

And to watch her do it with such confidence makes me proud. Especially since I don’t have the same tendency to love horses like the girl does. Joker will take any chance she gets to head butt me and slobber on my pants. I think she knows she can intimidate me.

But not the girl, you can’t be scared if you are going to be a horse doctor.

Doing what you love for a living. That’s the way it should be…

Happy Love Thursday.

My Favorite Things

The ladies at iHeartfaces have decided to give their weekly contest a rest and instead asked us what our favorite things were. I was just over at their place and I was inspired.

So here goes…not in any particular order nor is this an exhaustive list by any means…(that was for my husband.)

1. my boy taking control of a situation.

2. my girl taking control of her horse.

3. hot food…really hot food…the hotter, the better.

4. Mr. Monk…I love the show. I used to read Agatha Christie all the time and Mr. Monk reminds me of  the hero detective, Hercule Poirot in her mystery series. Except Mr. Monk isn’t French.

5. old furniture…especially old found furniture bought in far away places when on an adventure with the husband…like the one above….acquired while rummaging through the back streets of Northern Japan.

6. making meals for my familly and friends.

This is a fig and marscapone pound cake that I’ll write a recipe for right after I submit it to the Pillsbury cook-off. I’m not kidding.

7. Sarah Breyer art. I only have one and I love it.

8. pottery…dishes…plates…china…I can walk right by purses, shoes, jewelry (almost) but when it comes to dishes, I have a serious problem.

9. elephants. I have a collection of miniatures of these large mammals…I don’t know why but I do.

10. and finally, my newest passion, photography. And flowers. And bokeh. And photography.

Go to iHeartfaces to see more favorite things and get inspired!

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