tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22002712031738219522012-01-30T17:58:17.554-08:00Nuzzling Muzzles is the place where I write and exchange news about the large and powerful beasts we call horses.Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.comBlogger12301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-66258534257119917482012-01-30T14:46:00.000-08:002012-01-30T14:50:01.650-08:00

After soliciting the help of a real estate agent to assist me in finding a home I can live with, she was only able to find one home that fit my criteria, and it's a short sale.  It was a newer, really nice little horse ranch that looked awesome until I saw the taxes and the fact that it is in a flood plain (which means expensive flood insurance) with a huge natural wash running through it. Also,

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-72890337295646763642012-01-29T13:46:00.000-08:002012-01-29T13:46:28.923-08:00

In a comment achieve1dream asked how I trained Bombay not to bite, but to lick instead. I had to think about it, because we're talking something that happened maybe ten years ago. If my memory serves me well, I offered him my hand and watched him closely. As soon as I saw or sensed that he was about to nip, I'd say, "Ahh, ahh, ahh," like "No, no, no," and pulled my hand away. I'd then offer

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-39071517051014624552012-01-27T11:51:00.000-08:002012-01-27T16:39:39.351-08:00

It's such a nice day, I thought I'd go outside and take pictures of the horses.  They are all a mess, but there's not much point in grooming as long as there is mud on the ground.  Here's Bombay itching and Gabbrielle taking a stroll in the background... Gabbrielle licking a remnant of a salt lick and Lostine pigging out in the background... This was about 30-seconds into my photo shoot, and

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-57789358950299027992012-01-26T08:44:00.000-08:002012-01-26T08:44:59.582-08:00

Sometimes I write blog posts and forget to mention their resolutions.  My blogger friend achieve1dream is really generous in commenting on almost every post I write when she gets time to read them, so sometimes she makes a comment on an old post and that reminds me that I never followed up on the subject.  I'm like a rubber bouncy ball, only staying in one space or mind-set for a short period

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-21380692206865650952012-01-25T03:08:00.000-08:002012-01-25T03:08:50.868-08:00

I'm a deer chaser now, by profession.  The deer have been coming around so often that the horses complain by kicking their stall walls, which triggers the dogs to run for the door barking because they've come to associate the horses kicking with deer being in our yard.  I let the dogs out to do their business, and they can sometimes chase off the deer, but usually the deer just stand there and

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-61124169226642592062012-01-24T08:48:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:48:35.006-08:00

Every couple of days I've been searching real estate sites for a new home in the areas my husband and I are considering, and all it does is get my blood pressure up.  I find a potential home with horse facilities on a few acres within my price range, and then I look at the aerial view of the neighborhood and see my current neighbors living right next door or across the street. If there aren't a

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-31219005011179680732012-01-22T16:44:00.000-08:002012-01-22T16:44:11.575-08:00

Really big rats.  Lots of 'em. Ten to fifteen inches of snow is due to fall over the next few days.  It's been spitting on and off.  Thanks to those who shared the brands of their favorite coats in the last post.  Keep adding comments if you haven't bragged about yours yet.  Hmmmm.  Maybe I can make a deerskin coat. 

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-84678966163617820052012-01-21T19:08:00.000-08:002012-01-21T19:08:14.454-08:00

I've been struggling with my coats this winter.  I had to throw out two coats that I loved that belonged to my father, because I wore them until they fell apart.  I think he got both of them in Alaska.  Ever since I've been trying to find the perfect coat.  I tried wearing one of my mother's complimentary cruise ship coats, but it was gathered at the waist with elastic, and it kept pulling my

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-16995787355609444322012-01-21T08:01:00.000-08:002012-01-21T08:01:56.474-08:00

Well, I don't know if Reno got enough rain to put out its fire, but I got enough to flood my horse paddock... It's a good thing that I didn't bother to vacuum and mop the floors yesterday, because I had to walk through all of that and track the mud in the house this morning.  When I came outside I found that either Bombay or the high winds knocked over the wheelbarrow filled with hay.  Here's

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-32825712792348367042012-01-20T07:59:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:59:25.843-08:00

I don't know how long this link will be available, but you can go here to see some amazing photos of the fire.  If you are patient while flipping through the gallery, you'll see pictures of horses being rescued.  An equine hospital and horse training facility and stables had to be evacuated.  All the horses got out safely there, but it was reported that at least one home owner lost a horse.  The

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-8208579962926403612012-01-19T17:29:00.000-08:002012-01-19T17:45:14.765-08:00

A wildfire is burning out of control in the valleys and mountains between Carson City and Reno with up to 80 mph winds pushing it along.  A gust of 122 mph was recorded at Slide Mountain.  There are a lot of ranches in this area.  Animals north of the fire are being evacuated to the Reno Livestock Events Center and animals south of the fire are being evacuated to Fuji Park in Carson City.  Law

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-44630557682191948802012-01-19T08:27:00.000-08:002012-01-19T09:07:15.090-08:00

Yesterday was amazingly productive, so I'm feeling better about the size of my To Do List.  The handyman worked really hard to get the job done in one day and to get it done right, so our kitchen molding is up and now our kitchen looks finished. The job I gave him was nearly impossible in my eyes.  We had something like one and a half inch molding, and you couldn't attach it to both the cabinet

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-65875686790001780462012-01-18T07:05:00.000-08:002012-01-18T07:05:34.551-08:00

When it comes to life, I've bitten off more than I can chew.  I just do the best I can, and it doesn't help when others criticize me.  I always have to wonder about those people who do criticize me for not surrounding myself with perfection.  What kind of life do they have?  Do their only responsibilities include cleaning house?  Here's all that I've got on the burner at the moment: 1.  Trying

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-16481360098030252402012-01-16T19:53:00.000-08:002012-01-17T05:58:51.262-08:00

Seriously, I'm starting to think that holidays should be banned.  First off, when I was working outside the home, the companies I worked for rarely let me actually take holidays off from work, so I've never benefited from them.  However, all the people you need on holidays, like vets and plumbers, do take their holidays, so you can't get any service.  If you have an emergency and have to run to

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-14571130557826793262012-01-15T14:02:00.000-08:002012-01-15T14:02:53.716-08:00

When the neighbors pile their junk right up against my fence, the horses mark their territory.

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-8921690111264261432012-01-15T01:19:00.000-08:002012-01-15T01:29:17.279-08:00

Our home improvement projects have been slow going.  Part of it is that I just have so many daily chores and they pretty much eat up my entire day, and part of it is that every little, simple task always has to snowball out of control into dozens of other tasks.  Every time I start a new project, I regret it because we always somehow end up in a worse situation than we were in to begin with.  I

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-66559685774319865592012-01-14T08:07:00.000-08:002012-01-14T08:07:30.965-08:00

Someone suggested that I contact equestrian organizations in Arizona to get the skinny on the best equestrian neighborhoods and places to trail ride.  So, I did.  I sent emails out to four of them, and so far one response came back.  The man said that the best person to answer my questions is a real estate agent and he forwarded my email to one.  Great.  Just great. The whole point of me

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-49123669910523162602012-01-13T15:34:00.000-08:002012-01-13T15:34:14.049-08:00

My husband read an article that because our area still hasn't had any rain or snow this winter, it is expected that there will be a hay shortage this year. There already is a hay shortage because many of our local hay farmers shipped their 2011 crops to Japan at a much higher price than the locals pay. Because our hay farmer did that, we asked if he would save us one block of alfalfa/grass mix

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-62556209550702137262012-01-12T11:36:00.000-08:002012-01-12T11:36:22.189-08:00

I have gotten so used to tourists speeding past my house that I don't even blink an eye at it anymore.  However, today I looked out my window to find that a sheriff's deputy managed to pull over two drivers speeding in opposite directions at the same time in front of my house.  That takes some raw talent.  I was impressed. I grabbed a bag of gourmet popcorn and enjoyed the show as he wrote out

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-31034144701681776002012-01-10T17:34:00.000-08:002012-01-10T17:34:06.843-08:00

I came home after a photo shoot to find Lostine lying on the ground. When I approached her, she stood up and then stretched her front legs out in front of her and her back legs out in back, so I knew she was colicking. I started my usual process of administering ProBios and Bute. (I know Banamine is better for colic, but our vets out here rarely hand that out.) I walked her around the

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-78633432929543465742012-01-09T19:41:00.000-08:002012-01-09T19:41:46.685-08:00

I'm at a loss for a title for this post.  My To Do List has been pushing onto a second page of my college-ruled legal pad.  One item on that list was to clean out our refill all the water troughs in the barn.  I'd been meaning to do that for days, but one thing after another kept getting in the way.  So, when I went outside with the intention to clean those water troughs, I was determined to not

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-48502532594857027542012-01-09T09:57:00.000-08:002012-01-09T09:57:04.841-08:00

One of the things I love about my new truck is how it handles.  It accelerates in a pinch and brakes gently, but quickly.  It turns into parking spaces with ease.  There's no fighting for what I want like with my last truck.  When I drive down the highway or freeway, it's like I'm flying on a couch with very little effort on my part.  Even when I don't have the truck on cruise control, it feels

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-30602144041523328902012-01-07T10:13:00.000-08:002012-01-07T10:13:19.215-08:00

While in the bookstore, I picked up an astrology book and read the first few lines of my horoscope.  It said something to the effect that the first part of the millennium has not treated me well, but 2012 will change everything for the better.  It said that all the bad things that have happened to me since 2007 were just motivators to move me into a better environment. Hmmmm.  2007 was when

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-33478914496451694942012-01-06T12:50:00.000-08:002012-01-06T12:50:40.368-08:00

This morning I had a photo shoot bright and early, only the sun didn't come out bright and early to wake me up.  When I did awake, I was running late.  I saw a shadow move along my bathroom floor from the window, and it bothered me, but I didn't see anything outside.  I fed the dogs, then let them out into the back yard to do their business.  I went out a different door to feed the horses and

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-75405394965505546392012-01-05T15:10:00.000-08:002012-01-05T15:10:19.061-08:00

Hopefully, this is the last story about my neighbors' guests for a while.  I wish it would just snow just long enough to send them plowing their way back to California to get some warmth.  This morning the dogs across the highway were barking non-stop again.  These people own a whole pack of dogs, and it's really loud and disruptive when they get going.  They stay quiet as long as strangers don't

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-52153801790165068982012-01-05T08:07:00.000-08:002012-01-05T08:07:30.484-08:00

I've hardly left home this past year.  I got laid off from my job in 2010, so didn't have a job to drive to on a daily basis.  I drove to Los Angeles several times to settle my mother's estate, but I never really drove around here.  I went to the local market once a week or the bank or the hardware store, but that was about it.  Then yesterday we had to drive my son to the airport. I have a

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-69396064058159323922012-01-04T08:07:00.000-08:002012-01-04T08:07:51.030-08:00

After writing that last post I went outside with a flashlight to look around for the guy who's been trespassing on my property at night and leaving calling cards.  The dogs had been going outside repeatedly and barking toward the north.  It's very dark in our neighborhood, so someone could be standing 50-feet in front of me and I wouldn't see them. I went out the front door and walked through

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-90900700167259130632012-01-03T19:50:00.000-08:002012-01-03T19:50:33.980-08:00

I know the television show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" has been around a long time, but I've never watched it until yesterday.  I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.  There was this one episode in which the characters were dealing with the recession, and they found an RV camped out on the sidewalk in front of their bar.  They freaked out, because they knew that one RV would to attract

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-2046845783783351512012-01-01T14:30:00.000-08:002012-01-01T14:30:32.726-08:00

A couple of things happened to thwart any plans for a trail ride, but I didn't let those stop me from working with my horses at home.  I returned to clicker training, and there was no problem with the horses remembering that the click is a good thing.  I have no problem with them coming to the halter when I've got my clicker, but I'd better have that clicker and my fanny pack of treats with me,

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-61384322697003109872011-12-31T06:49:00.000-08:002011-12-31T06:49:48.988-08:00

This morning I was thinking about making a game plan for my horses.  There is no snow anywhere in our 10-day forecast, which is unheard of in January in the Eastern Sierra, and on Sunday we are actually supposed to reach 60-degrees.  I've had to neglect a lot of things this past year to no fault of my own, and I feel like I owe it to the horses to spend more time working with them. Then I

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-18548830851957566212011-12-30T12:42:00.000-08:002011-12-30T12:46:12.104-08:00

The freshly stained deck is drying out. We had one old bucket of semi-solid redwood that was too light to cover the older, darker stained part of the deck, and a couple of old buckets of semi-transparent cedar stain that wouldn't bring the old and the new parts of the deck together seamlessly either, so I just told the handyman to go to the store and pick up some new solid stain that was

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-90442515882805621682011-12-29T01:50:00.000-08:002011-12-29T10:49:24.220-08:00

I didn't want a long recovery from this illness, so as soon as my lungs and sinuses started clearing up, I asked the kids to go on an afternoon hike with me.  We brought the dogs along and hiked the motorcycle trails in the Pine Nut Mountains since the hills are rolling and they wouldn't put as much stress on my lungs as my usual Eastern Sierra trails do.  I brought my new wide-angle lens on my

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-26711895505048286472011-12-28T06:55:00.000-08:002011-12-28T07:05:15.606-08:00

The man who rents space on my neighbor's front lot to store his junk vehicles has been showing up at 4:00 PM almost every afternoon to rev the engines on those vehicles while he "restores" them.  I've been especially irritated by this since I've been sick and can't get any rest with his engine vibrating our walls.  The other day I went out with my camera to film just how loud and obnoxious this

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-23859276096367815422011-12-27T06:56:00.000-08:002011-12-27T06:56:37.132-08:00

I'm recovering, but not from the holidays. For the first time in my life I was sick on Christmas Day. My son came home from college sick and wasn't getting any better, so we took him to the doctor, who prescribed antibiotics. Then my husband came down with a cold that lasted a few days. My daughter and I did everything to avoid the sickos, but we still got tagged by the virus. My cold

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-84243171113859179692011-12-22T13:13:00.000-08:002011-12-22T13:13:40.406-08:00

This old spa has been the elephant in the room when it comes to my photography studio. Whenever we needed to pull costumes off the wall, we had to traverse the edge of the spa. Whenever I photographed cats, we had to keep a close eye on them so that they wouldn't slip down underneath the plastic and get under the house between the deck and the hot tub.  So, I hired a handyman to remove the spa

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-91214791007654858822011-12-21T17:39:00.000-08:002011-12-21T17:39:55.752-08:00

Holy cow!  I just noticed that the last post I did was #1,200 and that's not even counting all the posts I've deleted over the years, which must be in the hundreds.  I think we need to create a chart that increases our ranks as bloggers based upon how many posts we write... 1 to 49 posts = Newbie Blogger 50 to 99 posts = Noteworthy Blogger 100 to 499 posts = Impressive Blogger 500 to 999 posts =

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-65355752734627613982011-12-20T17:58:00.000-08:002011-12-20T17:58:14.258-08:00

The horses have been getting their fill of loud noises this past week and they are almost dead to the world.  The annoying neighbors have been allowing a man who I call Brutus (because he looks like the Brutus character from the Popeye cartoons) to come by every afternoon around 4:00 PM to work on his jeep engine, which is as loud as a jet engine, of course. He parks it right up against the

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-25331966799465865402011-12-15T21:51:00.000-08:002011-12-15T21:51:51.978-08:00

The other day when my son and I were driving through the city, a man in a Santa Claus suit crossed the street in front of us leading a donkey that was laden with pots and pans like a 49er's sidekick.  What was so odd about this sighting was that it happened right at one of the busiest intersections in a highly populated city. Then the other morning I was walking past my dining area window when I

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-5076299534181186892011-12-14T19:29:00.000-08:002011-12-14T19:29:09.226-08:00

People tell me I'm pessimistic and a nervous Nelly, but it's only because of my sixth sense.  I get gut feelings about things, and I knew as soon as I found out that the truck I bought didn't come with a complete tow package, it would somehow, some way, turn into a huge fiasco.  When you consider that the majority of people who live in my state only have a high school education or less, it's

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-30189940989181419752011-12-14T09:12:00.000-08:002011-12-15T05:55:37.640-08:00

I don't dare tell this story on my photography website, but the other day I had my most embarrassing photo shoot yet.  I started taking pictures when all of the sudden my camera began ignoring my presses on the shutter release button.  I looked at the LCD screen and it said my card was full.  Oops, I forgot to delete the hundreds of pictures I took the previous week after I uploaded them to my

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-39400410454129627942011-12-13T15:45:00.000-08:002011-12-13T15:45:38.236-08:00

I just want it to end!  So, today I drove the hour into the city to pick up my truck with its complete tow package.  At first, I thought I was getting a complete tow package from the dealership where I bought the truck, but that didn't happen.  So then I ordered a complete tow package from a truck accessory shop. The owner was busy with another customer, so he just quickly handed me my keys and

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-11574258660659578822011-12-12T16:23:00.000-08:002011-12-12T16:23:34.189-08:00

Yes, that's a saddle on Bombay. The sun spent most of the day behind a light cloud layer, so I knew I could ride without it blasting me in the eyes. Also, I had the energy to ride, because I stopped taking my blood pressure medication in the morning. I realized that at some point in time, I lost some weight and the blood pressure medication was putting me to sleep during the day. I was tired

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-76030750751113157772011-12-10T19:18:00.000-08:002011-12-10T19:18:07.542-08:00

Of course, ten days after I bought my truck, another dealer advertised that he got in 100 Dodge Ram 1500s and they are all on sale at a price slightly lower than what I paid. We are still grappling with the issue of installing a full tow package on the truck. When we were first shopping for a truck, we were hesitant to buy the Ram 1500 since it didn't come with a complete tow package. There

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-54549031762809902852011-12-09T20:28:00.000-08:002011-12-10T07:09:12.054-08:00

Spent all of Thursday night wiping a virus off my laptop and changing the passwords to all my accounts Woke up Friday morning Ate breakfast Fed dogs Answered emails Took shower Unblanketed, released and fed horses Started laundry Rinsed dirty dishes and put in dishwasher Made bed Paid a bill and put in mailbox Phone rang -- contractor asked if we were still on for our appointment Dryer buzzed

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-16977060028900376752011-12-08T14:24:00.000-08:002011-12-08T14:27:53.078-08:00

I wanted to utilize this time while it's not snowing to get a few of the more major home improvements done, despite my financial adviser's warning not to spend any money just yet.  I'm on a time schedule to move, so I just have to do what I have to do while the weather is still dry.  My husband and I have done a few DIY home improvements over the years and were frustrated with how much time it

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-78398342451916489622011-12-07T14:06:00.000-08:002011-12-07T14:06:54.134-08:00

First off, I don't know what the heck happened to the header on my blog.  I guess it's time to start searching for a new look.  (Sigh.  One more thing to do.) In other news, I am watering my pasture because despite us have freezing temperatures at night and on some days, we still haven't received any precipitation that has stuck around for a while.  You might think, "That's great!  You can ride

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-82765280519841034282011-12-04T09:12:00.001-08:002011-12-04T09:12:24.677-08:00

My herd dynamics have been changing.  All these years Lostine was at the top of the pecking order, followed by Gabbrielle, and Bombay brought up the rear.  I had to feed them in that order or a fight would break out. Recently I began noticing that Gabbrielle was hanging back and letting Bombay go ahead of her at feeding time.  I wonder if he challenged her and won when I wasn't looking.  It

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-54141497645011973352011-12-03T06:52:00.000-08:002011-12-03T10:16:50.233-08:00

Note:  I passed out before being able to publish this post yesterday... and no, I wasn't drinking. That's right.  My brain is fried.  Ever since I bought that truck, all hell has broken loose in my life.  I'm about ready to jump in it and just take off somewhere into the mountains for a few days.  I actually haven't been able to drive it since I brought it home from the dealership because my

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-45030142101819624802011-12-01T08:09:00.000-08:002011-12-01T08:14:56.449-08:00

I did more research on the Internet regarding trucks, and called the Dodge salesperson I previously dealt with to ask some questions. It turned out that our semi-local dealership had some of the best deals on trucks and a couple of new shipments came in, so they had every color available. The bumble bee yellow is only an option with the 3/4 ton, which was more truck than I wanted to buy. I

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-35491548138124334282011-11-28T16:00:00.000-08:002011-11-28T16:00:02.136-08:00

Sunday night I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to fall asleep without the help of any medications, however my bliss didn't last long when Scrappy leaped off the bed barking and running for the front door.  My husband said, "The horses are freaking out." I heard hooves kicking the stall walls with full force and not in rhythm, but in the chaotic rumble of fear.  I grabbed a flashlight

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-81611470544028718622011-11-28T06:38:00.000-08:002011-11-30T20:00:12.057-08:00

My husband and I toured auto dealership row in the city on Sunday just to sit in different trucks and discuss their various specifications and packages with salespeople.  I wasn't up for taking any test drives because traffic was insane with so many tourists returning home after the holidays.  Here were my impressions: The Dodge Rams had comfy seats, were easy to climb into, had the best

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-7055495741295432302011-11-27T07:27:00.000-08:002011-11-27T14:56:02.425-08:00

I'm still doing something on a daily basis to help settle my mother's estate, but the number of hours I've put in have been cut way back since the sale of her house.  I'm hoping to be in the clear in March or April so that I can bring my focus back to my family, my pets and my life.    In the time I've been able to spend with my horses I can see that Bombay will be my biggest challenge.  He

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-18804774638368171392011-11-26T12:17:00.000-08:002011-11-26T12:17:07.480-08:00

I actually did it. I completed writing 50,000 words in a novel with 5 days to spare. Here's the deal: The NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) website graphs your progress after you register and as you update your word count. I was behind the count needed to finish on time throughout the majority of the month, only getting ahead on days 7 and 24 and the few days following. Last week I

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-13641500133010548572011-11-22T22:19:00.000-08:002011-11-22T22:19:10.283-08:00

With one week left of NaNoWriMo, I find that I have only written 30,000 out of the 50,000 words.  That doesn't mean all hope is lost.  I could still pick up a second wind and blow through the last 20,000.  I'm finding that it is difficult to concentrate on just one project for an entire month.  It's kind of like eating the same food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I need variety. So, today I

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-65139241606895782772011-11-20T12:42:00.000-08:002011-11-20T12:42:00.233-08:00

Here are a few more portraits from when I set my dogs up in my studio. Because my photography studio is so small, I can't use a lens any longer than 50mm, and if I have two subjects together, I have to make sure that they are lined up even, side-by-side, otherwise one pet or person will be out of focus and I'll have to do a lot of sharpening in Photoshop. Light is always limited indoors,

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-81945429513331078752011-11-19T23:09:00.000-08:002011-11-19T23:09:50.342-08:00

So, I went outside at dusk, near darkness, to put the horses in their stalls, feed them and blanket them.  I heard the usual racket of power tools coming from my neighbors property, but didn't really pay attention.  It's par for the course that they have several men out there cutting and pounding well into the night. I put each horse in his/her stall, and just when I was closing Gabbrielle's

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-80379131445363910312011-11-19T09:15:00.000-08:002011-11-19T09:15:04.938-08:00

The aftermath of our 12-hour windstorm was not 1 to 3 inches of snowfall as predicted, but a quiet, sunny day.  Unfortunately, I'll be spending my weekend cleaning up the mess left behind.  This is the gate the my clients have to walk through to get to the photography studio... View from the other side... You can't just grab those tumbleweeds with your bare hands and move them.  It's even not

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-31849504526527240942011-11-18T10:18:00.000-08:002011-11-18T10:18:46.138-08:00

I went out just before sunrise to feed the horses in their stalls and the air was perfectly still.  By 8:30 AM when I went outside to let the horses out of their stalls, we had wind whipping around in all directions, unpredictable gusts, the aluminum stall roof was shaking, the horses were nervous wrecks, and large pieces of plywood and sheet metal were flying around in my neighbor's junk yard. 

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-81880601503009923702011-11-17T15:26:00.000-08:002011-11-17T15:26:48.976-08:00

Here is a post just because I know I've been neglecting my blog. I also knew I was due to provide pictures for your entertainment, so I ushered my dogs into the photography studio for a quick portrait session. I have them well trained. When I work with the shelter animals, I have a lady who assists me. She helps pick out props and costumes, trains the dogs to sit, and directs their

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-22293802566994587812011-11-08T17:54:00.000-08:002011-11-08T17:54:33.821-08:00

Tuesday morning I was frantically trying to get all the leaves raked up, the poop scooped up, and the carpets vacuumed before my photo shoot.  I was scrubbing out the dog bowl I provide to my models, when I saw a shadow moving around on my driveway.  It looked like someone was trying to get in through my RV lane gate, which I knew I had padlocked the night before. After purchasing $300 in stall

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-4305823367048503412011-11-07T19:48:00.000-08:002011-11-07T19:48:51.238-08:00

I managed to get ahead of schedule with my NaNoWriMo word count between all the novel writing I did on Sunday and Monday.  I had no plans to go anywhere or do anything today except write, but at the same time I knew it was impossible, because things always have to come up to throw me off track.  The first interruption of the day was when my dogs went off on one of their barking binges.  I had to

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-90686236097256899492011-11-05T19:12:00.000-07:002011-11-05T19:12:57.695-07:00

I told you a few weeks ago about a lady who took me by surprise when I found her walking her horse on my property.  Every time I find another stranger on my land, I'm baffled by it.  It's not like I own dozens of acres.  I have one and a third acres, yet everyone seems to think it is public property. This horse walker made such a habit of it that I stopped what I was doing one day to talk to her

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-37663885281744743722011-11-04T09:31:00.000-07:002011-11-04T09:31:44.509-07:00

We had a cold front move in yesterday, so I fed the horses some beet pulp and bran mash to ward off colic with the sudden drop in temperature.  Miss Piggy always has to inhale her own serving and then steal Bombay's bucket right out from under his nose.  She even licks up what fell out of the other horses' mouths.  Yuck. The wind was ferocious and ripped my hay tarp to shreds... literally. We

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-60838074762130111042011-10-31T23:00:00.000-07:002011-10-31T23:00:03.084-07:00

My Corgi, Midge, just ran up to me and said, "Hello".  Only it sounded more like "Harro". I just wanted to forewarn everyone that my blog posts may be few and far between for the month of November.  Like many other bloggers, I'm going to attempt to participate in NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month.  I don't have high expectations that I'll be able to fire off 50,000 words by the end of

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-24300773602099287082011-10-30T04:00:00.000-07:002011-10-30T04:00:02.278-07:00

This week's Sunday Stills Challenge was to choose a starting spot, walk 25 steps in any direction and take 3 photos, then choose either the same or a different spot, walk 50 steps in any direction and take 3 more photos. I was hoping to take a trip to some place new and interesting, but I got busy with chores such as painting the bathroom, so the best I could do was to take the dogs for a walk

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-63978410987947912112011-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:002011-10-29T07:00:07.854-07:00

Sorry, son, but something, uh... "happened" to your favorite tree to hang from and do pull ups while you were away at college: This Locust tree grew on its own from a seed that blew in from somewhere.  As you can see by the seed pods, these trees are never lacking in the reproductive department.  It grew so fast that the roots began pushing up the concrete walkway slabs that make the path to

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-67520445974555157642011-10-28T07:53:00.000-07:002011-10-28T07:53:04.171-07:00

I could have also titled this post as "My Big Bozo No No" or "It's an Instant Winter Wonderland".  My husband and I were discussing sustainability this morning, wondering how some of these desert cities get enough water to stay afloat.  As my husband continued talking, I began spacing out, just hearing the word "water" over and over.  I suddenly jumped off the couch, eyes wide, and said, "You

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-43363417109746110812011-10-27T19:19:00.000-07:002011-10-27T19:19:05.362-07:00

Okay, I admit it.  I read one of those little horoscopes again despite saying I wasn't going to read them anymore.  This is what it said: You want to follow the schedule that you created for today, but unseen forces prevent you from executing your plan. You might work yourself up into a state of anxiety if you are too unyielding. Whaaaaaaat?  Anxiety?  Me?  Nah.  Never.  But seriously, that's

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-64868459101854391242011-10-25T22:25:00.000-07:002011-10-25T22:25:48.258-07:00

These are the guys I photographed for my latest rescue animal studio session. The little Chi X gal I've been babbling about has been adopted. Now my husband can rest in knowing I won't be bringing her home.  I suspect Scrappy is relieved as well.

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-80236240017545668612011-10-25T07:49:00.000-07:002011-10-25T07:49:23.813-07:00

It looks like this is turning out to be another one of those weeks in which I get the pleasure of spending every waking moment on the phone, and writing letters or emails to correct other people's mistakes.  It's enough to make one not want to do business with anyone else ever again.  Whatever happened to the concept of training and supervising your employees?  And whatever happened to the value

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-18298512616771198462011-10-23T13:54:00.000-07:002011-10-23T13:54:56.393-07:00

I was preparing to ride Gabbrielle when my neighbor came out on her rider mower, hit a rock and sent Gabbrielle flying. This was the end result... I got the nick cleaned up, got Gabbrielle saddled up and attempted to ride her. Both she and I have issues that will need to be corrected next year when, hopefully, I have some money to pay a trainer to work with both of us together. Then I saddled

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-21235889977206532892011-10-23T06:11:00.000-07:002011-10-23T06:11:23.586-07:00

One topic I write about often in blog posts is my discomfort with being stared at.  I suppose it goes back to the fact that we humans are just animals like everyone else in the kingdom, and one who does the staring is usually a predator while the one being stared at is usually the prey.  When someone stares at me, I cringe because I feel like I am about to be eaten.  Also, my mother taught me as

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-86581662772869505662011-10-21T16:00:00.000-07:002011-10-22T06:15:41.245-07:00

Taking back my time in order to be able to ride some horses and walk some dogs turned out to be more complicated than I expected.  I grabbed my little camera to take on the trail ride and found that the battery was dead, so I decided to let it charge for however long it took me to the Lostine in the trailer. But before I could pull the trailer out, I had to move a bunch of obstacles that got

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-58792024431069766132011-10-21T07:37:00.000-07:002011-10-21T07:37:56.487-07:00

Week after week Saturday hits and I wonder where all that "free time" went during the week.  I haven't walked dogs at the shelter all month.  Heck, I haven't even walked my own dogs.  I haven't ridden my horses much.  I'm not as far into writing my novel as I should be.  I still haven't finished the quilt that was supposed to be on our bed two winters ago.  Years ago I bought specific fabrics to

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-67765775180715784062011-10-19T20:03:00.000-07:002011-10-19T20:09:37.340-07:00

A while back I put some daily horoscope widgets on my iGoogle home page, and just recently realized how much they annoy me.  I thought the idea behind horoscopes was to predict the future, but these horoscopes may as well be called horror-scopes, because all they do is warn you not to do anything today, because it will be a bad time, and to wait before making any kind of move.  In other words,

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-25373156210272037902011-10-19T07:00:00.000-07:002011-10-19T07:00:29.073-07:00

The other photographer didn't work out for the local dog rescue, so I arranged to set aside one morning a week to photograph homeless animals in my studio.  The rescue organization has been bringing me oodles of props and costumes and donating them to my budding photography studio in exchange for the donation of my time and skills.  They bring adorable things like reindeer antlers for dogs and

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-44408364037609584342011-10-16T07:44:00.000-07:002011-10-16T13:59:05.087-07:00

I did make an effort last week to stay by a window where I could see the comings and goings at my nosy neighbors' place better, and I took notes in hopes of finding patterns in their activities.  I know that's creepy, but believe me, it's no creepier than what they've put me through over the past five years.  I was mostly interested in figuring out if there is any time and day when they are not

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-22324547109504073642011-10-14T08:32:00.000-07:002011-10-14T08:32:02.635-07:00

It's been a rough week, but I wanted to mention some bright spots that shined above everything else.  With all the insanity of me being pulled in so many different directions yesterday, I didn't get around to cleaning stalls until evening when the horses were hungry and anxious for their meal.  I got to Bombay's stall, opened the door, and blocked him from getting in with the wagon. I turned my

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-56702152720770898502011-10-13T16:30:00.000-07:002011-10-13T16:30:46.786-07:00

Usually, I'm kidding and joking around on my blog and people take me too seriously.  More recently, I know I sounded like I was kidding, but I was serious.  As soon as Scrappy got injured / sick, I said I'd have to sell my horses before they got sick, because I never have had just one animal get ill or injured within a 24 hour period.  One or two other animals always have to follow suit.  I've

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-35882116109396003012011-10-13T09:34:00.000-07:002011-10-13T12:03:43.274-07:00

No sooner did I finish licking the envelope to solve my last problem and another one equally big came along. I'm not even going to discuss this one. Just trust me when I say that I spend every minute of my day cleaning up messes made by other people's mistakes. My kids have been going through mid-term exams. I've been going through mid-life exams. They last a lot longer and you are graded

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-27881751609671582882011-10-12T07:38:00.000-07:002011-10-12T07:38:18.486-07:00

I think I've used a similar title for a post before.  This time I'm not referring to horse training though.  I paid off the last two bills outside of 2010 taxes for my mother's estate and was feeling relieved.  I also settled a problem regarding the refund for her home insurance.  I paid for a full year, and sold the house a month and a half later, so I should have been given the majority of the

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-73404699694008610052011-10-11T12:53:00.000-07:002011-10-11T12:53:43.740-07:00

I actually got some time this morning alone in my round pen with my horses.  I lunged them in all their fat glory (and mine too), and did some flexibility and movement exercises.  Bombay's only weakness was that it takes a lot of pushing to get him up into the lope, but he was much better than in the past.  Lostine's only weakness was flexibility, which is expected at her age.  As soon as I

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-25826473620422564762011-10-10T10:22:00.000-07:002011-10-10T10:22:37.871-07:00

The weekend turned out to be better than it began.  I feel better now because I communed with nature and rode a horse.  Riding a horse heals all ailments.  I went to Spooner Lake in search of fall colors, but was disappointed to see that every tree that had changed colors lost its leaves in the early snow storm, and the majority of other trees had not changed colors yet.  I took pictures anyway

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-14785214708367575262011-10-08T19:39:00.000-07:002011-10-08T19:39:08.555-07:00

I've been checking the Lake Tahoe web cams to see if enough snow has melted for me to go up there for a hike and photo shoot.  I woke up battling allergies and wasn't gung-ho about going, because I knew I'd be blowing my nose every 30-seconds.  I found myself cleaning water troughs and stalls most of the morning.  The neighbors had carload after carload of people pulling up and parking

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-82107022565771648922011-10-06T15:29:00.000-07:002011-10-06T15:29:11.808-07:00

I like to record the first and last snowfall of each season and look for patterns.  It snowed in the mountains two days ago, but reached the valley floor today.  I'm so ready to move out of Northern Nevada.  Our first winter snow was charming after growing up in Los Angeles, but after 23 years of white stuff falling from the sky (usually October through June), Arizona is looking mighty nice

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-18874872956367914602011-10-06T10:57:00.000-07:002011-10-06T10:57:50.000-07:00

Sorry, but it happened so fast and I actually saw it through the window.  There was no time to grab a camera, so I'll have to describe it to you.  Gabbrielle and Bombay were standing head to tail, side to side, and a Magpie flew up and landed on Gabbrielle's rump.  Magpies are those big black and white birds that resemble crows.  Bombay turned his big head and looked directly at the bird.  His

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-47038865873002690062011-10-05T10:27:00.000-07:002011-10-05T10:27:40.332-07:00

We usually start seeing some fall colors in the Eastern Sierra during the first and second weeks of October. However, often times the first winter snow storm arrives before the colors can change, so we don't really get to experience fall all that much. One of my plans for this year was to create an old barns calendar and an Eastern Sierra calendar with my photography business, and sell them

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-4291455247314254472011-10-04T16:12:00.000-07:002011-10-04T16:12:38.671-07:00

I wanted to play around with some self-portraits since I just recently got my hair cut and colored. Auto focus doesn't work with the self-timer, so I had to set up an object that was about the same height as my head would be while sitting, manually focus on that, and then move it out of the way. I played around with wearing different colors against different backdrops to see how they read on

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-62106740368591286672011-10-03T09:13:00.000-07:002011-10-03T09:13:30.016-07:00

Callie at Midwest Horse Blog put up a post about this inspirational documentary project that needs funding. Watch the video. I promise you that it is worth your time.  Get ready for a warm, tingly sensation.

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-83562755039546527822011-10-02T19:51:00.000-07:002011-10-03T08:29:04.875-07:00

I've always had problems with hose spray nozzles. I can buy one, and right out of the package I find a leak at the base that sprays water back at me when I'm trying to create a stream that goes forward, away from me. It's because of these cheap imports that all the stores are stocking now. And it's the same result with every hose I attach the nozzle to. So, when I found, at my mother's house,

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-47863763316096836152011-10-01T15:06:00.000-07:002011-10-01T15:06:24.735-07:00

Lytha - Ask and you shall receive... I know it is difficult to read. Click on the photo. Hopefully, you can zoom in or it will be large enough to read. I won't know until I publish it.

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-29548990415794756642011-09-30T19:50:00.000-07:002011-10-01T03:47:29.233-07:00

It's official.  My mother's house is now the responsibility of new owners.  I closed out the last of her utility and home insurance accounts today.  Now I just need to finish paying off her debts, pay her taxes, and normalcy should reign in my life once again.  Of course, it won't be the normalcy I used to know, but perhaps a new kind of normalcy.  This came just in time, too, because my husband

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-20020798948134055942011-09-27T10:41:00.000-07:002011-09-27T10:44:48.200-07:00

I got a good laugh this morning -- something I've come to appreciate when it does happen, especially since not many humorous things have been happening to me lately.  My farrier came out to work on hooves, and much to our good fortune, both of my nosy neighbors drove off instead of standing around at the fence watching and listening in on our conversation.  So, their absence freed up our

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-14727076006887560582011-09-27T07:10:00.000-07:002011-09-27T07:10:23.019-07:00

I believe I've told you about my wild domestic bunny that appeared this year and spends most of its day sitting under my daughter's car.  It's creme colored and sometimes hangs out with a gray jackrabbit.  This weekend I tossed it a carrot to see if it would eat it, but it just looked at it.  It's comfortable enough with humans that it won't hop away if we go outside and do our own thing.  If I

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-7440553272681667412011-09-26T09:42:00.000-07:002011-09-26T09:42:46.825-07:00

I walked outside Sunday morning and found this... This is getting old.  Every night one or two wooden fence panels are broken.  At first I couldn't believe the horses could be doing all this destruction.  They usually break a fence panel once every few months or so, but not every single night.  This is getting to be ridiculous. So, I considered that perhaps one of my trespassing neighbors was

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-2910715149370112542011-09-25T13:03:00.000-07:002011-09-25T13:04:09.277-07:00

A clump of frozen crab apples high atop a tree... The next thunderstorm moving in... A rainbow coming up out of the canyon where we just had a big wildfire burning... A few golden leaves on the Locust trees... My arch enemy... ...sagebrush in bloom.  This is what makes me ill all September and October.

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-31798257918989005372011-09-24T14:10:00.000-07:002011-09-24T14:10:50.207-07:00

September may turn out to be the most expensive month yet for us.  I actually went into September saying that we should be alright financially since there is nothing we have to spend money on beyond the usual bills -- no car registrations, no surprise bills, and I didn't want anything for my birthday.  Boy, was I wrong.  When it rains, it pours. First, our window blinds have been broken for a

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-77109024970729390332011-09-22T17:57:00.000-07:002011-09-22T17:57:03.153-07:00

The studio photo shoot with the shelter dogs went well with the exception of three of my neighbors letting their curiosity get the best of them and me.  It never ceases to astound me how nosy everyone in my neighborhood can be.  I mean, when I see a strange car pull up at a neighbors' house, I don't go running over to their house to see who it is and why they are there.  Do you? So, the good,

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-6696625056148273342011-09-21T07:42:00.000-07:002011-09-21T07:42:16.167-07:00

I was about ready to give up on my photography business, because it's been a year and a half since I started it, and one thing after another keeps getting in the way of me being able to focus on it.  I threw a lot of money at it in the beginning, when I still had a paying job, but that job had me working 60 to 80 hours a week and gave me no time to do photography assignments. After I was laid

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2200271203173821952.post-40055422794844883642011-09-20T19:59:00.000-07:002011-09-20T19:59:41.025-07:00

My neighbor to my immediate north is still polluting the air with her construction noises.  The front loader is still pushing boulders around and men are cutting things all day long with power saws.  The neighbor to my south has been revving dragster engines again too, so I just let my dogs out to bark all day long and wait for someone to dare complain.  My nosy neighbors to my east arrived home

Nuzzling Muzzleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649710635013663900noreply@blogger.com2