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Cowboy Projects, Horses and a Trail Ride
A Lighting Project
As winter approaches in Virginia, the sun goes down earlier and it is dark when the time comes to give the horses their evening feeding. A project that the boys had talked about was to put some lights on the old poles along the road going to the barn. That's a big job and rather than having hanging wires, a big "no-no" for Cowboy Bob who is an architect, we rented a small trencher and buried plastic electrical conduit from the barn to each pole.
Cowboy Sarge begins the trench640 x 424, 91.1 k640 x 424, 78.6 kThe day was cool and the air was clear
Progress is slow but eventually completed640 x 424, 66.5 k318 x 480, 53.7 kCowboy Chuck cleans out the tailings left in the trench by the power digger
An occasional spot requires more digging318 x 480, 53.9 k640 x 424, 71.7 kThe trench is finished and ready for the conduit
The finished product at night640 x 424, 53.9 kThe stables look great in the evening as Alazar tries to sleep with the lights on
Horse Sense
In the first week of November 2001, farm neighbor Mary, took Alazar and one of her horses, Griffin, to a week long event. Apparently Alazar had a ball and wanted to do more. However, it was a hard ride. The day after they got back, Alazar decided to take a nap. While working on the lighting project above, I happened to see him laying down, and got the interesting shot below. Now we tease Mary about having worked Alazar to death.
An overworked Alazar looks like he has died and gone to those green pastures in the sky640 x 283, 54.8 k640 x 424, 34.2 kT-Man, one of Mary's horses is seen in their mountain pasture
T-Man is curious as to who this person with the camera is318 x 480, 29.3 k318 x 480, 16.6 kAnother of Mary's horses, Griffin
T-Man begs for attention640 x 424, 52.2 k640 x 424, 55.9 kCowboy Chuck plays with Alazar as the day comes to an end
A Trail Ride
A few days later, on November 16, we prepared for a mountain trail ride. Cowboy Sarge, Cowboy Frank, and Cowboy Chuck were joined by Mary their neighbor. Cherokee Dancer, one of Cowboy Sarge's horses, developed a genetic eye problem last year and has lost the sight in one eye. We had thought she was having major problems with the other eye also. For the last year she had been given medications and was allowed rest around the farm. Within the last few days Sarge had noticed that it seemed she was seeing much better out of one eye. So Sarge decided to tack her up and give Cherokee Dancer a chance to try a trail ride. Cherokee Dancer responded wonderfully and she really loved getting out and being riden again.
It's early in the morning and Cowboy Chuck is still in his cowboy skivvies318 x 480, 36.2 k318 x 480, 26.5 k"Butt I just need to clean Alazar's hoofs a bit!"
Cowboy Sarge cleans Cherokee Dancers hooves to prepare for the ride 318 x 480, 36.6 k640 x 424, 41.7 kOut on the trail we see Mary and Sarge against the backdrop of the Massanutten mountains
A pause along the trail for an adjustment640 x 424, 78.3 k318 x 480, 35.3 kCowboy Chuck rests on Alazar giving the horses a bit of a break
Mary gives Griffin a break too640 x 424, 65.7 k640 x 424, 76.7 kChuck out in a pasture half way up the mountain
Alazar and Chuck are joined by the farm's dog Trooper640 x 424, 60.9 k640 x 424, 49.7 kSarge and Cherokee Dancer go galloping across the mountain meadow
As Chuck and Alazar join Sarge, a problem develops with Chuck's right stirrup and they come to a stop while Trooper looks on 640 x 424, 53.3 k318 x 480, 25.2 kChuck calls to Sarge for help
Cowboy Sarge is an expert and in no time has repaired the broken stirrup strap640 x 424, 62.5 k640 x 424, 63.1 kSwitching to my telephoto lens we can see the farm house across the valley about a half mile away
In this exciting shot, Sarge and Cherokee Dancer gallop back to where I am waiting to continue the ride318 x 480, 35.4 k640 x 424, 98.6 kSarge and Chuck watch as Mary tries her hand at the field crossing
Mary really moves along318 x 480, 43.6 k640 x 424, 59.4 kAs we near the end of our ride Sarge pauses and we can see the farm house in the distance
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