Bella has matured into a perfect trail horse.  She will go anywhere, and do anything and a nice slow pace.  When others race home she quietly walks along, enjoying the lizards.  And her little canter is perfect and she has learned to round up and get her rear end under herself.
She is still a Princess and begged me to change her name to Pippa a year ago.

A Nothing Post

Life moves on and Bella and I just stay plump. She is maturing nicely in our desert walks, but lays her ears if someone tries to pass. Her little short legs do double-time so she can stay ahead of the Tennessee Walkers and Hanoverians that get to watch her "attitude" from behind.

Bella-12 Hours Old

And my font size is almost bigger than her. 5 years ago and so much life lived.

We had the equine dentist out and Bella had her first ever real check-up. She had a lovely cocktail and then the scraping, pulling and adjusting commenced. Now, a few weeks later, she is much more comfortable without those troublesome wolf teeth getting banged by the bit. I had no idea the difference it would make. And, the dentist let me feel the "hooks" on her inside lower molars. Now I fully get the whole importance of floating regularly. Money well spent.

Oh, I saved the pulled teeth which are about the size of human bicuspids.

Our desert is blooming.
I heart my desert.

Happy Birthday Bella

5 years ago a little buckskin filly was born with a zig zag stripe down her back and a big attitude. The Queen has arrived.

She makes me laugh everyday with her expressions and opinions.

No Photoshop was used in that picture to enhance her beauty or airbrush out that funny shadow on her muzzle. It's just Bella in all her perfection.

Lucy and Ethel, Bella's best buds.

Not so easy to see but Bella had a play-date out in the pasture. Lucy and Ethel, the two mini donkeys, got to go out with Bella. While Bella was very excited to have company the girls were hesitant to get too close. I was on anger management watch just in case Bella got possessive so I only got to snap this picture. Of course there was nothing to worry about.

Where did February go?

Not Bella

Yeah, Not Bella Either

But aren't they cute? We've been thoroughly enjoying some of the nicest horseflesh on the planet...all in my desert right now. Every winter these jumpers and hunters come to town for 6 weeks and we get to watch some very fine athletes, both human and horse. We have likened it to all the prettiest models in the world, one nicer than the last, all in one place for us to watch. For 6 weeks. After awhile one tends to get extremely picky about which is the most beautiful.

And I find myself tending to pick ones that look like Bella.

Lawn Mowing and Weed Eating

Is it just me or is everyone else in love with their horse?

Happy New Year!

Bella and I wish everyone a very prosperous New Year.

Her accent is diminishing along with her grey.

This picture compliments of Cheryl who came for a little visit and knows how to find the perfect shot.

Moved

I had Bella shipped to California from Mexico recently since it looks like we will be staying awhile. The trip up was slow only due to papers being produced and stamped and an 8 day quarantine at the border. It was nice that the 700 miles didn't have to be traveled all in one day.

I cannot adequately write the words to describe how hard this decision was to move the little horse from her native habitat. However, I finally decided this California desert isn't so different from her birthplace and that she could probably survive relocation especially at this tender age of 4. And with me to spoil the living daylights out of her for the rest of her life maybe she would some day forgive me.

Step One was to stress over her pick up. That was accomplished 3 days after the appointed date. I had found the very best horse shipper in Mexico who had a lovely 12-horse trailer and knew how to go about all the paperwork. My girlfriends met the trailer and stuffed Bella in without much more than some strong pushing. It took maybe 5 minutes. Step Two was to get her to the border and into quarantine. Blood tests drawn and sent off. Worry and wait, wait and worry. And worry some more. Finally the test results were in and she was free to go, so the next step was to haul her up to a farm in Tucson and prepare to be included in a group of 5 horses coming over to California. Another 7 hours in a trailer and she arrived safe and sound, coming off the trailer like the queen had arrived.

For a little Mexican horse who never left her birthplace this was a big trip with a lot of new stuff to see and encounter. I have found her a barn that appears to be so very perfect for her and me. Some very nice horses attached to some very nice women who would rather spend the day with their horses than just about anything else in the world.

Bella and I picked right up where I left off about 6 months ago when we left Mexico. She is already nickering at me when I arrive at the barn for my daily visit. Music to my ears.

A new phase for us has started.

I can't resist a pile of kitties.


see more Lolcats and funny pictures
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Seahorse
Monterey Bay Aquarium July

Seahorse
My Friend in Mexico yesterday

Good Buddies

Sunni and Cali are sharing their ration of psyllium and beet pulp just as my buddy, Cheryl, shares her experience of horse ownership with me.

I'm very fortunate to have met her.

More Hurricanes

Our cat, Floyd, turned 10 this weekend. The little feral Plain Jane has lived his extra lives to the fullest and can now live as a senior citizen with his senior citizen hosts.

10 years ago this week Hurricane Floyd wrecked havoc along the eastern seaboard, causing millions of dollars in damage with unrelenting rain and then flooding in Eastern North Carolina, our cat's birthplace. The island where he was born was evacuated when it looked like the approaching hurricane could be a problem.

When residents returned to the island after the worst of the storm passed, our good friend found this little rat in the middle of the road, abandoned by his mother before his eyes were even opened. Ray fed him from an eye-dropper, taught him to use a litter box properly, and turned him over to the other house cats for proper attitude adjustments.

Late in October of that year, my husband and I were back there having a little vacation in our beach house on the same street as Ray. We had lost one of our two rescue cats a few months before to a birth defect, and the surviving cat was still lost without his brother.

Ray was completely smitten with this little Floyd who would ride in the car right on his shoulder. Ray's wife was beside herself with an overabundance of cats they were already living with and gave Ray the ultimatum of culling the herd, or she would.

Lucky for us! We weren't really in the market but it seemed like Floyd might just be the perfect companion for our lonely Chester back in California. Floyd had whatever shots a 6 week old cat can have, and I purchased a soft-sided carrier so I could take him on the plane like a piece of carry-on luggage. The rule was something like the pet had to be 9 weeks old to fly so we lied and took him anyway.

Chester welcomed Floyd with open paws and started right in showing him the territory he would be responsible for in our housing development. Before we knew it, we had two roving bird and rodent and goldfish (or koi) murderers.

There is more to Floyd's story.

Hurrican Hits Home

It was late last week. Nobody up here knew anything about it. It didn't impact Cabo so it wasn't a story anymore. My friends down in my town are still suffering without water but they have electricity, phone, and good attitudes.

Another lovely day in Paradise with so many horses so little time. Cheryl Ann invited me up to visit her herd again right before school started. I felt very honored to be with her on her last day of summer vacation and share in her wonderful horseflesh. Everyone had their time out of the pens and got a little special attention.
Thank you, Cheryl. I hope your school year is wonderful. Those kids are lucky to have you for a teacher. I'm sure you change many little lives.

The Cove

I had the pleasure of a few days over in Santa Monica with my sister this week. When she has free time and I have free time we like to go to the Farmer's Market or a good movie. We got to do both on Wednesday. If there is an opportunity in your world to see The Cove I highly recommend it. Dolphins in Japan. Dolphin slaughter in Japan. From a man who worked on the Flipper TV series. Your heart will ache for his deeply felt guilt over not understanding the dolphin's condition until he lost his best friend, and how he is dedicating the rest of his life to their safety. Please see it and spread the word.

In other news, today my good buddy back in North Carolina sent me a snapshot of a recent Leatherback hatch on the Outer Banks. When we lived back there in the 90's, I was on a Turtle Patrol team. That meant walking the beach very early in the morning to see if there were turtle tracks and possible nests. Once the nests are identified they are cordoned off with police tape and checked daily to be sure no crabs, birds, or humans have disturbed them. After 60-70 days the nest boils (hatches) and out (up) pour dozens and dozens of hatchlings. It is then the Turtle Patrols' responsibility to safely see that the children crawl toward the ocean. That 50 or 100 yard crawl is very important for the babies' lungs. Thereafter they will need those expanded lungs to take deep breaths for their sea lives.

I wonder when the whole world will understand how important our oceans are to our terrestrial lives.

Cactus Blooms