Sunday Tidbits

 

For our first official barbecue of the year last night, I actually had garden flowers to add a festive touch to the occasion.

I almost didn't have corn on the cob, thanks to Bridie who got into the corn and started dragging ears around the laundry room.

Maybe the potential corn demise is a bit of an exaggeration, but I did retrieve the corn quickly, and who knows what she could have done with it had she had the time. 

Bridie is a smart Border Collie, but she can't seem to learn that it's not nice to bring dish towels, bags of lettuce or corn, socks, shoes, chewed up toilet paper, even Bill's cough drops from the top of the dresser---basically anything not nailed down to her favorite depository near the sliding-glass door. 

Anyway, the rescued corn was a hit last night, as was the entire meal and especially the ultra pleasant conditions outside.  

Perfect night for a barbecue. 

The dogs, including Willie and Debbie's Border Collie Joe,  enjoyed it too, waiting patiently for handouts.

In short, a good time was had by all.  

Nearly the entire route through the yard as I took Bridie for her walk this morning was dotted with these mostly circular webs in the grass. 

Turns out they are either grass-spider creations or a fungus caused by organisms living in the lawn and waiting for the right conditions. 

Could be the cooler night aided those conditions.

Also, on my walk and, often while mowing lawn, I encounter these dirty limbs on the trees near the road. 

It's safe to say that our dust abatement, applied earlier this year, has expired. 

The trees and shrubs probably get a lot dirtier, as the weather forecast shows no rain for the next ten days. 

Too bad cuz everything could use a good wash. 

CB at 5 years old. 

Those 4 white stockings!

That's what immediately attracted me to CB while he was just a baby foal resting in a stall over at Ravenwood Arabians in Ronan, Mont. 

When you get to the stage of life where you don't ride  your horses that often, "pretty" becomes more and more important.

I often tell people that my horse experiences have evolved from the adolescent years of racing down country roads with my friend (always in places where my parents couldn't see). 

After adolescence, came horse shows where I was never very good but still loved participating. 

I also started occasional trail riding, sticking with it through the past few years. 

Most of my riding in the past couple of years has been just around the place or in an arena. 

Now, as an oldster,  my main enjoyment of my horses has become, "they sure are pretty out there in the field." 

So, CB's good looks have served my eyes well since he came here as a young horse. 

He has his faults in conformation and probably would never win top ribbons in quality.  Nor would my Lily or Lefty, but still they ARE pretty, at least in my eyes. 

CB has also gone to school and it looks like he'll be a good saddle horse. 

Most of all, I love to look at him, especially when he puts on his dramatic racing, rearing and prancing shows. 

So, Happy Birthday, CB.

And, Happy Sunday to all.