What a break!

Finally I am happy to report a welcome break in the relentless cold of the past six weeks. We got up close to freezing on Friday and Saturday (that would be 0C, 32 F) and yesterday, Sunday, shot up to plus 5 which was actually a bit more than we needed since things got very slushy with the snow starting to melt. That's just an observation, not a complaint! One of my online artist friends, Linda Shantz referred to her blog as the "weather report" the other day, and I can certainly relate to that perspective. The extremes of weather control our lives and what we can and cannot do to such an extent (especially here in winter) that it's hard not to be preoccupied with the whole thing.

But--back to this past weekend which was really quite glorious. There was a good stiff wind blowing both days, more so on Saturday, so that it was still a tad chilly if you weren't moving around, but we had bright sun and that prairie-blue sky for the first time in ages, and everybody and their dog (literally) was out moving around and enjoying themselves in the outdoors. Our poor dogs got to do their neighbourhood walk for the first time since early December. They are quite cold sensitive and can't handle anything lower than about minus 15, even in their winter garments, so their world for the past month or so has consisted of brief desperate rushes into the back yard to do the necessary, then back into the house to loll, semi-comatose, in the warmth of the indoors. Not exciting but it beats freezing to death outside. 

I did photos all three warmish days, and was really happy to be able to get my shots in relative comfort and with a minimum of abuse to my poor camera, which functions valiantly through thick and thin, or should I rather say cold, wet, dust and heat. Almost every photo session I do has at least one of those elements, it seems. 

Today's shots reflect a sampling of my weekend activities. Friday I went to Ebon planning to ride, with the camera in tow just in case, but quickly changed my mind about riding when I peeked in at the lesson underway in the ring just in time to hear an almighty cracking sound as  a bunch of ice came plummeting down off the north wall into the ring. This is an annual occurence when the warmer weather (i.e. above freezing) hits and the accumulated ice-coat on the walls lets go in often alarming fashion. Since you never know where, when or how much ice is going to come down, I just avoid the whole thing by staying out of the ring when we're in active ice-fall mode. Alpac actually handles it reasonably well, but I don't. 

So I went outside and mooched around the gelding turnout pen for a bit, where I got a very entertaining sequence of shots of Red being a pest to the others of his group. This is the horse featured in the green mixed media piece I posted a few weeks ago (December 29). I hadn't realized what a brat he was with the others until I spent a bit of time watching on Friday. He would go from one horse to another (but only those of equal or lower rank in the herd, he's a brat but not stupid), preferably those with blankets that he could grab and pull, and irritate the heck out of his victim in various ways. Then he'd move on to another one. He'd worked his way through about four of the horses in the group when he picked on Dakota who wasn't about to tolerate any of this nonsense. I got a good sequence of very alarming-looking shots, of which today's first shot is one, but despite the visuals here, no-one was hurt and indeed no physical contact was made at all. It's all about attitude and bluff, for the most part, and everyone plays his role. The black horse with the blue blanket blanket in the background is my boy Alpac. Note how the non-combatants are completely ignoring the silliness going on behind them. 

Shots two and three were taken on Saturday morning. I went to an acreage just south of the city to visit my friend Laurie while she was having her saddle refitted. Saddles and horses don't remain static, and over time a saddle will need to be adjusted to a greater or lesser extent for the comfort of both horse and rider. We are lucky here in Saskatoon to have a qualified saddle fitter in the city, who also owns a tack store (and rides at Ebon, bonus for me). Laurie felt her mare was uncomfortable when being ridden of late, so she booked Krystl for a saddle fitting and adjustment. Shot number two shows Laurie trying the adjusted saddle out with her fiesty mare Annalise. Annalise was working hard to get through the deep snow, and Laurie was working hard keeping Annalise in check. This is a mare who can take a bit of management at times, and given that she hadn't been ridden in several weeks due to the cold (Laurie rides outside year round!!) plus it was very windy, which often makes the horses a bit wild anyway, she actually acquitted herself very well. No problems at all with the canter departure in the newly redone saddle, the point at which Annalise would have started bucking previously, so it seems like things will be better for both horse and rider for the next while. How Laurie could ride in all those layers and with big boots that scarcely fit into the stirrups, I don't know, but for her it's all in a day's ride. 

Shot three was taken just at the edge of the ring while I was waiting for Laurie and Annalise to appear for their ride. For some reason I looked up, and there over my head were pussywillows, newly emerged on the branches of the tree. This totally amazed me since not only was it mid-January but we had just come out of six weeks of deep-freeze. Since pussywillows are one of the signs of spring around here, just preceding the opening of the leaves on the trees, we really only expect to see them in late April after we've had quite a spell of more moderate weather. I don't know what that tree was thinking!

Shot four is one I got on Sunday morning at the barn. I had a photo shoot planned for the afternoon so wasn't going to be riding on Sunday, but I wanted to pop out and switch Alpac to a lighter weight blanket since the weather was so much warmer. Also gave me a chance to send his utterly smelly and disgusting heavy winter blanket off for a cleaning. I was heading back down the road south of the barn when I noticed these tracks in the snow, and realized they were very fresh and had been made by the elusive Ebon moose. Still haven't seen the moose itself, but those were fresh tracks as with the high wind they would have filled in with snow and they were still  quite clear. 

Shot five is one from the Sunday afternoon shoot. I was delighted to learn recently that there are Gypsy cob horses  (also sometimes called Vanners) just north of the city, so I had to head out to meet the herd. The owners very kindly made me feel welcome and spent quite a bit of time introducing me to the mare herd and to the youngsters that had foaled out at their place last spring. I was totally fascinated by the colour and hairiness of this interesting breed. They tend to be on the stocky side, having a heritage as wagon horses, plus I think you'd just generally need a good sturdy build to hold up the weight of the manes, tails and forelocks on these horses. Quite impressive and of course right up my alley for photography and art works. Couldn't get too many shots to work with at this visit as they are all still in "winter quarters" in the large paddocks where shelter, food and water are all at hand. Nice for the horses but not conducive to the shots I want, especially with my big lens. To get the whole horse in the photo with this lens, I need to be a fair amount of distance away. That said, I had fun observing them and getting some of my "up close and personal" tight crop shots. Later in the year the herd will be turned out in a nice open forty acre pasture, at which point I should be able to get all the kinds of photos I want. The owners of this herd are just in process of putting together their website, so once that is up and running I'll write more about them and post a link to their site. That's one of the young brood mares in shot five, just hanging out and enjoying the warmer weather with a little smile on her face. 

Don't know how long the respite from winter will be with us, but for as long as it lasts, it's very welcome. Oscar (one of my Boxers) has come up to the studio to hover and sigh behind me, so I think it's time to take the boys out for a walk while the walking's good! With any luck we'll still be enjoying moderate temperatures by the time I post again next week.