The first photo is Odin on his first birthday, June 6, 2002. He was gangly, not quite shed out and growing like a weed. I still had no idea what he’d look like as a grown horse.
In the early winter of 2002, I went to a horse auction, and outside were these people with a box of purebred Australian Cattle Dog puppies. I had never seen that kind of dog before, so I wandered closer. Of all the squirming and yipping puppies, Jake sat still and looked right into my eyes. That did it. I bought him. The next day, I snapped this photo.
I took these photos in early 2002 with the Nikon. My son Tim had already started avoiding photos of him, so I had to covertly snap a shot whenever I could. I will cherish these two photos forever as they capture Tim’s incredible ability to bond with animals. His “touch” is amazing.
From the archives of photos taken with my first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix, this is a wintery photo of Gunner playing with a young Odin. Gunner was 2 years old, and Odin was a long yearling. A friend bought Gunner from the same farm in North Dakota that Odin came from, and it was like the two horses knew it. They bonded immediately and were inseparable. Scenes like this one happened often, and I was glad to be able to capture the two at play.
I took this photo years ago with my first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix. I went as nuts with that camera as I am with the one I use now, and I am so thankful that the technology has improved so much. That little, 1.2mb Nikon did a pretty good job for what it was.
It’s that time of year. Folks spread their cheer by decorating just about anything for Christmas. Beebe found a great use for an old fire truck that is a sight to see, even without the lights on.
I find this photo amazing in that the details of Saki in his reflection are as crisp and clear as the details on his body. Saki is quite an expressive dog. He rarely wags his tail, but his eyes themselves smile.
I can’t imagine what this lawn ornament of St. Francis looked like new, it’s so pocked and worn by the weather. Yet, there’s those glass things in the bowl, untouched and shiny as new. Strange thing to see.
It was good to take my camera out today, the first time since taking all the photos of the Pioneer Village. I was surprised to see these roses still growing at a friend’s, especially since many nights have been down into the low 40’s. Their vivid color was a sight for sore eyes.
Even scantily lit, the entrance to the restored Gordon House in the pioneer village of Little Red is filled with much to greet the eye and sooth the soul. Yet, everything is functional. Except for the clock, that is. The real time was more like 3:45 p.m.
Sitting among tall, stately trees, the historical little town sits, complete with its town garden and late fall display of flowers.
The Historical Society and the Master Gardeners today held an open house of the town of Little Red. This local museum is an entire town from the late 1800’s that they’ve worked together to restore. People from both organizations wore period clothing and “acted” their parts rather well.
The new Arkansas Fallen Firefighter Memorial statue is currently touring the state, on display this week in Beebe, before coming to its final home at the state capitol. It is unbelievably amazing to see the statue in person, to see the intricate details along with the overwhelming sense of the feats that the statue commemorates.
When I saw this photo, I was reminded of the haunted house all the kids in the neighborhood used to talk about. One day, we all piled in a big brother’s car and went over to explore that old, abandoned house. The doorway was just as overgrown and just as dark over the threshold as this old dog house in my back yard. I imagine people and dogs long gone, walking in and out that door. I never went into the haunted house, and I’ve never poked my head inside this dog house either. It’s out of respect, you see, of a different day and time. A-hem.
It’s so amazing to me that there are still things growing. While the poke salad may be on its last legs, I found a new, weird white flower of sorts growing in the shade of the tree.
There’s not many trees on my property. This one sits outside the pasture fence, right at the edge of my world, so to speak. It’s not a very picturesque tree, and it’s too young to be grand, but I enjoy its uniqueness. And, it redeemed itself and added a few grandiose qualities all on its own as the sun started to set. The sunlight, bright, fall sunlight, poured through the tree leaves to capture the color as it streamed through. On the other side, the sunlight splashed across the leaves through the sun’s own cloud filter.
I don’t know why I didn’t think to put the camera into video mode. If I did though, I would’ve missed these wonderful shots. Of all the things I think of when I see Odin, it’s his incredible power and beauty that always takes my breath away.
In the second photo, Odin was running up to me. The view through the camera lens is deceptive, and when he got close, he tucked his rump in and did a power slide. I was standing right by a large muddy area, so that slide sprayed me and the camera with mud! It was one of those moments that is the price you pay for a good shot or two.
