Look Back and Look Up

Today is Tuesday and the sky is dark and the rain is coming down in buckets...good thing I had nothing planned, actually I planned nothing cause I knew it was coming.  I know there's others out there who are affected by weather I am in their ranks.  If I don't see the sun, I am immediately let down.  I recall when I was a kid running around on Bramblewood plantation where we lived for a time, I would spend the entire rainy Saturday in the stall with a horse.   I'd lay down beside the horse and that warmth helped get me through the disappointment of the rainy day with no riding!  That is a shot of me and my mare Silky.  She was a great horse to ride and spend time with.  This shot was taken most probably in 1969.  I was about 16 yrs old.  That big tree in the background was another favorite place I spent time I would hide up there. 

Later on at about age 18 I started working at the Hunter Barn where horses were boarded and we taught riding, I'm goofing off here with Blinky one of our jumpers...We had a summer day camp and I was one of the instructors, after a heavy storm this tree hit the barn, my boss had me saddle up and jump the tree for publicity!

Me riding Chinazo. He was my favorite horse at the barn, and I was the only one who would ride him...we got along...most people he  did not like and he was a hand full. 

This is me on the left and my first crush Tommy on the right with the Hunter Barn in the background it's still in use today! 

In our town race horses come to be trained in winter.  My first real job after the riding school was here riding race horses.  No photos of me tho...Mom was supposed to come and watch me one day and get a photo.  I saw here drive up and we rode past her and then she backed up and left...Later I asked did you get a photo of me, she said "I never saw you." Huh, "I rode right in front of you with 2 other horses"...

"OH it looked like 3 boys to me." okay...lol she was right

1971

                                                                                         1970

Only my long hair let people know I was not a boy.   My boss told me I dressed like a truck driver...lol  I was just happy to be out and about on my horse.  This was taken at the first Hunter Barn, it was sold and then the new one (pictured earlier) was built.  

This is me jumping Thunder, he was a great school horse...these are all old photos of photos...so poor quality.  Anyway that's a look back at my early teen years.  Now you see why I hate rainy days, all this adventure was shut down by rain! 

Those were the days!


Looking UP  to present time....did do some birding on Monday saw some cool birds, like the Pileated Woodpecker...

 

More Awesome Cedar Waxwings, 

 

 

and  this odd mushroom 

 

A Yellow Bellied Sapsucker 

 

  

It was a  pretty day this was on Sunday...

It was Jimmy Approved!  On Wednesday we went back to the county river park and saw hundreds of Common Grackle mixed with Red Winged Blackbird...they landed near us what a sight to see that was.  I didn't have my camera that day...The river was flooded due to all the rains. It was amazing. 

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My Mom Memory for this post is


 

 I should have put this one up on my last post this was taken at  Huntington Beach probably 2009?  Even tho she had to carry an oxygen tank Mom still took a cold walk on the beach with me. I hope I have half her spunk if I live as long.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.