Hey, why'dya stick those Texas Bluebonnets in there? When you're talking about Alaska? Or are those a closely-related plant? Because that leaf structure...I'd swear those are Bluebonnets. We apparently did have a little tornado on Sunday... Power poles are not amongst That Which Endures...Considering some of those may have been new from when Ike roared through... It must get old, being a lineman around here.
The genus Lupinus comprises about 280 species, and Texas Bluebonnet is among them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupin Fancy that, chimpkin. WE ARE BOTH RIGHT! YAAAAY!!! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Good on you for recognizing the plant. I agree that power poles DO NOT ENDURE in tornado country. Work for linemen, though, would be an enduring opportunity from the sounds of it.
Had no idea that was such a prolific genus Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Yeah, mother nature's off her mood stabilizers where I live. Flood/drought/flood/drought/hurricane/ice storm/tornado....
I've been watching the global weather news with considerable concern, both for the present conditions that people are enduring, and for the downstream effects. We are not immune where I live from weird weather either, and as we head into early summer, forest fire is a real and present danger in the boreal forest and the urban interface where I live. It's time to get the emergency gear packed and handy, and have the horse trailer hooked to the truck in case we have to lock and load on short notice. Nothing in life is permanent and it doesn't do to get too attached to chattel, when life is the only thing of value. I believe there is a Chinese proverb something to the effect that, "In pursuit of a long and healthy life, a wise man will be prepared to abandon his luggage several times." Sometimes we make that choice, and sometimes it's made for us. Few things are more enduring than the changeable weather.
But sometimes hanging on to a few things from the past is good for the soul, lol. I'm on a road trip to my old home town in Michigan to visit relatives and friends, and I thought of you as I drove past White Horse. That's White Horse, Tennessee of course. Sometimes friends are beyond the visiting potential. I can't think of any way to take a side trip to the real Whitehorse, lol.
What? A mere 2700 miles give or take? I've traveled 3300 miles one way just to bring a horse home from the Ottawa Valley. Ah well, if I win the big one, I'll spot you and the missus a plane ticket so that you can come and check out the beauty and comparative remoteness of our little city with all of the amenities. And yes, there are always a few things that one grows attached to and hopes not to have to part with.....Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Sentimental attachment is one of those things which endure.....
The most enduring thing in our personal lives is our earliest memories and experiences, for these become the foundation of our understanding and manner of thinking. It is no different with the species that I have worked with, dogs and horses, and a legacy of positive reinforcement builds a relationship of trust. On those serious occasions where negative reinforcement is required, it must be very specific as to cause, that the animal not be confused by mixed messages, and it must be of the briefest duration. The foundation that I have laid with my favorite riding horse came into question on Sunday, as I discovered that she had experienced a close encounter with a porcupine the evening prior. Porcupines are not very common at this elevation, and I had not seen one for many years now. Neither had my horse ever seen one, and she being friendly and inquisitive is undoubtedly the cause of her plight. In the past, neighbors have come to me for aid in pulling quills from their dogs, yet I do not recall hearing of any horses being in such straits. I pondered on how best to deal with getting the quills out of my mare's face, as the technique of immobilizing a horse was on a considerably larger scale than rolling a dog up in a blanket. My first action was to get some Phenylbutazone into her, to take the edge off the pain. I took a small portion of mixed grain and combined the paste medication with a considerable amount of molasses and effectively made a soft cookie from this mixture. I offered her this 'treat' in place of her morning feed, and she gingerly reached out and took it into her mouth, chewing very carefully to minimize the discomfort of the quills that were deeply embedded in her upper lip, one also deep in her lower lip. I left to get myself a meal after working the night, thinking that in a little over an hour the horse would be somewhat more comfortable and we would proceed to address the concern. When I went to see how she was faring. Caramel was snoozing, stretched right out on her side, arising groggily when called. The halter was carefully lifted around the protruding quills, and a neck rope was secured around the horse and run through the halter ring, after which I snubbed the mare to the hitching rail on a very short rope to restrict her movement and leverage should she attempt to pull back. I took a couple of pictures, pulled up a bucket of treats and started by giving her a couple of them. With my Leatherman Tool in hand, I inched the plier into position, gripped the nearest quill, and at the sensation felt, Caramel pulled back the few inches that the rope allowed. I dropped the quill into a plastic container, gave my horse a cookie and repeated this procedure 18 times until all of the quills were extracted. A small amount of blood was oozing from a couple of the wounds but she seemed unconcerned by this detail. Once all of the quills in evidence had been pulled, I spent several minutes massaging her lips and gently inspecting all the surface areas of her skin for quills that may be embedded. Fortunate indeed, that she had only taken them on the muzzle and lip, with none lodging inside the nostrils or near to an eye. Our foundation of trust was solid and Caramel was a most co-operative patient, clearly capable of comprehending that I was not the cause of her pain, even though the process of extracting the quills was not a pleasant experience. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Yikes! That is an experience that will hopefully endure for both Caramel's and your benefit. For her to avoid a repeat of the extraction ordeal and for you to avoid losing the planned down time in your demanding schedule. But you are a good nurse to your critters.
I confess that prior to starting into the task, I was wondering where the line of trust ends when pain is concerned, because getting the quills out of a 50 pound dog some years back took two adults in good shape! Calling a vet for the benefit of local anesthetic came to mind where Caramel was concerned, but on a weekend call-outs are nearly double and the bill would be very steep. The quills, while problematical, were not life-threatening. There was no one to hand that I could call for assistance, so I wrapped my head around the logistics and combined a number of tactics that I have used in other horse related challenges. Caramel is an intelligent animal and prey species tend to have a different reaction to certain stimuli than predators. I gave her 48 hours off and then right back to her usual work, without missing a beat, and no reluctance shown when I had to put on the bridle, which is one reaction that I was anticipating might occur after all of that yanking on her face. I'm thinking that 'Bute might be an underestimated drug in it's usefulness for a mild sedative effect, as it is usually administered for inflammation due to wear and tear injuries and minor trauma. :bugeye:
THAT WHICH ENDURES One day, through the primeval wood, A calf walked home, as good calves should; But made a trail all bent askew, A crooked trail, as all calves do. Since then three hundred years have fled, And, I infer, the calf is dead. But still he left behind his trail, And thereby hangs my moral tale. The trail was taken up next day By a lone dog that passed that way; And then a wise bellwether sheep Pursued the trail o’er vale and steep, And drew the flock behind him, too, As good bellwethers always do. And from that day, o’er hill and glade, Through those old woods a path was made, And many men wound in and out, And dodged and turned and bent about, And uttered words of righteous wrath Because ’twas such a crooked path; But still they followed — do not laugh — The first migrations of that calf, And through this winding wood-way stalked Because he wobbled when he walked. This forest path became a lane, That bent, and turned, and turned again. This crooked lane became a road, Where many a poor horse with his load Toiled on beneath the burning sun, And traveled some three miles in one. And thus a century and a half They trod the footsteps of that calf. The years passed on in swiftness fleet. The road became a village street, And this, before men were aware, A city’s crowded thoroughfare, And soon the central street was this Of a renowned metropolis; And men two centuries and a half Trod in the footsteps of that calf. Each day a hundred thousand rout Followed that zigzag calf about, And o’er his crooked journey went The traffic of a continent. A hundred thousand men were led By one calf near three centuries dead. They follow still his crooked way, And lose one hundred years a day, For thus such reverence is lent To well-established precedent. A moral lesson this might teach Were I ordained and called to preach; For men are prone to go it blind Along the calf-paths of the mind, And work away from sun to sun To do what other men have done. They follow in the beaten track, And out and in, and forth and back, And still their devious course pursue, To keep the path that others do. They keep the path a sacred groove, Along which all their lives they move; But how the wise old wood-gods laugh, Who saw the first primeval calf! Ah, many things this tale might teach — But I am not ordained to preach.
Hello Muntawintji, How comes the Mystery in Amoora? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I rather doubt you have had much time for your chess game of late.....
Hello Birch, Yes, Wisdom_Seeker located and posted a lovely image of some playful foals, which look to be of Quarter Horse breeding. I elected not to have children and so raising horses has been the outlet for my maternal energy. The following pictures are of my 'baby' and how quickly he is growing up to be a horse. He is mostly Morgan with a bit of Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred, the combination that my step-father told me was the preferred choice of the U.S. Cavalry, that his grandmother bred horses for as remounts. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
While the horse remains a living legacy to the rapid dispersal and progress of mankind, the human condition is enshrined in music, one of our most enduring mediums which is now further enhanced by the ability to set pictures to words, capable of being shared across the miles and across the years.... A melancholy reflection by Dan Seals, formerly known as England Dan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-3vPxKdj6o&feature=related
Dan Seals you say? He's looking an awful lot like Kelly Clarkson these days :shrug: However I would say Friendship is something that endures. http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ3ZD2FS9Uw&feature=related
Thank you, geekzilla! I had several windows open at once and must have copied the wrong link. In a hurry to head off to work, I did not double check my link in a preview. Very much appreciated. Here is the Dan Seals link that I meant to post. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUXCaXSTmns
"All that glitters is not gold." Out trampling a few villages just now I spotted this gold leaf: Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Not endurable. Valuable?
Though a single golden leaf is of little value, a great number of them, composted, are of significant value in returning nutrients to the soil. The golden leaf is an enduring symbol of autumn, and there are few things more enduring than the cyclic wheel of the seasons. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
It does indeed. Value is subjective and is assigned by each individual. I was perhaps thinking too narrowly. Just arisen and not yet terribly cognizant. That's my story and I'm sticking too it, lol....
