THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

2 May 2014

FOAL



Could be the only one we see this year, so make the most of him. I think this is the one I saw in the marsh when I only had my phone so couldn't get any close ups. I spotted him a couple of days ago and got both Jack and Snippet on the lead so as not to scare him. He was fast asleep but woke as we approached:







We saw him the following day by the Long Stone, disturbing his sleep again:



The pony in the background was scratching its bum on the Long Stone....


Bliss obviously:


I love this next one. I think he should have a name. Any suggestions?


Trigger is more and more comfortable with the Madams which makes me very happy as you may remember how worried I was about him being on his own up here the year before last. I would still be happier if he had a home where someone could spend more time with him but I would miss him terribly. Here he is communing with the ladies:



 




Despite warnings of terrible weather yesterday, it wasn't a bad day at all with extremely unexpected moments of blue and sunshine. 









I've been trying to get a decent picture of the violets in the grass for weeks and have failed miserably, with the auto-focus choosing the grass over the flower every time. Yesterday I triumphed....kind of. They're SO tiny:


Last week I posted a photo of this same view in the early morning but before the leaves had started to emerge. Beech leaves at last......just not in our hedge. Never again. It's Guelder Rose and Alder all the way next time we do any hedging. . 


I know it's taking me forever to get the cards onto the blog and Etsy to sell but at least I can now say I'm getting somewhere with a local shop in Chagford stocking Snippet. Commercialisation at last! Only ten but, if they sell, she'll have more. I'll be sending all my friends in to express delight and interest, if not sales. The shop is run by a friend too but not one who would have taken them to be kind.....I hope. 

Another Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK so I'm unlikely to be posting until Tuesday but you never know. Have a great time and thanks all of you for following. I may not say it very often but I appreciate it very, very much. Until next time, they're looking at you........



47 comments:

  1. Dogs in a hurry, ponies cuddling and the wide open moor - lovely photos as always. Thank YOU for sharing your part of the world with us

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    1. I do love watching the ponies' behaviour around each other. slightly different from domesticated equines.

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  2. What a handsome foal! I am terrible at names, especially horse/pony names but right off the top of my head, Prince?? Bruce??

    But all your photos are enjoyable from start to finish, especially 'they're looking at you!'

    Enjoy your weekend!!

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    1. You too Kim. I don't think you have as many public holidays as we do. Spring seems peppered with them!

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  3. The foal is lovely! What a great spring sight. How funny that the horses like rubbing themselves just there - and, well, just there! Glad that Trigger is happy! Hope that you have a good weekend, and I look forward to hearing that you have had record card sales! xx

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    1. Record sales would be good but may take a while!

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  4. For some strange reason I want to call the foal Desmond! I think it's his expression in the picture with his fluffy coat....but moving on, lol. Love all your photographs, esp. Trigger and co. :-)

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    1. I like Desmond. I can always count on you Ann. I thought I saw the stallion Arrow yesterday which made me think of you.

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    2. LOL. It's nice to know that Arrow is still about :-)

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  5. Don`t worry about Trigger. He has a wonderful home and his mares for company. He doesn`t know that he`s not being ridden. Enjoy him from the ground and try to adjust to the different mindset. It`s what I have had to do. People talk about unridden horses being "wasted", but if that means living a good life in a natural setting, with an owner who cares, it can`t be such a bad life!

    As for that sweet little colt foal and his name...... His colour suggests dark chocolate to me - any ideas? One of my NF Boys looked like Cadbury`s milk chocolate when he was born on the Forest. When he came in we called him Chocolate Button, and then he turned dark bay, so he`s more like Green and Blacks now!

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    1. I completely agree about the not being ridden thing. He's so much happier not being ridden and, given his unfortunate past, I'm just glad to make him happy.

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  6. The foal is too stinking cute for words!!
    A name from Shakespeare to honour the bard's 450th birthday,I reckon.
    Jane x

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    1. So we have Desmond and a Shakespearean name. I will ponder on it.....thanks Jane. x

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  7. That foal is just gorgeous. Have a great weekend x

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  8. An utterly superb set of photos as ever, Em. Looks like you had much better weather (well, sunny spells at least) than us. It's been grey-drizzle-grey ... though the sun finally came out for an hour at about 7pm this evening.

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    1. Leaden today Caroline. I'm just ignoring the forecasts at the moment! Earlier this week they said there would be a frost this morning which was rubbish. I could have planted those broad beans after all.

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  9. Bloody hell - once again, I am envious of your pre-historic isolation. Where else could you wipe your backside on a standing stone?

    Word of advice: Portraits 'DONE' ? I mean, really. How uncouth. Not 'done', FF's sake.

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  10. You have wild violets ! ! ! Lucky
    Love the photo of Jack running full out right at you. And Trigger does look very happy with his ladies !
    Have a lovely weekend.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. That one wasn't very violet though......losing its colour before fading and dying. I'll try and get a more violet one soon. Have a lovely weekend too Parsnip.

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  11. I love the fuzzy manes and tails of foals--such a tousled sleepy look. I've never had to name a horse--just cats and a few dogs. I think I'd call him 'Taffy'--for the molasses color of his hair.

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    1. That's a sweet one too MM. I'm going to have to draw them out of a hat I think.

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  12. Gorgeous photos and what an adorable foal :) Well done on getting the violet photo and I'm pleased Trigger is settling down with the Madams. I'm not very good at thinking up names but something from Shakespeare as someone suggested sounds like a good idea! Good Luck with the card sales and have a lovely weekend.

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  13. As usual Em, your photographs bring the Moor to life. That really is the most beautiful little foal - it is always hard to name them when they are small. I looked at the one where his coat is all ruffled up and thought 'Fuzzy Peg' - then I thought 'who would wish to grow up with a name like that?' Enjoy your Bank Holiday. Incidentally - if you wish to see a photo of me and the farmer, click on The Solitary Walker on my side bar. He is my niece's husband and they visited us last week end. He took a photo of us standing in the kitchen and he has put it on his blog today.

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    1. Love the photo of you and the farmer! You are obviously part of a blogging dynasty Pat.

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  14. What a darling that little foul, you captured him beautifully. Loved the one with him staring at you head on. Great photos all of them!

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    1. I do like that one too but the one where he's hiding behind his mum is still; my favourite.

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  15. Beautiful country!
    Love that sweet curly foal mane.

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  16. I feel quite homesick looking at your photos, Em. Really sorry we didn't manage to hook up this time- the whole week was packed from waking to sleeping. xx

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    1. I imagine it was but perhaps you'll be inspired to return soon!

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  17. So many great photos here Em. I love Trigger with the grey mare and the sky image and the foal waking. I hope the card sales go really well.

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    1. I do love it when they wake up all scruffy. I do try to avoid it obviously but they often sense their mother's tension.

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  18. The photos of the foal are beyond beautiful! They take my breath away! And the scenery is heavenly.

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    1. So pleased you like them. I love your little sillhouette photo thingy by the way.

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  19. Love the foal photos, especially the one head on! I also love the photos of Trigger with the gray madam. It's great he is able to go up there for the company.

    Good luck on the card sales. If I was in the area I'd drop in and plug them ;)

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    1. The whole part time thing with Trig has ended up working really well. his little paddock up here is in pretty good condition thanks to his being away from it a few days a week. He even seems to be finding some grass there too!

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  20. We name our dogs after places in the regions the breed originates. So I'm not sure if that helps or not!
    The foal really does look sweet. Your dogs look pretty relaxed around them, I'm not quite sure what mine would make of them

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    1. Lots of tourists' dogs end up worrying them as well as killing sheep and yet it's SO rare to see anyone using a lead. So irresponsible. I still put Jack on the lead if there's a foal or a big group of fast moving sheep.

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  21. The foal is adorable. I love the dogs bounding back after their run, too. Hope you're having a good weekend!

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    1. We had a great one thanks Wendy. Actually quite relaxing....in a manic way.

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  22. Just love those photos of Trigger with his mates, have to say it, don't ponies have fat bottoms! especially when they are rubbing themselves against standing stones.... Think I would call the foal 'Spring', young babes are always so sweet.

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    1. Trigger's bottome isn't that fat which is probably why he has so little tail.....easier to rub it off!

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  23. Brilliant Em! I am bookmarking your blog so that I can share it with friends. I love all these photos, each one very special. Hope the weather's not too bad and that you will see sunshine with warm days soon.

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    1. Any bookmarks welcome. Don't you find you have so many though? My list is ridiculously long!

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