Annie update

There's still no foal! However, Annie looks like she's swallowed a 65 cm exercise ball! LOL. Her belly is so droopy and round! She is still ravenous although I am feeding her a high protein grain mix and hay three times a day. Please visit Lisa for more photos of Annie. Anyone who posted a guess that has passed, please feel free to reguess. She is at 325 days gestation today. Average gestation is at 340 days, however 320-360 is normal.

I will be giving a "surprise" prize to the winner!

Sunday (Power lines 5-31-09)

Today's Sunday Stills challenge is power lines. For more, please visit here.

Sunday - song: Sunday, artist: David Bowie, album: Heathen

Sit in the garden

My neighbor, Ruth, and I have been talking about growing a community garden this summer. My son also expressed interest in growing a 'salsa' garden.

So, last weekend, we got busy. First we chose the spot. I have an unused dog run that is fully fenced and fairly close to a water pump. My son, Ross, cleaned it up. Then the three of us drove to town to rent a rototiller. We rented one for 24 hours., knowing that we had a big job ahead with the hard ground here.After working at it for an hour we decided that the rototiller wasn't powerful enough so we drove back to town for the BIG one.

My son makes it look so easy doesn't he?
But, believe me, that thing bucked! While we were in town we bought vegetable plants and bags of soil builder.

We laid out all the plants and proceeded to plant them.

Then we watered them being very careful not to upset the plants and dirt walls.We covered the new plants with some old hay for protection against the harsh sun.

Ross really has a green thumb in this picture!

We planted tomatoes, lettuce, onions, yellow squash, zucchini, green peppers, eggplant, jalapenos, sweet peas, corn, cantaloupe and watermelon. We also threw in some herbs: dill, cilantro, and bee balm. We planted zinnia and marigolds here and there to help fight the bugs. I threw moth balls around the perimeter fence too.

I know this garden isn't going to be economically efficient. I mean we can buy lots of vegetables, and fruits too, for the hundreds of dollars we'll spend on it but it'll be fun. The produce will be healthy too.

Sit in the garden - song: If there is something, artist: Tin Machine covering
Roxy Music, album: Tin Machine

I can hear some pop... popular musics

Saturday night was a good night for live music. I invited my friend, Lisa to come along with me to the QJam in the big ABQ downtown. The Gin Blossoms were playing for free out on the Plaza.

But first, my son's band, Spring Loaded Hot Dog, was playing at the public library downtown. The city is showcasing teen bands this summer and invited them to play. They played pretty well although it was hard to hear the words to the songs. They consider themselves a punk rock band.

There were about two dozen people in the audience. Unfortunately, it was graduation this weekend so many of my son's friends and followers were hosting or attending parties and couldn't come. Also, my son goes to school quite a distance from downtown Albuquerque (about 40 miles), so it was hard for some to attend this event. And, of course, it was Memorial Day weekend so many people went out of town. Because of the 'iffy' rainy weather they played indoors at the library auditorium so there was no chance for passers-by to come in. (I didn't even know the library had a stage!)

A funny thing is that when my son said he was playing at the library, and I'd tell people where he was playing, they thought we meant THE Library, which is a bar downtown. LOL.

The lead guitar/vocalist is Tennyson, the drummer is Andy, and the bass player is my son, Trevor. He's the one that goes crazy on stage as you can see, with his leg up in the air. The videos I recorded have way too much distortion so I won't even bother posting them. They need to get their sound adjusted. But, it was only their second public appearance. The first time was at the talent show for one of the boy's schools. They got their photo in the paper from that appearance.

After they played their set we said our goodbyes to them and walked a couple of blocks over to the Plaza where the Gin Blossoms would be playing.

We were hungry so we stood in line for a Bar-B-Que sandwich. Then we heard the band warming up so we grabbed our sandwiches and sat on the steps to eat and watch. Although Lisa wasn't sure who they were when I first mentioned going, she realized how popular the Gin Blossoms had been in the nineties. They played all their hits, lots of them, and even a few new songs. They will be releasing a new album in the near future. They sounded great!

He was a cutie with those bedroom eyes.The guy with the long hair and the light green shirt never turned around enough to get a good photo of his face but we got him later.

There was one hippie guy in a great big black hat dancing away by himself at the stage for a while. Lisa called him Madrid Man because we have a town called Madrid that is a hippie/art colony. He passed his hat on to the lead singer who kept making comments about how high he was getting from the browband! LoL.We stayed after and got to meet the band. I got a couple of signatures on a cd cover. We even scored a few guitar picks from the band.

We did get this picture later when Lisa posed with him. Aren't they cute? Lisa and I had a great time together.

I can hear some pop...popular musics - Baby Grace (A horrid cassette), artist: David Bowie, album: Outside

To watch this creature fair

How about a contest?My Arabian mare, Annie, is due to foal soon. I want to run a contest for everyone with the prize to be a surprise! All you have to do is leave a comment with your guess on when you think she will foal (date and time) and what she will have (sex). Extra points will be given for picking the right color. ;) The closest guess will win a present from me.

Some background on Annie: she is a maiden mare (never bred before) and 16 years old. Last year, on July 8th and 9th, she was bred by artificial insemination. As of today, she is 318-319 days gestation.

Normal gestation varies from 320 to 360+ days with an average of 340.
The hallmark signs of impending foaling include: (1) udder fills at two to four weeks prior to foaling, (2) tailhead relaxes within a week prior to foaling, (3) teats “wax” within a week prior to foaling or sometimes not at all, (4) teats fill and may drip milk in the days prior to foaling, (5) vulva relaxes and the mare is restless in the hours prior to foaling. The actual foaling process begins with labor generally lasting one to two hours. The mare will be restless and may seem colicky. The end of labor is marked by the rupture of the fetal membranes surrounding the foal. The delivery follows which is a quick process usually lasting 5 to 20 minutes. The normal presentation of the foal should be with the front hooves down, one slightly ahead of the other, and the nose tucked on the knees and cannons.

Annie has been bagged up for a few days now and this morning, I noticed yellow dripping from her teat. She also peed several times, the last time it was just a few dribbles, as I was feeding them.

I decided to turn all the horses out for a few hours since it looks like a nice day and they have been confined for the last several days because of rainy weather. Annie was very anxious, running back and forth before entering the arena. She has not been out with Scout and Nadia for at least a week now. She reasserted her alpha status immediately with them, pinning her ears and biting at them over her hay. But quickly, she settled down and began eating with them. They were all happy to be out after all the rainy weather. Scout even rolled.
I intend to go out in a couple of hours and hand graze them on grass. That's why their feeding appears to be so light, in case anyone was wondering.

Yesterday, I placed a mineral brick in Annie's feeder. I could hear her crunching all night and this morning, I noticed how much she'd eaten! She had a 50 pound block available out in the field but I haven't been turning her out so much lately. I didn't realize how much she missed it. I even give her Mare Plus vitamins daily. Or maybe, she just enjoyed the treat.

I intend to keep a close watch on her. I honestly don't know when she will foal. According to this website, it could be soon, or... weeks?

My guess: June 7th, 3:40AM, a dark filly. Bay? (fingers crossed). I think she will keep me waiting and anticipating for a while yet. June 7th is a full moon. However, today is a new moon. Will she foal early? She really is huge!!

I had some questions about color. Annie's dam line are almost all grays, Palas line, but her sire is a bay, El Paso line. The stud is a black bay, Khemosabi line. There is a high probability of a gray but I'm hoping for a black bay like the sire. I believe gray is a dominant color for Arabs but then, so is bay.

I just found out that FernValleyAppaloosas has two mares due about the same time. She is also running a contest, so stop by her blog too.

To watch this creature fair - song: Lady Stardust, artist: David Bowie, album: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Sunday (Yellow 5-24-09)

Yellow is my favorite color!

For more Sunday Stills, please visit here.

Sunday - song: Sunday, artist: David Bowie, album: Heathen

Your idol singing falsetto

Adam Lambert vs Kris Allen?

That's the big question these days. Who do you like? I am definitely for Adam. It's highly possible that he will win American Idol. One rumor these days is that there will be a very special performance on the final night.

clue- TPTB are desperately trying to get this performer to sing with Adam at the finale. God Only Knows if it will be a Perfect Day for Mr. Lambert.
This blue eyed performer cites Little Richard as his first musical influence.
This performer has something important in common with Elvis Presley.

DAVID BOWIE covered the songs God Only Knows and Perfect Day. He has blue eyes although one pupil is permanently dilated making it appear a different color. He loves Little Richard and he was born on the same day as Elvis Presley. However, this is only a potential performer. Could it really happen?

Reasons why it could happen:

1. He needs the money


2. He's bored


3. He's releasing a new album (fingers crossed)


4. Lexie (his daughter) wants him to

Adam is being compared to Freddie Mercury for his fantastic vocals and to Mr. Bowie for his theatrics, extravagance, and "gayness." Bowie is Adam Lambert's idol too. Here is a photo of Adam at a New Year's performance wearing a great Bowie tee shirt. How can you fault him with taste like that?

I seriously doubt this duet will come to pass but I have my fingers crossed. I would love to see Bowie on stage again. This will get him in the public's eye in a big way because this show will be viewed by millions. The duet would have to be Under Pressure and what a performance it would be! How I wish I were a fly on Bowie's apartment wall right now. Is he going around singing Under Pressure?

Here is a youtube video of Adam's audition for American Idol.

I love his version of Tears for Fear's Mad World. He sang Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love and Aerosmith's Cryin' like a rock star!

Here's a video of Adam singing Mad World

To be fair, I'll include a Kris Allen video of Heartless by Kanye West

Who do you think should win?

Not unexpectedly, Adam didn't win. I think he was the better singer of the two, definitely more memorable, but I don't think America is ready for a singer like him. Americans prefer safe, cute, good 'ol country boy singers, like Kris. And Bowie didn't show. That's a shame but again, not unexpected.

Your Idol Singing Falsetto - song: Young Americans, artist: David Bowie, album: Young Americans

Foal watch begins

Lisa, at Laughing Orca Ranch, has begun Mare Watch Mondays for my Arabian mare, Annie. (Why didn't I think of that?? Anyway, great idea, thanks!)

We are anxiously anticipating Annie's foal. She is 16 years old and this is her first foal but Annie is in excellent health and spirits so I anticipate that everything will go well. Pregnancy has agreed with her, she is very calm nowadays whereas she was extremely flighty in her younger days. She used to kick a lot, so much that I worried about her being a mama. Now, she is gentle and patient and I can work all around her. I am glad that I waited to breed her until she settled down, however, I worried that it would be too late to ever have a foal. You can read about the challenging breeding process last year, here.

Her mother, Fantastka, was a winning racehorse in Poland and became the Polish National Champion mare before she was sold at the Polish sale for a price of $240,000 and imported to the United States. Annie's sire, AH Gallant, by the fabulous El Paso, was also a winning racehorse and register of merit racing stallion and a halter winner at age 16! I didn't want to lose her pedigree. I could never afford a horse with her bloodlines again. When I saw the flyer for Kakhem Sahib, I knew he was the "one".

Kakhem Sahib is a son of the famous Khemosabi. Khemo, as he is affectionately called, has been reserve champion working cow horse three times.

Isn't he pretty?Besides being a show horse, he's also ridden around the ranch. He's got a great disposition, is an outstanding performer, and looks good too. What more could I want? Oh, and he stands 15.1hh so maybe Annie, at 14.3hh, will produce a taller foal than herself. (fingers crossed)

I don't really care what sex the foal is as long as it's healthy. I haven't decided it's future either, since I am currently unemployed but I was hoping to show it.

I was checking on my mare's gestation at a great horse website called Justamere Ranch and this is what I found out.

If your mare was last bred on 7/10/2008, then your soon-to-be foal is now approximately:

45 weeks or 312 days old.

Considering that a mare's average gestation is 335 days, you should be seeing your new addition in approximately 23 days. Please remember, however, that your mare could foal several weeks earlier or later and still be considered to have a "normal" gestation.

Although you should monitor your mare, you probably won't need to spend eleven months of nearly sleepless nights. Normal gestation for a mare lasts about 335 days, with some healthy foals born as early as 300 days and others taking over 360 days. However, foals born before about 320 days are usually weak, have a low birth weight, and may require intensive care. Environmental factors, sex of the foal, and age of the mare can all affect the length of gestation. Foals born during the early spring are often carried a week to ten days longer than foals born during late summer. Colts are usually carried a couple of days longer than fillies. Mares tend to carry their foals longer as they age - usually about one day longer for each year of age over ten years. Mares seem to follow a pattern year after year therefore good record keeping helps to predict when an individual mare will foal.

This means that she could foal a little sooner than I've been anticipating. Or a little later, lol. She is huge and I think the foal is moving back some. I also noticed that her bags are filling. Hopefully, she'll wait a couple more weeks though, June 7th is a full moon.

Sunday (Eyes 5-17-09)

For more Sunday Stills please check here.

Sunday - song: Sunday, artist: David Bowie, album: Heathen