Born recently at a stud farm in the southern state of Victoria,
Australia , the 15 " miniature horse is yet to be named, but has already formed a bond with Sam Leith, 12.

Silver in color, she was given a clean bill of health and should

reach 24” when grown.

The birth has generated such excitement in the community

that local people are entering a competition to give the horsea name.Owner Lee Scown said

she wanted a name that reflected

the tiny, unique nature of the horse. 'Its amazing to see a

horse so tiny. She’s about the size of a week-old lamb.

The horse is the smallest born at Riverdance and its arrival

surprised even its breeder.

'We were told the mare wasn't due for another four weeks

but on Sunday morning I walked outside and called her,

and out ran the little foal behind her.'

A Family of Six

Another wonderful email:

BLACK BEAR QUINTUPLETS

Black bears typically have the two cubs; rarely, one or three. In 2008, in northern New Hampshire, a black bear Sow gave birth to five healthy young.There were two or three reports of sows with as many as 4 cubs, but five was, and is, very extraordinary. I learned of them shortly after they emerged from their den and set myself a goal of photographing all five cubs with their mom- no matter how much time and effort was involved. I knew the trail they followed on a fairly regular basis, usually shortly before dark. After spending nearly four hours a day, seven days a week, for more than six weeks, I had that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and photographed them. I used the equivalent of a very fast film speed on my digital camera. The print is properly focused and well exposed, with all six bears posing as if they were in a studio for a family portrait.

I stayed in touch with other people who saw the bears during the summer and into the fall hunting season. All six bears continued to thrive. As time for hibernation approached, I found still more folks who had seen them, and everything remained OK. I stayed away from the bears as I was concerned that they might become acclimated to me, or to people in general, and treat them as approachable friends. This could easily become dangerous for both man and animal.

After Halloween, I received no further reports and could only hope the bears survived until they hibernated. This spring, just before the snow disappeared, all six bears came out of their den and wandered all over the same familiar territory they trekked in the spring of 2008. I saw them before mid-April and dreamed nightly of taking another family portrait, a highly improbable second once-in-a-lifetime photograph.

On 25 April 2009, I achieved my dream.

When something as magical as this happens between man and animal, Native Americans say, We have walked together in the shadow of a rainbow. And so it is with humility and great pleasure that I share these exhilarating photos with you.

By Tom Sears

Odds & Ends (Again)

I guess if you don't have a baby chair handy, this is as good as any way to help them sit up.....LOL. Works as a teething ring, too.

Want to give me these for Christmas? Aren't they clever? I wonder if they are glass or acrylic? I almost hope they're acrylic so we could use them on the deck around the pool.

Helping Hands! I wish I'd had a pair of those when my babies were newborns. I wonder if they're waterproof.....?

This is clever too, but I don't fancy sitting on it.



OOOOOOOOOOO!! (Sort of creepy)

Look Who Came to Visit! + Happy Fourth!

We were sitting on the deck yesterday afternoon with friends Tiff and Biff Spiffy, and I kept seeing movement beyond the fence in the woods. I thought it was a large dog, but when I went to investigate, I saw a fawn. Biff spotted her sibling back a little further in the woods. The boys got out of the pool and we all gravitated toward the fence, mesmerized at the sight of this beautiful, innocent baby.

The one you see here was very curious about us, I think. She stood still and watched us for a while, and then she lay down in a patch of ivy not 3 feet behind the fence. I gave Biff the camera, and he slowly walked closer to the fence, hoping to get a really good shot of her, but his approach scared her off and she bolted into the woods behind the other one. I wonder where her parents were? I am fairly certain they would not have let the babies get this close to us had they been around. I really hope that these two were not orphaned.


We wish a happy Fourth of July to everyone, and while you are eating your hotdogs and potato salad, do not forget the reason for this day - Independence!!

This will probably turn out to be one of my most treasured presents - ever. One of my granddaughters made this photo frame for me. She cut up some old, duplicate photos to paste heads of herself and her two brothers, but her little sister only got one tiny picture down in the right corner. She interspersed them with polka dots of glue that had glittery bits in it. It doesn't show up here, but on my desk, it sparkles like tiny diamonds. I love it, but there's a sad, sad note to it.

Her mom told me that what she used to make this frame was photos of them with their father; the idiot who has only come to see them once or twice in the last 5 years. She decided she didn't want those photos any longer, even though her mom had saved them for all the children so they'd have pictures of him. I find it incredibly sad that any child is put in that position, and I completely understand why the children do not want to think about him anymore (I don't either.) I know that there will come a time when they will get curious about him, and so I have a whole manila folder of photos from happier times to give them when they are older, if they ask.

::-::-:::-:::-::-::

On a lighter note, last night I put the Christmas stuff away and today I cleaned the living room, including all the bookshelves. If you have seen photos of that room, you'll know how involved that is! I had told myself I needed to thin out the knick-knacks (sp?) and I removed about 6 things (which is a drop in the bucket), and moved some of the photos around. Whew. Tomorrow I tackle the bathrooms. Phew.

More Babies and Quotes

Babies and Quotes

This is, of course, part of another email I got in December. Sweet babies - and good sayings!

Look at This!

Click to enlarge.

Isn't he precious?! He attended the Governor's Mansion Party tonight, as I did. He was enjoying the jazz combo and shortly after I snapped this, he started to dance. It was too cute for words, and I wish I had taken a video. This is the only clear shot I could get of him.

I am too tired to write more or to make visits tonight; I worked again today, decorating a private home and we finish it tomorrow. Photos of that to follow.

Meet the Blogger! and More.....

This is Beverly and me, taken yesterday afternoon in my living room! Bev was on her way back home after spending a month with her son, daughter-in-law and her luscious granddaughter Ella, and she stopped to have lunch with me and meet mr. kenju. I became acquainted with Bev last spring, when I drove to a point just off Route 95 in Smithfield, NC, to meet her for lunch.

We had a delightful visit (at least, I did). I just got an email stating that she had gotten home safely and I know we are both grateful for that.

++++++++

This quote was lifted from my daily calendar today:

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

Marcel Proust

New Baby Bird Pics

When I got home from work on Saturday, I stopped in the front yard to pluck a few dandelions, and was very heartened to hear the mother bird fly over my head to her nest on the porch. I looked up and saw a small brownish bird, probably a wren. I am not as familiar with bird varieties as I should be.

It is obvious in these pics that the mother has not abandoned the babies, because as you can see, there is a lot of crap around the edges. In fact, I would say this mother is a prodigious crapper! I usually try to save all the nests I find, but this one (and the basket) will be dumped as soon as it is vacated. EW!

These photos were taken last Friday afternoon, and the babies had their eyes open, at least the ones I could see did. Our weather has warmed a little since I first found the nest and it appears that all is well in birdland.

I don't know how many other pics I will be able to get. I have to remove the basket from the wall to get the pics, and I don't want to disturb the mother if I can help it. If the opportunity presents itself, I will snap what I can.

What Spring Brings......

Every year I put a silk arrangement on the porch wall; either a basket or a wreath. Every year, a bird builds a nest on the arrangement. Most years, the end result is broken eggs or an abandoned nest. But not this year. There are at least four itty-bitty fuzzy babies in that nest. I am such a proud grandmama!! We hope it isn't too cold for the babies to survive; since we have had hard freezes for the last three nights.

Note: The nest was built by the birds; I didn't put it in the arrangement. I will photograph them as often as possible, but I have to take the arrangement off the wall. It is a cornucopia-type basket and I must have someone hold it for me, and that might not always be possible. I don't know what kind of birds they are because I have not seen the mother yet. I will try to keep you posted about them as they grow.

(click to enlarge, and scroll down for the rest of the post)