Braggin' Rights!

I am so happy to post these... the Winners and Top 10 placers at NAN!

Rockefeller... NAN Top 10 in Morgen Breed


Prince Charles (Mork!):
NAN Top 10 in Appaloosa Breed, Top 10 in Appaloosa Workmanship


Mary Magdalene (owned by Gail S.): Reserve Champ Pure/Part/Heavy/Stock/ Spanish pony


Eleanor (owned by Betsy V): Reserve Champion Mule, Top 10 Appaloosa workmanship

(bottom 2 photos taken with the official NAN backdrop)

Crazy weather and an old friend

As I hover obsessively over the incoming NAN results (I sent out 3 horses for halter/workmanship, two of which got a top 10 so far! Now to watch the workmanship classes)... I also have been prepping horses with my old friend, Plastikote sandable primer. Plastikote is my all-time FAVORITE primer in the whole wide world. I cannot sing its praises enough; it creates an ideal painting surface and is just wonderful. Primer may seem like such a small thing, but since Michael's stopped carrying it (they switched over to Valspar, which is terrible) I have been experimenting with other primers, like Rustoleum and Krylon sandable primer... but nothing has that same ease of use. Plastikote has the most wonderful finish, with no burs, powder, dripping or mess. Just a super smooth, ultra velvety finish that nothing else can compete with. So, I've basially been searching high and low for it for MONTHS. I've tried craft stores, hobby shops, and every autobody shop I could find... all with no luck.

Last night Greg and I went out to dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant (he was trying to make me feel better since I couldn't be at NAN), and I spied an autobody shop in the same plaza. I went in to get another can of Rustoleum, which what I have been using in this interum period, and GASP... sitting there on a shelf, in all its magnificent glory... was Plastikote sandable primer. Sure, it cost $7 a can, but I didn't care. I bought all 4 cans and triumphantly came squeeling out of the store. The guys there must have thought I was nuts. Greg understands though... he hears me swearing like a sailor every time the other primers have misbehaved. Plastikote though... it never lets me down.

So today I've been prepping away, enjoying it very much now that I have my trusy primer at my side. I've mostly been sitting outside, since its actually nice out today. Humid and hot, of course, but at least its not crazy outside like it has been the last few days. We actually had a tornado yesterday!!! Can you believe it?? In CT!!! First it was sunny and god-awful humid... then it was so windy it was unbelievable... and then we had quarter-sized hail. Greg actually took video of it, and we are trying to get it off his phone so I can post it here. The hail was coming down so hard it dented and took paint off my car. Poor Subaru. I feel terrible for the farmers in this area... I hope their crops are ok.

The only nice part about the freaky weather is that we did get a fantastic rainbow last night. So, it had a happy ending. Well, except for my car. :-(

if you don't like the weather in New England..

...then just wait a minute! That saying has never been more true... especially lately. Its been raining while the sun is shining, freezing cold one night and sweltering the next, and for the past few days the humidity has been just incredible. I looked at my humidity gauge today out of curiosity, and it read 68%! Blarg. No wonder nothing has been drying. And tomorrow the weatherman predicts temps in the 90s, with 80-90% humidity. And crazy heat lightening in the evening. Awesome!

The only things that seem to be enjoying this miserable dampness are the flowers. I took these pictures this afternoon... and get this... it was NOT raining. This is moisture that has just collected from so much water in the air!

Vistors this week!

This week my brother Kyle and my niece (Kaylynn) are visiting from Reno, NV. Last year Kyle came out with his two sons, and this year was the trip where Kaylynn got to come to grandma and grandpa's farm. Of course that means production here has come to a grinding halt. I'm fine with that , they only visit once a year! Above is Kaylynn with Daisy Mable.

The funniest part is that year after year, the best and favorite part of the visit for the kids--are the dogs. Lady loves to swim, Daisy loves to cuddle, and Hayden is all about fetch and running around. Swimming all day... riding the golf cart... playing in the grass.... as it turns out, the best playmates are the furry kind.

Kyle has been snapping pics like crazy for the past 48 hours. He is the one with the dark hair/beard; my dad is the one with the gray hair/glasses. Enjoy!!!

Hudson Valley

This past weekend I went to Hudson Valley, a show here in Region 10, and actually got a chance to do some performance-- with a brand new horse to boot! The last time I showed performance was before NAN 2008. It was good to tack something up again. I took the western pic, but the other pics were taken by Corrie McDermott who was at the show. Her pics are WAY better than mine!!

This is "Aztec Silver", a customized Eberl I *just* finished for myself this past week. This poor guy was in process for the better part of 8 months. First I kept fussing on the resculpting, then I couldn't for the life of me decide what color he should be. I need to do a proper photoshoot of him now that he is finished; he is actually a fleabitten dapple gray but its hard to see in pictures. I am really pleased with how he turned out. I need to get some closeups of his details.
He is to be my new performance horse, and he did quite well! I did 5 classes with him, and he ended getting blues in all of them. I was so excited! And then did quite well in halter, with a 1st in workmanship and a 2nd in breed! WOOT! I also took "Glambert" for his debut, and he came home with a blue/NAN card and Workmanship Top 10 ribbon. Such good boys!

Here also is a picture of the elusive "Mork" portrait horse. You can't really see the spots on him, or all his delicate pinking, but its probably the only full-body shot of him I have right now. He is off to NAN along with 2 of his friends, and I have my fingers crossed that they make me proud and are on their best behavior. I really wish I could have gone!!

Critter picture of the day

One could argue that we have 3 and a half dogs, since our little calico has identity issues. She only knew dogs until she was about a year old (when we got another cat). Even though she now does evil cat things, she still prefers to sleep with her canine littermates (much to Hayden's terror). They all insist on sleeping together even if there is a another bed right next to the first one. Sometimes I just want to crawl in there and snuggle too...

The happy couple

I am very pleased to share with you the lovely couple. :-) They got sent home this past week to their owner and I hope she likes the new little lady!! Here are some more pics of her:

Oh, the life of a basset hound

Don't you wish you could spend YOUR days laying out in the sun? Never asked to do anything except not pee on the floor and occasionally come when called? I think perhaps in my next life I'd like to come back as a basset hound.

Daisy is the ultimate sun-bather. She will literally sleep in the sun all day if she has the opportunity. Location doesn't matter, as long as its sunny and warm... On the grass...in the driveway... Any place a nap could be possible.
And the indignation of asking her to get up! Getting her loaded into the car with everyone else is a big project. You would think we were asking her to jump over the moon. We have to pick her up to put her in the back of the car because she is too short to get up by herself. Its easy to forget how BIG she is because she is shorter than the other dogs. What she makes up in height, she certainly makes up for in length and density! Even being so fit and trim, she still weighs in at 55 lbs... (of dead weight). Little Hayden weights in at 40, and Lady weighs about 46 or so.
Once the car starts, all 3 sleep in the sun until we arrive at the studio. And then naptime begins again...because, you know, the whole process of getting there was so exhausting.

Hayden finds a treasure

Since Greg and I are trying to eat healthier, especially for breakfast, we picked up a watermelon the last time we went to the store. This morning Greg cut it up and took the rind outside to the compost pile in the far corner of our yard.

Later this afternoon, while the dogs were out sunning themselves, I got up to get something to drink and saw Hayden running full speed from one corner of the yard to the other... with something in his mouth... a very LARGE something. I ran outside thinking he had gotten into the laundry again... but then when I saw what he had... I had to get my camera. That little snitch had stole the whole rind out of the compost pile!
He took it up to his favorite sunny spot on the hill and put it on his paws... delicately picking out all the bits of red melon still left on the rind. He looked so pleased with himself, nibbling on his prize... it gave me an idea. I think I might pick up another watermelon and give it to Lilly, my naughty horse. That might be a fun "enrichment" activity and photo-op...

Long day today

Every once in a while I have a day where nothing seems to happen the way it is supposed to. Today was one of those days, and I didn't get nearly as much done as I planned. I spent much of the day running errands with my grandmother, and by the time I got back, I couldn't get seem to get my act together. I had promised pics of a horse to its owner... and just ran out of time this evening... and had send her something! So I sent along this in-progress pic of her new little lady.

Here is that in-progress headshot. I will be taking a proper photoshoot of her tomorrow. She is a semi-leopard (I know, hard to tell from the pic!), and is the companion to the bay appy mustang that was featured here earlier. They really make quite a duo... I look forward to seeing the two of them together!!

Mutzart... website and blog!

Alright... a make-shift website and blog are up!! This is the last I'll post about it here, so that way people who are interested in this side project can follow it separately from the my model horse endeavors. :-D

http://www.mutzart.com/

All those who have submitted photos so far.. THANK YOU so much. You'll get a copy of whatever I end up doing with the pics! :-D

Wee!