Weather Reports from Other Species

We’re recuperating from last week’s clinic in Wyoming. I heard more smoke moved in the next day, so the timing was good. We wouldn’t have worked the horses if the smoke had been worse. The smoke followed me home. Some years it’s been more dense, but with daily air quality warnings, this is bad enough. … Read more

Calming Signals at a Horse Clinic and Running with the Big Dogs

We were at a clinic in Wyoming this week. I’m not saying it was hot, but Mister wouldn’t move from the front of the air-conditioning vent. I watch the breeze waft hair off his body in a near-mystical golden cloud. The air conditioner is doing its best on a hundred-degree day. I compare it to … Read more

Mister Says More Praise Please

I got the clean go-to-town coat off the hook and Jolene started the truck dance. Mister had a look of worry with a dollop of dread on top. It’s his normal look. I told Jolene, not this time. The words fell flat; she was in utter disbelief. Mister nurses his disappointment, but Jolene doesn’t give … Read more

Do you think it’s time to clean the truck?

My hay guy got a new truck- a pristine dually in a pearlized-platinum color, with near Porsche-like lines. That big diesel engine hums like a finely tuned tank.  If Tony Soprano had a truck, it would look like this. I liked it even more the second time I saw it, muddy and mussed. Should a … Read more

Weekly Photo Challenge: Hope

HOPE. Usually this topic would have me think of the babies around the farm, but not this year. I have two older dogs with health problems, one has the prefix “end stage”. Several outside animals are showing their age, like the Grandfather Horse. Being mindful of his mortality is a pinch and an ache, all … Read more

Therapy Animals -Every One.

I was being half-mauled by a terrier. I was running an errand in an urban office and the dog’s owner was horrified. She apologized, explaining that her dog never did that. In the dogs’ defense, I have a very special stink to my feet. I carry with me a cornucopia of delightful smells from several … Read more

The Peaceable Kingdom in Winter.

Infinity Farm has always boasted an extended family of many species, so the nickname was obvious- The Peaceable Kingdom. I love that painting by Edward Hicks. He was a Quaker minister who painted his spiritual truth in a simple way that resonates with me profoundly. This week the Colorado prairie experienced the coldest weather in … Read more

"The more I know about people, the better I like my dog." – Mark Twain

“Add to that- horse, donkey, and llama–okay, even the goats.” –Me This was a week of sharp-edged experiences. The world lost a great horse this week, a mare in our extended family. Toushay was from an era of excellence and integrity: she was athletic, smart, funny, and any human’s total equal. She was not my … Read more