Welcome to Fern Valley

Here in central Alberta prime farm country,my husband Martin and I work together raising beef cattle and Appaloosa horses. Fern valley appaloosas have long been known for their quality of temperament conformation and color.I have recently rediscovered a love of writing and have published 2 collections of poetry. "Telling Tails" and Tails Trails and Campfire stories" . I look forward to a future spreading my wings as an author and as a horse woman .

Sunday 2 June 2013

Cowboys (and cowgirls ) to cross rails

It has been Quite a  weekend!, and apparently a week since I last posted (oops!)
I will post the 3rd foaling  contest soon but  today I will share  what I have been up to the  last  couple  days .
Yesterday we headed  east of the city, which I rarely do, so  rarely in fact I got a little lost, and that is  terrible , I was going to  my cousins place!Cousin Cliff and  family had their big annual  branding .I wasn't just  for a  visit, there so much to help(they have a huge  crew) but Martin is  not  much  for standing off to the side so he  pitched in a bit , and I too  found  myself  wandering into the pens to grab a gate  from time to time, or  help  push a few  calves out ,but mostly I visited  with  family and a few old acquaintances  from  mountain  rides in the  past , and I took pictures.My  favorite little point and  shoot Lumix  looked part way through like it  was  dying so some of these are cell phone pics but they  turned out well. overall, featured are my  cousins  Steven, Mark, and Laura, also  Laura's hubby Luke,



This  was  followed by an amazing supper cousin Shirley is an amazing  cook, and even though I didn't  do  much to earn it I  chowed  down like I had  never seen food! What a great day.

Then there  was  today , not actually cross rails, but  well I took a little poetic license  with the title , Angela and (As we love to call him "Arse") were at a schooling  show today/ in both  the 2 "3  class and the 2"6/ I was only able to hang out  for the first  part, but she  has let me  know she  got  3 fourths  in the 2"6 courses. Well done! Biggish  classes  20  per class so a pretty good showing I would say, and a little  bittersweet,to me and those  who knew and  loved the  gentle giant that was Eastern Ruler, Eurus' sire,who sadly passed away  early this week.You did your daddy  proud,Eurus! 



So that is  the  wrap up of another  weekend , quite a lot of  fun,and I got to practice a little  with my big camera, and the little  lumix? seems like it  might be okay after all, turned it on and it seems  fine, so hopefully...
Stay safe and have a great week

10 comments:

Crystal said...

Sounds like a good weekend to me, lots of ponies in it :) Eurus is looking good!

Laura said...

Sounds like a fun weekend. That is a lot of white to keep sparkling clean on that horse! Looks great though!

Buttons Thoughts said...

Great shots I was thinking one buying a Lumix I have heard only good things about them. Looks like a fun weekend. B

Reddunappy said...

Great times!
So "Arse" is all recovered now?

Cut-N-Jump said...

Great pics and a fun but busy weekend. Sounds like a good time.

Louisa Valentina; said...

Eurus looks amazing over those jumps - he's so flashy!

sally said...

Fabulous pictures ....I so love jumping on the net and popping by your blog to see all the new pictures. I hope the summer days are trying to kick in ....they are well deserved!

kden said...

I love to watch jumping. Both rider and horse look so graceful while jumping. Great pics.

Shirley said...

Branding crew looks like they were pretty darn efficient, and Arse looks wonderful doing what he was born to do!

Willow said...

That does sound like quite the fun and busy week. A horse show , a branding round up ... and a good country supper get together !