Throwback Thursday – Strength

In light of all the disasters that have taken place on our beautiful blue-green orb lately, I’m posting this image because to me it represents strength.

It’s been said (and I believe it) that what we focus on expands. Humanity has exhibited amazing strength in the aftermath of these disasters. Let’s continue to focus on that.

This image was taken when we lived in Sisters, OR and I was fascinated by the majesty and strength that the sculptor infused into his creation.

Be good to yourself and each other. Namaste’

Painted Ponies

While visiting my Mom yesterday, she took me to meet a wonderful little lady who lives there in the adult care home.  There are only about nine residents in the home, so it’s a rather intimate little group.

Each person there is probably wishing they weren’t trapped in bodies that are failing them now.  It’s so sad to see them all sitting around the living room, mostly asleep in the recliners.  Some are in their rooms, but no one seems very happy.  The food is decent (nothing to write home about) and healthy, the grounds outside are lovely, and the staff is very helpful and pleasant.

But back to the lovely lady that Mom introduced me to.  She has a shelf in her room with these painted ponies and she adores them.  She was thrilled when I asked her if I could photograph them.  All I had with me was my phone but it was enough to make her feel good.  Sometimes it’s the smallest of things we can provide for someone else to make them smile.

Live every day to the fullest … Namaste’

 

Steel Stallion

I love horses and wish I had the room to have several (the living, breathing kind).  But I don’t, so I’ll just have to settle for this kind for now.

The sculptor of this life-size piece has a gallery in Tubac, AZ, which my daughter and I visited while she was here at Christmas.  It’s a wonderful, magical place, full of art of all kinds.  I could literally spend days there going from shop to shop.

I call this image Steel Stallion.  Namaste’

• Regina (Gina) Arnold is the co-author of The Art & Science of Recruiting, an award-winning photographic artist, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, photo blogger and “flunked retirement” entrepreneur.

Missing Maude

A while back (almost a year ago) I did a photo shoot of horses for a lady who owns some stables.  She wanted me to photograph the horses and then apply some, as she put it, “artsy” effects.  I was then to have the final approved images printed and make a set of greeting cards for each of her clients.  I shot approximately 150 images to come up with the final results.  There were 23 horses and did I ever have a time keeping them all straight, since I had never seen them before and didn’t know their names.  I was happy that everyone was very pleased with the end result.  What a learning experience!  I learned that next time I will charge a lot more money for this kind of effort 🙂

During the back and forth with her to finalize the images she wanted, one day she said, “Where’s Maude?”  I said, “Who?”  Turns out Maude was a chestnut with a white blaze.  Well, there were three horses that fit that description, so after what seemed an endless effort on my part to find Maude, I finally went back and took more images of just her.  This is the result.  Isn’t she a pretty lady?

Namaste’

Dad & Me – 1955

For today’s post I was actually looking for another photo that I have of my Dad and me.  It’s one where I’m dancing for him and he’s smiling.  For some reason, that one didn’t show up but this one did.  I don’t remember being on this pony or where it was taken.  In fact, it’s a good thing there was a date stamp on the side of the photo.  It’s a bit blurry because it’s old and I took a picture of this picture.  But there we are … me and Dad in 1955, me at age 6.  Dad passed on in 1988 but I have the feeling he sees this picture, too.  I love you, Dad.

Happy Father’s Day to all of the Dads out there, to all of the step-Dads, and to all of the Moms who have had to be both Mom and Dad to their children.  Be well and stay blessed.  Namaste’

Our Four Asses

No, it’s not four Aces (but wouldn’t THAT be fun in Texas Hold ‘Em?)  It really is four asses.  Our metal asses to be precise.  I took this photo of a key rack that we keep by the back door.  Sure makes it handy to know where the keys are and the donkeys keep a good eye on them for us.

I’ve always loved donkeys.  I think they’re marvelous creatures and would like to have some for real one day.  Have you ever wondered why donkeys are called asses?  I follow a wonderful blog that is all about these hard-working creatures and I’ve learned so much.  Please visit Melody’s site when you have some time.  The Donkey Whisperer.  She is a wonderful human being.  Namaste’

I used a bounce flash with some fill-in light to bring out some of the details 

Kissing A Toad in Tubac

Today I played hooky from everything and went to Tubac with my neighbor.  We shopped, had a wonderful lunch outdoors on the patio of a very good Mexican restaurant, walked a lot and took in all the sights.  Tubac is a mecca for artists, sculptors, musicians, native American jewelry, and some wonderful metal sculptures from a new gallery that I hadn’t see before. Today’s photos are all from one gallery.  I’d like to have them all.

Is it true that a girl has to kiss a lot of toads before she finds her prince?  See below to find out.  Namaste.

Life Size Black Wire Horse

Painted Steel Stallion

 

No, He Didn't Turn into a Prince! (But I already have one anyway)

 

 

From the Archives

Old Sacramento - Jan. '05

I decided to take a photo out of my archives for today’s post. Something about this picture just takes me back in time, though I took it on a busy street in Old Sacramento.  When I look at it, it doesn’t take much for me to imagine living back in the day when horse-drawn carriages were the mode of transportation.

I was with my daughter and grandchildren that cold day in January … seven years ago.  Wow!  It seems like yesterday.  I was behaving like such a tourist and we had such a good time even though the January wind was blowing off the Sacramento River.  I remember we tried to stay out in the sun as much as possible.  (That is, when we weren’t inside finding some hot chocolate or something good to eat).

Over the years I’ve applied several different special effects to this photograph.  This is the first time I’ve used a cartoon effect and I think it really emphasizes the long winter afternoon shadows. This is one of the last photographs I shot with my Canon film camera.  I much prefer my DSLR now.

Have a great rest of your weekend.  Namaste.

 

The Stallion

Mutual Love

Just had to add one more post for today with this photo. It’s the owner of the horse ranch that I visited today with her stallion.  He’s beautiful and, as you can see, is crazy about his owner.  She loves him just as much.  She raised him from a colt and for being a stallion, he was just as gentle with us (who were strangers to him) than he is with her.

Equine Energy

My Camera Made This Appaloosa a Little Wary

It’s been many, many years since I’ve spent time around horses and today I had the opportunity to be with them.  I have to say it was absolutely wonderful.  The energy they give to us humans is phenomenal – so peaceful and yet so animated when they want to be.  I’m afraid these still pictures just don’t them any justice, but it was fun taking their photos.  I talked to each one of them and rubbed their noses.  I can’t wait to go back again. It felt good to feel like I did when I was a kid being around my uncle’s horses.  Brought back such great memories of my hometown in Kansas.

Yes, even the smell.  When I got home both of my dogs couldn’t stop sniffing my jeans.

One of the things I learned is that horses need sunglasses … well, not like we use, of course.  The covers they wear on their faces allow them to see out yet the sun is filtered so their eyes are protected.  The kind they use at this ranch allows the air to move as well.  It gets brutally hot here in the summer so these lucky horses have the availability of being inside a stall or outside in the open air.

Wearing His Sun Shade