The Denver Zoo

monkey

The end of February I drove down to CO for a few days to visit my friend and her kids. The weather was beautiful and we took the kids to The Denver Zoo.

elephant

Cheetah- paws crossed

Kangaroo

Snow Leopard

Hyena

Polar Bear

Arctic Fox

Seals

Wolf

Camel and a Goose

Baby Giraffe

Peacock

Peacock on a fence

Look at that tail!

Rhinoceros

I didn't see the sign saying what this bird was but he was pretty cool. He looked like a Emu and the thing on the top of his head almost looks like bone.

Anteater

And here's a joke to go with the anteater: Why does the anteater never get sick? Because he's full of "anty bodies". :)

Monkey

This guy was pretty crazy, he'd go swinging around the pen then swing up to the people in the window and slap the glass.

Black Bear

The bear was a hoot!! He found a stick to play with and was rolling around on his back holding the stick in his paw. Then he'd drop it and pick it up again and wave it around.

Monkey

This little guy looked so sad, I wish I could have sprung him out of there.

I didn't see the sign for this guy either

And last but not least are the lions. When we were walking down the hill to see the lions behind the glass you could hear roaring, when we made it into the viewing area you could see the lion and his lionesses roaring. It was pretty neat! Wish I would have thought to get video of them.

Goodbye for Now

If it should be that I grow frail and weak

And pain should wake me from my sleep,

Then you must do what must be done,

For this last battle can't be won.

You will be sad, I'll understand,

But don't let your grief then stay your hand,

For this day more than all the rest,

Your love and friendship must stand the test.

We have had so many happy years,

What is to come will hold no fears,

You wouldn't want me to suffer, so,

When the time comes, please let me go.

Take me to where to my needs they'll tend,

Only stay with me, until the end

And hold me firm and speak to me

Until my eyes no longer see.

I know in time you will agree

It is a kindness you do to me

Although my tail its last has waved

From pain and suffering I've been saved.

Don't grieve that it must be you

Who has to decide this thing to do,

We've been so close - we two - these years,

Don't let your heart hold any tears.

-unknown

On March 3rd we said farewell to Whiskers. We miss him terribly but know that he's not suffering any more with his kidney and heart issues. Now he plays with his German Shepherd Gypsy at the Rainbow Bridge.

How true it is

I came across this poem and wanted to share:

"But late at night, when all is still- and I've gone to give them hay,

I touch their velvet softness and my worries float away.

They give a gentle nicker and they nuzzle through my hair

and I know it's where my heart is- more here than anywhere."

- unknown

February Fun

Finally we are starting to thaw here in MN! We still have miles and piles of snow but they are shrinking little by little. I've had spring fever since December (and we've had snow since before Thanksgiving) so I am glad to see it go.

Having plans to send the horses off to a trainer and blazing trails isn't helping any either! My Mom was referred to a woman trainer who lives around 30 miles away and came highly recommended. One of the gals said that she sent her horse to this trainer and when she was ready to bring him home the trainer said he wasn't ready yet and kept him for 2 more weeks at no charge. I'm going to give her a call and see if she has any openings and if I can come and meet her and see the training place (and maybe her working with some horses). I'm so excited and I hope it's a good fit!!

During the weekend we got some warmer weather in the upper 30's and some wind so Tabasco and Shoni were full of kiss and vinegar.

They're fun to watch when they're spunky. :)

But I like them when they're calm too. :)

Duluth

Dad and I drove to Duluth, MN over the MLK Day weekend and stopped by Lake Superior for some pictures. It was a beautiful sunny morning and you could see clouds and the fog on the horizon.

Aerial Bridge

Dad

Me

While driving home we saw an eagle flying. I thought to myself that it would be cool if I could pull over and get some pictures. We have Eagles near our house but the photos never turn out good (I need to buy a bigger zoom lens). I kept driving. About 2 miles down the road we saw:

That's right, this eagle was sitting in the median between a divided four lane highway eating a deer carcase. Of course we pull right over to get some pictures and when there were no cars coming we backed up a little and took some more. Eventually I had backed up to the point of being almost directly across from the eagle and he could of cared less.

He was so fun to watch. At one point he was convinced he could fly away with the carcase.

I was grinning from ear to ear the rest of the drive home.

An award!

Amber gave me the Stylish Blogger award (thanks Amber!!)

There are 4 duties to perform to receive this award:
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

It took me a while to come up with seven things to say, but here they are:

1. I think it would be funny to have a horse named Charlie (or Charlee for a mare), that way when it is being a pill I can call it my "Charlie Horse".

2. When I was little I used to catch gardner snakes with my brother. Once when we were building our house in CO, we caught a couple of gardner snakes and left them in a bucket in the semi finished house. We went outside for a bit and when we came back into the house the snakes were missing. My brother and I searched high and low but couldn't find them anywhere. Eventually the two snakes were found curled up under one of Dad's cowboy hats.

3. When I was in high school my friend talked me into taking a photography course with her so we would have a class together. I've loved photography ever since and it has become by other passion (besides horses of course). I would quit my job in a heart beat if I could figure out a way to make a living as a nature photographer.

4. I'm shy and quiet when I first meet people but once I get comfortable I become a chatter box. I'm better than I used to be, but still wish I could be one of those people who you meet for the first time and feel like you've known them your whole life because they're so warm and outgoing.

5. I love music and listen to every genre. From Frank Sinatra, to KISS, to George Strait, to Eminem to Nickleback. Rock n Roll is my favorite though.

6. I will sit and watch The Dean Martin infomercials on TV.

7. My favorite comedian is Red Skelton. I love how he laughs at his own jokes and that you can tell when he's trying not to laugh because of his dimples. I have many of his DVD's and a couple of books. I hope to buy at least one of his paintings someday.

Now to nominate other bloggers...

Andrea, Linda, Arlene, Jessie, Kara, Karen, Becky, Tracy, Nuzzling Muzzles, Grey Horse Matters, and anyone else who wants to play along. :)

Now I'll leave you with some good ol' Red in action.

Can you find the hidden horse?

Can you find the hidden horse in the picture above? What about the cotton tail imprint in the one below?

I hope you all are having a great new year!!! :)