Lost and found

Eight months and another lifetime ago, Jennifer Scott and I hosted a model horse show.

photo by Anne van der Weel

People came from all over the world, including my friend, Laura Skillern.

She brought with her a cluster of tiny, hand-flocked tarantulas.

I'd seen these in their pre-flocked state while visiting Laura in San Antonio, Texas. I admired the transformation and was absolutely delighted when she gave me three of them. I put them in a baggie and tucked them into the pocket of my apron... and then they disappeared.

I looked for them on and off for weeks after the show. I checked my apron's pockets at least a dozen times, and I ransacked every single box that came home for the show hall. I looked everywhere I could think of and then a few places beyond that. None of it did any good. They were gone.

And then today, a quarantine miracle! 

I walked through my studio barefoot like I have a million times before and a loose baggie stuck to the bottom of my foot. I removed it and there were the tarantulas! I can't explain it, but they're back.

Aren't you glad?

Today's prompt for the May Shelter & Share Photo Challenge is "Craft item made by a friend." I am fortunate to have a lot of talented and generous friends, so this is just a tiny sampling. 

Thank you, Leah Koerper, Anne Field, Margaret Balch, Bobbie Allen, Nichelle Jones and Laura Skillern for sharing your talents - and your spiders! - with me.

Groundsquirrel day

Since the stay at home order went into effect, every day has been more or less the same. Same house, same people, same dogs, same squirrels.

Probably Todd

Still, some days are better than others. Yesterday, I got wrapped up in a project, and the hours flew by. Today, has been really, really, really long. I haven't accomplished anything. I'm crabby, bored and completely exhausted. It's a good thing I'd already taken the picture for the May Shelter & Share Photo Challenge, because otherwise, it probably wouldn't have happened.

I know tomorrow will be more of the same, but maybe - hopefully - it will also be better.

Cinco de Mayo

This is usually a pretty rocking day in my neighborhood, but this year it's quiet. Even Josie the donkey is celebrating alone.

Well, mostly alone. 

This little bobble head donkey came from the same estate sale as my other one.

As always, try not to be jealous!

Little pick me ups

I like hobby gift exchanges, so I was happy to be invited to take part in a Social Distancing Secret Santa Gift Exchange. My giftee was Marilyn Jensen, and I had a lot of fun putting together a box of goodies for her. You might recognize the minis. They are identical to those I gave away in the Challenge Month Raffle. I also added a Kristina Lucas-Francis medallion and a gift card. There were supposed to be some full sized Hershey bars, but somehow those are still in my purse!

Of course, I also got a box of gifts. As usual, Darcy alerted me to its delivery.

Unlike me, Sara Roberts did not forget to put the candy in the box!

I also got a corgi bottle opener, two World's Smallest Super Soakers, a mask and a bottle of hand sanitizer. What a haul! Thank you, Sara, and thank you also to Diana Dubbeld for organizing everything.

Today's prompt for the May Shelter & Share Photo Challenge was "Favorite Foal." This one was easy. For more than a month, my Facebook memories have been filled with pictures of my all-time favorite foal, Kenlyn Spring Fever. He was the cutest little guy!

That's all for today!

Traveling models

I love travelling, and in the past several years I've been able to travel a lot. 

A couple of these trips have included model horses. 

Bubbles in Eslingen, Germany

In 2014, Cuter Than Meeka accompanied Carol and I on our first ever road trip from Memphis, Tennessee to Denver, Colorado.

Cuter Than Meeka in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

A couple years later, we drove across Nebraska and Iowa with two dogs and one small resin pony.

Poka Tia on the Platte River, Nebraska

Last November, Ryan and I visited my mom in California, and this little draft rode in my pocket all weekend. 

Eaton Canyon Falls, Pasadena, California

And who could forget my recent trip to Europe with Bubbles and Mr. Toad?

All of these models would be perfect choices for today's "Traveling Model" prompt for the May Shelter & Share Photo Challenge. Alas, all of them (except pocket draft) have already been featured in a challenge photo. Since my personal rules prohibit double dipping, I was forced to go with a more generic entry.

I'm still not officially committing to this challenge, but who am I kidding? I've already got a plan for tomorrow's picture...

Derby Day

In 1978, My friend, Amy and I cheered as California-based Affirmed raced to victory in the Kentucky Derby. From that point on, the first Saturday in May has become a day of sitting in front of the tv and watching horse racing.

That's not to say that I've seen every single Derby since then. In 1982, I was forced to forego live Derby coverage to attend a Dodgers game. I liked baseball, but that was a hard pill to swallow. Fortunately, they did show the stretch run on Diamond Vision.

Between 1992 and 1997, I had jobs that required me to work on Saturdays, so I wasn't able to watch any of those Derbies. I also missed the 2011 running when my brother-in-law chose that day to get married (rude!).

Today is the first Saturday In May, but instead of watching a real horse race, I'm gearing up to watch a pretend Kentucky Derby, with a field consisting of mostly dead horses. It's completely ridiculous and also kind of awesome.

I'll be rooting for Affirmed!

Rabbit rabbit

I woke up this morning and thought, "Well, it's May. I don't have to take any photos today."

The thought filled me with both sadness and relief. I loved taking all those pictures in April, but that was a lot of work.

I went about my morning, and everything was just fine. Then I logged onto to Facebook, and there it was.

Dammit.

I don't know that I have another thirty photos in me, but I have at least one. Here it is. Tomorrow we'll see if I have another.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Challenge Month Raffle. I really enjoyed reading all your comments. Quarantine is a lonely business, but you made it a little less so. Without further ado, the winner of the 1:9 scale props package is...

Congratulations, Grace! Please contact me privately to claim your prize.