Nutmeg

We said goodbye to our sweet Nutmeg yesterday.

Nutmeg was our biggest,

quietest,

most cooperative rat...

and she was the star...

of nearly a dozen photo shoots.

It didn't matter how simple...

or complicated the task...

she never let us down.

Nutmeg was a really good rat.

I miss her already.

Springamathing 2014

This was a weird show.

 Some of the weird was good...

and some of the weird was offensive.

Depending on your point of view, Jim's wardrobe...

could be listed in either category! 

Unfortunately, some of the weird wasn't so good.  A glaring example of this was the lack of ribbons.  Yes, you read that right: for reasons beyond the showholder's control, some of the divisions didn't have ribbons.  Basically, you'd put your horse on the table, and wait for the class to be judged.  If the judge placed a NAN card next to it, you knew you'd won first or second.

If there wasn't a NAN card...

you had to ask the judge or check the judge's sheet.  

This was borderline okay in principle, but less so in practice.  It made a big, busy, confusing show even more confusing.  I don't generally keep my ribbons, but I do like to have them on the table!  
On the plus side...

there were a lot of beautiful things... 

on those ribbon-less tables!

I spent most of my day near the performance ring...

where the competition... 

was both friendly...

and fierce. 

I won one trophy model...

and bought one inexpensive waste mold resin.

I did not win anything in the raffle...

but that's okay.  

My goals for this show were mostly social, and in that respect, this show was a winner.  A weird winner perhaps, but a winner nonetheless!

Near perfect weekend

This was a near perfect weekend. 

Friday's donkey cuddling...

was followed by a full day of showing at the Springamathing live show in Golden, Colorado.  This was the first time I've shown performance in more than a year, and I made the most of it by showing in nearly every class.  I wasn't as prepared as I should have been, so some of my entries worked better than others...

This was one of the good ones!

but I still managed to bring home a trophy model--yay! 

Jennibray, Overall Performance Champion

I didn't bring a lot of halter horses... 

Champion (BFF) and Reserve Champion (Dhaulagiri)  Drafts, both owned by me

but the ones I brought did pretty well. 

Cuter Than Meeka, Reserve Champion Resin Pony

Today, Erin and I hung out at my house, talking horses and looking at each other treasures.

Pearl Western Pleasure saddle by Erin Corbett

I still understand why she didn't leave these things here...

Close Contact saddle by Cristina Brown and owned by Erin Corbett

but it sure was nice to have them in my house, even if it was only for a little while!

Kheepsake, Sarah Rose Khemosabi resin painted by Sarah Minkiewicz Breunig and owned by Erin Corbett

I dropped Erin off at the airport a couple hours ago.  I wish she could have stayed longer, but this was a near perfect weekend.  I don't have anything to complain about!

Near perfect day

When I asked Erin if there was anything she particularly wanted to see or do while she was in Colorado, her response was immediate and emphatic: DonkeyDonkeyDonkeyDonkeyDonkeyDonkey

Donkey love is a serious thing so decided it would be best if we drove straight from the airport to Longhopes Donkey Shelter in Bennett, Colorado.

We then spent a couple blissful hours doing this... 

and this... 

and this! 

We swung by the barn on our way home so Erin could meet the best and most beautiful foal ever. 

The balance of the day was spent tacking and talking.   

It just doesn't get any better than this!

Spring Fever

Unlike Rat Bait and Cuter Than Meeka, the third model in my epic Purdy box doesn't have a unique story of hobby friendship stretching back over the years.  In fact, as recently as two and a half months ago, I didn't know I needed an Arabian foal resin.

Then this happened.

Just two days after he was born, Kenlyn Spring Fever's mother died suddenly.

Everyone at the barn banded together to raise the orphan...

until a nurse mom could be located.

Although he no longer needs his human mommies, Spring Fever is still the friendliest, most personable foal you could ever hope to meet.  I love him.

Tiffany knows all about this, so she decided I needed a Spring Fever portrait.

This little guy is a Kathi Bogucki Bidjar resin.  

He came from Tiffany's nekkid resin stash, not mine, proving that really is as generous as she is talented!

Thank you so much Tiffany.  I love him almost as much as much as the foal that inspired him!