Chuckwagons and Fat Rolls

I'll admit that I'm not nearly as fit and trim as I once was. When I was a kid, my size 9 breeches were loose on my taut, lean 6' frame. (You can quit giggling now. Seriously.). Once I entered college, however, the freshman 15# hit and pounded me like Mike Tyson, and hasn't let up since. I've gone a few rounds with it, and we'd finally called the fight a draw. I'm not quite where I'd like to be, but I don't ever forego Ben and Jerries, either. Ever. I'm not skinny any more, but I'm OK with that. Until today. Today, Mike Tyson crept back into the ring and pounded me into a bloody pulp.

Today was the annual Chuckwagon Round Up at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in OKC. It's an event designed to showcase traditional cowboy living, culture, music, and FOOD. Lots and Lots of FOOD. The organizers do an amazing job each year, and this year there were probably 15 or 20 wagons, each serving a different, traditionally cooked, meal to the public.

For $14.00, you could eat your heart out (or opt to have it removed during the angioplasty, or course). The food was amazing ~ there were soups, stews, fritters, chicken thingys, peach cobbler, coffee, and more deserts, all cooked over an open fire in dutch ovens.

This man was my downfall. I think I'm in love. He gave me the first donut of the day; fresh, hot out of the oven, and covered with that delicious sugar.

This guy was pretty awesome, too. I'm not entirely sure what he was cooking there, but it smelled amazing. Can you see if there's a ring on that finger?

This was the cutest cook there ~ he was in full traditional garb, right down to the handlebar mustasche and accent. He was a total sweetheart, and his wagon smelled amazing, too.

And the biscuits. OMG, the biscuits! This is how they used to cook them: By piling hot coals on the top of the oven, the bread cooks evenly. And it's also incredibly tasty, of course.

Oh, yay! This is better ~ see how they also served healthy vegetables as well? (Of course, these cans are still sealed, but it's the thought that counts, right?)

I just loved how they brought out the sausages. None of that little sissy 6" styrofoam packed crap you get in the store: These boys bring out the special stuff. When they say their sausage is big, they mean it! ... Sorry, mom, I couldn't help it!

OK ~ That's it for now. Gotta go run a few laps around the ranch to work off all the calories I consumed today. Did I tell ya that I actually saw them using REAL LARD to cook with? The really bad part is that I went back for seconds from that wagon! It was awesome!

Ranch Branding

Living on a ranch can be a wonderful experience.

There's nothing like waking up every day at 6 AM to feed. Once upon a time, I wasn't a morning person ~ ranching has fixed that. Even on my last "day off," I was up with the sun.

Ranching also has other benefits: there's nothing like the bitter, biting cold of the winters here, and the summers are even worse. Horses can't take the heat during the day, so it isn't unusual for us to start our days at 3 or 4 in the mornings, to try to be done before the heat hits.

Spring is my favorite season on the ranch. Even though we're all sleep deprived, covered in amniotic fluid 50% of the time, and suffering from varying degrees of sunburn, it's incredibly fun. Not only do we have tons of baby horses hitting the ground, we also have tons of baby calves coming. And baby calves mean fun work!

Last week, we had our branding, and drug (dragged? drugged? ...I's a colege gradate!) about 60 calves to the fire. As I was the official photographer, I was exempt from the "real work" but I've catalogued it for your enjoyment.

This is Travis, one of our cowboys working in the herd. He's actually a much prettier rider than you see here, but it's nice to see that everyone has their off days. I was nice, though, and didn't show the shot where he missed the heels. Twice in a row.

Here's Casey, our head trainer. He's riding one of our three year olds that I foaled out. Beau did so good that day! It's my version of watching a child graduate from kindergarden. I just love it when they're finally able to handle themselves and become a productive, "gainfully employed" helper.

I'll be adding more branding photographs soon, but for now, I need to go crash. A 5 AM foaling has got me a little sleepy, and the couch is calling my name...

Got Grit?

Cowboys are tough. Feisty. Gritty, and yes, a little Grimy. A friend and I went to a ranch rodeo over the weekend and got a firsthand refresher course in just how tough they can be. The horses were excellent at this rodeo. There were several qualified rides, but more often than not, the horses won the round, and it wasn't for lack of try on the part of the riders.

This cowboy got pile-driven into the arena dirt. He was scrambling to get away, when the horse looped around and came back on him like a freight train. The horse and cowboy were both fine, but he did give an excellent lesson in speed crawling. If that would have been me, I'd parked my fanny in the bleachers, but he gamely got back on in the second round.

This cowboy probably felt like he'd tied onto an alligator and was riding out the death roll. That horse was wicked quick and unpredictable. Ol' Tex got him covered, but it was close.

This was another awesome horse, with huge belly rolls. Yes, the cowboys do get bonus points from the judge for "fanning" the horse with their hat. He probably would have gotten more points if he hadn't lost his way-cool aviator glasses the next jump, but he still rode him out through some amazing moves.

This guy gets my vote for the coolest ride of the day. That little gray horse was spectacular, ducking, dodging and kicking the entire ride. This guy was an amazing rider and stuck to him like a tick, until the back cinch popped and sent the saddle catapulting up on the horses' neck. You can see it mid-slide here. Cowboy did a faceplant about .5 seconds later, but never quit riding until he hit the dirt.

Got Grit? These guys do...

Baby Video

Baby Video

Carrie & Jason

Last week, I had the opportunity to do an engagement shoot for a really neat young couple.

Carrie and Jason are tying the knot in October, and needed some shots for their invitations.They're both very photogenic and have a great personality. The lighting was a little harsh for getting great portrait shots, but we did well with what we had to work with.

We had a great time driving around the ranch to find the perfect place to get the shots.

After we did the engagment photos, we went out to get some cute candids with the ponies. As you can see, the yearlings absolutely loved the attention.

Peer Pressure

It's not just for teenagers anymore...

Our babies are getting much bigger, stronger, and more independent. Halley and Rambo are like two little kids ~ always running around together, playing tag, and raising cain wherever they go. Halley is like a big older sister to Rambo. She constantly picks fights and gets him into trouble, just like every older sister should.

This is a typical day in the little "Kindergarden" pasture here at the ranch. Little Halley (far left) decided she wanted to go and see the big horses across the fence, but she's still a little timid. Fortunately, she's got Rambo for company ~ I love how she's pushing him up with her chest, and he's baby-talkin' the whole way!
This kind of reminds me of when my brother introduced me to electric fences... "It's not going to hurt you! Honest! Would I ever get you in trouble? Seriously, it's not hot, see?" (as he quickly touches it with the back of his hand) "Just grab ahold of it, and you won't feel a thing!"

I probably looked like little Rambo when I walked up to the wire: Half scared to death, shaky knees, and probably baby talkin' as well. But, heck, he's my brother ~ he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, right? Apparently, there were some unresolved sibling issues back then...

Did you know that electricity causes your muscles to contract? If you touch the back of your hand to an electric fence (like my evil brother), you'll get zapped, sure. But if you grab it in the palm of your hand (like my evil brothers' idiot sister), you're in trouble. My hand contracted into a fist around the wire and refused to let go, no matter how hard I screamed, or how hard my brother laughed. I swear there were sparks flying off my teeth that day. I had a nervous tic for a week, and have had a slight phobia about electricity ever since then.

I kind of feel sorry for poor little Rambo. Peer Pressure is so hard to fight, and he's obviously struggling with it as well. He and I should probably go to therapy together.

On second thought, maybe I should make a trip up to Tractor Supply. I heard they're having a sale on their fence chargers...

Babies behaving badly...

Horse babies are so fun-loving and energetic. One can't help but be energized just by hanging out around them. I went out into the pasture this evening and spent an hour watching them play and tear things up.

The little sorrel filly is really working on her airs above ground. And eating her moms' tail. And terrorizing the other babies. And eating the new seats out of the gator. And stealing the keys out of the gator.

She loves to rear and buck and kick and strike and .... .....

The bay stud is starting to show some personality. He's a very shy, devious, and fractious. He loves harassing the other foals, and gets himself into trouble with the other moms sometimes. He's also getting to the age where everything goes into his mouth.

I think mom is starting to get a little irritated with him here...



The new baby tried some of the big-kid moves as well, but he's not quite ready for them, as you can see. He turfed it big time.

The others didn't show much sympathy. Little Halley is still trying to show him how to do the stunts the right way...

Photo evaluation

Sometimes, I get a quick picture that doesn't quite meet the "great shot" standard.

Like this one. Technically, it's not a great image. The light is way too harsh, the horse in the background is distracting, and the babies aren't exactly prepped for a shoot. When you break it down, it becomes a photographic disaster.

Sometimes, however, the photo escapes the delete button. My finger just can't quite bring itself to press "Del" and send the image to .jpg heaven. I had nearly committed this one to the trash can, but it spoke up at the last second, and said "Wait! Save Me!" Well, actually, Thumbelina, the beautiful subject of this image, spoke up and said it. Little Debbie, her associate, may have also had a say in the matter. As did Fancy's retreating rear end (...at least, I hope it was saying "Save Me," but with their diet, it's anyone's guess...).

When I stopped and took a second look at the shot, I picked up on some things I'd missed when evaluating for "greatness." Yes, the light is horridly harsh, but check out Thumbelina's cute expression. Yes, the babies are fuzzy, dirty, unclipped, and have more wild hairs than I do, but feel the connection, the bond, and the trust those babies must have. And yes. Fancy's big butt is a little distracting, but heck, if every photo with a big butt were deleted, there wouldn't be any images of me, either.

Is this a great photo? Nope! Will I ever win any contests with it? Not likely. Would it sell? Heck no. Despite all this, it'll stay on my computer for a while longer. When I look at it, I can see past it's shortfalls to see the horses themselves. Thumbelinas' innocent and strikingly curious expression is what saved this shot. The bond and trust between the two fillies is paramount and unmistakable. I'm reminded of the saying:

"In moments of reflection, what must a horse be thinking? I've seen something in their stare that is far away and beautiful beyond words."

Maybe in another few months, this shot will find its' way to the recycle bin, but for now, it's going to stay. At least until Thumbelina runs me over or until Debbie trashes the Gator again.

Wahooooooooo!!!!!!

Yeah!

Today is a GREAT DAY!! A SPECTACULAR, AMAZING, WONDEROUS, FREAKISHLY AWESOME DAY!!!

My new camera lens came in today and I absolutely LOVE it! This lens will be a wonderful addition to my current collection ~ it's a 70-200mm 2.8 Canon Prime Lens. I think I'll call this one "Big Daddy." Imagine the Ferrari of camera lenses...

This is why I bought "Big Daddy:" This photo was taken in a dark stall under flourescent lighting, at 3 AM. My other lenses would just make a muddy mess of the image... Big Daddy captures the light and creates a beautiful, sharp, kissably cute image.

Did I mention we have new babies??

Awwww....

No science lesson today. No dogs. No armadillos. Just a baby and her momma. Makes ya all warm and fuzzy, doesn't it?

A Science Lesson...

I love taking photographs of unique textures. I found this one in the garden last week. Don't you just love the funky shapes and patterns? It just makes me want to reach down and touch it... Any idea what it is? I'll give you a hint... These belong to the superorder Xenarthra, along with sloths and anteaters. Their name, in Spanish, literally translates to "armored one."

OK. Enough for the science lesson. Have a guess? Is that your Final Answer?

If you said Armadillo, you're right! They're very unique, interesting creatures that I absolutely love to watch. We have lots of 'em on the ranch, and it's becoming on of my favorite pass times to stalk and 'shoot' them. Don't worry, I don't use bullets, just my super-telephoto lens. Fortunately for me, they've got horrible eyesight, so even a klutz like me can sneak up pretty close. Check out that old-man gotee under his chin. All he needs is a set of wire-rimmed glasses...

According to my new favorite source, Wikipedia, "The North American Nine-banded Armadillo tends to jump straight in the air when surprised, and consequently often collides with the undercarriage or fenders of passing vehicles." I've noticed this behavior on occasion when I'm out loping my horses across the pasture. When a Nine-banded Armadillo pops out of the grass in front of a colt, often the horse will imitate the action, occasionally causing it's rider to collide with trees, powerlines, or low-flying birds.

According to Wikipedia, armadillos "have the ability to remain underwater for as long as six minutes. Because of the density of its armor, an armadillo will sink in water unless it inflates its stomach and intestines with air, which often doubles its size and allows it to swim across narrow bodies of water." How cool is that!

OK ~ that's it for today's science lesson. Next week we'll delve into a different area of ranch education. Should we cover Truck Ropin with Cowboy Jim or 'Possum CPR with my lovely assistant Amber?

I don't do cows.

I'm not a cow person. They're cute when they're calves, sure, but ... They're cows. Stinky, smelly, and um... sloppy. I'll clean up after horses all day, but ask me to walk through a cow pen, and I'll be donning overboots over my precious Ariats. The calves sure are cute though!

Number 607 here is determined to win me over with his soft liquid brown eyes. Awwww.... So cute! Wait! It's still a cow! I must resist it's wiles! Must...not...be...overcome!

Ah, yes! This is more like it. A sticky, snotty nose. My revulsion is coming back. Much better now. The warm, fuzzy feeling has once again been replaced by a slight gagging sensation.

And this one! Ack! Psycho bug eyes! What's with that?! Wait a second... This one has got my ugly morning afro hair! Is it possible I've actually got something in common with these critters? Could it be? Does she struggle with finding just the right hair product to prevent the fly-aways? Does she also condition religiously, and cringe when the weatherman mentions "humidity?" Sure, she's got crazy eyes (Amber, if you want to keep your job, you might not want to go there...), but still... There's something almost human here...
And this one! Number 593. This poor thing must stare in the mirror every morning, and obsess about her poor uneven face. We all know how hard it can be to hide our horns! She must be tormented with self-doubt and uncertainty! These cows are almost human! I can feel the connection and bond growing. I think I need to commune with these creatures and become a member of their fold. They will become like family, like a... Wait a second! What the?!!! Is that calf really... NO! It can't be! Please tell me she is not .... please, no!AAACK! GAG! NOOOOOO! EEEEEWWWWWWWWW! Cows are nasty, yucky, gross, beastly, disgusting, awful, repugnant, vulgar, nauseating, vile, foul, filthy, ... EEEEWWW!

The babies are still cute though...

Ranch Lessons

Ranching can be tough work, especially for single girls without big, burly husbands to do their chores. Here my assistant, Amber, shows the correct form for breaking ice. Breaking ice is a very important chore in the wintertime. It allows the animals access to fresh water, and gives us an opportunity to work on our abs. Let's evaluate her performance.

Step One: Take a firm grip on the Axe. Check.


Step Two: Make sure the axe head is secure (there's nothing more painful then having the head of the axe slide down the handle to crunch your thumbs, or even better, the back of your skull). Check.


Step Three: Take a stance on the ice, preferably with one foot on solid ground. Check. Yay! Amber doing great! There isn't even any blood yet!



Let's advance to step Four: Get a good swing (being careful not to accidentally impale your big toe with the pointy end of the axe. As you can see, Amber is displaying correct form by twisting her head 180 degrees (almost) to avoid the blinding ice chunks. We're both sissy girls, after all. She's showing excellent extension of her humeral-radial joint, but could be using her knees a little more. We'll give her a B+ for this maneuver. Aw, heck... We'll bump her up to an A-. She deserves a little extra credit for not screaming from the pain in her abs.
Step Six (we'll bypass Step Five, which usually involves falling on your rear end, slipping into the hole you just cut, or suffering major contusions to your various anatomical parts, all the while trying to maintain a certain level of poise and composure) Step Six: Adopt the traditional lumberjack stance, being careful not to do the splits on the ice ~ it's very important to try to make this step look as easy and seamless as possible. Even though your abs and obliques feel like you've just been kicked by a mule, its important to keep the panting and sweating to a minimum.


After all, it's hard to find a big burly husband when you smell like you've just run a marathon.

Foal Shoot

Hmmm... Maybe I should rephrase the title of this post. Foal "Photo Shoot" probably makes more sense.


We've started popping out babies here at the ranch, and they're getting big and strong already. They've got those baby soft muzzles, frizzy little manes, and incredibly sharp hooves that can and will remove a toenail if they step on you! These two are both very sweet and good-natured. So far. But that might change as soon as the vet or the farrier appears.



They're both learning to use their legs and they love to run. And run. And run some more. Then there's some sleeping and nursing. Then more running.


Our babies are bred to be cutters. No, not the disturbed EMO kind with a razor blade ~ our horses are a different kind of cutter. Cutting horses are bred to work cattle ~ they sort (cut) one cow out of the herd, then hold it by itself. In traditional ranch work, this allowed other cowboys to work, sort, doctor, or rope that animal easier. Being the manipulative humans that we are, we have bred this behavior into the animals, so most of them really LOVE to cut.

Cutters need to be tremendously athletic, so it's good that these babies are growing up strong and healthy.

This little guy has a good start. Check out those moves. Go Wild Thing! Please stay off my toenails tomorrow!

My favorite shots

I love shooting silhouettes.

There's something so ethereal and pure about the turning of the day. It is revitalizing, relaxing, and innervating. It is a time for reverie and thought.

Dawn is the time for beginnings, everything fresh and new for the day. Every morning when I feed, the horses line up for a morning show, their bodies black against the turing sky. Oklahoma sunrises are usually a brilliant and vibrant rusty orange; crisp and sharp in the winter, and holding the promise of the day's heat in the summer.

Sunsets are even better. The skys open up with a full palate of color, running the gamut from reds and blues, to oranges and spectacular silver. The evenings are a great time to ride as well. I love getting shots of horses and their riders: working, training, or just hanging out together.

Jean-Paul Sartre once said, "There is only one day left, always starting over: it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk."

I disagree. I think each day is a gift all the way through.

If you'd like to schedule your own silhouette shot, please contact me via the numbers at my website: www.shooflyphotos.com

The greatest thing? No makeup is necessary!

Dog Photography

I love taking photos of all animals, and one of my favorite subjects is Koda. He's a mixed (very mixed) breed that belongs to a good friend. As you can see, Koda loves his jolly ball. Looooves it. And Koda loves water, too, as you can see. The nastier, smellier, gunkier water, the better.


My friend and I were taking glorious headshots of Mr. Koda last week, all resplindent and soaked to the skin in nasty dirty water.

Isn't he cute? You just want to reach down and give him a good scratch right? Or maybe not, because he smells like a combination of cow manure, rancid pond water, and that dead thing he rolled in.

We were using his jolly ball as an attention-getter to keep him focused for the camera, and it was working great. His ears were perked and he had a cute happy expression on his face.

He loves his Jolly Ball.

Then he started to get a little irritated.

"Seriously guys, gimmie my ball back."

"C'mon, guys. This isn't funny anymore!"

Of course, we were both prior victims of the lovely "Monkey in the Middle" game when we were kids, and it was Oh So Much fun doing it to someone else. We laughed, being the evil little devils that we are.

Koda didn't laugh. He got even.

We gave him his ball back.