Hay is for Horses and Artist Dates

 I filled and fit a moment of urgency to be by horses yesterday at Danada Equestrian Center in Wheaton.  I asked if I could got out to the pasture area and do some sketching and take some photo's...No problem as long as I wasn't a professional photographer...by far I'm not so this was really cool.   The one horse Charlie- think that was his name,  was way on the far east side of the pasture when I came standing under the shade of the tree. Most of the time he was doing the fly biting dance...switching his tail and all...They weren't bad till the horses started to come by me. Now I wear glasses but I still didn't have good sight with how far the horse was away from me but I figured that was no accuse for not sketching..."Husband, say I should stick with collage" jokily he said that but I don't care...I'm facing my fears of carrying around a sketch book and just doing it and letting go of all the crap in my head about being perfect in a sketch book...though some sketch will turn out better it's a process that grows as you put more time into it...and that's not the goal anyways...just doing it is the goal...snap...snap...crackle...pop...with my attitude back...Look out!  standing up for just the doing. As Julia Cameron says and I know all to well watch out who you show...but I've been through stuff like this before and the skin is now growing in thickness and the adventure of doing it is a hell of a lot stronger then a comment made.

 
 Well now that I'm done with defending myself...on with the photo adventure.  As I was standing out by the far west side, I wonder how long it would take the horse to come to me on this side or even if they would...so I sketched and thought about just being there the wind was awesome I could feel it's inviting spirit and to be in the moment and let go of all else was the goal...Little by little the three - some there worked their way over flicking their tails, head nodding and making leg adjustments to the flies biting... pour things but I figure the dust might help them if the rolled in it as I could see they might have already as then came over their coats were a bit dull looking.


It took less then 5 minutes but felt longer for them to work their way over to me.
 Rolling... Rolling... Rolling...
As you can see no sooner did I think about it and their they went down and rolling in the dry earth to put a protective layer between them and the flies. Just for a moment might be good or a break I figure. 
 
 Charlie was watching I seen that as the three-some got closer and as the one started rolling, Charlie came by. I had my camera out, kind of tossed my sketch book down...and keep taking pictures.


 At this point and still now an overwhelming moment of emotional tears came upon me and I was in awe of it all...As I type this out it brings back the same feeling...can't explain it but I think it's about acting upon my curiosity to know and be present and especial connect.  I spoke to the fella and was just so caught up in it all. Thank God I was in the pasture...no one could see the tears, though of joy still it was a private moment that I surely didn't want to explain...can't figure it out now either..
 
 Charlie wouldn't come too close to the fence because of the electric they have there on the inside.  A white strap it looks like but for protection to all I understand. 

 
 Well I didn't read the signs till after the fact but I had brought a big Golden Apple with me, my favorites next to Crispy ones. I kind of do this when I head out some where for a couple of hours just in case I get hunger that is grab an apple, mainly so I don't stop at a fast food places if I get hungry. Any ways I took a bite and his ears and nostrils became alert and I bit off half and shared it with him....we ate the apple together.  To feel those big lips touch my hand was an experience, I have to admit I was a bit cautious at first which he was too. After a few shares we had it all hooked up nicely.  Then I seen some of the Barn/stable people coming out with the big gray mare and thought not to get in trouble we best stop sharing.

 Far in the back there you can see the one stable hand walking out with one of the horses, she put a feed bag on it and it follow her with the rest doing the same. Routine they must have and she opened up a gate and they headed out to greener pastures...really they did.  But before that the gray mare rolled in the dry dirt.  Just like a dog...and not once but at lest four times. Stopping to do some kind of belly rub thing and then over she went.

 rub rub....
 Roll roll....
 Up we go following the rest.

 
 I had the experience to walk in the barn and see the other horses in the stalls...there were some really huge ones in there. Mainly I peeked in and seen they were resting some what from the flies biting and didn't want to do the met and greet stuff but on the other side a few poked their heads out. I decided to take some pictures of the different body parts as best I could. for reference.
 The flow from the top of the head down to the rump.

 
 The way the nostrils look which I tried so quickly to capture with my sketch earlier in the pasture..Looking is something that has to be continually retaught. Much like life we  have to stop and really look and listen and not take for granted and assume we know.
Life lesson #1 I'm learning through this all...not that I didn't know but been given the gift to revisit it on good terms.

I wanted to get more images of the legs and feet...seem to be a problem area I have...I'm feeling the urge to head out this fall on a weekly bases to do some sketch with my cousin...she's blessed with the neighbors pasture that surrounds her and the horses that come out to graze.  Going to have to get something set up...

Should I ask myself why or just follow the nudges and see where it leads me.  I'm pulling on the experiences of my past to enjoy the present here.  I stopped creating the Tack Down Tuesday mainly because I felt it was time to move on and because I was not finding the excitement I once had with it..and when I get bored with something I know it's best to be nomadic and move on or else I get old and crabby about it and complain...no one want's to hear that....Accepting that I've learned enough of what I need to from some project or artwork series and know it's time to move on and explore something else is about me knowing myself.  I don't want to be stale, I love life to much for that to also accepting the change that is an constant, and looking at it as "what a gift change can be...not easy all the time but a gift to adjust myself to it.  Right now I taking this on as an experiment to see....letting go of all expectations and allowing new to enter and learn from it.  As I can tell I'm already pulling up images and planning adventures and artist dates with this...Heck I even had my dear friend in Georgia let me know we could met in Venice IL at her mother in laws place and do some horse back riding...Pitch me.. well as you can see I'm excited about life in general and now have to do the mundane tasks which keep me sane and then keep living the dream.

Comments

  1. Wonderful post, Laura. Revealing, emotional, real, and informative.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Carol....it's about the journey right?
    Thanks for you comment on the Real part...I would much rather be in the real, raw state of life that mean's your in the Now..well that's how I look at it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for support, interest and viewing my inner life with my outer life on this Blog. Wishing you many creative blessings and peace to you and yours,
~v~Laura

Popular Posts