Not everybody gets to be out in the front field.

Howdy, nice to see you.

I hope that all is well at your house.

Dad & Mom's dog C. Bill
He is so spoiled that his woman (my mother) carries him like a baby.
A face only a mother (again, my mother) could love.

I don't want you to fall out of your chair.  I know that I just wrote a blog a week ago, but I find myself with some time on my hands so you have

another look into this daily life of mine.

Today I am taking care of the Gallery in Zionsville, IN.

On the drive over I witnessed what looked 

like an engine sitting in the road on fire. 

 I was on 421 almost to the Zionsville turnoff.  

It was just a lump in the road, on fire.

There were several "old time" cars pulled over into the ditch.  

I watched a man use a fire extinguisher on it, but that seemed to make it worse.  I could hear the fire trucks in the distance, 

so I turned around and took a country road to the Gallery.

Since I am directionally challenged, it was touch and go there for a while.

If, by chance you too are looking for the Gallery, it can be found at:

ART IN HAND

211 S. Main

Zionsville, IN

Come by and see us.

________________________

So, I made it on time and I opened the Gallery.

What a beautiful day it is.  Sunshine, mild temperatures. 

I have the door to the business open and I am enjoying 

the noises from the street. 

I am working on a painting over in the corner by the window.

Feathers.  Why can't I remember I don't like to paint feathers?  No more birds with feathers.

I can hear pieces of conversations.  

I can hear children talking.  

It all just fades into hum.  

Then a sound broke through.

 A BIG sound. 

 AND I knew. 

I just knew... 

I had to meet the dog who had a bark that loud and deep.

This magnificent beast is Sam.

Sam is just a pup.  He is only just over a year old.  A "toddler".

His friend told me that he was his 5th "owner".

I asked if I could get to know Sam and take a few (hundred) photos.  

He agreed, so I went and grabbed the camera.

Sam's nails look better than mine.

To say he is large is an understatement.  

He was very gracious to me and all of the children that stopped to talk.

What a beautiful gentle giant.

Check out the smile.

I hope that Sam lives a long, happy big doggie life.

So, back to painting.

Back to the struggle that is feathers....
I hear this voice in my head...I'm an eagle da#n it...like in Star Trek...

Whites and shadows are difficult for me to convey.  

I know, it is a "probortunity",

 (an opportunity to learn wrapped in a problem)

but it is working my brain today.

Maybe that is why there is a haze over in this corner?

 *****

 Fred had asked me how the filly was doing.  

Do you remember her from the blog in April? 

Here is a reminder for you:

April 14th blog photo
Dad & Leia

  

Out in the front field - June 1st
The filly's mom is the dark mare.

She is well and healthy.  

She has a nice little white blanket on her lovely muscled rump.  

It is a great time of the year to have the babies out in the front field.  

You can hear folks hitting the brakes to take a look.  

We will call her baby number 1.

_____________

About 2 weeks after baby number 1 was born, 

baby number 2 came along.

As we all know on the farm,

not every story here has a happy ending.

My father has raised a lot of horses.  

They hold a place deep in his heart.  

Under my father's (and Purdue's) care

I have confidence that this baby will overcome her issues

and live a happy productive life.

Baby 2 is a filly also.

Because my dad has always tried to protected his children from pain,

he would not let me come and see her when she was born.

  

He didn't want me to get attached and perhaps suffer a loss.

He just said that she was getting better and that I could see her soon.

She has hind leg issues and an abnormality in her chest, he had told me.

A week ago, Dad was not at homem so 

I snuck out to the barn to "just see" 

what we were up against.

  Mom caught me as I was going into the barn with the camera.  

I asked where the baby was and she explained that this baby 

had to stay in the back barn lot where 

she couldn't be seen from the road.

We opened the barn door and there she lay.  

A beautiful young filly resting quietly with her mom.  

What you see of her is what I saw of her. 

Her mother shielded her from harm and my eyes.

As parents we do this, don't we?

Protecting our children from harm's way, 

from pain, from the part of life that isn't pretty.

Life isn't all sunshine and roses every day.  

So very badly I wanted to see that little baby get up 

and bounce around her momma. 

I wanted to see her out in the front field with the long grass in the sunshine. 

No, not that day.

But hopefully someday.

See you soon,

Sherry