Found in the Fog!

These photos, taken today when I was riding Sovereign bareback, give a hint of how gorgeous our weather and light have been. Today was easily 60 degrees and the yellows and greens are amazing!!! These shots were taken with my beat up cell phone - the one that takes the mystical, foggy photos, but at least it captured some of what we were seeing. The ride on Pie yesterday was equally beautiful. The boys are sleepy and calm in our warm, yellow snowglobe with leaves falling around us like snowflakes.

Ha! This picture makes me crack up laughing out loud (so much so, that I just woke Noodlebug from a snuggly catnap!). This looks like Sovey is wearing a hat (a goofy hat) but actually it is my mom standing in front of Sovereign feeding him carrots and she is wearing the (goofy) hat!!! This reminds me of a photo we have of me on my pony Dimples and my mother is holding Dimples and the angle it was taken makes my mom look like she has a tail! I will have to post that sometime.

Here is Pie, back in the small paddock looking for us. Of course, we are in plain view, but dear, slow, Pie is mixed-up about our location.

Sovey's adorable ears in the woods.

Our shadow on the driveway. (Pie had a big gash on him and I had put Neosporin on it earlier and had the tube still in my pocket. I whipped it out on the driveway and didn't see it there when I snapped the photo of Sovey. Oops. Of course, my crazy cell camera puts that in perfect focus!)

After this lovely dash through the woods, we tumbled out into the hayfield. One neighbor was using a leaf blower and Sovey didn't care, but I was on bareback so I quietly gave the universal symbol for "cut". He kindly stopped and waited until we passed. Comically, two houses down we came upon a whole army of lawncare workers. There must have been 5 or 6 using leaf blowers, lawn mowers, rakes - it was crazy. Sovey did nothing - good boy.

After my ride, I was out in our far pastures picking up manure and the boys wondered up there. They were so sleepy and quiet, following me around in the sunshine. I would pick up a pile and Pie would walk up and softly push his head into my hands for some scratching. I would stop and love him up and walk on and get back to work. He would follow me and ask for more loving. This went on all the rest of the afternoon. I can't tell you how perfect this day was for me.

And, then, this evening, we had some very exciting news! Awhile ago, I posted about the possibility of seeing Sovereign's full brother. Sovey's racing name is Suave Lord and one night in July I was on my computer looking up his pedigree and watching replays of his races. Somehow, I stumbled on a site that lists Thoroughbred Dams and all their foals and I found Sovey's mother, Western Groom and saw her babies. I realized that one of them, Found in the Fog, was sired by Suave Prospect, just like Sovey! They were full brothers! Then, I searched for the whereabouts of Found in the Fog and saw that he was racing at Philadelphia Park - 3 hours from here! We just couldn't seem to coordinate a visit, but I kept it in the back of my mind as something to sort out soon.

On Sunday evening our whole family went to see the movie Secretariat. This was a big deal for me because: 1. I don't see animal movies because I cry too much and 2. I don't watch horse races unless it is a replay and I know that all the horses survived without injury. Like, for example, I have never seen The Horse Whisperer or Seabiscuit because I couldn't physically take the headache from crying. I know the Secretariat story so I chanced it and did end up crying through the whole movie because it was beautiful. With the visions of the night before dancing in my head, I read my emails the next morning and found one from Found in the Fog's owners asking me if I was interested in owning him because they are ready to retire him!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about a loaded deck! I was definitely "on tilt" (as in, not thinking straight).

I am practical about animal ownership and motherhood. I can only handle one. One cat, one child...and in the case of horses, one would be cruel, so two. Really, seriously, I do not want or need a third horse. I like to do things well, not hurried, or halfway, and my horse time allotment per day is perfect at two. If I do not take him, they will retire him to the Thoroughbred rescue organization, Turning For Home. But...to not see this horse would be foolish...so we are heading down/over to Philadelphia on Wednesday. Honestly, I am freaking out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!