Fact Based Fictional Conversation Among Friends

Shirley, is a nurse by vocation. She also works with Bloodhounds, for Search & Rescue, and is a member of the local Mounted Posse.



This conversation is about two of her horses that are getting older, and now have special needs for their comfort and mobility.



The farrier, Chuck and Shirley have a conversation...

Hold it Kandi, good girl.



Chuck, I sure appreciate you coming on such short notice to trim Kandi and Red's hooves. I've been working so much, I haven't even had a good look at them for a couple of weeks.



Hey Shirley, what are good friends for, Alma and I are always happy to help you, you know that. Besides your horses are always so good, and you saved them from the life they had, what with Red just all messed up with bowed tendons off the track, that horse would have been destroyed if you hadn't taken him in. Didn't you once say that he was about two or three years old then?



Yes, Red was between two and three. He was not yet gelded, and the tendons in both his front legs were badly bowed. He had trouble just walking. red was also a bag of bones, since he was no longer paying for his keep, his days were numbered.



Chuck, were you around when I bought Kandi? Kandi was well cared for until her owner allowed his friend to use for for herding cattle in Colorado. She wasn't used to running over that kind of terrain. She had fallen on some rocks, and really damaged her knees. Since she has aged, they have developed arthritis, and stay swollen and sore.



Since I got her, she's had a great life. She's never again been overworked. I trained her as a posse horse, and she really took to that.



Now, with her into her thirties, the damage to her knees has caught up with her, and they stay swollen and painful. So, I really do need to keep her hooves in good shape, so she can function as best she can.



It's a good thing you brought your daughter along, too.



How are things at school Mandi?



Well, I like school, but there are times I would just rather stay home and do something else. But with Mom driving a school bus, she isn't at home all day, and I really don't like having to stay home alone, either.



Ah, all done Kandi, come here Red, let's see what you need now...



They are both getting on in years now, and they have earned a better life.

Three Kids And A Pig

During a visit to a petting zoo, three young children and their Mother happen up on a couple of the cutest Pot Belly Pigs, you'd ever want to meet, and guess what?



It just so happens that they lady who owns the two piggies, also sell baby ones...

Arlington County Fair 2008

Look Mom, pigs, and they're not big like Uncle Jim's pigs.



Look Mom, can't we get one? They are so cute, and that lady already said they don't get really big. She said they're tea-cup pigs, I think...



Yeah, Mom I want one too, can I, can I have one too?



Now boys, they don't get as big as the really big pigs, that we see at Uncle Jim's farm, but they aren't going to stay as small as they are now, either. Those piggies may be tea cup sized now, but like big pigs, they take several years to grow as big as they will get, and nobody knows for sure how big that will be. They could get nearly as tall as our dog, Cruzer, and he's pretty big. They will also weigh more than Cruzer, because their body is made differently. They could be as tall as Cruzer, but weigh more than a hundred pounds. I only weigh a hundred and twenty, and they could actually get at heavy as I am, and maybe even more.



Mom, if Joey and Steve get one, I want one, too.



Now, Sandy, I didn't say anyone was getting a pig, did I? Besides, a pig also needs another animal for a friend, like maybe another pig. Two pigs will be lots of work, and they need a good place to play outdoors, too. They need lots of attention, too, or they won't really be pets, will they?



That lady said they can stay inside like our cat does.



Look Mom, that one's licking Joey's fingers, and it's not biting, either. Can't we have one, please???



Look sweetie, before anything, your dad an I will have to talk about this, and see how he feels about having a pig or two. Then, if it's ok with Daddy, I have to talk to our neighbors, and see if they don't mind. If it's alright with the neighbors, we would still have to check to see if the city would even allow us to have a Pot Belly Pig. They may not even be allowed where we live.



Mom, what if we all agree that we'll share, and that way, we'll only have to get one. We'll even take care of it, we promise, right guys?



Look kids, this is something we have to learn a lot more about before we just rush into it, you know? Right now, we don't even know what they eat From what I understand, miniature pigs have to be on a special diet. They can't eat things like dog food, it's really bad for them. We still need to find out if they need shots like our dog and cat do.



It's expensive having any animal, much less one that will need us to get a whole lot of new things, like building a pen for it to play in when we're not at home, special food dishes, a piggy house and a place for it to have mud or water to keep cool when it's really hot outside. Why, it will also need shade from the hot summer sun, and shelter when it's cold outside. The pigs I've seen on TV have lots of blankets and quilts to help keep them comfortable at night, and in cold weather, even if they are inside. That' something else we need to consider.



It certainly can't stay indoors when we're not at home, either, so it will have to have the pen built before we even bring it home, IF we bring one or two home, later.



This much I do know. I've seen programs on TV about how many people are getting pigs for a pet, and then, for one reason or another, they can't keep it. If that happened, we'd all be very disappointed, and what about the pig? They have feelings too. I also know that it's not even good for a pig to stay indoors all the time. They need to play in the dirt, and root in mud like Uncle Jim's pigs get to do. That's just what pigs do. Just because they are smaller pigs, doesn't mean they don't like the same things as big pigs. Pigs also need some sunshine every day, or their bones don't grow they way they are supposed to.



What do you think we'd feel like if we ever had to give up or dog, or out cat?



All together, the three kids say, "Aw Mom, can't you at least talk to Dad and see what he says?"



Look, aren't they just so sweet? They are really smart, too. Look, that lady called Susie, and she went running to see what the lady wanted.



Tell you what, I'll talk to Daddy, and if he says it would be OK with him, I'll call around to see if it's OK with the city and see if I can find a vet that takes care of Pot Belly Pigs, to learn as much as I can. I'm not about to take that lady's word for anything. She may be OK, but she also wants to sell the pigs to us.



Sometimes when someone wants to sell something, they will not always be telling you the truth.



We have to think about us, as well as the pigs, they shouldn't have to be dumped just because we bought them not knowing we can't keep them. now, should they?



No Mom, they shouldn't. But we really want one. Pleease, talk to Daddy, OK?



Look sweetie, I said I'd talk with your Father, and we will investigate to see if we can manage it, and if it's ok with the city, like I said, OK?



It may be OK, and it may not, but we'll find out, and then your Daddy and I will decide if it's a good idea or not.



Pet the piggies good bye now, we have to go home now. I still have to make dinner for us, and Daddy's going to be very hungry. You know he's been working all day, and when he gets home, it really makes him happy to see dinner on the table. Right?



Yeah, Daddy is always hungry when he come home. Then, after we eat, we can tell him about our pigs.



Whoa now, it's still not for sure. You all do understand that, don't you?



"Sure we do," they all said in unison. "But Daddy will say it's ok, for sure!"



We'll see, just don't forget that, we still have to see!



The kids all said good bye to the Pot Belly Piggies, and headed with Mom to the car, and dinner.

Moon and Mars Together

Mars was within 34,000,000 miles of the earth tonight, and though Mars certainly was not as large as the moon, it certainly was the brightest in the sky other than the moon.





Photo © 2010Helen Dawson

I sure hope this shows up on here as well as it did on my computer screen. I live on the west coast in sunny southern California. I managed to get a few shots of the moon with Mars off to the right. It's unbelievable how many other stars show in the photos I took about half an hour ago.



Just checked my digital camera, and it appears that I took several pictures between 12:27 and about 12:35 A.M. Pacific time.



I actually managed to get both planets in the same frame. Fortunately, the only cloud that I could see was low enough in the sky it didn't block my view.



After previewing the photo, as I was afraid, the picture is to small for Mars to show up very much, but if you look carefully, off to the right, and slightly higher up on the frame, you should be able to make out the planet Mars.

I suppose I could have taken a telephoto shot, but then, the two planets would not have been in the same frame.



Once I loaded my pix onto my IMAC, I lit up the exposure, and adjusted it to make the photo as visible as possible.



See you in the year 2287 for the next Mars up close and personal visit.

Evening After Freak Storm

Photo ©2010 Helen Dawson

This photo was taken from the road in front of my home this week, just a couple of hours after a freak storm that doused one area about five miles north of here, and another are about fifteen miles to the south, just north of the San Diego County line.



Late that afternoon I went out to feed my pond fish, and saw some really spectacularly gorgeous skies. The sun was just below the peaks of the nearby mountains, and the clouds that remained from our earlier weird lightning display and the flash flood threat had passed.



This was just breathtaking, and something we may not usually take the time to even go outside and just stop and take it all in.

Unusual Weather Event

This is about something that happened just a couple of days ago in my area of Southern California.





Photo ©2010 Helen Dawson

It's really interesting how our weather can change so quickly. Recently, we had weather in excess of 110 degrees for three days in a row. Our humidity was at only 5%, when suddenly, I could hear lightning flashes causing static on my radio, the static from the lightning could be heard for about twenty minutes, when all of a sudden the wind began blowing stronger and stronger still.



I went outside to be sure there was no damage from the strong winds. It was then that I saw the most impressive clouds: Huge, white billowing clouds, gigantic in size, and rising very high in the heavens. Yet, they were only in some places, and not covering the entire area.



Then, we suddenly got a temperature drop of five degrees within about three minutes. Earlier I saw there were huge rising clouds in the far distant eastward skies, which is normally in the desert areas, where it gets a lot hotter that we have.



Within a few minutes, people were losing power, and within a few more minutes, there were news reports on the radio that the area south of us about 15 miles, had a fire that was caused by the lightning, and there were also flash flood warnings for that area as well.



In the next few minutes, the temperature had fallen about ten degrees, and the humidity rose from 55 to 22%, within minutes.



Just about the same time, the area about 5 miles north, they had a power pole that was hit by lightning, causing the power lines to fall across the street, and land atop a public transit bus containing passengers. They also were under flash flood warnings.



Fortunately no one on the bus was injured, but they did have to stay onboard, until someone from the power company could come shut off power to the area, to allow the passengers to escape the damaged bus, and they power to be re-routed, making it possible to replace the broken pole.



Meanwhile, we were right between both affected areas, and we got not one drop or rain, nor any very nearby lightning. Micro-cell weather certainly can be strange, can't it?

Dusty the "Killer" and Evelyn

Dusty was a nine year old red roan Appaloosa mare, that had been taken from an area where she had grown up, and matured into quite the gymkhana horse, but due to her owner leaving for collage, and no one else that felt they could manage this powerful, though trustworthy mare, she was being sold to someone out of the area she knew, and away from everyone and all the other animals she was secure with.

Star and Friends - Appaloosa with an Avian Fetish!

Now, Dusty was going into the Inland Valley of Riverside County. Sue, her life long rider thought it would be wonderful for Dusty to live in the open, instead of living at a stable where she was boarded.



Dusty had been called "Killer" ever since she was first brought from the sheltered area of Gymkhana arenas to the wide open area where I lived.



Jean, my sister Amy's neighbor bought Dusty, thinking that she was just the right size horse for her to ride in the hills and in the area surrounding the nearby lake. When Dusty was delivered to her new home, she had been hauled all along in a stock trailer, and she had apparently completely thrashed it during her 60 mile ride over the California freeway system, through all the heavy traffic.



Mr. Phillips, the man who transported Dusty told Jean that if she ever needed "that mare" moved again, "Don't call me, OK? It's going to cost me more to repair my stock trailer than you paid me to haul that killer mare in it."



Dusty was only accustomed to being ridden along the dry riverbeds of Orange County, or in an arena. She had never before, in her nine years seen the wide open spaces she was to face in Riverside County.



Why there was even a lake, with miles of shoreline, and mountain loins, coyotes, and heaven only knew what else she would have to face here.

The mountains only about half a mile from her new home. At nights, and sometimes in the early morning hours, she could hear the screeching screams of the mountain lions from her paddock, and hear coyotes calling whenever they had made a kill. She was absolutely terrified.



It was even worse when anyone actually attempted to ride her off the property. The world was nothing like what she was used to seeing, hearing, or smelling where she came from. There, she had a nice secure barn to live in, with her own box stall and corral.



Now, Jean the woman who owned her was kind enough, always making sure she was well fed, and had plenty of fresh cool water to drink, but she was also very short, and very heavy, and unable to even mount her properly, unless she got on something tall and very stable to even get her foot into the stirrup.



Dusty was more accustomed to an experienced gymkhana rider, young and limber, able to mount quickly, and stay well seated, even while running barrels and pole bending, and even keyhole.



Poor Dusty didn't ever think of injuring her new owner, but she was so frightened when she was asked to leave the property, that she would totally freak out, and spin, and run for home and the relative safety of her paddock.



Finally in desperation, Jean finally accepted her neighbor, Amy's offer to work with Dusty to see if she might be of some help getting Dusty to settle in, and feel more confidant, enough to at least allow someone to stay in the saddle.



Unfortunately, Amy also worked full time and had two preteens to supervise while riding, as well. Handling Dusty with all her head problems and still making sure her own children were safe while riding their horses was just too stressful, so she finally talked to Jean about allowing her, (Amy's) brother-in-law to work with Dusty, since he and his wife had no children to worry about while riding.



Bill took Dusty down to the lake several times, but many of those rides ended with Bill walking home, and with Dusty waiting at her corral gate when he returned. Bill was also getting tired of landing on the hard ground in his hind-end, too.



Between the trailering problem and Bill having been tossed into the air several times, Dusty earned the name "Killer,"



Amy's sister, Evelyn was looking to get another horse for herself, for pleasure rides in the local hills, and one which would also take to the local rural traffic, including school buses, and fire trucks. It had been several years since Evelyn had owned or even ridden a horse, but that was her passion, and she had decided that when she was again living in an area where she could have another horse, a horse she would certainly get.



When Evelyn asked Amy if she knew of any good horses for sale, Amy told Evelyn about Dusty, including her problems, and the new name she was being called. "Besides, said Amy, you already have a bad back and neck from being rear-ended a few years ago. I don't think Dusty is the horse you are looking for."



Evelyn certainly wasn't discouraged by the story, as she had already rescued other horses, and a pony that were problems, and they turned out fine, with some patience and hard work.



"Amy, I will be over to see Dusty, please ask Jean if I may ride her at least down to the lake with you and the girls, so she will be more comfortable with other horses that she already knows being with her."



When I first saw Dusty, I knew she was just the horse for me. And I would be the person that could help her adapt, and feel at ease in her new surroundings. Of course, it would take time and a lot of patience and work, but this horse would never end up being sold the people called "the killers' who sold practically every horse they bought to slaughter houses, for dog food, or human consumption in some other country.

My Earliest Memory

A Toddler's Early Memories

Gorilla 2

I have early memories from about the age of 18 to 24 months. It may have actually been somewhat younger, as I was still using a pacifier, as many today call it a binky.



I remember playing hide and seek in our house with my older sister, and falling down the steps leading to our basement in one home we lived at in Hamilton, Ohio. I still have the lump on my forehead from banging my head on the concrete basement floor. I remember that we lived on Heaton Street in Hamilton at the time.



I can still see several cousins and my older sister, and myself taking turns with roller skates. Then they were the kind that you used key to tighten them onto the sole of your shoes. There apparently was only one or two pairs skates, so we all used only one at at time, so the others could also skate.



That is one of my most cherished memories, because my dear cousin Jerry and his family were visiting from California. Jerry always looked out for me, to be sure the older kids weren't too rough or knock me down in their enthusiasm to do their own skating. Even though Jerry was only two years older than I, he was so kind, and helpful to his younger cousin, me.



Jerry only lived to be eight years old, as he died as the result of damage to his lungs, when he accidentally set himself on fire, playing with matches and gasoline that he found in their garage on Easter Sunday 1951.



I clearly recall visiting my father's older sister, Edith who lived in Cincinnati. We young ones always thought her very odd, as no matter what the weather outside was doing, Aunt Edith always had her living room windows wide open, even in Ohio's cold, and snowy winters.



I recall during one visit to her home, when her son and I went to some local store, and on the way back, he stuck a fire cracker under a can alongside the road, just to watch it blowup and startle the passing motorists. Even then, I knew he was not going to turn out well, and he didn't.



I remember once my Dad and I were out taking care of some things he needed to attend to, and there was a carnival in town. They had a Gorilla that smoked cigars, and also had a black Panther in a cage. I also recall feeling upset that those uncaring men would give that cigar to the gorilla, as even then, I had enough sense to realize it couldn't be good for him.



The Panther barely had room to turn around, and that also bothered me.