Pony Cousin Carousel Award

I love Pony Carousels.

I have a fascination with the carousels of the midways and amusement parks.
I have reached for many brass rings at the Spokane Carousel.
The very small community of Bickleton built a simple facility
to house their prized antique carousel.
The Yakima State Fair showcases another beautifully refurbished carousel.


I have a small collection of carousel statuettes and music boxes,
Which i guess i should do a blog on sometime.

But the reason for this blog is for me to express my admiration
for a Cousin who has much artistic talent.
This Cousin has one of the most beautiful and elegant blogs
i have ever seen.
She goes by "Sares" and i look forward to all of her latest photos and layouts.

I would like to award her this "Pony Cousin Carousel Award" for her art.

What really impresses me is when she gathers together everyday odds and ends
and arranges them in the most creative ways
that range from the "cute" to the "oh my".

I am doing some make-over work in my home
and i have wished over and over that i could get Sares to my house for a weekend.
I'll bet that she could take my stuff and really make a showcase.
I have odds and ends and i have seen what she can do with odds and ends.

So, dear Sares, this award is for you and your wonderful blog.
Please continue to inspire those of us who recognize art,
but find it hard to duplicate it ourselves.

Happy Halloween

Happiest of Halloweens, my Pretties!



I am about to fly out the door to see about frightening children
and taking their candy

But, before i go zooming around on my broom tonight,
I am going to take some time to partake in a little witches' fun.
It's called "Cat Bowling" and i have started out with some pretty weak scores,
so i will need a little practice.

I would like to invite you to join me.
Just click on this website and it give it your best shot.(No kitties were harmed in this game.)

I betcha get hooked!
It's spooktacular.

http://www.bravozulu.com/content/includes/cat.swf

Corn Tepees

The blogs of my cousins have inspired me to accept the fact that fall is here.

And, because those cousins have blogged so eloquently and with great, artistic fall flourishes,
i feel that i must, and want to, do a fall blog page.
In doing so, i would like to focus on another one of our inspirational family members.

The Pony Cousins share a special aunt who was quite clever at writing poetry.
And, from the time that "The Little Cousins" were old enough to sit and listen,
Aunt Virginia would recite her poems to us.

She wrote poems of new love and lost love.
She wrote poems filled with imagery and memories.

Many of her poems were published in the Tacoma Tribune
and others included in the Clover Collection of Verse,
which is in the Library of Congress.

Before her death (at age 97),
she had her poems collected and published so that our family could always enjoy them.
We treasure the volume.

One of our favorites was one that The Little Cousins called "Corn Tepees",
because that seemed to be the image of the poem that we remembered most.

Autumnal

The mountains bask, a bluish band,
Red maple mock the sun


And everywhere corn tepees stand;
The scarecrow's work is done.


The tipsy bees work slower now,
Their hives are honey-stored,
For apples blush on every bough


Whose blooms the bees explored.

The goldenrod like tapers stand,
Blue asters smoke the plain


To blaze the message of the land,
Autumn is here again!

Pony Cousin News

Skyler Has a Girlfriend!

The Golden Boy picks a winner!

In our Pony Cousin Rides this summer, we found that Skyler
has attachment issues with none other than the beautiful
Arab Paint ...Brandy.

This was the very pleasant view that Skyler and i had in our trail rides.

Notice that Brandy is scrubbed and brushed; her tail is nicely braided.

Brandy was a source of confidence and comfort for Skyler.
Our Boy does not have many trail miles on him
and there are a lot of new things out there on each ride.
He does pretty well about accepting most challenges and being able
to follow behind a trail-wise mare was a boost to his confidence.

I was very impressed with the team work that Paint Girl had with her Brandy.


Isnt this a great action shot from the barrel race?
I like the flexibility and agility that Brandy shows as she bends her body
and plants her front foot, swinging her hind end around to dig in
for the big turn.
Paint Girl's leg pressure is moving Brandy into position for the turn.
That's team work.

Paint Girl is a great example of what it takes to be a Pony Cousin.
Skill and love of her ponies is part of it.
But what makes Paint Girl a true Pony Cousin is exemplified
by the assistance that she gave to ole SMR during all of the summer rides
and especially at the Pony Cousin Stampede.

From the first hour of the Stampede Weekend,
Paint Girl stepped in to help with my ponies.
I pulled into the ranch a little before 1:00 in the afternoon.
It was an easy trip with the 2 ponies, but i was by myself.
Palomino Girl would drive to the ranch after getting off work.

When i pulled in, i spied a welcome sight.


Paint Girl and Pony Girl were already there and had their ponies
pretty much settled into their pens.
Although they had just finished a long drive themselves,
those girls jumped right in, grabbed my 2 ponies,
and had them unloaded, loosened up, and in their pens
before i could finish my first swig of whiskey.

These Pony Cousins did everything they could to make sure
that i had what i needed during the course of the whole weekend.
That's the kind of cousins they are.

I think that the world would be a much better place
if everyone had just one cousin like these.

A favorite Pony Cousin celebrates a birthday.

Cousin Eeeeee! has a birthday!


Witty, fun-loving, thoughtful.

This Pony Cousin will take in any Cousin who needs a place to stay.
Let's just say that she puts up with a lot of "hoo-rah"
and says that she likes it.
She will mix any drink that is wanted.
She will whip up the best salsa and pesto.
She cooks good ole downhome foods that are soooooo tasty.
She makes sure that ole SMR is very comfortable when i get to come over.

And last year, for her birthday, i sent her a card that i made.
On the outside, the card was all buttons and bows...
and...
on the inside was this picture....
I wrote: "Hope your birthday doesnt blow."


Sometimes i am just a stinker.
But it made her laugh.

I love this cowgirl to pieces.

Happy Birthday,
Dear Blue-Eyed Cousin

Pony Cousin News

Skyler Has a Girlfriend!

The Golden Boy picks a winner!

In our Pony Cousin Rides this summer, we found that Skyler
has attachment issues with none other than the beautiful
Arab Paint ...Brandy.

This was the very pleasant view that Skyler and i had in our trail rides.

Notice that Brandy is scrubbed and brushed; her tail is nicely braided.

Brandy was a source of confidence and comfort for Skyler.
Our Boy does not have many trail miles on him
and there are a lot of new things out there on each ride.
He does pretty well about accepting most challenges and being able
to follow behind a trail-wise mare was a boost to his confidence.

I was very impressed with the team work that Paint Girl had with her Brandy.


Isnt this a great action shot from the barrel race?
I like the flexibility and agility that Brandy shows as she bends her body
and plants her front foot, swinging her hind end around to dig in
for the big turn.
Paint Girl's leg pressure is moving Brandy into position for the turn.
That's team work.

Paint Girl is a great example of what it takes to be a Pony Cousin.
Skill and love of her ponies is part of it.
But what makes Paint Girl a true Pony Cousin is exemplified
by the assistance that she gave to ole SMR during all of the summer rides
and especially at the Pony Cousin Stampede.

From the first hour of the Stampede Weekend,
Paint Girl stepped in to help with my ponies.
I pulled into the ranch a little before 1:00 in the afternoon.
It was an easy trip with the 2 ponies, but i was by myself.
Palomino Girl would drive to the ranch after getting off work.

When i pulled in, i spied a welcome sight.


Paint Girl and Pony Girl were already there and had their ponies
pretty much settled into their pens.
Although they had just finished a long drive themselves,
those girls jumped right in, grabbed my 2 ponies,
and had them unloaded, loosened up, and in their pens
before i could finish my first swig of whiskey.

These Pony Cousins did everything they could to make sure
that i had what i needed during the course of the whole weekend.
That's the kind of cousins they are.

I think that the world would be a much better place
if everyone had just one cousin like these.

Disorderly Conduct Award

At Cousin Eeeee's home, a small group of the Pony Cousins
met for a brief meeting to finish up the plans for the upcoming
Pony Cousin Stampede.
At the conclusion of the business meeting,
an iniation of a new Pony Cousin was performed.
(More on that later)

Then it was time for the entertainment!
The "skit" was brief; but, oh, so funny.
Therefore:

Disorderly Conduct AwardFor conduct outside the norms of propriety in most circles,
but well within the norms of the Pony Cousins,
this award is given to :
The Divine Ms C
and
The Desert Rose.

I cannot, in good conscience, describe specifically
what they did to entertain us, however,
just know that no one was hurt or arrested.
And we all laughed until we cried at their antics.
All in good Cousin fun.

I love you, Cousins!
You two have still got it!
(And you are still my favorites - inside joke)

I wish i could tell you all about it, but there are "pinky swears" involved.
I am laughing again now, just thinking about it.