I like these paintings!

By Alex Andreev.... Found at EnglishRussia.com... Here is the artist's website (in Russian).

There, I fixed it.

Pretty funny new blog...Link

Nick Owens Funeral Arrangements

The funeral for Mr. Simon Nicholas Owens, 30, will be Friday, July 3rd, 2009 at Greenlawn Funeral Home South, Springfield, Missouri. Visitation at 2 pm, Services at 3 pm.

:( Sads!!!

More Sads...

Oh nos! My truck!!! My truck died! It needs a new engine! :(






I LOVE this truck! :( Arghhh! My baby!

RIP Nick Owens, Continued...

One thing about people dying, a lot of old faces start coming out of the woodwork. I had three different people send me text messages about Nick yesterday, all of whom I am friends with, none of whom know each other (to my knowledge.) He had friends in many different circles and across the country.

I got to talk with an old friend this morning on the phone, someone who I always loved, but who had faded out of my life. Maybe death brings new beginnings in someways?

I said it about Killuh E, my other friend who died this past November, and I will say it again about Nick, "Death loves a shining mark."

SAD!

(I stole some pictures from his myspace page to post here.)

I have been getting a lot of hits from across the country on this post today. For those of you who don't know, the artist Nick Owens, from Springfield, MO, passed away Sunday morning, June 28th at home in his apartment in Kansas City, MO. At this time, no arrangements have been announced.

Nick's Flickr

Sho-Me Horse Show, Aurora, MO

Well, even though they pushed the show back to 7 pm, it was HOT! I over did it, riding in both the English and Western divisions. Next time, I think I will focus on just the Western.

Here are some pics...
Here is Margo and I, lined up for judging during our Open Hunter Under Saddle class. We placed 6 out of 6. (They only pin 1st - 5th place...) Oh well, she was polite, so I am still proud of her! (The flys were biting like crazy!) I think she looks cute under English tack. I scratched the Open Low Working Hunter class (over fences) since she was so hot from the first class, plus we hadn't practiced at all. Our third english class was Open Hunt Seat English Equitation, where you ride a pattern, which I forgot to look at! So, thanks Daniel, who ran over and copied the pattern for me! :) We placed 3rd out of 4 in this class. The pattern asked for a right lead canter from a halt, to be rode as a bending line to the left... (eyes rolling) No one in the class was able to pull that off. :) My next class was Halter Stock Horse Mares. I forgot to tell them I had a tack change, so I missed my class! Opps! Margo was super sweaty anyway, so, oh well!
After that was Adult Walk-Trot 19 & Over. Here are some pictures from that class. Thankfully, the sun went down, so it was a little cooler!
Lined up for judging... I got 4th out of 4. Oh well, only Margo's 3rd show! :) I am proud of her. She was really well behaved! I scratched my last two classes, Novice Western Pleasure and Western Pleasure 19 to 39, since Margo seemed pretty tired. Poor thing! :)

So, it was 10:30 by the time we left the show. I started the truck and realized that I didn't have any lights on my horse trailer! Yikes! Scary, 40 miles from home, Saturday night, with no trailer lights!

So, off we went, up Hwy 39 to Mt. Vernon. Then for some reason, my electric window in the truck wouldn't roll up! So, I planned to stop at TA truck stop and try and get it up. Well, then my dash lights faded out, then my headlights started dimming! What?! I pulled into the truck stop and my truck died! ARGHGHH!!

I called Dad, who thankfully was able to come help. Long story short, I blew my alternater in the truck! Thank you God, that my Dad was able to get us patched up enough to get us home! We finally got home and unloaded at 1 am! Blah! Thanks, Dad, for rescuing us! :)

RIP Nick Owens - NZA - Simon!

Woke up this morning to the news that one of my oldest friends has passed away... Rest in peace, Nick Owens, I love you and will miss you! My second friend lost in less than 8 months...

The top picture is one I took of some of Nick's stencils. I did a photography assignment with Nick as the topic back in 2005. I have like 5 rolls of film of Nick somewhere, I need to dig them out. I did one whole roll of film of Nick taking a bath, eating a sandwich and smoking cigarettes. It got ruined during the developing process, to which Nick replied was probably for the best. Ha-ha

Show Tomorrow

Well, I decided to beat the heat by going to the Sho-Me Horse Show tomorrow night in Aurora, MO.

Here is the show bill... The bold classes I am entering...

1. Lead Line 6 yrs & under $1 entry
2. Pony English Pleasure, 18 & under, 56" & under
3. Open Hunter Under Saddle
4. Open Low Working Hunter - 2' jumps - Maybe?
5. Open Hunt Seat English Equitation
6. Halter Stock Horse Weanling and Yearling
7. Halter Stock Horse Stallions & Geldings
8. Halter Stock Horse Mares
9. Yearling Longe Line
10. Pony Showmanship, 18 & under, 56" & under
11. Youth Showmanship 13 & Under
12. Youth Showmanship 14-18
13. Adult Showmanship 19 & over
14. Pony Walk-Trot, 18 & under, 56" & under
15. Youth Walk-Trot 13 & under
16. Youth Walk-Trot 14-18
17. Adult Walk-Trot 19 & over
18. Open Western Pleasure
19. Pony Western Pleasure, 18 & under, 56" & under
20. Youth Western Pleasure 13 & under
21. Youth Western Pleasure 14-18
22. *Novice Western Pleasure
23. Western Pleasure, Jr horse 5 & under, snaffle bit
24. Pony Western Horsemanship, 18 & under
25. Youth Western Horsemanship 13 & under
26. Youth Western Horsemanship 14-18
27. Adult Western Horsemanship 19 & over
28. Western Pleasure 19 to 39
29. Western Pleasure 40 & over
30. Open Ranch Riding, 6 and over Senior Horse
31. Open Reining
32. Youth Pole Bending 13 & under, over 56"
33. Youth Pole Bending 14 - 18, over 56"
34.**Pony Pole Bending 18 & under, 56" & under
35. Open Pole Bending, over 56"
36. Youth Barrel Race 13 & under, over 56"
37. Youth Barrel Race 14 - 18, over 56"
38.**Pony Barrel Race 18 & under , 56" & under
39. Open Barrel Race, over 56"
40. Open Flag Race
41. Open Figure 8

Whew, I am not going to have much time between class 5 and 8 to take off Margo's tack and change from my English outfit to Western... Good thing Dan is going... :D

This Weekend

I had to call 911 this morning!
There was a huge bull grazing on the shoulder of Interstate Hwy 44! He must of escaped his field. Yikes! Not safe! :)

Anyway... This weekend...

1st of all, Happy Birthday to my niece Sofie! She turns two today! :) She is super cute, even with the rat!

2nd, I am taking Margo to a horse show tomorrow! Yay! We are going to Brighton Saddle Club's western show. Fun! Here is the link to their show bill.

Also on Saturday, is a Southwest Missouri Hunter/Jumper show at Shadowbrook Stable. It starts at 9 am, my other show starts at 3 pm. Soooo... I was thinking, since I will have Margo all cleaned up anyway, maybe I will take her over there 1st and show in a couple of Hunter Hack classes... :) Sounds fun!

So, I looked up the SMHJA show bill (here) and found out that their classes are $15 each! Yikes! I don't think I can afford that! Brighton's entry fees are a much more reasonable $3 each, with a $15 cap! :) So, I guess there goes my ambitious plans to take Mags to two shows in one day...

Anyway, wish me luck!

Oh yeah, tonight is the horse auction at Springfield Livestock Marketing Center. Fun! I will probably stop there and have a look on my way home. :)

Also on Saturday...
Sho-Me Stock Horse Show in Aurora... Starts at 7 pm... Hmmm... Maybe I should go to this one instead? It will definitely be cooler... Link

Tacky Tack of the Day

Gah! Who would pay $75 for this? Link
There is a website called Tacky Tack of the Day. I have sent them somethings I found online before, but I thought I would start posting them here too.

Nice CL Horse

I might have even posted this one before... only $950... Link

Fail

Link

OMG! Poor Bear!

Old news, but amazing! Follow the link for more pictures... (Yes, they rescued him!) :)

Aerial Photos (From the Barn Roof)

Daniel was working on the roof of our big barn yesterday, so he snapped a few pictures...
Here is our back field, looking to the South.
From the barn roof, looking to the North-East. (The pond is my neighbor's)
Margo and Peter's dry lot is in the bottom of this photo. (Pretty view, eh?)
My ponies...
Margo and I riding around the pond last night...

I thought this was a cute pic. (More trotting bareback! I still haven't tried to lope, I am a wuss, but getting pretty comfortable at the trot!)
See Ya!

Goodbye, Horses

Link

Does your cat look like Hitler?

"Do you wake up in a cold sweat every night wondering if he's going to up and invade Poland?"
Link

Craigslist Horses

Hook up my trailer, cause I want to go get this one! :) Link $1000 OBO! :)
I kinda like this one... Link
And OF COURSE, since I just spent $60 ordering 1 pony and 1 horse sized grazing muzzle... on Craigslist today... Link 1 Horse sized muzzle, and 1 pony sized... $12 each! :)

Sunday Evening Ride

Daniel took some pics for me... Thanks Dan! 1st, here is our back field, nicely mowed, courtesy of Uncle Tom. (Thanks!) Margo cooling off in the pond... :)
Aghhh! That is WET! :)





Fun!