Front Page!

Aqua Appaloosa made Etsy's front page! Yehaw.

This awesome painting is on sale as is everythng in my shop through Friday.

You can take a peek here.

The cherries are ripe now so all stops until I get them  picked and the jam made.

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Sale and New Prints

Dreams of Flying 8x10 print

I am so excited to announce my sale!

For this week from May 21st through May 28th take 20% off any purchase from Lancaster Art.

This includes everything, even my two lovely new prints.

 Just purchase through paypal and I'll refund it right back to you.

If you want to pay by check or chickens or something give me a holler.

The Night Walks Down The Sky With The Moon

10x10 print

So if you have had your eye on something, but money's been a little tight this is a great time to buy.

And don't forget we have Father's Day coming up.

( Yes, already.)

Have a terrific weekend y'all!

Wild Blue

Wild Blue

sold

This is the horse of my spirit.

This is the horse of my heart.

never be sold

A Gentle Hand

A Gentle Hand

Available at Lancaster Art

Having the horses in grazing muzzles this spring has given me some surprising results.

 All five have been very humbled. They are every one more quiet and cooperative than I've ever seen them. It has been to wet too ride but I continue to saddle the youngster Miami and leave her tied for several hours a day. Hopefully it will be dry enough to ride tomorrow.

I took Tonka hiking by the lake and to the marina to help him with his social skills. We had a mile long trail down to the lake. He had 8 pounds in his pack this time and carried it well. At the marina there were quite a few people. With women and kids he was great. One man petted him and he did fine. Another tried to and he growled at him. He seems to be as person specific when he comes to men as my late wolf Synco. Not that that is a terrible thing. I trusted Synco to be a good judge of character and I hope Tonka is as well.

We hiked on around the campgrounds and ended up hurrying out as a fierce afternoon storm was moving in. We made the mile trek uphill very quickly and were both panting by the time we got back to the car just as the rain and lightning started.

How to Set Up a Computer in 47 Gut Retching Steps

My laptop has been on it's last legs so a while back I bought a rebuilt one from my computer fixin lady. For mothers day I got a new flat screen monitor. Yeah!!!.....kind of. (I still remember the VCR hook up nightmare)

1. The Box                                                                                                                                            I try to get the monitor out of the box after piling up all the wires. I can't seem to budge it. After 15 minutes I find the little instruction pictures on the box and manage to wrestle it loose. It has nifty little picture on the monitor too. I try to sort out all the wires and discover the computer didn't come with a power cord. I call it quits. I need a glass of wine.
2. The Wires                                                                                                                                          I make the trek into town and get a power cord for the box thing. I get the old keyboard my sis gave me that a dog chewed the wire in half and it's taped together with black electrical tape. I decide to put the computer on a shelf above my desk to keep it away from the dog hair and teeth. It's a black hole of a place and I use a flashlight to see what I am doing. I struggle and cuss and finally get it all hooked up. The keyboard cord is too short and I can't pull the desk drawer out to use it. I have to move it. I cuss some more. I move my printer and put it up on the shelf and move the computer down where the printer was. The flashlight comes out and so did the wine. I hook it all up again.
3. The Wizard                                                                                                                                       I find the File and Setting Transfer Wizard to move all my stuff. I need another cord. I make another 20 mile trek into town and get one. I excitedly get home and get ready to do it. I go through the wizard following the instructions. I hook up the wire..... and nothing. I try several more times and it can't seem to communicate. I need a martini.
4. The Files                                                                                                                                        The next day I call my computer fixin girl. She is not in but the guy there says use the flash drive. So I did. I get almost all the files moved and it starts lightning. I shut everything down and give up for the night thinking I need a shot of whiskey.
5.  The Programs                                                                                                                                    I start putting in my programs. One after another. One for the wireless antenna, one for the printer,  camera ect. Most are a confusing struggle. I have to get my sis to help me get all the office programs on. I don't finish, it starts lightning and I call it quits. I need  a whole bottle by now.
6. Keyboard                                                                                                                                         I get ready to move the rest of the files. I turn them both on. I unplug my one mouse from the laptop and try to plug it in the other on. It does not work. I try a few more times and realize I have some stray wire from??? I finally get the right one but then try to type and the keyboard is not working. I had moved the wires around too much and where a dog chewed the wire. I mess with the wires. Each time I touch them I hit the off button on the monitor. Sh*t. My blood pressure is going up. I find the power cord. I quit. Zoloft
7. The Internet                                                                                                                             Entering day seven I cringe just thinking about the dam thing. I turn them both on to finish the *%$#@  files once again. I try the keyboard and miraculously it is working. ( I was fixin to get the hammer) The Internet works on the laptop but not the other. I try to fix it, nope. My Internet service is countrified and sporadic at best plus I am aways and in another building than where the router and such lives. I move the router and modem closer to me and plug it in a different phone jack. I get an awesomely strong signal, but can;t get online on either of the SOBs. I think it my service. It starts lightning.I need more tranquilizers.
8. Day Eight                                                                                                                                          I move the freaking router and modem back to where they were and get Internet on the laptop but the other fades in and out. So does my attention span. I sit and drink and ponder how the hell one phone line will work and not the other. I remember the phone co/ Internet provider said they'd come someday. Maybe someday will come..... I'll call them AGAIN. I can't deal with the files. I need blood pressure meds. I dream of doctor shopping.

                                                       So this is  where I am now.

And my daughter told me entering the twentieth century was safe now cause it was over.

Wrong wrong wrong.

    

Harlequin Blues is available at Lancaster Art

                                                                                                                                                                

As the Wind Blows

On this mountain the wind blows allot. It is usually cool at night and breezy which makes for nice sleeping in the tepee.

Last night the winds were very strong and gusty. Tonka and I headed up to the tepee in the cool north wind. It felt like a storm was moving in but the stars were shining brightly in a clear sky. We get in the tepee and are greeted by a lone firefly. I catch it and let it go outside.

Inside it is cool but the wind is blocked. I start a small fire. It lights up the interior of the tepee and makes it very cozy. Tonka has been sleeping between the tepee and the liner but decides to sleep on the bed with me. I am glad as it is definately a one dog night. It'll be cold by daylight.

I lay in bed and listen to the gusts of wind. The tepee is very stable but neither quiet or still. It rocks and flaps as the wind rolls around it. The stronger gusts even rock the bed. It feels like I am in an ocean of air. The poles creak and where the liner meets by the door keeps blowing back. I set a chair in front of it, it stills it and keeps the wind from coming in.

As the fire dies down Tonka stretches out beside me. I hear a whinny in the distance.

I fall asleep and dream of horses on the plains.

Light Horse Painting Equine Energy

Light Horse

Available at Lancaster Art

The spirit of the horse shown as dancing multi colored lights illuminate this powerful spirit horse. Light Horse dances with rainbow colors on a deep purple background.

This brightly colored and deeply textured original 8" x 10" gallery wrap canvas painting is about the spirit, energy and color of the magnificent horse.

I have been riding my paint horse Miami. Our connection continues to grow with each ride. Her training has been a long and beautiful and bumpy road. After breaking my back and wrist getting thrown by another horse when Miami was two I have had allot of fear to overcome.

She was sent to one trainer that did not work with her much and did not have the skills to get her where she needed to be for me to ride her. I bought Missy to help me with my confidence and finally found another trainer. After waiting for Miami's sunburn to heal she went early in the fall.

 Elise is a petite gentle trainer and did a fabulous job with her. NE Horse Training is located in Conway, Ar. Riding her this spring I am still impressed with all Elise accomplished with her.

Miami deserves allot of credit also. She was known as the "smart horse" at the stable and has a calm cooperative demeaner. Of course the four years of ground work we did, didn't hurt either.

Hiking in the Ozark National Forest

Our weekend started with storms, tornadoes and periods of heavy rain.  Friday evening we all perched by the back door and listened carefully to the storm tracking hoping we didn't have to get Dad down the cellar stairs. We thankfully didn't.

The heavy rains sent water and mud pouring into my studio that was once part of an old greenhouse. Saturday I cleaned up the mud. More storms were predicted but we just got a tad more rain.

Sunday cleared off and was a perfect day for Tonka and I to hike in the Ozark National Forest. We Started in Allison and headed towards Blanchard Springs and the quaint town of Fifty Six where my Dad was born.

The whole trail is 14 miles and the section we hiked is almost five.

The trail started out at a creek crossing but the water wasn't too high. I carried my boots and waded barefoot. Wildflowers were everywhere. The wild iris and the Indian pinks are my favorites.

Trotter Hollar was a great place to stop for lunch. The recent rain made for a spectacular waterfall.

Tonka looks around after he is convinced all the summer sausage is gone.He surprised me by eating trail mix.

That tree on the bluff and the height of the waterfall.... heavenly.

A shelter bluff, one of many in the area and great place to take cover during storms.

We didn't do the whole section because we had to turn around and come back. Tonka carried a pack the whole 7 or 8 miles we hiked. He was tired. I kept him on a leash most of the time, an option that didn't work very well for either one of us. He stays close off lead but freaks outs a bit and won't come if he hears humans. We'll work on that. Summer sausage is probably the answer.

We met a friend at a restaurant with a patio and Tonka got his first dining out experience. He was a perfect gentleman and enjoyed his cheeseburger.