December 2 - Yuletide Cheer Photo Challenge

 Today's prompt? A model from/because of a friend. Oh, wow. What do I choose? After thinking about it, I went for sentimental pieces, and boy howdy, these pieces are.

A Wade Whimsey Circus Horse

I've mentioned my best hobby friend, Kathy Bateman, before. Kat and I go way back to the early 1990s and we attended many BreyerFests and live shows together. There was no one I'd rather go to a live show with. (That's still true.)

Kat knew how much I loved teaching. She also knew how much I loved circus horses and ponies. So, when health issues necessitated an earlier retirement from teaching than I'd hoped for, she sent me this gift.

 The full story behind this gift horse can be found here.

Sadly, Kat passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. Her death hit me hard on many levels. Not only was she a dear friend, but I had a high level of respect for her. I have never written her back story here and I won't now, but Kathy overcame a lot of major challenges in her life. She was resilient, she was intelligent, she worked hard, and she never gave up. Well done, Kat! And oh, how I miss you, dear friend.

A Custom Abby & Two Socks

In an odd and fortuitous quirk of timing, Betz Everitt contacted me in Fall of 2023 and said she was working on a gift for me and asked if I minded if she painted Abby.

Mind?? Not at all - what a lovely thing to do!

And not only did she paint Abby, she painted Two Socks, too! (This is the perfect mold for that girl - she was so full of life.)

In light of the fact that both would tragically die in less than a year, this gift was an incredible coincidence of timing.

A few weeks before the lightning strike that took both horses' lives, I showed mini Abby at Midwest Model Mayhem and Betz's gift to me is now NAN qualified.

Betz, I have loved these pieces since the day they arrived here, but they are even more meaningful now that both horses are gone. I am so very grateful for your two gifts and keep both of them on the shelf right behind me as a constant reminder of two beloved horses and a very thoughtful friend. Thank you. xo

More about these two can be found in this blog post.

Tomorrow's Yuletide photo prompt is "Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins: a purchase you made on a whim." Hmmmm... Let's see. That will be hard because I have NEVER done that... 😇 

Stay 'tooned!

Firefly & Hawkeye

Busy day today for those with VIP or All-Access tickets to BreyerFest.

Set those alarms, figure out which workshops you want to attend, and then be logged in and ready to register at 1:00 PM EDT! These workshops are done in-person and the schedule can be found here. 

VIP, All-Access, and Online Traditional Access ticket holders can also enjoy the virtual workshops. No registration is needed for those and almost all are free. 

The full list of virtual workshops has not yet been announced, but Breyer did release a sneak peek in February.  The complete list should be released soon. (Breyer is also bringing back at least one virtual workshop, Dani Boiko's chainmail weaving tutorial.)

In other Breyer news, or rather, new Breyers for me (haha), I ordered the Premiere Club Firefly and Hawkeye from the new Collector Club Store. 

I've never been a member of the Premiere Club although I did receive Rhian and Cadell from Breyer as a prize for a show I'd entered.

I'd have to check my records, but I'm pretty sure I received them for winning a championship in the 2020 BreyerFest Breakables photo show. (I do remember being surprised when their box arrived on my doorstep!)

When Firefly and Hawkeye were released, the mare mold reminded me of Abby.

The color bore a bit of a resemblance but it was more the personality she projected that made me think of my girl.

Firefly looked like a nice, quiet mare, just like Abby was.

Hawkeye's sassy pose reminds me of Two Socks. 

I often said that Two Socks was a bold and sassy girl, and Hawkeye has that look about her.

Firefly and Hawkeye have now been tagged and put next to my BreyerFest 2022 Spree and Elbe set.

I really need to get Ebony Shine and Charlize, too. They remind me so much of Sultanna and Two Socks. I'm waiting for them to go on sale - $65 for the set is more than I want to pay.

And speaking of Sultanna, I need to run out to the barn and check her. We think she is most likely in foal and I'd love to check on her. 

Stay 'tooned.

Stablemate Abby & Two Socks!

A couple of months ago, Betz Everitt contacted me and explained that she was working on a little gift for me and hoped that that was okay. I was surprised and excited when she explained what she was doing. Of course it was okay if she wanted to paint my horse! And Two Socks, too!

A hobbyist and artist from Virginia who chronicles hobby happenings on her blog, Equiden's Plastic Ponies, she also posts about her artistic creations on Painted Potoo Studio. Betz has kept me apprised of the progress she was making on her gifts, and they arrived earlier this week.

The portrait model of Abby

and the one of Two Socks! (These pics and the studio pics were taken by Betz.)

Inside the box were two wrapped packages.

I opened Two Socks first.

The Scrambling Foal mold was perfect for that cheeky little girl!

And for Abby? Breyer's Indian Pony mold has been a favorite of mine since childhood. So, when Breyer shrank it down to Stablemate scale, I was thrilled.

Its pose is very similar to the photo of Abby that is the header for my blog and it is the mold I would've picked for Abby, too. 

See that cheek spot on Abby's head? That is my favorite marking on her. 

I was delighted to find that Betz had included it on Mini Abby.

But that wasn't all that was in the box she'd sent.

Two Stablemate Friesians and four Mini Whinnies were in there, too!

Wondering if that was a mistake, I emailed Betz and asked her if she'd known that the extras were in the box. (They were at the bottom under some packing materials and I'd almost missed them.)

She responded that they were part of the gift to me and that she'd thought the Pony Pals and Cowpokes might enjoy them. They sure would, and I will get them to the kiddos, Betz!

Betz also emailed me some progress photos of the painting process for both pieces.

Having struggled to paint Sultanna and Hokey as NaMoPaiMo projects a few years ago, I knew that painting Abby was way beyond my capabilities. Her coat pattern, spotted and roaned and speckled and silvered, were for those with more talent and experience than me. I never dreamed that someone would do her for me as a gift.

Thank you so much for your kindness and for sharing your talents with me, Betz. To have someone do for me something I could not do myself is a treasured gift. I am so happy to have  two custom portraits of horses that I love.

Tomorrow is December 1st and as usual, I will begin a daily, end-of-the-post something. Recipe? Christmas Card? Something else?

Stay 'tooned!

Um... Hello?

This is the sight that greeted me yesterday as I rolled up to the new barn.

 Someone was on the wrong side of the fence. I sat in my car for a few minutes, figuring out a plan to get Two Socks back where she belonged. She is a smart girl; if she suspected that I was going to put her back with the other horses, she'd not let me catch her. I'd have to be careful and not arouse her suspicions.

Luckily, I knew her Achilles heel - peppermints! I grabbled a handful from my trunk and casually walked up to her like I was just going to say hello and visit.

Two Socks accepted the treat, then put her head down for more grazing. I held out another one, her head popped up, and she snarfed that one down.

Walking a few feet away, I held out another peppermint and Two Socks followed me and ate that one, too. Continuing to hold out treats while walking back to the pasture in Pied Piper mode, I lured her through the gate and finally shut it behind her. She was NOT happy with me when she realized that I had caught her, but she was confined and safe again and that was what I cared about.

Abby, who had been following Two Socks and me from the other side of the fence, nickering all the while that SHE wanted some of those peppermints, too, then got her treats and she and I had a nice visit together. 

I phoned Tim to let him know I'd found Two Socks loose and he told me that that was the second time she'd gotten out that day! Apparently Miss Two Socks was at it again. When she was only a few months old, she'd become a little escape artist, and Tim had had to electrify the fence to keep her where she belonged. The electric fence has now been turned back on and the problem is solved. 

Wondering about the drainboard patterns follow up I mentioned? I took a slew of photos yesterday - I have more models with them than I'd realized! That should be tomorrow's blog post topic, so stay 'tooned!

Spring is Here!

It's spring and the rains have stopped and the pastures and paddocks are drying up. Abby can still find that very last puddle or soupy spot to roll in, but soon that will be all dried up, too. I'm glad - I don't care much for mud. (Ice, either, for that matter.)

The horses are on pasture now, so when I go out to visit my girl, she's no longer across several acres of mud and pasture at the hayrack. Visits are much easier.

Well, in a manner of speaking. I may not have to walk out to her, but now everyone wants to visit with me and it can be tough to give Abby the attention she wants.

Two Socks just had her first birthday. She's huge! That's her investigating my hair.  That boldness she exhibited at birth is still there and she is turning out to be a really nice little mare.

She even sasses her mama and tells her to back off at times.

(Meanwhile, Abby is still trying to get some attention from me. LOL)

Look at how big Two Socks is - Sultanna is a big boned mare and it looks like Two Socks is as well. (That's Two Socks on the left.)

Ever seen a horse stick its neck out and shake? I happened to catch Abby just as she did so.

Talk about an unflattering pose! Despite having 24/7 access to hay and pasture, I think she needs some weight. I may have her teeth checked to make sure there isn't a problem.

Hokey, like Abby and Dolly, is getting older. He and Abby are in their 20s and I think Dolly is, too. I am glad that we had a very mild winter with little snow and ice or temperatures below zero. They have barns that they can go in and out by choice, but their aging and care is more and more on my mind.

Having said that, I know that Tim is also aware of the older equines in the herd and mindful of how they are doing when the weather is rough. He is an excellent barn owner and works to keep them all healthy.

My plan this week is to help Abby finish shedding with a couple of deep groomings (which she will love.) Kelsey and I have a bit of a pony party weekend - Indy Blooms is this weekend and some GLC friends will be staying with me. Kelsey and I are taking everyone to the barn for a horse visit and then going to dinner Friday night. We'll be at the show all day and then probably go to dinner Saturday night. Should be fun.

Meanwhile, I'm hoping the last of the mud will dry up so that Abby doesn't undo my grooming!

Abby, Mini Dandy, & a Song

I haven't posted about Abby and the herd for a while but they are fine. They have transitioned to hay, the old barn is finished enough for them to use, and life is good. 

We have entered the time of year when actually visiting with her is difficult. While we have only had some light dustings of snow and no ice thus far, the hay rack is way out at the far western edge of the field.

I don't like to hike that far out on frozen or muddy ground, and I hate to whistle and call Abby up just for a couple of peppermints. So the times that she is up by the water trough when I come out are very sweet during the winter.

Two Socks' ears make me laugh - they are so fuzzy!

This is her first winter and her body is definitely preparing for it!

Craig and I both have been feeling a little under the weather. I haven't gotten my horse tree up nor have I made my usual holiday scene with Little Lynn and Circus Girl.

I do have some green and red ponies up on display, complete with two sets of sleigh bells made by Jennifer Buxton.

On a sadder note, I have misplaced Mini Dandy. I've looked everywhere for him to no avail. I sorted out two closets last weekend and threw out tons of stuff; I'm concerned Mini Dandy may have been tossed, too. I went through the trash that is still inside the house but didn't find him. I'll keep looking, but my hopes are dwindling.

I'm still not feeling 100% so I will close. Before the Christmas Card of the Day, though, here is a fun song called 10 Days to Christmas by Ho Ho Hootenanny that you may enjoy. If clicking on the photo doesn't take you to it, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1augtG1dEKs

Christmas Card of the Day

I Got Sultanna & Two Socks!

My Vintage Club Poppy and Ollie shipped on November 25, the day after Thanksgiving. Day after day, though, I got this message when I checked the tracking for them.

Finally after twelve days and no changes in status, I called Breyer and asked if they would check on my order. Their explanation didn't make sense to me, but I was just out of the hospital and still recovering from those high doses of IV meds and a little muddled.

A box appeared the very next day - Poppy and Ollie were finally here! I was hoping for the alabaster set (it was a gambler's choice) but the models on the box were all bay, the color I really did not care for.

When I pulled them out of the box, I could see through the bubble wrap that clearly these were not alabaster. I was a little disappointed, but were they bay or were they palomino?

So. Hard. To. Tell!

PALOMINO! And I instantly fell in love - they were beautiful in that colorway.

And when I turned the foal around to inspect her face,

that star on her forehead looked just like Two Socks'!

So, of course they have been named Sultanna and Two Socks!

Christmas Card of the Day

Friesians!