Taking a Licking

One of our bulls has a thing for licking. If I'm close to the gate, he'll try to lick.

What he especially likes to lick, though, is Bo. The tie ring where I tie him to saddle him is on the post next to the bulls' gate, and whenever we're getting ready to ride, here comes the bull.

Bo: "Why is this bull's nose so close to me?"

Me: "He's just being friendly."


Bo: "Aaaaack!!!"
Me: *giggles*

Bo: "This isn't funny!"

Usually, Bo's a good sport about it, and lets the bulls lick him. Yesterday, though, I guess he was getting tired of it. Right after this he gave a big snort, which startled the bull and made him jump back. I doubt if that will stop him for long, though. :)

Big Changes for my Etsy Shop

I wanted to check in and tell you about big changes to my Etsy shop.

In my previous post (from long ages ago), I had said that my real hobby was trying out new hobbies. Well, that still seems to be the case. Even since that post, there has been a new one or two. First off I did a little restoration on an antique treadle sewing machine. It just needed a little oil and a new belt, and it was running smoothly again.Then, back in March, about the time of my previous post, another hobby pastime passion began.

This hobby (let's just call it "hobby" since that's easier to type than all the strikethrough code) wasn't one that you could stick in a closet or drawer when you became distracted with something else.



This hobby is 14 years old and weighs over a thousand pounds.



This hobby has a name.



Bo.

We've spent the summer getting to know each other. I used to ride a little several years ago, but hadn't for quite awhile. Most of the riding I did was on a horse that for the most part just followed my husband's horse. And I just sat there and came along, too. But she foundered a little and became a bit stumbly, so I hardly rode after that.

We had looked off and on for several years for another horse but hadn't been too serious about it. Then, for some reason last spring, I was seized with an overwhelming urge to ride horses again. Maybe it's just some kind of middle-aged craziness, I don't know. But we did a little searching online and found Bo. The ad said he was gentle, so we called about him, went to look at him, and came home with him.

We're still getting used to each other, and I still have much to learn, but we are making improvements and gaining confidence from when we first met.

And now, to the shop changes. Early this fall I rediscovered an old hobby...photography. Back in my early twenties I bought a camera (no, it didn't make tintypes, it wasn't that long ago) and took lots of pictures. But of course, film and processing are expensive, and have since tried digital cameras. So much fun! Just delete the blurry ones and play around with Photoshop Elements for all kinds of effects.

With my dye studio equipment stashed in the garage for some home improvement projects, fiber has kind of fallen by the wayside. But I wanted to do a little something with my shop and decided to list a few of my photos. Etsy recently let us change our shop names, too, so I took advantage of that and changed the name to Prairie Daisies so I could list photos or yarn. I changed the name of the blog, too, but am keeping the address the same for you wonderfully patient folks who, even after the long absence, haven't taken me off your list of blogs you follow.

Anyway, stop by the shop sometime and see what's going on. I only have a few prints listed so far, but have several more to go, and another batch to send off to be printed.