A Unique Haversack

Going through a decade of photos is taking me longer than I thought, and with needing to finish preparing and packing for this weekend's Great Lakes Congress show, I'm not ready to publish the next post.  In the meantime, here is a most unusual haversack.

Remember the crying towel the I found at an antique shop?

After doing some research and discovering that they aren't too rare, I felt comfortable turning this one into a haversack.

In order to preserve certain aspects of the text, I had to cut a much deeper flap than I normally would.

 

And to make sure the jockey caps and crops on the sides didn't disappear, I had to make narrower seams and work around the hem that ran along the perimeter of the entire towel.

The back of the haversack.

The back with the front flap open.

The crying towel haversack sold before I even made it - I mentioned the idea to a hobby friend and she asked if she could buy it.

The crying towel has the same dimensions as the towels I embroider, and that gave me an idea. I may play around and embroider some tea towels and then turn them into haversacks. It would not be cost effective (embroidery work is far more expensive than general sewing), and I'd have to charge more for the haversack so we shall see.

I guess that's a stay 'tooned, right? LOL

A Decade Together - Part 1

 In celebration of my tenth anniversary with Abby, I thought it would be fun to show a few of my favorite pictures from every year that she has been with me.

2012

Lisa and I had gone to BreyerFest together and when we got home, Abby was so happy to see me.

She enjoyed an extended scritching when we reunited.

My dear friend, Pam, came over from Illinois to meet Abby. She was trying to text some photos she'd taken of Abby to me, but Abby wanted more attention and kept poking her nose over Pam's shoulder. (This photo makes me a little sad - Pam passed away a few years ago from breast cancer.)

2013

This was the year that I discovered two things about Abby.

First, she dearly loved to roll in the mud. Tim began calling the mud her "spa."

Then, that she had a propensity for sticking her tongue out.

She was not high up in the herd order, but when I was there, she warned everyone away from me. (Actually, she was warning them away from her treats. )

She loved being around people

and could be counted on to be gentle with Pony Pals and Cowpokes (That's Curt holding Kyle's daughter Addie while Braden hands Abby a nibble.) The other mare is Dolly, Sultanna's dam.

2014

By our third year together, our relationship was firmly cemented.

We knew each other well and enjoyed our time together.

She was such a good friend.

This was also the last year I needed to send a letter to Indiana Horse Rescue to report her annual progress. After three years, they no longer check up on you.

We spent many moments visiting

and sharing peppermints, carrots, pears, and apple spaghetti.

2015

Peeking around the corner of the old barn.

Selfies with Abby have always been a struggle.

Miss I'll-Follow-You-Anywhere "helps" me tie a gate shut after the latch broke.

JC and Trinity (now both college students - whoa!!) visited during the summer of 2015.

Tim's grandson, Deacon, also visited. He had something in his hand that he did not want Abby to eat and was telling her to leave it alone!

Corinne (who was born the day I hauled Abby home), began calling Abby her "twin horse" and loved looking at photos of her.

Abby nuzzles Tim while he trims her feet.

Abby has such a distinct tail swish during fly season. After a few swishes back and forth, she flips it up and down a couple of times. (That's Sultanna with her.)

Originally, I'd planned to choose one or MAYBE two pictures from each year that Abbs and I have been together. (I know, silly me!) More to come tomorrow in part two.

Stay 'tooned!

Happy Anniversary, Abby!

 Abby and I celebrate our tenth anniversary of being together today. It is hard to believe that so much time has passed and I thought a look back would be fun.

 I had just started the Horsiemama blog (a spin-off from my other blog, Teachinmama) and one of my first blog entries was about unexpectedly coming across her when I was helping Leslie find a horse for herself.

The first picture I ever took of Abby. 

As I began seriously considering bringing her home, we had  the first of many pied piper moments when I went back down to see her a few weeks later. That trait of hers is what won my heart and I have loved her ever since.

Two horses that were rescued along with Abby  did not survive. Go here to read the news article about their rescue. (That is not Abby in the photo but it is a horse that was with her.)

Abby was lucky - she was a child's 4-H horse and so she was getting grain from someone

but her hooves were terribly neglected and and had curled up into her pastern on her near front hoof.

The rescue folks trimmed it off, but her leg was painful as the muscles and tendons adjusted. The news story showed her hoof (close-up above) and then after the trimming (screenshot above). You can see that she is standing and pointing her leg, a sure sign of pain. Abby limped for a year and a half and still occasionally favors that foot.

April 27, 2012 Abby came home with me and joined Tim's herd where she has been ever since.

We've been together through good times and hard times - this is me just before my first spinal fusion when I could only stand for more than a minute or two. I'd pop my camp chair in the paddock, bring her into it, and we'd visit.

Horse crazy former students have come out and she has been the perfect sweetheart with them. (Despite that long drool; it was red clover season.)

She's taught the Pony Pals and Cowpokes just how good it is to be around a horse. (That's Corinne with her; Cory was born the same day I got Abby, so Happy Tenth Birthday, Cory!)

When I had a baseball-sized mass and half of my pancreas removed along with my spleen, Abby was a big help in my long and difficult recovery. Craig would drive me out to the barn so I could visit her and that always lifted my spirits.

Such a sweet mare and friend.

Happy Tenth Anniversary, Abby. Life is better with you around.

Tammo - Kyle's Big Puppy

 Yesterday Kyle sent me some photos of Tammo, his yellow Lab puppy.

Tammo is 8 months old and is a very BIG puppy who weighed in at 80 lbs at his last vet check. 

Melissa, Kyle's youngest, is especially fond of Tammo and loves to hang out with him. And like most Labs, he is very good with her and loves her right back.

Kyle told me that Tammo reminds him of Duffy and how he bonded with Cole and watched over him, just as Tammo does with Melissa.

I can see that bond in these photos.

Pony Pals at the Barn!

Cole and his family are here for a quick weekend visit for Ian's baptism. Naturally we had to take some carrots out to the horses.

The horses love to have visitors, especially when they come with carrots or another nibble.

Like dandelions. Aunt Lisa had received a posy of dandelions from her nieces and when she wasn't looking, Hokey snatched the whole thing out of her hand. One CHOMP and it was gone! 

We dissolved into giggles while Pony Pal Kate happily picked her Aunt Lisa another bouquet.

My girl is so gentle with kids and I love that about her.

Pony Pal Susie was a little hesitant to give Abby this dandelion but with help from Aunt Lisa and Abby's gentle lipping, she was eager to do it again. She even devised her own "quick carrot dispenser" method.

Susie would hand feed a couple of carrots and then throw the rest into the pen. Dolly figured out that carrot-feeding strategy quickly and would grab those carrots on the ground fast.

Pony Pal Julie likes to observe and think - here she's noticed something that she is pointing out to Kate.

Observing Dolly graze.

Sultanna was interested in saying hello, too, so we walked over to the fence by the blue barn to give her some carrots.

The pony pals had never seen a foal before.

And Sweet Girl gave them plenty of opportunity to see one.

Sultanna is a good mama but she is also gentle and loves people. (Unlike Hokey, she did not eat that dandelion bouquet Aunt Lisa is holding!)

Here's another mama, also non dandelion eating, with her youngest offspring. She's pretty proud of him, too.