If you have seen Menny work with the horses, you will have an even greater appreciation of the level of horsemanship and athleticism the two and four legged participants exhibited.  Watching a half dozen riders lead four horses each,without lead ropes, in a complicated equine ballet, was a thrill.  After the show, we visited horse master Benjamin Aillaud and toured his stables to see his remarkable steeds.  Several of them are American Quarter Horses.  Beautiful!

Larry and Pam on their way to Cavalia

Amelia and Monkey’s girls are darling…

They are alert, loyal and loving…..

And did I mention playful?  The girls are on the left, in the great bandana tug-of-war.

If one, or both of these girls should be in your life, call the Ranch for details!

A Cowboy named James

A Cowboy named James stopped by on the day before he turned six to celebrate his birthday with a couple of his Cowboy friends.

Meeting the horses

James brought his friends Sean and Patrick.  They met Little Miss and Eclipse.

Sean tries his hand at roping

The boys took a roping lesson from foreman Menny Lozoya.

Ranch Hand Alysha and Cowboy James

James and the other Cowboys got some quality time in the saddle.  It was a lot of fun, and it was serious business at the same time.  Just check out the following expression.

Portrait of the Cowboy as a Young Man

Happy Birthday James!

One of their favorite sleeping positions

They still sleep together, but Amelia is beginning to wean them.

Not much milk left

They will be ready for new homes soon!

Main Street in downtown Jasper

Kids of all ages lined Main Street for Jasper’s annual Fourth of July Parade.  There were plenty of eager faces waiting for their favorite floats, vintage cars and horses!

74 Ranch riders come into view

Every year horses are the finale to Jasper’s most patriotic parade.  This year, the Ranch had eight riders on our best horses.

Keith Roberts and Larry Butler lead the Ranch riders

This year Keith produced the first annual International World of Rodeo at the Conyers International Horse Park.  He’s a longtime friend of Larry’s, Pam’s and the Ranch.

Alysha, Keith, Miguel, Salvador, Emanuel, Menny, Larry and Marie

HAPPY 4TH!

Mother Amelia Earhart with her smallest pup

Mother Amelia is with them 24/7.

Aunt Julia Child prepares to lick one of the puppies

Julie watches them, plays with them and disciplines them.

Father Monkey Biscuit in play mode

Even Dad gets into the play position on a regular basis.

The Earhart-Biscuit family

It’s a great summer to be a puppy, with lots of room to explore, and lots of love all the time.

Amelia Earhart and the first of her pups

The puppies just kept coming.  And coming.  Amelia was clear eyed and extremely focused as she began to explore motherhood.

Four females and three males settle in for their first night

We bred Amelia, a purebred Jack Russell terrier, to our Toy Fox terrier Monkey Biscuit, because they are exceptionally bright, loving and very loyal dogs.  We have high hopes for their babes.  We’ll keep you posted!

The other day I gathered one rose from each type of rose bush at the Ranch and put them into one of our special vases.  All but one of the varieties are true antique roses, and the one which is not has been blooming here so long it deserves to be.

Roses are most beautiful as the grow, but bringing them inside to grace our antique pie safe ( Virginia, circa 1850) is the next best thing.

Each year I marveled at the blossoms on our cherry tree at one of the pasture gates.  And each year our feathered friends beat me to the cherries by a day or even hours.  Not this year.

This year I got a stepladder and went to work.

Tonight I am preparing cherry/berry tarts for dessert and cooking up something sweet for breakfast tomorrow.

Larry, Menny and I went out today to see the new calf.  We took Old Blue, and our yellow lab, Moon, who moved in closest for a good look.

Mama stayed calm.  And soon the little boy was up on his feet and on the move.

While he trotted back to Mama, we returned to Old Blue.

Which as usual, was surrounded by horses.

Blue’s Bengal Wonder tried to get into Old Blue with us when he was a foal.  Even now, whenever we are in the pasture, he is right there with us.

As we left we checked on Blanca, and found her happy and well fed.

Larry suggested I take this picture of the Ranch from this perspective.  Only in the wintertime can you see this much of the buildings without the green of the oak trees.  It was 40 degrees this afternoon.  Spring is on the way.