Boot Scootin Ball at Bar K R Ranch

Maggie went to her first Boot Scootin Ball at Bar K R Ranch, which is where we board our horses. The Boot Scootin Ball is a fundraiser for the local volunteer fire department, PVES, so it's a good thing to support.

The PVES Foundation volunteers transform the arena at Bar K R into a party. The soft dirt is packed down like concrete. They add a bandstand and dance floor. Tables, chairs, bars and food tables take up the rest of the arena. They add an extra tent and use the big bays for the silent auction. Food is catered by Eddie Deen.

This is a big deal for Pottsboro and a whole lot of fun. This year is the 40th anniversary of PVES.



Below is the entry into the arena:



From the northeast corner of the arena looking toward the center:



From the southeast corner of the arena looking toward the center:



We were able to get tickets for one of Dave Penderey's tables this year:



Our table was adorned by this beautiful, sweet young thing:



There was a live auction, and Maggie got to see her first female auctioneer at work. After the live auction, the band rocked the arena.



But...no scootin for our boots. We picked up our silent auction items and bounced home in the Jeep.

Mags and Dakota

"I see you, Maggie, but it's suppertime. You ought to know by now that nothing gets in the way of my hay."


"Why would I want that measly little handful when the hay mow is full? Unless...maybe, you snuck in some sugar cubes or carrots?"

"No? Well, then, I'm not interested. I still can't believe that you came out here to see me this afternoon, and didn't get me out of this muddy pasture so I could nibble on that pretty green grass over there. That was not cool, Maggie...not cool. Just wait until the next lesson..."


"I'm still giving you the cold hindquarter, Maggie..."


"Oh, sure...now you're sorry. Well, it'll be a loooooong time before you're forgiven."


"Wait! You're not looking at Ranger, are you? You're not going to give him attention, are you? Whoah...you better not scratch him."


"OK, I forgive you."


"Wait! Is that some hay on the ground?"


"No? OK then scratch right here, Maggie."


"Maggie, I hope you learned your lesson. I will not be ignored..."

Chicken Mama Update

Maggie's chickens are now 18 weeks old, and we are getting close to having farm (er, I mean cabin) fresh eggs. We ordered pullets, but the big news is that one of the Australorps, named Lucy, isn't a hen. Lucy is a big, cock-a-doodle-doo rooster, which means that we will now have some fertilized eggs and the potential for more chicks. Below is a picture of Mags and Lucy:



We've debated changing his name from Lucy to Lucifer, but he's just so sweet that we haven't had the heart.





This is Cleopatra, but we just call her Cleo. She is the sweetest pullet ever. Unfortunately, Lucy thinks so, too, and just chases her unmercifully. Cleo has to hide under the coop to get away from him. Maybe we will start calling him Lucifer if he doesn't stop harassing Cleo soon.





Then there's Dora, the Explorer. Dora is very friendly. When we walk up to the coop, she is the first one to hop up on a perch to say "hi". She's a sweet bird, too. How'd she get her name? She consistently escaped from the brooder when she was little, and Maggie had to chase her all around the kitchen to catch her. She still likes to get out of the coop/run and explore the yard.



Then...there's Rhonda. Yes, she's named after our friend Rhonda Boswell who proclaimed this Rhonda as the prettiest bird in the flock.







Sorry...pictures of the rest of the flock will have to come later. Seeing all these chickens made me hungry, and I had to go find something to eat...other than chicken.

Hagerman Photo Safari

What do you do to entertain your daughter when her daddy is out of town? I recommend signing up for the semi-annual photo safari at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.

Our leader was Jack Chiles, who is an avid bird afficionado. We learned so much about Hagerman and birds during our four-hour safari. Jack took us all over Hagerman, and we saw parts of the refuge that we didn't even know existed.

We started out with a hike at Dead Woman's Pond.

At the Goode picnic area, we came across several bluebirds:

The Blue Heron got tired of being our subject and took off. He was great for practicing panning.

His backside was just as pretty as his other sides:

On the main road, we found some cute, little Dowagers. Jack said that they only stay at the Refuge for a day or two during their migration, but that there are many flocks of them that come through.

Over by Big Mineral Creek, we found this little guy gathering acorns:

Just a pretty wildflower:

Maggie, the budding photographer, took 247 photos. We've narrowed them down to these with the 70-300 mm lens:

We had a great time, and can't wait for the Spring Safari.

This Is What Happens When You Turn Your Teenager Loose with the Camera and Long Lens

When Maggie was four, she began her soccer career chasing butterflies and looking at flowers. Now that she's 15, not much has changed. She's still chasing butterflies, but with my camera and new lens this time. More rose, less butterfly:



More butterfly, less rose:



Brief interlude: Shiner on the run. Who or what is chasing her?



Back to the butterfly. This time enjoying Columbine:



Whoa! Butterfly in cognito as a yellow bat (in honor of Halloween?) on the pomegranite blossoms:



Close up of the batty butterfly in bokeh:



OK...now it's pretending to be a blade:


Check out the tongue on this critter:



Awesome shot of the butterfly in flight:



Hmmm...hiding in the Lantana this time:



How does he do that?



Sipping Lantana:



Wow! This is neat...translucent wings.



For the grand finale, proud butterfly in profile:



Wow! This kid has an artistic, photographic eye. Now that I have armor on the D60, I think it's safe to let her play again.