Painting, Drums, Riding, Concrete and Fun.

I realize it has been a while since I last posted.  

I have been fighting a cold that seems to be winning the battle.

The picture above is Bumble in her early days.

On the cuteness scale I give her very high marks.  

Really...Just look at that cute tail and those chubby cheeks.  

This is one of the paintings that I have recently finished. 

I call it... Contrails.  

This is a picture of a sundog.

It made a complete ring around the sun.

Unfortunately,  I was in the woods when I saw it and by the time I got out in the open

to get the picture, it was fading and this is all I could get. 

By the way....I ran up the trail to get the shot and could barely breathe when this 

was taken.  I am surprised it was in focus.  

Very beautiful no matter how you slice it.

I was fortunate enough to be able to ride recently and...well...Eco likes to run.  

So run we did.

His mane is getting so long...I just love the way it looks when he is going fast.  

I do have to admit that I enjoy going fast too.  He he he.  

Ride like the wind!  

Here I am trying to slow him down enough to get this picture.  

For an old man, he has a lot of spunk.   

I love my horse! 

The three little trouble makers....

This is another painting that I finished last week.  

My neighbor's barn and road from last winter. 

I have also been working on a little concrete side table.  

I used a leaf from Pearl's vine for the top.  

The stump base is lighter than this picture.  

Also not quite so red.

The lighting in the room was not the greatest.  I will have to take a shot of it outside sometime.  

That is when I can get someone to lift it for me....It probably weighs around 100 pounds.  

I can lift it, but I am not very reliable when setting it back down.  

I promised Lori from The Skoog Farm Journal, that I would post pictures of my husband's drum from Nigeria.  My husband was born in and spent his early childhood in Ogbomosho, Nigeria.  

His parent's were medical missionaries there.

This drum is from the time he spent there.  

There are handmade brass bells around the top and bottom.  

The strap and decorative cuffs holding the bells are leather with a fabric cover.  

Rawhide strings go from top to bottom and help hold the stretched hide onto the drum.  

There is also a stick to beat the drum with, but it is in storage and I did not include it in the photo. 

The inner portion of the drum (the body under the rawhide strings) is wooden and shaped like an  hourglass.  

Looks like someone was a little enthusiastic with their drumming as a child.  

The top has a hole in it.  

It is a very beautiful and well crafted drum and I am trying my best to take very good care of it. 

I found this beautiful stump in the woods the other day.  

The bark is off of it and it is as hard as a rock.  

I loved the swirly texture on the bottom right.  

And.....ANOTHER painting that I have just finished today!  

By the way.....all of these wonderful paintings are for sale.  

They make fantastic Christmas gifts!

Now for the crazed animal part of my post.  

I have no story to tell this time....well...because my brain is under water with this darn cold. 

So just some goofy pictures.

Scatter decided to sit on my Blue dog sculpture to get a better view of the 

little critter she was trying to catch.  

This was taken about two weeks ago.  I still had roses blooming.

That is unheard of for my neck of the woods in November!

Super Zippy flying through the air. 

He really can catch some good air.  

He also has really good form.  

I will give him a 10 for style and form.  

I would like to end this post with a great big

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

I hope all of you out there that may be reading this have a most wonderful time with your family friends and animals this Thanksgiving.  

We all are truly blessed!