Blondie holds court and I entertain.

At the edge of my garden is the much neglected rose garden. Most times I'm out there some cattle show up to watch me.


They seem to be fascinated with little Blondie.


She sits and listens to their complaints and the latest gossip.


I draw a bit of a crowd when I go for a swim as well. I bought this little pool to help me recover from ankle replacement and it's in its third year of service. I fill it up so the water comes up to my chest and it is a real nice cheap and easy to set up pool.


That's my long time friend, Dandylyons standing in the shade of Foxsun's apple tree.


The other day I had all the calves lined up watching me swim, so I put on one hell of a show.

Echo's excellent adventure.

One moonlit night I slid the lead rope down to Echo's withers and he didn't mind, so I jiggled it. And just like that, Echo decided the rope was okay.

Leading up to that night I'd been spraying him with mosquito repellent and it suddenly occurred to him that after he's been sprayed the bugs stop biting and so it must be a good thing after all. He even lets me spray his undercarriage with no one holding his head. AND (now I'm really bragging) he stands still, in the 'eyes front' position, again with no one holding his head and lets Brad give him his shots!

Here he is in the 'eyes front' position while I fix a pretend saddle on his back.


Here I am getting the girth good and tight.


On Sunday evening I took him into the big pasture for the first time.


I was worried about him walking too fast for me and maybe clipping my bionic ankle. He was a real gentleman though.


He kept putting his mouth on me and I think it may have been for reassurance. I looked at his face and his eyes were as big as saucers and you could see all the white.

I did all the leading but here I gave the lead to Brad and William so I could take a picture.


We had an apple picnic by the big pile of dead cottonwoods. Echo was biting and sniffing the trees that have been rubbed smooth by cattle and horses.


He was really good but very alert. He eye balled the big boulders but didn't spook from them. I sat on the really big rocks to show them I was boss....that impressed Echo.

This evening I took him out again. I opened the big Powder River gate while I held him and he was so good about it. I really think he wanted to go walkies again. Brad and Will saw us and came along. They were walking and talking ahead of us and I was talking to Echo. It seems they don't have the big rocks all over Beatty's Bute like we do but the sage brush is the same. We went further this time and he stuck to me like glue. I went to push my hat up and he jumped back only to realize he was at the end of the rope and quickly got close again.

One the way back he started to get high headed and telling me danger was behind and to the left. He wanted to bolt but had no intention of leaving the safety of me. (I told him that I can fight off bears and lions). To make matters worse Wildairo was doing these loud explosive snorts over in the corrals. Well it turns out there were a couple of people on bikes riding on the county road that goes through our place. He couldn't see them but could hear their voices far off in the still evening air. I have seen Wildairo get frightened and bolt for home when he hears distant human voices. Must be a mustang thing.