Ecclesiastes 3:1There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 

For your sake, I hurry over land and water:
For your sake, I cross the desert and split the mountain in two,
And turn my face from all things,
Until the time I reach the place
Where I am alone with You.”

~Al Hallaj

Meet my new buddy, Sunny.  She’s a young dog with a lot to learn.  She likes to run with us when we take the horses out on a ride.  I call her our escort but she does not understand the impact a horse’s hoof has on the skull of a dog yet.  She keeps right at the backfeet of the horse in front of her and at times plays “catch me” with the mule.  The mule charges at her.  I am surprised she hasn’t been stomped on yet.  Sunny is very well behaved however and is a pleasure to have around. 

My photo hosting website, smugmug.com, is currently having technical difficulties.  Many my photos cannot be viewed.  Once that is repaired, this photoblog’s photos will be available.

Psalms 146 (NIV)

6 the Maker of heaven and earth,
       the sea, and everything in them—
       the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

When I shoot these types of photos, they are red.  Once processed, they are changed to black and white.   This morning, early, I took a drive to Oakwood Cemetary after playing with my horse.  I had not planned on photographing much of anything.  But my gear was packed in my trunk and I just happened to have the tripod and the black filter.  

To this day I still have not read on how to work with this filter.  This photo was taken simply by guessing.  This evening I shall research its use and begin a series of unique photographs in the nearby countryside. 

This blog has become as much a back roads blog as it has a horse and flower photoblog.  The three along with stormy weather are probably my favorite subjects of all. 

All the horses in the pasture seem to be getting along now.  They are all so demanding and quite spoiled really.  The mule is the most spoiled of all. He eats cheese pizza.  The new horses have yet to taste my favorite wild fruit of all:  the persimmon.   There is sure to be territory issues around those trees this winter. 

If you are not careful while picking blackberries, Huck and Petey the mule, are sure to inspect and if you leave your bucket of blackberries on the ground they will sniff around and spill it.  Nosey animals.  They travel in a pair and are inseperable.   

The pup found a turtle the other night in the thicket where I was picking and was attempting to carry it off.  We put the small creature in the back of the pickup until we were done and then placed it under the large cedar tree sending the pup home.  He’s not really a pup but he is so sweet and cute.  

Baby Girl runs the pasture.  It appears that Ruthie is a close second. 

The photo below is the eye of Renegade. 

Sunday-Friday No breakfast 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Wednesday  NO breakfast 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

No dancing on tables with Spurs on. 

TJ’s cafe, located on the 69 in the middle of Alba, Texas.  We stopped in this little town on the way to Lufkin Friday night for supper.  If you want good chicken fried steak, this is the place to eat.  Pies are homemade.  Order ahead if you want a whole pie.  I had hoped to buy an apple pie to take to family but they stand by their rules; or shall we say the many signs posted on that wall.    

A little history:  Way back when in 1841, a gunsmith and his family settled here.  A few more families settled there followed by a railroad.  Once you have a railroad and a post office, you are in business.  The big industry in Alba in the early 1900’s was coal.  Like any small town, there’s highs and lows.  Alba has an interesting history and some good food; definitely worth the stop on your trip to and from the Dallas Metroplex or wherever you are headed.   

And someone needs to take some WD-40 to that pump jack out back behind the restaurant that squeeks so loudly.   That thing could drive you nuts.  You can’t hear it inside.

What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
~ by Ralph Waldo Emerson ~