Will photos make up for my blog neglect??

 

 "Does this picture make my butt look big?"

I figured since I've been ignoring my blog lately that I would take some pictures.  You know the quickest way to get me to blog is showing off pictures of my handsome boy!  It was ninety something degrees this morning when I went out to play with him, but in the shade with a breeze it wasn't too awful.  I managed to sneak out into the pasture unnoticed and hid behind a tree.  The horses heard me behind the tree (dead leaves on the ground from the drought) and they were spooking and goofing off.  Finally Chrome put on his big boy pants (he's by far the bravest and most confident of the three; I would almost say fearless) and trotted around the tree to see what was going on.
 

 I really like how well this picture turned out.  I was using my point and shoot camera (and had it on the wrong setting to boot), so the pictures didn't turn out fabulous, but these are my favorites.  I can't wait to use this trotting picture as the before shot in a comparison collage after he's finished growing and had some training to learn to use his body properly.  It will be fun to see the difference in his movement and muscles with some training and conditioning (this will be in a couple of years obviously).  It will be fun to see the change in his color too (he's so bleached out right now). 

Anyway, back to the story, as soon as he spotted me he came trotting over to me.  Then he spotted the apples I'd left by my feet and he started eating them.  Silly little greedy gut didn't want to share with Faran and Zep, but I made sure they got theirs too.  :D  After enjoying our apples we started playing chase around the tree I was hiding behind. 

Also want to mention I did not have any other treats besides those apples and he knew it.  He wasn't following me for treats.  He actually wanted to play.  :D
 

 "Where are you going mom?"

"Come back here!  I'm not chasing you around this tree anymore!"

 "Oh so you're going to hide under the pond bank now?"

So then we started playing chase around the pond bank.  In the above shot I was standing in his usual escape route up the rear pond bank so he had to change directions and go around the pond instead.  Don't worry he wasn't as close as he looks in the picture.  I was in no danger of getting run over.  :D

On his loop around the pond he scattered the ducks (hard to see in the photo, but those white streaks are the ducks swimming/flying away) from their resting spot on the bank.  Click to enlarge the picture.

A closeup.  The limbs are kind of low around the pond so he was having to duck to go under them in spots.  It didn't slow him down at all lol.

 When he lost sight of me I hid again.  He went around the top of the pond bank behind me.  I shot this photo of him trotting by above me through the trees (there's a path right by the water which is normally underwater, but the drought has the water level down, and there's a path on the actual pond bank which is three feet or so above the water right now).  

I love this shot!  I was hiding again and he couldn't see me until he came around that tree.  Gotta love his expression!

He had to stop for a drink and went off the deep end of the pond.  The water is soooo low from the drought.  Normally it comes up to the tree line behind him and is over belly deep on Chrome.  I've seen him cross it before where his whole back was underwater as times.... not now.  :(  We need rain!

Handsome boy!  Even when he's muddy and sun bleached.  :)

 

 I finally got a picture of Zep for the donkey lovers lol.  Doesn't he look stunning in his dark summer coat?  I love the contrast of his dark coat and white belly.  :D  He didn't want to join the horses in our games, but he still stayed close to us.  Faran was following Chrome around and playing bitey face, but I didn't get any pictures because they were in the trees.  The only pictures I got of Faran galloping he was behind Chrome.  :(  Hopefully next time I will get one. 

 "You guys are crazy running around in this heat!"

 Once Chrome got tired and decided to stand in the shade I started trying to get a picture of both of us.  When you're the one holding the camera (didn't have my tripod) it's a little difficult lol.  This is the only one that turned out decent.  Please excuse the our messy hair.  We did just spend the previous forty minutes or so running around in 90F plus degree heat LOL!

And last, but not least, this one is my FAVORITE!!!

I was hiding below the pond bank and Chrome was above me looking for me.  I shot this picture pointed up toward the sky and my little point and shoot focused on the foliage instead of him.  I think it turned out awesome!  :D

So I hope the pictures make up for the lack of updates.  I'm hoping the weather will break soon so we can start doing more outside again.  We did get a little rain so that helped, but we totally need a break from the heat.  Oh well.  It's still better than freezing cold winter weather in my humble opinion.  :)

P.S.  I almost forgot to mention a funny story.  When I was taking picture of me and Chrome I had an itch on my back I couldn't reach.  I said to Chrome, "I wish I'd taught you to scratch my back!"  Not even two seconds later he stepped forward (my back was to him) and started trying to rub his itchy neck on my back LOL!  I didn't let him because he shouldn't learn that he can use me as a scratching post (too dangerous and painful; I'm also very against horses trying to rub their sweaty faces on humans, especially when wearing a bridle.  That hurts!).  It was funny though.  Maybe Chrome understand English?  Hehehehe!