tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-156807742024-03-17T22:00:38.991-05:00Bernier-isms & Random Thoughts<strong>→ Read at your own risk of boredom! Consists of events, some <a href="http://www.snapshotsbysarah.com/">natural light photography</a> and random <br> thoughts that flit through my brain.</strong>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-57465815291409670202015-06-09T20:14:00.000-05:002015-06-19T18:15:21.283-05:00The Day My Mom Didn't Know the Answer to a Cooking QuestionFor a gal who didn't know how to cook when she got married (at the tender age of 20, I might add), my mom sure upped her own ante and I grew up eating delicious, awesome home-cooked meals.<br />
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To this day the woman STILL makes the best stroganoff, spaghetti and "party chicken" I've ever tasted.<br />
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To that end, if I ever have a recipe question, 9 times outta 10 I call Mom. I mean, who needs Google when your mom's a stellar cook?<br />
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"Mom, I want to change this crockpot dish to the oven. How long do I bake it, at what temp?"<br />
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"Mom, I can't remember the ingredients of Granny's spaghetti...again."<br />
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"Mom, what's that dish you make whenever you need to make it ahead of time for a party?"<br />
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"Mom...?"<br />
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Well, this evening I called Mom (yet again) to ask some mundane cooking question...<br />
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...and for the first time in my life -- that I can remember, at any rate -- I heard her say these nearly un-uttered words:<br />
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"Hm. I don't know."<br />
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When I told her I was blogging about it, she was VERY adamant that I let everyone know that on 6/9/2015 at 18:37 she said aforementioned phrase, yes.<br />
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But ONLY in regards to ONE cooking question :)<br />
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PS: what I asked was how long to bake home-made (from Grundhofer's!) frozen twice-baked potatoes for at 450°. To her credit, she didn't know the answer because she doesn't cook frozen twice-baked potatoes!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-76281533919465057402015-05-14T08:29:00.001-05:002015-05-14T08:29:52.793-05:00What Would Your Name Be If You Were Born Today?So, these Facebook quizzes.<br />
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a) they're dumb.<br />
b) they're time-consuming.<br />
c) they're not at all true.<br />
d) they're also addicting.<br />
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This morning I saw one and thought, "Hm. That seems like fun." So I tried it out: <a href="http://time.com/3856405/baby-name-popularity/" target="_blank">Find Out What Your Name Would Be If You Were Born Today</a>.<br />
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Turns out that "Sarah" in 1978 translates to "Abigail" in 2015. Which is hella WEIRD because the nickname I gave MYSELF back when I was a tween was ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNcJ7ZvLWEiW0GddhKNlh4IQ-a9gk-MbaXskLc1nSrbNfsQq3bXaPsgZsKBPfAwWbKXgOIJfIzsMPyrgDlfx3WNVOVwt3V9wJrAgVISL_7X3LZAu-fiUvYZzU1F0R5geyICmN3g/s1600/sarah+is+abigail.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNcJ7ZvLWEiW0GddhKNlh4IQ-a9gk-MbaXskLc1nSrbNfsQq3bXaPsgZsKBPfAwWbKXgOIJfIzsMPyrgDlfx3WNVOVwt3V9wJrAgVISL_7X3LZAu-fiUvYZzU1F0R5geyICmN3g/s640/sarah+is+abigail.png" width="496" /></a></div>
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... Abigail.<br />
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After the movie Young Frankenstein, of course. Abby Normal? Yeah. That was me.<br />
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Twould seem sometimes these quizzes are somewhat accurate.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-77810114859315214962015-04-17T10:21:00.001-05:002015-04-17T10:21:15.559-05:00What Does Sarah Really Mean?Sometimes when I've got a few minutes to kill at work, I wander over to Facebook and click on something stupid, like "Which Game of Thrones Character Are You?"<br />
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(PS: it's Margaery, by the way. And I'm totally fine with that.)<br />
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Well, today it was "What's Your True Personality?" You type in your first name, hit Enter and VOILÀ! You learn your hidden -- or maybe not so hidden -- identity.<br />
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I find this test to be very apt and recommend taking it. Why?<br />
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Because THIS:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvcqZMlJ5_hfhmbKVw6KJC52eI1zj5I-J8I9cUaNmzn1tOJY87Vj36GkU-pl9ZG7XXWZPIBb3if5yFeLtmLFbT9FE_e3r5BBqTH6PYXUZN6w159ZwqLhDi0z9tUBJ9IFBgbMHmQ/s1600/sarah+meaning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvcqZMlJ5_hfhmbKVw6KJC52eI1zj5I-J8I9cUaNmzn1tOJY87Vj36GkU-pl9ZG7XXWZPIBb3if5yFeLtmLFbT9FE_e3r5BBqTH6PYXUZN6w159ZwqLhDi0z9tUBJ9IFBgbMHmQ/s1600/sarah+meaning.jpg" height="334" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.7apps.me/truepersonality.html" target="_blank">Image Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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'Nuff said.<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-4245368657249345242015-04-16T11:57:00.001-05:002015-04-17T10:22:15.849-05:00Mozilla Firefox's New LogoI'm gonna be the first to break the news that Firefox has a new logo.<br />
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Okay, so it's really not a "logo," per se, but it's a very fitting emblem. Well, wait, what's a logo, anyway?<br />
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According to the font of all knowledge -- Wikipedia -- a logo is described as:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"A graphic mark, emblem, or symbol commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition."</i></blockquote>
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Well, then I guess Firefox's new logo is indeed a logo. Only thing is, they didn't choose it -- I did.<br />
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Without further ado, HERE IT IS!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQxJ4YvDJ7bM-H5MVyfOCrxmrLx3l3MAHBusFd-niE-A3pWJTOwvnve39RoTzMhQ_sV2ObbGWI1-Ker5TK00AcWLAp6Huf_Boq44H7JFEAQ7F-bRInedRLSL2uYY07YdX-3Pf1Q/s1600/mozilla+firefox+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQxJ4YvDJ7bM-H5MVyfOCrxmrLx3l3MAHBusFd-niE-A3pWJTOwvnve39RoTzMhQ_sV2ObbGWI1-Ker5TK00AcWLAp6Huf_Boq44H7JFEAQ7F-bRInedRLSL2uYY07YdX-3Pf1Q/s1600/mozilla+firefox+logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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Even though I personally have chosen this as Mozilla Firefox's new logo, I feel it accurately depicts the browser and, well, anyone who uses it knows it definitely is recognizable :)<br />
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-34447110038682183552015-01-28T16:17:00.002-06:002015-01-28T16:17:41.029-06:00Why is "segue" such a weird word?I mean, truly...what a weird-ass word. It's fine to say -- I'm actually a big fan of using it -- but the way it's SPELLED.<br />
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GAH.<br />
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Why isn't it just spelled segway? I mean, c'mon.<br /><br />I seriously think the first time I saw this word in print I had NO clue what it was, even though I'd heard it used in conversation. Because DUMB spelling.<br />
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Kind of like macabre. Ask my sister how I said that word way back when. Knew exactly what it was, how to use it, everything...no clue how to pronounce it.<br />
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I think ever since then weirdly spelled words really grind my gears.<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-733731008861395352014-10-22T15:46:00.001-05:002014-10-22T15:50:12.189-05:00Instagram: For Phone Images Only?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxr3jeqXEOMrKZVqMRClcPW967_EHoktVV3TlYpaHjOGBqWCmPewHYCU7bPJCbG4vtdosSfRGvStTc1bVdBaZaGTgeiqr3J52crjp46_AaGUjOLljSNky2rv3x7Afzwp6NUJgIQ/s1600/2014-07-15+16.17.31-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxr3jeqXEOMrKZVqMRClcPW967_EHoktVV3TlYpaHjOGBqWCmPewHYCU7bPJCbG4vtdosSfRGvStTc1bVdBaZaGTgeiqr3J52crjp46_AaGUjOLljSNky2rv3x7Afzwp6NUJgIQ/s1600/2014-07-15+16.17.31-1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>First of all, I'm gonna assume that even if you're not on Instagram, you have a rudimentary knowledge of what it is. I bit the bullet and jumped on IG sometime in 2013 – probably about the time I got <a href="http://sarahbernier.blogspot.com/2014/01/favorite-2013-iphone-photos.html">my first iPhone</a>.<br />
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Of course, as the proud owner of an iPhone, I was able to enter the world of Instagram – see, when it first rolled out the app was ONLY for Mac mobile devices (iPhones, iPads & iPod Touch). Psh. So snooty. The app is obviously now available across all tablets & smartphones and is QUITE the popular social media venue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggU0KL0Ud0kaD0JiGutDWjWlc3ynlWBaDVTDfgpJhlbW8qFSj0ROw7d23gU2l-9JOW8ckfOs78EAnGEpthJvCb_IZZZtfYOKtuaQ6_PzqAh2rCxFsLbcAGHctzEHalOOV9Ilocmg/s1600/2014-05-18+08.11.18-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggU0KL0Ud0kaD0JiGutDWjWlc3ynlWBaDVTDfgpJhlbW8qFSj0ROw7d23gU2l-9JOW8ckfOs78EAnGEpthJvCb_IZZZtfYOKtuaQ6_PzqAh2rCxFsLbcAGHctzEHalOOV9Ilocmg/s1600/2014-05-18+08.11.18-1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>As with many social media sites these days, there's definitely cross-pollination availability: right from the Instagram app you can choose to upload to not only Instagram, but also Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and even Flickr. Similar to Twitter, the use of hashtags makes photos findable and is a way to get in front of a wider audience (and hopefully garner more likes/comments and – best of all – followers).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9ekZRiv1fAicdCsna_3zaWHD8bF6tVvHz-jJp6MaK_xFQRjbGwCDx6YocP_7hSl_W5as6MnVOTMwFCxPcaIO9KzmxBnymCDvs3uePCo7eJugNModsNp0bkpxnkICQrRTWuqgbQ/s1600/2014-02-26+16.33.35-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9ekZRiv1fAicdCsna_3zaWHD8bF6tVvHz-jJp6MaK_xFQRjbGwCDx6YocP_7hSl_W5as6MnVOTMwFCxPcaIO9KzmxBnymCDvs3uePCo7eJugNModsNp0bkpxnkICQrRTWuqgbQ/s1600/2014-02-26+16.33.35-1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Instagram was mobile-only accessible until the beginning of 2013, when it rolled out <a href="http://marketingland.com/instagram-no-longer-a-mobile-only-social-network-the-feed-makes-its-web-debut-32672" target="_blank">web profiles</a>. While an Instagram user can't post to their account from the web, anyone can see their pictures and it's a nice link to send people who don't have the app on their phone/tablet (um. who ARE you people?) – like my grandma, for instance (oh. okay.).<br />
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People who visit the web-version of Instagram are able to not only view pictures, but also like and/or comment on them, as well. So, blah blah and yadda yadda, what's the big dealio with Instagram, anyway?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRo44gwetTqt23vwmFeb9mx2SrcJhjOEyABeyP45u_JtbPmhXg33SDlWIrZCqTB0o1NVRZCpvztLH6oGLHVk2qlOSuaCI3SENx3da1OV6YqRv2OCtavOWXEWAYps0kmp3U5AJ2w/s1600/2014-09-02+13.03.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRo44gwetTqt23vwmFeb9mx2SrcJhjOEyABeyP45u_JtbPmhXg33SDlWIrZCqTB0o1NVRZCpvztLH6oGLHVk2qlOSuaCI3SENx3da1OV6YqRv2OCtavOWXEWAYps0kmp3U5AJ2w/s1600/2014-09-02+13.03.50.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Well, since users are only able to post photos from a mobile-only app*, my question is this: is it "cheating" if you take pictures with a dSLR, edit them in Photoshop, upload them to your phone, and then post THOSE images on Instagram?<br />
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In my mind I say, "<i>Yes, that's absolutely cheating!</i>" since it's a MOBILE app. It's on your phone. You snap pictures with your phone, post to Instagram. Done. It's simple, visceral, and there's no "editing" (other than the filters in the program you can choose to apply or not at your discretion).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-egF_Cf3VkQhycd2ukdFi6p2RuPpuonY_yockzdHbV9PeoYCOOgV8pg-0UuThciAl_kSJf8z-vtUaHpIZNPHM8Zm1_tKr4mnImioWjlQsue-uNLYnJWQ6qZswZVeuvBzZyGflw/s1600/2014-08-18+09.37.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-egF_Cf3VkQhycd2ukdFi6p2RuPpuonY_yockzdHbV9PeoYCOOgV8pg-0UuThciAl_kSJf8z-vtUaHpIZNPHM8Zm1_tKr4mnImioWjlQsue-uNLYnJWQ6qZswZVeuvBzZyGflw/s1600/2014-08-18+09.37.50.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>If we could post photos from the online version, then it'd be a different story (to me). But the entire premise of this social venue is "instant."<br />
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And, per the company itself:<br />
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<i>"Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. Snap a photo with your mobile phone, then choose a filter to transform the image into a memory to keep around forever."</i></blockquote>
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I'm by no means the only one debating this issue...it's been an ongoing back-and-forth (for several years) with many different opinions, spanning from those completely angered by Instagrammers who upload their edited dSLR images to those more lenient people who say, "<i>Photos are photos and it's a photo-share site. Unwad your panties and move on.</i>"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fqMa-fEyBAuO_mxgv7GG4nGWWb9IMlY4j92U64ryll-XgnfPCnVJRXqcxaNxXze73UlmmG2t3-zAqb9Wcox8yVeUoiXdeBjnUk6eYpnCclHi0IGTbxpNJG7jbrnnNmOg8SEuhg/s1600/is+instagram+only+for+phones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fqMa-fEyBAuO_mxgv7GG4nGWWb9IMlY4j92U64ryll-XgnfPCnVJRXqcxaNxXze73UlmmG2t3-zAqb9Wcox8yVeUoiXdeBjnUk6eYpnCclHi0IGTbxpNJG7jbrnnNmOg8SEuhg/s1600/is+instagram+only+for+phones.jpg" height="62" width="320" /></a></div>
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So why are MY panties in a wad about this? Well, because I not only love taking photos with my iPhone (I always have it on me so it's super-easy to snap a quick shot if I see something I've gotta document) but I'm also an avid hobby photographer. I love my Canon 60D and can spend hours shooting and then editing all <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahbdanks/" target="_blank">my photos</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjml61LHY6GY227bJ_Va17uV3kDxhFzOGPY_0VnGwBQud8e_YClbcJGxsSIp8URT5tgXexhNAsKTIryAENkyfFJ5S5AxX3GEMFgFqi4lyRNfLfpauW8RmlSSMRBfbPfxwgWj9Xxyw/s1600/2014-09-02+18.06.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjml61LHY6GY227bJ_Va17uV3kDxhFzOGPY_0VnGwBQud8e_YClbcJGxsSIp8URT5tgXexhNAsKTIryAENkyfFJ5S5AxX3GEMFgFqi4lyRNfLfpauW8RmlSSMRBfbPfxwgWj9Xxyw/s1600/2014-09-02+18.06.30.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>When I first got started on Instagram, I followed a few people (and fewer followed me :). As I gained a wider "friend" base on the app, it struck me that some of these people...in fact, quite a few...weren't using iPhone photos.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrg0RtSsPjoDQ-4dZCKa7WTn6eiVp_xlanA6xlvmOcEZRNTjfNfOl6C8L-d20WmqF9enEwPNOaFnXUien0lA7vF2msZCX2YSGJ5DpkvS1JHgS92qxCtXLk2oFcuf6TBGTBBV03w/s1600/2014-05-31+10.54.33-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrg0RtSsPjoDQ-4dZCKa7WTn6eiVp_xlanA6xlvmOcEZRNTjfNfOl6C8L-d20WmqF9enEwPNOaFnXUien0lA7vF2msZCX2YSGJ5DpkvS1JHgS92qxCtXLk2oFcuf6TBGTBBV03w/s1600/2014-05-31+10.54.33-1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>I was shocked to see SO many fellow photogs posting their dSLR images on this mobile-only app. CHEATERS! my mind hissed.<br />
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I myself – at that time – had never posted anything but iPhone photos. I also had a scant handful of followers, and those only loyal friends.<br />
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So I was kind of at an impasse: did I continue on posting just photos I'd taken with my phone, or did I venture into the world of "cheating" and upload photos I'd not only taken with a dSLR but – gasp! – edited in Photoshop?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZO4yNSEanrg_0qUTOZsYcpbpdIw4TOspKCBW3IIbUSECEuCgo_rYGriUx11icwUzIWMiF4UtFE7SDHXRcaGoxv-usTpkYDUz7uNkWiOI616nygG3tQjgaC20vGjHgTMEwRk9aw/s1600/2014-10-16+15.53.20-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZO4yNSEanrg_0qUTOZsYcpbpdIw4TOspKCBW3IIbUSECEuCgo_rYGriUx11icwUzIWMiF4UtFE7SDHXRcaGoxv-usTpkYDUz7uNkWiOI616nygG3tQjgaC20vGjHgTMEwRk9aw/s1600/2014-10-16+15.53.20-1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Well, long story longer: I now upload both actual Instagram photos (i.e., images taken with my phone) and cheating Instagram photos (i.e., images I've taken with either my dSLR or my point-and-shoot, uploaded to my desktop, edited in Photoshop, then loaded onto my phone and from THERE onto Instagram).<br />
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And guess what? Some of my most popular photos – the ones with the most likes and comments – are ones from my dSLR.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjyAWd9-HWj1sFON258NyIKp34BRxZ8vsFyKMvSREKhlyyCiVboBInZR34UZkOwiMcENoVq3UDIUcAmXSYbH1C0klY87xOyjbPAhsO4VURg7CSdbeJKl4qti0g4bMf6gQ5jA7XA/s1600/2014-08-28+09.05.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjyAWd9-HWj1sFON258NyIKp34BRxZ8vsFyKMvSREKhlyyCiVboBInZR34UZkOwiMcENoVq3UDIUcAmXSYbH1C0klY87xOyjbPAhsO4VURg7CSdbeJKl4qti0g4bMf6gQ5jA7XA/s1600/2014-08-28+09.05.11.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
*sigh*<br />
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While it sort of disappoints me – the part of me that wants to use the app as it was originally intended – there's also part of me that's okay with "cheating." Especially since I'd come up with a way to feel better about myself while posting dSLR photos.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEus3nPecLGFJydeH3J113-qRjN9jv6UnjD2Jb9bqaxTtiRKSk-fHJIP-wJ_PaVYHLURwIKdFjCcTBNV84FjBJefwGA8cErJLeFGtdpgBfiSkJ25knmshb_ytD3OmrF2dUTSYrA/s1600/2014-10-01+18.00.15-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEus3nPecLGFJydeH3J113-qRjN9jv6UnjD2Jb9bqaxTtiRKSk-fHJIP-wJ_PaVYHLURwIKdFjCcTBNV84FjBJefwGA8cErJLeFGtdpgBfiSkJ25knmshb_ytD3OmrF2dUTSYrA/s1600/2014-10-01+18.00.15-1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>I'm a fan of hashtags anyway, but for every non-mobile photo I posted on Instagram, I used the hashtag #notaniphonephoto.<br />
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Notice it's in the past tense – I don't do it anymore. a) I kept forgetting to add it and b) no one else seems to care whether images are mobile or not mobile. So I've absorbed the (overall) community feel of Instagram and have not stayed pure.<br />
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What I want to know is: what do YOU think about how other people use Instagram? Do you care that they're posting photos not taken with a mobile device?<br />
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*<i>To be clear: Instagram itself is mobile-only...but due to the clamor of people like me (and myriads of others who upload their non-mobile photos) there are third-party sites that evidently allow one to upload photos right from their desktop to Instagram. I don't have any experience with these, and am curious how well they work. They've got to be quicker than the process I go through (outlined above)...</i><br />
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PS: Let's not assume I have delusions of grandeur that I have more/enough/substantial followers. Although just today I got my 100th follower! I'm proud. And humble...because every single person I follow has more than that. Okay, some of them don't, but they've been on Instagram for maybe a month. I obviously have quite a bit to learn about this community :) </div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-90061678473229758492014-10-21T16:06:00.000-05:002014-10-21T16:07:53.747-05:00Words to Live by: 10 Great Disney Movie QuotesI've always – ALWAYS – been a fan of Disney movies. Especially the animated ones.<br />
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I mean, who doesn't love watching a cute, cuddly character have fun adventures while learning a life lesson? Because, in every Disney movie there's obviously a moral.<br />
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This isn't earth-shattering material. Hell, it's not even unique (but what on the Internet IS anymore?!), but here are my top ten favorite quotes – words to live by, if you will (and I think you will) – from Disney movies.<br />
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<ol>
<li><i>If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. </i>(Bambi)</li>
<li><i>Don't be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. </i>(Beauty & the Beast)</li>
<li><i>If you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true. </i>(Cinderella)</li>
<li><i>Just keep swimming. </i>(Finding Nemo)</li>
<li><i>The past can hurt…but you can either run from it, or learn from it. </i>(Lion King)</li>
<li><i>The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it. </i>(Peter Pan)</li>
<li><i>Always let your conscience be your guide. </i>(Pinocchio)</li>
<li><i>If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you’ll learn things you never knew you never knew. </i>(Pocahontas)</li>
<li><i>Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist can come from anywhere. </i>(Ratatouille)</li>
<li><i>You're never too old to be young. </i>(Snow White)</li>
</ol>
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What're YOUR favorite animated movie quotes?</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-67424237110128034672014-07-15T14:59:00.002-05:002014-07-15T14:59:58.403-05:00Google "Related to" Searches Can Leave Me Feeling Dead InsideI'm a search marketer. Well, according to my boss-slash-husband, I'm a Digital Strategist. But whatever.<br />
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So today I'm doing PPC keyword research for a client. This particular client happens to be a women's wellness clinic, and the keywords were OB-GYN focused. Part of the research I do, I perform in Google AdWords' Keyword Planner Tool (which I don't like very much. I much prefer the old one). Another part of my research involves heading over to The Google and typing in some of the stuff I've found on the KPT...to see what Google is auto-suggesting for me.<br />
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ALSO on The Google, I take a look at the bottom of the page where the "searches related to..." section resides. There's some good stuff down there -- I mean, if The Google is suggesting it, odds are people are clicking on it (even though these recommendations are at the BOTTOM of the SERP. Yes, there IS life below the fold).<br />
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Anyway.<br />
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So I'm doing "OB GYN" type searches and this is what I'm seeing for auto-suggest and related searches:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00eI8yQhs276hTCdDERIcgs0X-8dhROoLDFBI85gWg8H74g9GGIGwQs65v05AkYu8CvbUO6r8Tme1nkXM-U0CqGX2J71ce_pYzE6dt14hPGrZxD3GaFMIi0pm_NU7IRxLdeXycA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-15+at+12.00.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00eI8yQhs276hTCdDERIcgs0X-8dhROoLDFBI85gWg8H74g9GGIGwQs65v05AkYu8CvbUO6r8Tme1nkXM-U0CqGX2J71ce_pYzE6dt14hPGrZxD3GaFMIi0pm_NU7IRxLdeXycA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-15+at+12.00.08+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaG4daxLGRYF5Bthf2ekaZKSrYFrWx2I0Xs0qDQmRqaSDoQOLIkThMru5BAzSeWuLnvALVYOtcLCDsG6j5lzp8GXC6okpjtV8FVYC_ZxAWnxEAnWsWK0F0rUoW6OiO86iYPHeyqw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-15+at+12.00.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaG4daxLGRYF5Bthf2ekaZKSrYFrWx2I0Xs0qDQmRqaSDoQOLIkThMru5BAzSeWuLnvALVYOtcLCDsG6j5lzp8GXC6okpjtV8FVYC_ZxAWnxEAnWsWK0F0rUoW6OiO86iYPHeyqw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-15+at+12.00.22+PM.png" /></a></div>
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No biggie. Pretty standard.<br />
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Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand then I type in "find a gynecologist." And things get...weird...in the "related to" section:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQWteXkDweCjaxJxwvidlrqZH9nZpk1TwkAj5-A1Bc2uggINq6LzTVGDqTyaz6W9__38vVZe13jNNe8t1rtY1j03HOQbo64YrofNe9fMEn0r2mBwc7iMlnxy_Y6ldPttkHQEoQQ/s1600/google+search+related+to+find+a+gynecologist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQWteXkDweCjaxJxwvidlrqZH9nZpk1TwkAj5-A1Bc2uggINq6LzTVGDqTyaz6W9__38vVZe13jNNe8t1rtY1j03HOQbo64YrofNe9fMEn0r2mBwc7iMlnxy_Y6ldPttkHQEoQQ/s1600/google+search+related+to+find+a+gynecologist.jpg" height="483" width="640" /></a></div>
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I mean, I trust The Google (most of the time). But, when they throw in something SO far off base that it can't even see the baseline, well...it makes me pause for a second. I mean, ONLY a second -- not like I'd go use Bing or anything!<br />
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I've been trying to find ANY other "related to" searches that're rotten eggs, and I'm having a hard time.<br />
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Has anyone else ever run across something THIS far outta line for Google "related to" searches???Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-11642539308720008842014-01-21T14:14:00.003-06:002014-01-21T14:15:28.314-06:00What Do I Know About Raising Minimum Wage? I Was Raised in the Lap of Middle Class Luxury...Today at lunch a couple of my co-workers were talking about raising minimum wage. I don't normally involve myself in political discussions, but I had to pipe up and mention that, yes, people actually CAN – and do – live on a minimum-wage salary (a person; not a family). <br />
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Of course, everyone's definition of "being able to live like that" differs. For example, if you earn minimum wage, live with your family (who doesn't really expect you to chip in much for bills/rent/utilities), and buy only what you need to survive, you can do it. Lots of people do. I think.<br />
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At this point in the conversation I had to clarify: what do I know about it, having been raised in the lap of middle class luxury?<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-61595439150526967502014-01-17T11:13:00.002-06:002014-01-17T11:14:31.828-06:00Pre- and Post-Photoshop Images<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDMEObhDMds8U3Aazi3Keb9Yyk71DrmFgPCASEy1gwO4J2iHrnIH5XA_9PgBar2af_tRCBr1T1aZIENQOLKOE89cpqOUNPxJEpUhLCbbSiNH1Pn_tle3zbLMkUSQO3Y0SXhCX6Q/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+daisy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDMEObhDMds8U3Aazi3Keb9Yyk71DrmFgPCASEy1gwO4J2iHrnIH5XA_9PgBar2af_tRCBr1T1aZIENQOLKOE89cpqOUNPxJEpUhLCbbSiNH1Pn_tle3zbLMkUSQO3Y0SXhCX6Q/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+daisy.jpg" height="114" width="320" /></a>Not only did I drag my feet getting my first smartphone – and much later, <a href="http://sarahbernier.blogspot.com/2014/01/favorite-2013-iphone-photos.html">my first iPhone</a> – I didn't go digital in the photography world until 2006.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzirecoARc6LK78Cq3UcEGRfIAvXBWhnjP95S7zbZmCbvckCW88lFRF_7Wz8XHeqLkcLR9WYt_1hcO922M8bL3FcTpTQMQ0IUCqY6t-0C8LLnVyXgCSXEeW3rQH5B0np0TwcNBYA/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+dog+dock+jumping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzirecoARc6LK78Cq3UcEGRfIAvXBWhnjP95S7zbZmCbvckCW88lFRF_7Wz8XHeqLkcLR9WYt_1hcO922M8bL3FcTpTQMQ0IUCqY6t-0C8LLnVyXgCSXEeW3rQH5B0np0TwcNBYA/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+dog+dock+jumping.jpg" height="113" width="320" /></a>Sadly, while I had access to a fantastic photography club at the time that brought in great speakers about how to use Photoshop, I didn't attend those seminars since it would've been a waste of time (this would've been in 2004 & 2005, before I took the plunge and was still shooting film).<br />
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That's right. I shot film until the year 2006...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zl8UbzKArgf4S4bFdD-sb79B8wlxur1WEX423Ruz-bNzGtlXwyhrKOH3r11cG7h9jASE71yHPjoUcEn3wt23mA4laAOzrprWr5Xy7t0pwUxi1gBbG2SFq2xIOxP2Zt7xrF5hEQ/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+macro+dog+eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zl8UbzKArgf4S4bFdD-sb79B8wlxur1WEX423Ruz-bNzGtlXwyhrKOH3r11cG7h9jASE71yHPjoUcEn3wt23mA4laAOzrprWr5Xy7t0pwUxi1gBbG2SFq2xIOxP2Zt7xrF5hEQ/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+macro+dog+eye.jpg" height="106" width="320" /></a>And not in the hipster fashion; I used film because back then I "didn't believe" in going digital. I considered it to be a separate art form; I was so used to seeing finished digital images so far removed from the original it felt more like computer art than photography.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RwVwiNVX72vfHkCy3UoEnsJtwi8-IuO5ILIdlk10a1kThCnGG8ZfRsrTp0M9mxLSYqXKTM4PKliEWLd5IONYq_AR1rMd3uZFloKkmTISB8xmLdTIbiouTs920EeTcqFZSJW2sg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+woman+with+horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RwVwiNVX72vfHkCy3UoEnsJtwi8-IuO5ILIdlk10a1kThCnGG8ZfRsrTp0M9mxLSYqXKTM4PKliEWLd5IONYq_AR1rMd3uZFloKkmTISB8xmLdTIbiouTs920EeTcqFZSJW2sg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+woman+with+horse.jpg" height="144" width="320" /></a><br />
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Of course, I've changed my way of thinking since then...a bit :)<br />
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There were many, many times I looked back on those lost opportunities to learn about Photoshop – FOR FREE – and I berated myself for not taking advantage. I should be much farther along in my PS skillset, but "it is what it is" and I think I manage fairly well with being self-taught.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AHapuO3hLuS7cv2YbNBpKMlUq1Kd0-wKLY5FSH4sr4qFXXcwRNkdwOKU2NxNObNLIWo7Zd12TD1szYRHfUmTWlEhU0H3OPmzbSm4hRoCxpAUv08_n3hLPJlUIx6lj4_XJGwpEg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+milkweed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AHapuO3hLuS7cv2YbNBpKMlUq1Kd0-wKLY5FSH4sr4qFXXcwRNkdwOKU2NxNObNLIWo7Zd12TD1szYRHfUmTWlEhU0H3OPmzbSm4hRoCxpAUv08_n3hLPJlUIx6lj4_XJGwpEg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+milkweed.jpg" height="146" width="320" /></a></div>
And, by self-taught I mean I've watched a bunch of tutorials, have spent hours poking around in Photoshop and fortunately have some friends and co-workers who patiently walk me through questions every now and then :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pPjKTeUxsZkKut0LzWEvVqDUVbyBCP431vwu6wIqqG4GZukxSA-zTG6CQYbaPlzrXDyKsGAllh4jioUm3-xvCpHqzxG4KmJrt_uQ7e7XNO4J_fFWdGpLUpUz4Lz4N-6UokISDw/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+dog+on+rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pPjKTeUxsZkKut0LzWEvVqDUVbyBCP431vwu6wIqqG4GZukxSA-zTG6CQYbaPlzrXDyKsGAllh4jioUm3-xvCpHqzxG4KmJrt_uQ7e7XNO4J_fFWdGpLUpUz4Lz4N-6UokISDw/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+dog+on+rock.jpg" height="109" width="320" /></a>It's not rocket science but I've gotten adept at fixing my images in Photoshop. Not that all my shots need to be "fixed;" I guess I should say I can edit what I think needs to be edited.<br />
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I don't shoot weddings often, but whenever I do, invariably there's the dreaded "group shot" of the entire bridal party.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYBTN23BCddAPl_gESlgnwg9DkbF2UQ9xmcOAljjyS4ehGlUOf0QK1PB6MhckLTu3YfbKN04BYM9vQmG3mm6oxeaS77ZmGjSWlOpYBwn_56Dwn0gif-XID6F8aauJgZ7FbHUMzg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+horse+halters+%2526+sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYBTN23BCddAPl_gESlgnwg9DkbF2UQ9xmcOAljjyS4ehGlUOf0QK1PB6MhckLTu3YfbKN04BYM9vQmG3mm6oxeaS77ZmGjSWlOpYBwn_56Dwn0gif-XID6F8aauJgZ7FbHUMzg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+horse+halters+%2526+sun.jpg" height="111" width="320" /></a>I've learned to throw the camera on a tripod, shoot rapid-fire...and then choose the best image where MOST people's eyes are open and they're smiling and then mix-and-match eyes and mouths from the rest of the shots.<br />
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That's fun. Time-consuming. But, worth it for that ONE group shot that LOOKS as though everyone was perfect. I'm not sure all brides – or, really, anyone who hires a photographer – REALLY understand all the work that goes into the post-shooting process in photography.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0JUQ8EEeKbsXOQ4eB-T8bRUOoI8oPAx6az60LoDKeYuOv3I_lmc47P9ddFcauuHRe6dI6DrdJ8cCuWl0ZTvGVEXX2MhJyC3ST1xVuZ9XqbgEk6m-LVZB_WNYPFYeV8RS6R4K9w/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+horse+chest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0JUQ8EEeKbsXOQ4eB-T8bRUOoI8oPAx6az60LoDKeYuOv3I_lmc47P9ddFcauuHRe6dI6DrdJ8cCuWl0ZTvGVEXX2MhJyC3ST1xVuZ9XqbgEk6m-LVZB_WNYPFYeV8RS6R4K9w/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+horse+chest.jpg" height="111" width="320" /></a>Sometimes I wish I could sit them down and say, "look at the original. Aaaaaand now look at what I gave you! You're welcome."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl08DHQ6ei30Foozh4j28uxD5gly5OcLDOtO1fJyFRNDOq1AFMNC5X9LOkS4Jm2joctqWzVd4o8DzGRlfnKopOWwNMcp5VM2mwtATifw1gxUcIt6Syw_JwiyxnrPhZlCwUfCV8Jg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+woman+portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl08DHQ6ei30Foozh4j28uxD5gly5OcLDOtO1fJyFRNDOq1AFMNC5X9LOkS4Jm2joctqWzVd4o8DzGRlfnKopOWwNMcp5VM2mwtATifw1gxUcIt6Syw_JwiyxnrPhZlCwUfCV8Jg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+woman+portrait.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a>I follow a great pet photographer on Facebook and while I love looking at the beautiful images she posts, I really get a kick out of seeing her "before and after" images, where she shows the raw, unedited original image and then the photo after it's been edited.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQYSU8tKjhQQRtr9C2reJOVT7lF1zogwwbEm6Ql6cVx0K90hvu-0VsYnCMYyU67HAJ0BpK_DmFECK-2FEiH5-v2JKVoaoxaakMSdmjgUk1TUXa17vRHHrHbFhtyqWgbDbsi4mHw/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+three+horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQYSU8tKjhQQRtr9C2reJOVT7lF1zogwwbEm6Ql6cVx0K90hvu-0VsYnCMYyU67HAJ0BpK_DmFECK-2FEiH5-v2JKVoaoxaakMSdmjgUk1TUXa17vRHHrHbFhtyqWgbDbsi4mHw/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+three+horses.jpg" height="106" width="320" /></a>While I'm not great at Photoshop, I figured it'd be fun to look back through some of my favorite images and see the pre- and post-edited versions.<br />
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Most images generally don't need a lot of editing – I might tweak the exposure, saturation, contrast and a few other minor details – but some need a bit more Photoshop love.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_IEHOk_B7yja_Hm_tNMiiPS3f8aILRodvvCO01Y0Pthfy4Ws0wwhoVWm8Gh7vPQzt3PeOR8hYaVwsKN0fv4jRI1YbbjkG7jL0_wKF6zxPb9CdwXizV7Fa_KmYw8UQQHuWdiebg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+motley+crue+concert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_IEHOk_B7yja_Hm_tNMiiPS3f8aILRodvvCO01Y0Pthfy4Ws0wwhoVWm8Gh7vPQzt3PeOR8hYaVwsKN0fv4jRI1YbbjkG7jL0_wKF6zxPb9CdwXizV7Fa_KmYw8UQQHuWdiebg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+motley+crue+concert.jpg" height="116" width="320" /></a>I don't use Lightroom so each photo I adjust is done by "hand," one at a time...I hear from many fellow photogs I need to get Lightroom so I can do batch edits. We'll see how long it takes me to jump on THAT bandwagon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRhoQRR_XPCXbMjzSOelaUX_U_7EMzWljmz5U1612kdKpvCAsCLMRx7Mwr3BjGMSYEkR8sCHzOBk8iHZ6f-NMeloHcNTLWjQZ7_SrTc6iqk12aFJWbRyLEV1ig8eywlc9izCJQg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+horse+eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRhoQRR_XPCXbMjzSOelaUX_U_7EMzWljmz5U1612kdKpvCAsCLMRx7Mwr3BjGMSYEkR8sCHzOBk8iHZ6f-NMeloHcNTLWjQZ7_SrTc6iqk12aFJWbRyLEV1ig8eywlc9izCJQg/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+horse+eye.jpg" height="111" width="320" /></a><br />
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For now, I'm quite content to edit my RAW images one by one in Photoshop...learning little things here and there as needed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqYDWJrSlaNC-4Ah1S_eA-RqFWrW_Jv8ho4O02RNFEi7Hz-X0ghydT9awCUgNQv85fi7eH8zk-3PxFGBcuDl-AfJHB5dqefRLKT7oWvIMFvmObJ-YH1f1cIW9NeP6JsuqMaIivQ/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+version+of+bay+horse+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqYDWJrSlaNC-4Ah1S_eA-RqFWrW_Jv8ho4O02RNFEi7Hz-X0ghydT9awCUgNQv85fi7eH8zk-3PxFGBcuDl-AfJHB5dqefRLKT7oWvIMFvmObJ-YH1f1cIW9NeP6JsuqMaIivQ/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+version+of+bay+horse+image.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a>But, of course, I don't edit my images beyond what I still consider to be "photography." I don't add things into the photo that couldn't be there; I don't blend existing images into something that doesn't exist, etc. etc. etc.<br />
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While I think that type of digital art is beautiful, again, I don't consider it to be traditional photography.<br />
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Maybe I'll change my mind some day and get into that; who knows. For now, "digitally enhancing" my images will continue to consist of minor edits that could've technically occurred in a dark room :)<br />
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(And yes, I've worked in a dark room...granted, it's been a while but I'm well aware of the time needed to merely develop film and perform simple edits.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-0ET3R5rp7m1RaMYQUi6Hb_7L7oJGHtaOJx0Bhyphenhyphen-hLWJh697IIvtP8hM-fGuZjfD6ulYu_-5nQ_74_vzGALVAP2TxU-a-3LOLXNwUMXU5qMiOSv7KACOiWsWnOJKUuf1d_bHYQ/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+horse+trotting+in+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-0ET3R5rp7m1RaMYQUi6Hb_7L7oJGHtaOJx0Bhyphenhyphen-hLWJh697IIvtP8hM-fGuZjfD6ulYu_-5nQ_74_vzGALVAP2TxU-a-3LOLXNwUMXU5qMiOSv7KACOiWsWnOJKUuf1d_bHYQ/s1600/pre+and+post+edited+image+of+horse+trotting+in+field.jpg" height="101" width="320" /></a></div>
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And while I tease that I'm not good at Photoshop and I don't do all the fun, crazy stuff Photoshop allows you to do when editing photos, I'm okay with that. I like my style.<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-20384001992093489392014-01-11T10:51:00.002-06:002014-01-11T10:56:35.096-06:00Favorite iPhone Photos from 2013This past December I passed my 1-year anniversary of owning my very first iPhone. It took me a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time to "make the change," but boy am I glad I did. If you follow me on Twitter, Instagram and/or Facebook you MIGHT notice that I take pictures & check in. A LOT.<br />
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Well, maybe it's because for the several years I had OTHER "smartphones" I wasn't able to do that. Very often. Or at all...just ask my friends how long it took to cue up the camera on my Droid. I think we counted 8 Mississippis before it turned on. I was sick of it.<br />
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So I took the plunge and allowed my husband to purchase the iPhone 5 for me. Instantly I was hooked. You know, just as soon as I figured out what all the little bubble boxes were for ;) I was off and running, and just the other day I made a startling discovery: I took more photos with my iPhone than I did with my point-and-shoot camera in 2013.<br />
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While my DSLR still won the battle overall, I was shocked that I'd used my phone THAT much. To that end, I decided to throw together a compilation of my favorite iPhone images from 2013.<br />
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Most – if not all – of these have already graced the social media outlets, but it was fun looking back on them and remembering the stories associated with each.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdtjRwKtAb2hVCgmLLMMwtl_IweYOI-zXFXiHgex6JRrFdTuopfJ3iReGZHN0VHnYMvEuOTFdRueMxHicgsuGHImSWqG2J59apVn5Eu2MbhHIWOIlBvUzMQcvlr8TK_TjJAsWdA/s1600/IMG_0091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdtjRwKtAb2hVCgmLLMMwtl_IweYOI-zXFXiHgex6JRrFdTuopfJ3iReGZHN0VHnYMvEuOTFdRueMxHicgsuGHImSWqG2J59apVn5Eu2MbhHIWOIlBvUzMQcvlr8TK_TjJAsWdA/s1600/IMG_0091.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWnLJH__KsTS8AGlcXD_efWe7sLD8o62KOD8Ky-GIWfYvRHX3gOrA4I_vRYgGKlEy7EbZhOmUtFMSEZGOLMp5rB81JZt5cBpl1UB9YCd-gr5aGVgmEt6CjSa1ajLOyDmYaKmE_w/s1600/grazing-appaloosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWnLJH__KsTS8AGlcXD_efWe7sLD8o62KOD8Ky-GIWfYvRHX3gOrA4I_vRYgGKlEy7EbZhOmUtFMSEZGOLMp5rB81JZt5cBpl1UB9YCd-gr5aGVgmEt6CjSa1ajLOyDmYaKmE_w/s1600/grazing-appaloosa.jpg" height="145" width="200" /></a>Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfUD8zNw4MrE4qdt1sgY9dkl8a_3cB10jbd9z_7puEI5OnRFaWo8OCdiI_deHDhAGGVIUJzfAQP44qY9VAKc53NNo46GotkFQYxj7sJdPxIX6HB_6ESFYGluOQmiJtgXT6iIGwQ/s1600/IMG_0097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfUD8zNw4MrE4qdt1sgY9dkl8a_3cB10jbd9z_7puEI5OnRFaWo8OCdiI_deHDhAGGVIUJzfAQP44qY9VAKc53NNo46GotkFQYxj7sJdPxIX6HB_6ESFYGluOQmiJtgXT6iIGwQ/s1600/IMG_0097.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Rcqq-ycwW_lpuwKz-2fBSFNkprNH_ds35GXPujO-an7Djipn5PqcFHW5RM3mwmfdrC8aYa889RgfJnimRZwLB4KxvRmZpIWci4WzjxnxJo-orrNElRN-P0IC6OzZrdpbgYedhQ/s1600/IMG_0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Rcqq-ycwW_lpuwKz-2fBSFNkprNH_ds35GXPujO-an7Djipn5PqcFHW5RM3mwmfdrC8aYa889RgfJnimRZwLB4KxvRmZpIWci4WzjxnxJo-orrNElRN-P0IC6OzZrdpbgYedhQ/s1600/IMG_0073.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-44649103375306710902013-12-06T11:08:00.000-06:002014-01-16T20:20:07.715-06:00What is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome?<h2>
I've got WHAT?</h2>
After weeks of playing phone- and text-tag, my bestie and I FINALLY got to chat for a few minutes this morning. (Besides the President she's the busiest person I know.) Since we only had about 10 minutes' worth of chat time, we had to cram in all that's been going on with us lately into a quick conversation.<br />
<br />
I was telling her about this-and-that when it hit me that she didn't know a big thing that's been happening in my life recently. I told her, "Oh, and lately my arms have been really painful and I can't hold onto things – like my mouse or the steering wheel – for very long periods of time and sometimes I'd just lie down and try to keep my arms still and cry because of the pain." She gave a gasp and said, "Whoa, what the heck is <i>wrong </i>with you?"<br />
<br />
Well, that WAS the question in question a few weeks back...I seriously thought my mid-thirties were just creeping up on me and trying to single-handedly end my active lifestyle. I mean, I already fight the effects of having two disc herniations; why was I being plagued with yet ANOTHER major bodily defect? And, more importantly – what WAS the issue?<br />
<br />
<strong>Enough is Enough (is Enough is Enough)</strong><br />
After one of the lying-on-the-couch-crying episodes I figured enough was enough and made an emergency visit to my chiropractor. I tearily told her my symptoms (and all the things I couldn't do lately because of the pain) and she performed a few physical tests. One of which involved me putting my arms up at shoulder height, then bending my elbows into Ls and opening and closing my hands as quickly as I could – I was supposed to do this exercise for 60 seconds; I made it to 10 before I told her, "I just can't do this anymore," it hurt that badly.<br />
<br />
She then had me quickly lower my arms so my hands were below my waist, palms-up...and I stared in shock at my WHITE hands. Slowly, the left hand started to turn slightly pink; the right steadfastly remained WHITE. The chiropractor, looking on, merely said, "Oh. Well then." Freaked out, I asked, "What's going on??" She replied, "Well, you're not getting enough blood in your arms. This is the clearest case of thoracic outlet syndrome I've ever run across."<br />
<br />
This wasn't an entirely strange diagnosis; one of my other chiropractors had mentioned I could have symptoms of TOS a couple of years ago, when I'd wake up in the middle of the night with one arm entirely devoid of life...but I'd done some stretching and gotten a couple treatments and had been fine. Or so I'd thought. Evidently I hadn't kicked thoracic outlet syndrome; it'd started rearing its ugly head yet again...but in such a different manner I hadn't even considered that to be the issue.<br />
<br />
<h3>
What is thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS)?</h3>
So, what in hell is thoracic outlet syndrome, anyway? Well, according to Mayo Clinic, TOS is:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Thoracic outlet syndrome is a group of disorders that occur when the blood vessels or nerves in the space between your collarbone and your first rib (thoracic outlet) become compressed. This can cause pain in your shoulders and neck and numbness in your fingers. </blockquote>
<br />
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons breaks thoracic outlet syndrome down into symptoms for the two categories:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Pressure on the nerves (brachial plexus) may cause a vague, aching pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, or hand. It may also cause pain, numbness, or tingling on the inside of the forearm and the fourth and fifth fingers of the hand. Weakness may make your hand clumsy.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Pressure on the blood vessels can reduce the flow of blood out of your arm, resulting in swelling and redness of your arm. Less commonly, pressure can reduce the blood flow into your arm and hand, making them feel cool and easily fatigued.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
My chiropractor had said my problem was blood flow restriction, so I obviously fit into the latter category as I was experiencing pain and numbness throughout both my arms and hands; there was no evidence of pinpointed tingling in any fingers or parts of my arms. (I also have very cold hands – just ask my husband.)<br />
<br />
<h3>
What's the prognosis of my TOS?</h3>
She tested out the muscles in my neck and chest – near my clavicle – and promptly went to work on that area to loosen up all the tightness. She gave me a few stretching exercises to be performed daily – as often as I wanted to – and also told me I need to really pull my shoulders back. Because of my back issues I have pretty good posture (I'm very aware of engaging my core at all times), but it seems I was letting my shoulders crumple forward – partially due to the tightness in my pec muscles – and that was only exacerbating the problem.<br />
<br />
So, I'm to continue stretching out my pecs and neck muscles, along with my forearms/wrists, etc., all while focusing on keeping my shoulders back. Oh, and not crunching my shoulders when I sleep, either. And trying to keep my neck aligned properly on my pillow. OH, and of course while doing my core- and glute-strengthening exercises every day. *sigh* Getting old sucks.<br />
<br />
<strong>What Causes TOS?</strong><br />
Finally, what caused my TOS? Who knows is the best guess. I mentioned I've been having neck muscle tension problems while sleeping since I was 13 years old...the chiro asked, "Were you in a car accident as a kid?" I replied, "No...but I fell off my horses quite a bit – once, about the year my neck problems started, I fell of my mare and got knocked out."<br />
<br />
"Well, that could do it," she said...but of course who really knows for sure. The point is, I've been diagnosed, I know what's going on and how to combat it. The problem is trying to work through this issue when I've been suffering from it for so long...now I have to basically break down scar tissue from who-knows-when.<br />
<br />
Here are a couple of videos explaining thoracic outlet syndrome and also several exercises to help with the symptoms...let me tell you, something so easy as straightening out your arm at shoulder height and moving your neck shouldn't seem hard – but I could barely make it through TWO reps of each of these exercises!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Z4aXRj0uIj4" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SmU7xvS10Ko" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
So there you have it. Thoracic outlet syndrome. The next time you see me and I seem like I don't want to move my arms, it's probably because I haven't been doing my exercises!<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>PS: During the composing of this blog posts many breaks were taken. 'Cause, of course I can't TYPE for long periods of time, either :)</i>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-15452092495992969982013-08-29T11:37:00.000-05:002013-08-29T11:37:47.886-05:00Here's The Deal These DaysI've been a bag blogger. Which is not to say I haven't been communicating or throwing random thoughts/fotos out onto The Interwebz...I mean, I'm posting. Just not here. Kinda hard to take the time to sit down – or, in my case, stand – and think out an entire blog post AND write it AND make sure I didn't make any dumb spelling errors, etc. It's all just so...time-consuming. Also, let's be honest: the only people who read this blog already know what's going on in my life, anyway. Amirite?<br />
<br />
I'm what I like to refer to as a Gen-Betweener – I kinda fall into the gray No Man's Land designating the end of Gen X and beginning of Gen Y...check out <a href="http://www.genpink.com/when-does-gen-x-end-and-gen-y-begin/" target="_blank">this chick's research</a> on it – so I didn't grow up in the era of every-damn-kid's-got-a-cell-phone and definitely was not used to "Googling it" during high school (or college, for that matter...sheesh, I started using The Google in 2000, with only 2 years left of higher learning).<br />
<br />
That being said, I'm now very used to the fast-paced online world – no time, no time, gotta move on to the next thing; if you haven't said what you're gonna say (and said it NOW) in 140 characters or less, it's already old news and all that. Which is why my blogging (though never regular) has taken a back seat these days.<br />
<br />
These days.<br />
<br />
What does that even mean? The days of this week? This calendar year? All the days from this moment back to when I graduated college, bought my own house, got a tattoo? Who knows. Irregardless*, here are some random things I've been contemplating "these days."<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Re-learning how to walk</b>. That's right. I've not only been contemplating this; I've been attempting to do it. I was recently told by one of my sports doctors the likely culprit for my chronic low-back/hip problems is that I'm built in such a way that I'm constantly fighting to maintain proper posture. Enter the pelvic tilt. As in, I need to CONSTANTLY do it. Properly. Also, I need to engage my glutes (both max & med) – properly. It's extremely difficult learning how to stand/walk/move correctly after 30-odd years of doing it INCORRECTLY.</li>
<li><b>The Gummy Money Guy</b>. If you've seen his <a href="http://youtu.be/6RNdcmYnXig" target="_blank">hilarious Vine</a>, you know EXACTLY why I can't. Get. It. Outta. My. Head. "Yo my name is Nicholas"...my co-worker posed a FANTASTIC question this morning: "Think I can get that in a ring tone?" Turns out that, yes, you can.</li>
<li><b>Loss of the Google Keyword Tool</b>. <i>Sigh</i>. Yes, sadly, we in the search marketing business are mourning the loss of a great tool that's been replaced by a tool we basically loathe. Which makes us cranky. </li>
<li><b>Twerking</b>. Yup, I've been contemplating twerking. Not DOING it, mind you (though if I could, you could be sure I would), just...wondering. I mean, it seems to have such a broad definition. Originally I thought it meant <a href="http://youtu.be/vQ8aAHl3urU" target="_blank">this specific move</a>. But after reading about all the hooplah Miley Cyrus has drummed up from "twerking" and stunning everyone at the VMAs, I'm not so sure. Did she actually twerk on stage? Coulda sworn you had to have a big-girl butt to do it, but evidently not...</li>
<li><b>Hooves</b>. That's right. I've done a LOT of thinking/research and talking about my horse's hooves lately. See, for the past month it's been so dry here in Minnesota, so I can't blame him entirely for his chipped nails :) Moving forward, however, he's getting Farriers' Formula supplements and a few times a week I've been giving him pedicures. Not really. I just slather his feet with <a href="http://www.farriersfix.com/" target="_blank">Farriers Fix hoof oil</a>.<br />
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</ol>
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Well, that's about it. Those of you who've read 'til the end (which isn't here yet) are probably thinking, "well no wonder why she doesn't blog – is this all there is going on in her life?" My answer to you is simple: "These days, yes."<br />
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*<i>I realize this isn't a word. My husband and I find it funny to use it. And then we have to remember NOT to use it in real life. Like, in front of clients and stuff.</i></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-27126456457594696272013-06-20T10:14:00.004-05:002013-06-20T10:17:39.245-05:00How Do We Feel About Google Carousel Results? A couple days ago The Google moved its local search "carousel" to desktop computers (previously it was only showing up on tablets). While I think the overall concept is neat – when performing searches for local bars & restaurants, you get a carousel of images at the top of your SERP – it's also something that'll need to be fine-tuned and honed before people jump on board.<br />
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For example, in reading about a test of people trying it out for the first time (<a href="http://niftymarketing.com/10-random-peoples-reactions-to-google-local-carousel/" target="_blank">study done by Nifty Marketing</a>), the term "Chicago restaurants" was chosen. If you watch even just the first video of the person seeing the carousel for the first time, she's confused as to what certain aspects of it mean – most notably the "number" system ("what does 27 mean?").<br />
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Also, I must say that the carousel "results" for Chicago restaurants look pretty good: nice, tidy, good-looking photos, etc.<br />
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Now, on the other hand...what if we do a search a tad closer to home? For example, "restaurants in Brooklyn Center MN" (it's on the brain since I have a family dinner up there tonight). Results in the Google carousel are...well, somewhat lacking:<br />
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Okay. So let's be more fair...I then did a search for bars in Minneapolis:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1b_ZjHcd2JS54KlJLzvn4B_jzTcocV4XIMVKXj_9VnQlEt1RkBvWOT2uow1HLWoqS3ONfgYVM1oBAZo5GJgqhfcKh1nmdIaQupPcJADM7pVSHxK8TULeqd6oLmwYenuze2eXRw/s1600/google+carousel+image+for+bars+in+minneapolis.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1b_ZjHcd2JS54KlJLzvn4B_jzTcocV4XIMVKXj_9VnQlEt1RkBvWOT2uow1HLWoqS3ONfgYVM1oBAZo5GJgqhfcKh1nmdIaQupPcJADM7pVSHxK8TULeqd6oLmwYenuze2eXRw/s640/google+carousel+image+for+bars+in+minneapolis.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hang on, wait. Why is there a photo of a SHOOTER in a list of restaurants???</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhqr07NgCrikxLO8-yQaSfDHu7zvAEczNxwBCOhPJBGH65a3r_sXp2SgbvZhEussagxTE1eroJVhqyo06ghfDC9yhCf8pZIkOFoF-UoZfLc709pEcKYIefh0S4Ycj9jkKRORZAA/s1600/google+carousel+image+for+bars+in+minneapolis+with+shooter.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhqr07NgCrikxLO8-yQaSfDHu7zvAEczNxwBCOhPJBGH65a3r_sXp2SgbvZhEussagxTE1eroJVhqyo06ghfDC9yhCf8pZIkOFoF-UoZfLc709pEcKYIefh0S4Ycj9jkKRORZAA/s640/google+carousel+image+for+bars+in+minneapolis+with+shooter.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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What is going on here, Google? Why have you included this in your carousel for my restaurant search?</div>
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Well, because Nye's is a very popular Minneapolis bar. But, why is there a wretched, scary picture that makes me NOT want to go to Nye's....why?</div>
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Well, because that's the only picture on Nye's Polonaise Room's Google+ Page:</div>
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So, evidently we know two things: </div>
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<ol>
<li>The photos within Google's local carousel results are pulled from Google+ pages. </li>
<li>Nye's Polonaise Room either doesn't know it has a Google+ page, or would like to be known as a gangster bar.</li>
</ol>
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I mean, you'd expect this type of thing to show up in some sort of search for New York City restaurants, but not Minneapolis :)<br />
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As to the question of what the numbers mean within the carousel listings: they're Zagat scores. The reviews are coming from Google reviews. We still don't know how The Google is choosing which restaurants to show in the carousel. I'm sure if this carousel bandwagon takes off we'll learn more about how Google's "ranking" the carousel results...but right now it doesn't seem to be by number of reviews or even Zagat score...and it's definitely not by judging the quality of the Google+ photos :)<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-5454830615945337002013-06-09T09:56:00.000-05:002013-06-09T09:57:53.040-05:00Spring Girls Ride 2013<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvEm6OEPhRbdT9gb9hSZSydqiTpClOOxEtzOZ6IzztH0OT-woeTn3Ig7mGbUlNKlxXOokm_wUVznInDvWmD218rmHiOrPZz9xV5Nx3XaNaCca5ZCOQysYf9tj-1mwhXvDEptM1g/s1600/will-&-murphy-on-picket-line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvEm6OEPhRbdT9gb9hSZSydqiTpClOOxEtzOZ6IzztH0OT-woeTn3Ig7mGbUlNKlxXOokm_wUVznInDvWmD218rmHiOrPZz9xV5Nx3XaNaCca5ZCOQysYf9tj-1mwhXvDEptM1g/s200/will-&-murphy-on-picket-line.jpg" width="200" /></a>For the past 30 years or so, a group of ladies has convened at Pillsbury State Forest (near Pillager, <br />
Minnesota) on Mothers' Day weekend for camping, horseback riding and camaraderie. My mother is one of these women. And, once my sister and I turned 21, we were able to go, too.<br />
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In the 13 years since I've been old enough to go, I haven't missed a single occurrence. I came close in 2011 – I only made it for the last ride on Sunday – but as long as I'm physically able this is a permanent weekend on my calendar.<br />
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This past spring the group was quite small – Minnesota weather hasn't been very cooperative this year – but we had fun nonetheless.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytXJQJ3J-gdU5gR7E7Lp0fnfJy4jJ7DYSVl3NCb7Uirrnh94HXT0pXtw4SUNDWXNIPp0_ze4GSdCX-HVQwxzlcBnTaEvBxxnXKwu5IBQ8LSrOwheOSwGS6J-bxVMZkJ8ZkDC0tg/s1600/weed+stalk+things+with+white+balls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytXJQJ3J-gdU5gR7E7Lp0fnfJy4jJ7DYSVl3NCb7Uirrnh94HXT0pXtw4SUNDWXNIPp0_ze4GSdCX-HVQwxzlcBnTaEvBxxnXKwu5IBQ8LSrOwheOSwGS6J-bxVMZkJ8ZkDC0tg/s200/weed+stalk+things+with+white+balls.jpg" width="200" /></a>We come from all over the state – I drive up from St. Paul, some ladies come from Bemidji, some from Brainerd and Nisswa, and my sister (when she can make it) <br />
comes from the west side of the metro. Most people come for Friday through Sunday afternoon, but Mom and I get there on Thursday.<br />
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<b>Thursday</b><br />
<i>Temperature: cloudy, in the 50s.</i><br />
I met Mom at the campground around noon to help set up camp. Mom got her choice of camping spots and we unloaded the horses (Joon, Will & Murphy). Then we set about putting out the "lawn," attaching the clamps on the picket lines, putting up the awning, etc.<br />
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A bit later my Mom's friend Laurie got there and we headed out for an hour-and-a-half ride. While Murphy has been to Pillager once before – last fall for a day-ride – I was pleased at how well he did in a "new" place with strange sounds (there's a gun range about a ½ mile away and someone was not only using a semi-automatic, but periodically shooting off what sounded like a cannon).<br />
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Mom's friend Patty came that afternoon with her camper and her poodle (Teddy) to hang with us. Laurie had cooked dinner for us: yummy chili and cornbread. Right when we were ready to dish up my bestie from high school showed up with her two kids to hang out with the horses and have a beer. I don't get to see her very often anymore, so it was great to catch up a bit and give her horse-crazy daughter some <br />
much-needed equine time :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_YE9yvtEvSMr7-phinLVmQVoQL4zlu8D6WFQ57KXm6IRbLzKTf-9hRQZAkx7dj8LU6FdcRZ3Fw2TuhhX_q-LWyO_eMue30vFR2c_0HNEHjnWryx6oAcaiAohiCx_58pkSUzYWg/s1600/lauras-kids-with-joon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_YE9yvtEvSMr7-phinLVmQVoQL4zlu8D6WFQ57KXm6IRbLzKTf-9hRQZAkx7dj8LU6FdcRZ3Fw2TuhhX_q-LWyO_eMue30vFR2c_0HNEHjnWryx6oAcaiAohiCx_58pkSUzYWg/s200/lauras-kids-with-joon.jpg" width="200" /></a>Joon was perfect with the kids – calm and quiet – and taught them how to give a horse a treat. She's so polite and no matter how many goodies she gets fed, always takes them with her lips very gently. Murphy, on the other hand...well, let's just say I found out it's better not to give him any treats. Naughty!<br />
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After some pictures and chatting, she and the kids headed out and we ate our hot chili. Then we got the horses settled for the evening – winter blankets, grain, fresh hay bags and a drink of water – and I wandered over to one of the other campsites to talk to a fellow horse-lover while Mom, Patty & Laurie played Mah Jongg.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBW0Qdqp7qcBF0FvWBW0038sOG8pjHPXTysIs-KEOdTUnJSQjJ2qlqLHez7DEvxDmUe96GBSRZSZRIzTVMJKkqIptAlCeE2nQTe2Zkes7xkyX4rbxLc8t3Jvxwh4qAQ-w5c3qUQ/s1600/appaloosa+hat+trick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBW0Qdqp7qcBF0FvWBW0038sOG8pjHPXTysIs-KEOdTUnJSQjJ2qlqLHez7DEvxDmUe96GBSRZSZRIzTVMJKkqIptAlCeE2nQTe2Zkes7xkyX4rbxLc8t3Jvxwh4qAQ-w5c3qUQ/s200/appaloosa+hat+trick.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Said fellow had a big leopard appaloosa and a HUGE male German shepherd named Blackie. He said he's always had shepherds and after he named the first one "Blackie" he liked the name so much every dog since then has borne the same.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOhnOZ9_M1PV4J2p6fUU9eXxW97ZfkWGQ3E_7S5v_OEdbiJsWg11GvTcnOXSxKQkLmDesfVX5GYN2o7ku8qzBD58IVSj-e37kVnBYeN5O3w51w2lW2VV3BxIeKVG-6o-cXyDoow/s1600/blackie+the+german+shepherd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAOhnOZ9_M1PV4J2p6fUU9eXxW97ZfkWGQ3E_7S5v_OEdbiJsWg11GvTcnOXSxKQkLmDesfVX5GYN2o7ku8qzBD58IVSj-e37kVnBYeN5O3w51w2lW2VV3BxIeKVG-6o-cXyDoow/s200/blackie+the+german+shepherd.jpg" width="200" /></a>He's an interesting guy with lots of stories – he travels a lot with his horse, his dog, his camper and his 4-wheel buggy. He switches off riding & driving the horse, who seems solid as a rock. He also showed me the app's favorite trick: retrieving his hat. It was a fun evening hanging <br />
out with him!<br />
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After that, I hung out in the camper with the Mah Jongg ladies for a bit, but was too sleepy to last long...I was in bed by 9pm, I think!<br />
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<b>Friday</b><br />
<i>Temperature: when I got up at 6:30, there was a bit of frost on my blanket and ice on all the water buckets. It warmed up quickly and turned out to be a sunny day in the 50s.</i><br />
I cleaned the stalls, watered and fed the horses, then took Zada & Tesa for a 2-mile hike along the dirt road. Max arrived early in the morning (8am-ish, I believe) and Mom's friend MFS wasn't far behind. After some (more) coffee and chit-chatting, we saddled up and headed out for our morning ride.<br />
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For some reason or other, as we were heading out Max looked over and said, "where does THAT trail go?" Mom says, "Hmm...I don't know!" Keep in mind Mom has been riding in this state forest for 30 years. No clue how we'd missed this "new" trail but we took it and had a lovely 2-hour ride.<br />
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At one point we were in some pretty thick mud and the horses were a tad stumbly over some fallen logs – not sure if that's where it happened or not, but Murphy ended up a tad lame. A couple times in the last half hour I thought he seemed tender-footed but couldn't quite tell (we were on a grass trail) but as soon as we got back to the dirt road I knew something was wrong, he was definitely favoring a front foot...yup, he'd lost a shoe. Good ol' Murphy's Law!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyV7csclVgTO-u_DOwtK89EqepLYe-WQ9NrZTSAPca2tTGQOZQJrch3pwSMGk1pQLsq8SfRsQE8izM6Pcd_F5XdoWW9kl1ws7nBKIqqQXM7B1jaNafTtUGCDHDjH4exGxaRTXgtg/s1600/horseback-riding-in-pillsbury-state-forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyV7csclVgTO-u_DOwtK89EqepLYe-WQ9NrZTSAPca2tTGQOZQJrch3pwSMGk1pQLsq8SfRsQE8izM6Pcd_F5XdoWW9kl1ws7nBKIqqQXM7B1jaNafTtUGCDHDjH4exGxaRTXgtg/s200/horseback-riding-in-pillsbury-state-forest.jpg" width="139" /></a>I hopped off and walked him the rest of the way (only about a mile) and was pretty bummed – would I be able to ride at all the rest of the weekend?<br />
<br />
Back at camp, Mom pulled out her emergency (horse) boot, but we realized it's more of a medicinal/soaking boot; not something to be worn for any length of time...then MFS came to the rescue: she loaned me her <a href="http://www.easycareinc.com/our_boots/easyboot_glove/Easyboot_glove.aspx" target="_blank">Easyboot Glove</a>. We tried it on Murphy and while it wasn't a perfect fit, we vet-wrapped over the velcro to <br />
ensure it'd stay firmly in place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Y3PFdgz2pfci7c40HnPMfSetTWxdy4MC_YcSXf-Ei8BBtVLIsU1epZG7DAY7AurSyLgnv0rGvVhZNjhKEA5htBEyJzA57R5nxcdc-ftCRsdRQyvQrofRJqLeJethpVKz0Oroig/s1600/easyboot-glove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Y3PFdgz2pfci7c40HnPMfSetTWxdy4MC_YcSXf-Ei8BBtVLIsU1epZG7DAY7AurSyLgnv0rGvVhZNjhKEA5htBEyJzA57R5nxcdc-ftCRsdRQyvQrofRJqLeJethpVKz0Oroig/s200/easyboot-glove.jpg" width="180" /></a>After lunch, we headed out for another hour and a half ride. I was wary about the Easyboot, and for the first 45 minutes kept looking down to make sure it was still on – it was. Not only that; we ended up on a portion of trail that they'd logged but not cleared, so while we fumbled about in the clear cut area, trying to find our way back to the trail, the horses were essentially walking on downed trees and logs. Not only did the boot stay on Murphy's foot; Murphy himself went where I asked him to go, calmly and without hesitation. My pride soared :)<br />
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Around the time we got back it was time for happy hour...and guess who showed up? Grandma Madge! She surprised us all by joining us. Patty had built a nice fire so we sat around it and had munchies and wine (sweet bitch!). Mom & Patty treated us to a lovely dinner: Swiss chicken and sweet Italian pasta. Max made a fresh salad that was much-needed to balance all the carbs and meat we'd been consuming!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ntRPtDPlxGVp8ofwrKkQWoSwfR0m61TxPmfPxVyY8A_HfADo0INqf56uiQLmYXdvNcKoDwFQ1ed6YQMxZ1gOG3AmjFtfnJJtnSM0-zv5lqEIfp8FjEZvSPt8lgKuUWP7kJUzDg/s1600/sweet-bitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ntRPtDPlxGVp8ofwrKkQWoSwfR0m61TxPmfPxVyY8A_HfADo0INqf56uiQLmYXdvNcKoDwFQ1ed6YQMxZ1gOG3AmjFtfnJJtnSM0-zv5lqEIfp8FjEZvSPt8lgKuUWP7kJUzDg/s200/sweet-bitch.jpg" width="200" /></a>After dinner, Grandma Madge & Laurie left (Max's sister was supposed to come for the rest of the weekend to ride Will). Put the horses to bed and then ourselves...everyone was tired!<br />
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<b>Saturday</b><br />
<i>The night didn't feel as cold as the previous one but the ice on the buckets this morning was VERY thick – I had to use the handle of the pitchfork to break through. Ended up sunny but only in the 40s and VERY windy.</i><br />
Got up a bit later today (7am, I think), did chores and took the dogs for a quick constitutional. Then it was time for a mug of steaming hot coffee (with Reddi Whip, of course) to warm up.<br />
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Laurie came back with a trailer to bring Will back home, since Max's sister was a no-show. That way Mom wouldn't have to pony him along the trail. Also, another gal (Judy) came to join us that morning with her 5-year-old Quarter horse (Bob).<br />
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Put the boot back on Murphy and we headed out for a ride. While it wasn't too bad in the woods and the horses were good, it was so incredibly windy we could barely hear each other and had to yell to be heard. Out in the open the wind was so forceful and brisk it was hard to do anything but burrow into our warm coats.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TW_DeXjo8pzuJNEDiO5GXlOMh6x6e2eCUEQw4pGB0igp-nL2ASfdkH1tr8muy1HOnCIOitQBHNkO_au5i9HmtfNEUe49HwHJMCQ_3Nz3RZXpPL1UpS0xrvEdiXhY3lCKC96Sug/s1600/zada-in-a-pond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TW_DeXjo8pzuJNEDiO5GXlOMh6x6e2eCUEQw4pGB0igp-nL2ASfdkH1tr8muy1HOnCIOitQBHNkO_au5i9HmtfNEUe49HwHJMCQ_3Nz3RZXpPL1UpS0xrvEdiXhY3lCKC96Sug/s200/zada-in-a-pond.jpg" width="200" /></a>I unsaddled Murph when we got back to camp – I wasn't crazy about heading out again in the afternoon <br />
with that wind. After lunch Mom's farrier Ricky came to put a new shoe on Murphy...I was SO grateful he could make a special trip out to do that for me. He wasn't going to charge me but I gave him a check anyway.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPGRggyj3r6wZSJp_mC-rhDKRS1h1pI9-M8df3vkujTgetEamlkmZUlK7wHDiiaoQ6cX5wvOt5VR7ikTILaGz6iQ5BTTGg5vOnygXqND3FubkIb87RYmrn7o7JhIVhx57tqVxiA/s1600/amys-trail-pillsbury-state-forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPGRggyj3r6wZSJp_mC-rhDKRS1h1pI9-M8df3vkujTgetEamlkmZUlK7wHDiiaoQ6cX5wvOt5VR7ikTILaGz6iQ5BTTGg5vOnygXqND3FubkIb87RYmrn7o7JhIVhx57tqVxiA/s200/amys-trail-pillsbury-state-forest.jpg" width="133" /></a>Turns out no one wanted to go out for another ride so we blanketed the horses and gave them some extra hay to munch while we chatted inside the motor home. I got a tad antsy after a while and decided it was time to take the dogs for a long hike (I needed to burn some calories!). I brought along my SLR to get some shots.<br />
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I ended up taking the same trail my sister did years ago when she wanted to take her dog for a 45-minute hike one trip...earning the trail her namesake (Dad put up the sign just last year, I think). Turns out I was gone for about 2½ hours! We figured I probably went for about a 10-mile hike...let me tell you, both the dogs and<br />
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I were pooped.<br />
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Of course, when I got back the ladies were still happily ensconced within the warm camper, just chatting away. Frankly, I don't think they noticed how long I was gone. I told Mom where I'd gone, and of course after the 1st turn she said, "Sariah, you should've taken a RIGHT there; not a LEFT!" I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Well, I was following the dogs...I knew they'd eventually lead me back to camp!"<br />
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Which they did, of course...they just took the route we take when we're on horseback and we WANT to be out for a couple of hours :)<br />
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That night it was my turn to provide dinner: pulled pork sandwiches with homemade coleslaw. I asked Max's advice on the dressing and after mixing it to her approval we were ready to eat. We ate in the motor home that evening; it was still pretty chilly.<br />
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After dinner MFS told us she was going to head home to her family...we were sad to see her go – she'd been a great addition to our ride!<br />
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Got the horses all tucked in and turned in to read for a bit before lights out.<br />
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<b>Sunday</b><br />
<i>Not nearly as cold overnight – no ice on the buckets this morning. Ended up being sunny, in the 50s and no wind. PERFECT day for riding!</i><br />
Up early for chores and a quick dog walk. Then breakfast and coffee...it was so beautiful out we were rarin' to go out for our morning ride.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_C-lpvizjvMNwmv09CTzpInF7b8nqpr3-8VoUje6xY33dIIuA4Bc6wtruCu9WW74qRsgXeJnyDc_mtAl1fc4P6vPONQyE6Ecu5u_rMAhBd1JJNSSVxBpJtfcnIu4YAmqV4yjWA/s1600/candid-horseback-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_C-lpvizjvMNwmv09CTzpInF7b8nqpr3-8VoUje6xY33dIIuA4Bc6wtruCu9WW74qRsgXeJnyDc_mtAl1fc4P6vPONQyE6Ecu5u_rMAhBd1JJNSSVxBpJtfcnIu4YAmqV4yjWA/s200/candid-horseback-photo.jpg" width="150" /></a>We rode for about 2 hours in the morning and came back for lunch. Judy left after we ate and then it was just Mom, Max and I. We headed back out on the trail for another couple of hours and had another wonderful ride. Good horses, happy dogs, good chats.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs44SO3T39TgpLsLiVeHI64Rch96516gu9VD6_dSa1PJLaJSGRtuQQIZdTShi5WirqeZr0qEfeHY4k5EldydNouHUerxP85P8UCvCOmvkj2y6_nRBUI1Brh7ouSV6xVYa-dPkwCw/s1600/spring-girls-ride-group-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs44SO3T39TgpLsLiVeHI64Rch96516gu9VD6_dSa1PJLaJSGRtuQQIZdTShi5WirqeZr0qEfeHY4k5EldydNouHUerxP85P8UCvCOmvkj2y6_nRBUI1Brh7ouSV6xVYa-dPkwCw/s200/spring-girls-ride-group-2013.jpg" width="200" /></a>It was sad to unsaddle for the last time; all good things must come to an end. We packed up camp with the sunshine on our shoulders – we could finally wear t-shirts! – and headed home. We all had a great weekend of riding and I was so proud of how my Murphy had performed...just like an old champ.<br />
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It'll be another year until the spring version of Girls' Ride, but we've got a fall <br />
version, too. I'm looking forward to that AND to our Out West trip (Medora). More horsey adventures to come :)<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-15477185373962433102013-04-01T06:01:00.000-05:002013-04-01T07:57:19.530-05:00April Fools' Day 2013: Google NoseGoogle sure nose how to pull a good April Fools' Day prank. And The Google doesn't just stick to one form of tom foolery; oftentimes there are <a href="http://searchengineland.com/google-april-fools-day-2013-153983" target="_blank">several pranks</a> floating about for people to find.<br />
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One such prank for 2013 April fools is <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/nose/" target="_blank">Google Nose</a> (in beta). They're calling it "the new <i>scent</i>sation of search." You know how I love a good pun :)<br />
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Perform any search on The Google today and along with the traditional search verticals you'll find "Nose" as one of your options.<br />
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Good stuff!<br />
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Of course, this isn't news, per se...since Australia's in the future they've already been experiencing Google April Fools' Day for hours and hours now.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-45626896646851783582013-01-30T15:24:00.003-06:002013-01-30T15:26:49.832-06:00All-Knowing Google? Or Coincidence?One of my Facebook friends posted that they were located at Los Muertos beach in Puerto Vallarta (of course, having just come back home from there, I grew instantly jealous and happy at the same time).<br />
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It got me to thinking of how Los Muertos beach got its name – and I couldn't quite remember the details, so thought I'd look it up. Well, the one place I KNOW I've read of the history of this Puerto Vallarta beach is on my parents' condo website (on the <a href="http://puertovallartabeachfrontcondo.com/puerto-vallarta-history.htm" target="_blank">History of Puerto Vallarta</a> page, of course). I typed the website address directly into a new tab of my Chrome browser and navigated to said page to read about it (again).<br />
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Then I thought, I wonder what The Google will show me when I search for it? So I performed a search for "los muertos beach puerto vallarta."<br />
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After scrolling through the first page results I glanced down at the related searches list...and gasped:<br />
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"View ANOTHER Puerto Vallarta vacation condo rental" ??? How'd you know I was even looking at a vacation rental? A lot of times Google will throw in related search queries or "related to" items after you've already searched something, but in this case, I didn't search! </div>
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Curious.</div>
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But, of course then I realized how Google knew: </div>
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Even though I hadn't searched for a condo rental in Puerto Vallarta, what I'd done was opened up a new tab and typed the address to my parents' condo website in directly (yes, they rent it out); then when I "left" that website I typed Google directly into the address bar and performed a (related) search.</div>
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Now, here's the kicker – did Google really "know" where I'd been or is it just coincidence? I was signed into my Google account, after all...is Google more "aware" of what you're doing and therefore will show me more relevant material?</div>
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I tried the search again after signing out...I still get that "related to" list item, but I've never seen that verbiage before in the related searches area.<br />
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Mystery? Coincidence? Or does Google just really know THAT much about what we're thinking and what we're doing on the WWW?</div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-82118747708780480472013-01-03T14:36:00.002-06:002013-01-16T07:23:09.646-06:00Don't Use Dale Blomquist. Get a Real Farrier!It's now been six weeks since my gelding, Murphy, had his feet butchered – oops, I mean trimmed – by Dale Blomquist, a farrier in North Branch, Minnesota.<br />
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You can read the start of the whole story as to why I had a <a href="http://sarahbernier.blogspot.com/2012/11/farrier-trimmed-hooves-too-short.html">lame horse after a hoof trim</a> but suffice it to say this "farrier" hacked my horse's hooves so short – and at horrible, mismatched angles – that he was dead lame on both front feet for weeks.<br />
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My gelding's getting better, but it's a long, slow process: he's on stall rest and getting Bute every single day. I've recently started letting him out into a small, unused portion of the pasture, so the snow isn't packed down and hard. He's still lame on his right front (his club foot) but <b><i>IS </i></b>moving much better...<br />
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SIX WEEKS after a hoof "trim" by Dale Blomquist. Why on earth is my horse still lame?<br />
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I grew up with horses, so this ain't my first rodeo. Way back when we had a farrier who'd trim our horses too short and they'd be gimpy/tender-footed for about 3 days after every trim. We got rid of him (and now refer to him as "Larry the Butcher")...so compared to THAT, this hoof trim hack job is beyond my scope of ever reasoning with this quack of a farrier ever again, no matter how many people said – at the beginning of this entire debacle – "give him another chance."<br />
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Even considering that this farrier pulled Murphy's shoes for the season and then it sleeted and the ground froze two days later...there's NO reason this horse should be lame for so long, except he was cut MUCH too short.<br />
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Another note about the angles of Murphy's hooves – the last time I had the vet out, she even mentioned that his feet were <b>a)</b> still very short (even for 5 weeks out; she said the farrier probably stunted the hoof growth by trimming the hooves far too short) and <b>b)</b> at vastly different angles to one another. She got out her hoof gauge and while Murphy's left front was at 55°, his right front (the club foot, which doesn't grow as much toe) was at 60°!<br />
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You can clearly see the <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?start=288&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&biw=1366&bih=643&tbs=isz:l&tbm=isch&tbnid=hiZj_5z760WTZM:&imgrefurl=http://sarahbernier.blogspot.com/&docid=gd-4v4-caareVM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGv_HIJ6Sw9R1PvuRc6o93IfMK9hE3eKFxNmzFO9S98x8JC2fG_xSPHMPLWhxLX1Tc49LMKvLNL9HRSNdYVwkugL2QrkEK8tq4r-yThj0DUmVA223kvgirD9Y0ZMJRqYYddfZ2w/s1600/horse-hoof-casts.jpg&w=1490&h=929&ei=1qDfUMfCKuyA0AHt7YGQCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=335&vpy=193&dur=5032&hovh=177&hovw=284&tx=227&ty=109&sig=115829854237939239006&page=12&tbnh=135&tbnw=204&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:97,s:200,i:295" target="_blank">difference in hoof angles</a> in the picture (3 days after the trim), so it's not as though his hoof is growing out at that weird angle. Dale had taken off so much toe and left so much heel that Murphy was practically tip-toeing on that right front hoof. While I understand a slight variation between hooves is normal, I do NOT accept a five-degree difference; especially when the hoof that was at much too steep of an angle was his club foot!<br /><br />Even MORE importantly, I had shown Dale the x-rays of Murphy's feet – given to me by the previous owner; they were taken 2 years ago of both front feet when they were worried about his club foot – but this "farrier" obviously has no knowledge of what a horse's bone structure should be, since Murphy's club foot also has a deviation in the coffin bone. Also in this x-ray, it was clearly laid out how he should be trimmed: less heel, a certain angle, etc. All the information was right there on the x-ray. And yet Mr. Blomquist STILL hacked off Murphy's club foot hoof to the point where I'm thinking the coffin bone had virtually NO sole underneath it.<br />
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Thankfully my vet had a pair of nippers in her truck so she carefully trimmed Murphy's heels to at least be even (she got them both to 52° in less than 3 minutes) and take pressure off his toes. The next day he was a tad sore from the stretch in his tendons, but a couple days later he was trotting around in his pen – the first I'd really seen him move "freely" since the hoof trim in November.<br />
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SO, not only did this farrier (Dale Blomquist) chop my horse's hooves beyond too short; he couldn't even get them even close to the correct angles – completely ignoring (or totally ignorant of) the x-rays I showed him minutes before the trim. PLUS, he'd told me before he trimmed my horse that he himself had a mare with a club foot so he was very familiar with club feet and how to trim them.<br />
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Evidently not.<br />
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You can read different details and more of <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/dale-blomquist-farrier-north-branch#hrid:MuA8fyhqlmCUuRJDh-QVhA" target="_blank">why NOT to use Dale Blomquist as your farrier</a>, but in short, don't let this man anywhere near your horse – this is not the first time something like this has happened (to my knowledge it's happened to 3 other horses at the same barn: the miniature horse that was trimmed immediately before mine was dead lame on all 4 feet for three weeks afterwards). If you don't want a lame horse, choose a real farrier to do the job right.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-58175321455995676042012-11-24T08:44:00.002-06:002012-11-24T08:45:08.598-06:00Should My Horse be Lame After a Hoof Trim?My life has changed quite a bit since I got my new horse, <a href="http://sarahbernier.blogspot.com/2012/09/whata-dandy-life.html">Whata Dandy Life</a> (aka "Murphy"), at the beginning of October. Decisions had to be made: where to board him? how do I choose a vet and farrier? do I send him for finishing or attempt to do it myself? which kind of horsemanship do I want to practice?<br />
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Well, the decision of where to board him was fairly easy...I toured one place (<a href="http://www.lakeviewfarm.us/" target="_blank">Lakeview Farm</a>) and then cancelled all my other appointments. After all, where else would I be able to find a 200-acre farm with a 40-acre pasture for Murphy to roam around in that also had trails on site?<br />
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On to the next step: choosing a farrier. Murphy's got a club foot (his right front) and also had torn off a chunk of that hoof earlier this summer stomping at flies (it was a very dry season). The last couple times I'd been out to the barn I noticed he was a bit lame tracking to the right in the round pen, so I made an appointment with the farrier used there.<br />
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I'd met this man before and had only heard good things from other boarders, plus he mentioned he has a mare with a club foot so I was reassured.<br />
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Then the assumptions started: I assumed he knew I wanted Murphy's shoes – he had them on his front feet only – pulled for the winter (our horses have always gone barefoot in the winter months). He assumed since the horse had front shoes he was putting shoes back on. I didn't notice what was happening until he started fitting Murphy for a shoe...so I told him no, we're not putting shoes back on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGv_HIJ6Sw9R1PvuRc6o93IfMK9hE3eKFxNmzFO9S98x8JC2fG_xSPHMPLWhxLX1Tc49LMKvLNL9HRSNdYVwkugL2QrkEK8tq4r-yThj0DUmVA223kvgirD9Y0ZMJRqYYddfZ2w/s1600/horse-hoof-casts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGv_HIJ6Sw9R1PvuRc6o93IfMK9hE3eKFxNmzFO9S98x8JC2fG_xSPHMPLWhxLX1Tc49LMKvLNL9HRSNdYVwkugL2QrkEK8tq4r-yThj0DUmVA223kvgirD9Y0ZMJRqYYddfZ2w/s200/horse-hoof-casts.jpg" width="200" /></a>He apologized and said he assumed we were and he "took liberties and trimmed him for shoes." I was taken aback a bit; I didn't know there was a difference when trimming hooves. The farrier then mentioned maybe we should cast him. Confused, I asked "Why would we need to do that?"<br />
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"Because he might be a bit tender," he replied. Still puzzled, I told him I didn't think putting casts on his hooves would be necessary – after all, our horses aren't sore after getting their hooves trimmed, and I didn't want to spend the extra money "just because." That was on Tuesday afternoon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5SZkVqE7_asEJyjxiEaBheoIWlJr_a9xQlxTmvXNvxNORrunsrITXJuR7AwYpLJ6l9RFnhpONQLv_In4UkI4movUAtc6L0-ayjfQtBbnPzOXqAoEjoPbgBDaqpg3kMnHP1ATqA/s1600/bottom-of-hoof-in-cast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5SZkVqE7_asEJyjxiEaBheoIWlJr_a9xQlxTmvXNvxNORrunsrITXJuR7AwYpLJ6l9RFnhpONQLv_In4UkI4movUAtc6L0-ayjfQtBbnPzOXqAoEjoPbgBDaqpg3kMnHP1ATqA/s200/bottom-of-hoof-in-cast.jpg" width="200" /></a>Turns out I should've listened to the farrier's suggestion. I went out to the barn yesterday on a whim – it was pretty cold so I hadn't planned on making the journey up there – to maybe shoot some images of the horses in the snow and go hiking in the woods. I decided to get Murphy out to brush the ice off him (it had sleeted/snowed the night before) and maybe putz around with him and do some groundwork.<br />
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Well, he was dead lame on BOTH front feet. Shocked, I slowly walked him to the arena while he hobbled behind me...I was so confused and then I got mad: why on EARTH was this horse THIS lame three days after being trimmed? Yes, the ground was now frozen, but still...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGd_YLo-6HVw4iQ5eOzX_IiFwQoKdhIzGolyzwy8FriAYLgr0Fhy8r-lwaq4D4LnDDZMYxQ-SX3aHHnNYmcuDs7VSL92SsJnUtBowQOFSRyp2jALpufgUeiRYvi21FQEHjwqy6A/s1600/murphy-behind-bars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGd_YLo-6HVw4iQ5eOzX_IiFwQoKdhIzGolyzwy8FriAYLgr0Fhy8r-lwaq4D4LnDDZMYxQ-SX3aHHnNYmcuDs7VSL92SsJnUtBowQOFSRyp2jALpufgUeiRYvi21FQEHjwqy6A/s200/murphy-behind-bars.jpg" width="200" /></a>I had the barn owner call the farrier, who said he'd come right out. Of course he put casts on him but my poor horse was still tender-footed, even on the soft arena dirt (and after 2 clicks of Bute). The farrier did only charge me for materials, and this could've been just a simple miscommunication, but I'm still not convinced this is the farrier I want working on Murphy.<br />
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My poor horse is now confined to a stall (the farrier said he needs to remain on soft/unfrozen ground for a couple days) and is un-ridable...and I'm left wondering what to do about this situation. The question is: should a horse be lame three days after getting his hooves trimmed?<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-44213148400106080422012-11-11T10:10:00.000-06:002012-11-21T14:08:06.591-06:00Bonding With Murphy<h4>
Just another horsin' around post...</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qnCSHU7dM-xYuzoIkmfW0Hh5O-cWDdxO4hDjiKs-dv46yoWvjzIioBBnCGDH2CTmDEP-NBVFOoofgvUeuMESUC-crfp1UCDySBuNKlGhUzl9ybbMwvnHXpAc0y9349Khl7q93w/s1600/self-portrait-with-my-horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qnCSHU7dM-xYuzoIkmfW0Hh5O-cWDdxO4hDjiKs-dv46yoWvjzIioBBnCGDH2CTmDEP-NBVFOoofgvUeuMESUC-crfp1UCDySBuNKlGhUzl9ybbMwvnHXpAc0y9349Khl7q93w/s200/self-portrait-with-my-horse.jpg" width="160" /></a>While yesterday started out with iffy weather – cloudy & raining in the morning – it turned into an absolutely gorgeous afternoon: low 60s and sunny. After taking Zada on an hour-long walk around Lake Como, I changed into riding clothes – it was the perfect November day to head out to see my horse, of course :) – and zipped up to Hugo to Lakeview Farm.<br />
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I was hoping to latch onto anyone who was heading out on the trails, since I haven't been out on them yet (minus the first day when Marla gave me a 4-wheeler ride at break-neck speed). There wasn't anyone around when I got there, however, so I decided to work Murphy for a bit in the round pen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mYf0C98K3htTRsPYZ-uTnlaikWbsMF_A7YOsg_XsYKln1w5o7Unjpte4UNq41fk4x9L1tC23RrsBlvifFG2Hwr5q40bcTGKBhgG5x_BsuOsv95IyDdCDgImlPzCAas7s4700fA/s1600/horse-and-human-reflections-on-red-barn-wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mYf0C98K3htTRsPYZ-uTnlaikWbsMF_A7YOsg_XsYKln1w5o7Unjpte4UNq41fk4x9L1tC23RrsBlvifFG2Hwr5q40bcTGKBhgG5x_BsuOsv95IyDdCDgImlPzCAas7s4700fA/s200/horse-and-human-reflections-on-red-barn-wall.jpg" width="200" /></a>However, I noticed right away in the round pen he was a bit lame – I couldn't tell on which leg, at first, but since it was to the right it was his front right (club) foot with the crack. Disappointed but with spirits still high I finished tacking him up and headed out to the huge outdoor arena (150ft x 250ft) where a few girls were riding their horses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FSh9482t1wm13Mij2A30tlIKN3hH0N2a1oEf6qBbzMxzL54dqpuSLq20O3xZWfSzzC5HxowoqvTMVt7bhjdJdDjV8_9XX1CKz52aydM0Wzv4hWWiKAXcYdphY8ed0QJQT2Wzkg/s1600/horse-grazing-at-sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FSh9482t1wm13Mij2A30tlIKN3hH0N2a1oEf6qBbzMxzL54dqpuSLq20O3xZWfSzzC5HxowoqvTMVt7bhjdJdDjV8_9XX1CKz52aydM0Wzv4hWWiKAXcYdphY8ed0QJQT2Wzkg/s200/horse-grazing-at-sunset.jpg" width="200" /></a>He was just fine at the walk, and after a little warm-up I asked him to trot and he was fine. I even ended up loping both ways and he never put a foot wrong – of course, the huge area meant he wasn't going in small circles, so that helped.<br />
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At one point the girls all left and I debated going with them – after all, Murphy and I are new in our relationship & I wasn't quite sure how this 4-year-old would react to being left behind. While he was very interested in where the other horses were going, he still listened to me and didn't neigh or act out...what a good boy :)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPhTOZqFmxgrOipSsQZrKPolU94qRg-_t7TFXIEBtdCKH74vzaLi-njiANIrSUcJBJUurMilXw0u5IH_Rf75uGfh16FoSmorrFhP6lA8Jtn_HldGoVSf8oSa-I9g1emNWmAVPAQ/s1600/sunset-through-horse's-legs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPhTOZqFmxgrOipSsQZrKPolU94qRg-_t7TFXIEBtdCKH74vzaLi-njiANIrSUcJBJUurMilXw0u5IH_Rf75uGfh16FoSmorrFhP6lA8Jtn_HldGoVSf8oSa-I9g1emNWmAVPAQ/s200/sunset-through-horse's-legs.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
I didn't work him long – I didn't want to stress his leg – and he was a bit sweaty from the warm temps so we headed back to the stable (it's about a 5-8 minute ride just to get out there...maybe slower on the way OUT, away from the barn :).<br />
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When I got back there were several people and horses at the hitching rail so I just sat on Murphy, taking in the scenes and waiting for my turn; frankly I was just enjoying the beautiful day and being on my horse!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDjUezyGEAV2HX5CBhhvdvHehq3_a-eiJi8HfHtKicQHkvl7eihshH-5M8VjVVhE3qe9WVb1VfmlbPhtxXOiw2PwJgqS8sm7cgF5RM6RviZGi7n6ORFS7g_htxw1x908HloDJoA/s1600/silhouette-of-horse-at-sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDjUezyGEAV2HX5CBhhvdvHehq3_a-eiJi8HfHtKicQHkvl7eihshH-5M8VjVVhE3qe9WVb1VfmlbPhtxXOiw2PwJgqS8sm7cgF5RM6RviZGi7n6ORFS7g_htxw1x908HloDJoA/s200/silhouette-of-horse-at-sunset.jpg" width="200" /></a>After untacking him – and a good rub-down with the curry comb – I decided I wasn't quite ready to let go of the day yet so I let him graze and nibble stray grain while I took some shots with my point-and-shoot camera and chatted with a few of the other boarders.<br />
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It was a lovely afternoon and I'm so thankful I was able to enjoy it on the back (and at the side) of my horse.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-16217965739270383082012-11-04T19:11:00.003-06:002012-11-04T19:21:19.239-06:00Murphy Moves to Lakeview Farm<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsYm0X0z68ujFoSRX3RSaarzoca7ofeq54exb-47lcZYVbmdF0sIQHsBp85TesRauM8p39azNziWvRaJFolZZz1Pp-B60B6AQFTlB6_PjFfhgeVLc0rxLkRBPkGlzrwcu7seAWA/s1600/horses+meeting+for+the+first+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsYm0X0z68ujFoSRX3RSaarzoca7ofeq54exb-47lcZYVbmdF0sIQHsBp85TesRauM8p39azNziWvRaJFolZZz1Pp-B60B6AQFTlB6_PjFfhgeVLc0rxLkRBPkGlzrwcu7seAWA/s200/horses+meeting+for+the+first+time.jpg" width="200" /></a>Today was the big day – Mom hauled Murphy down to Hugo, Minnesota and we introduced him to his new home: Lakeview Farm.<br />
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I've never boarded a horse before – I've always mooched off my parents and kept my gelding up in the Brainerd Lakes Area – so this was a big step for me. I had to find the right mix of "must-haves:" pasture board with a lot of room to roam; a laid-back environment; indoor/outdoor arena; access to trail riding and (hopefully) the ability to bring my <a href="http://sarahbernier.blogspot.com/2012/10/fall-dog-photos.html">beautiful German shepherd</a> with me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpsMcTp-XKzuaYgTVNaXe9ZcuKuMoBuH1SsoeXwDvzp-re7aaBFShfHRYaevviHHCln3xylNlXz5tLk8VRqbKEaGh-EbfNQ7Ut1IjyICf6qRwyKIZVgi-5BM0LXMwwCRVC72UQg/s1600/bay+appendix+quarter+horse+gelding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpsMcTp-XKzuaYgTVNaXe9ZcuKuMoBuH1SsoeXwDvzp-re7aaBFShfHRYaevviHHCln3xylNlXz5tLk8VRqbKEaGh-EbfNQ7Ut1IjyICf6qRwyKIZVgi-5BM0LXMwwCRVC72UQg/s200/bay+appendix+quarter+horse+gelding.jpg" width="200" /></a>Enter <a href="http://www.lakeviewfarm.us/" target="_blank">Lakeview Farm</a> in Hugo, MN. Not only does it fit all my criteria; all the people I've met thus far (and I've met quite a few) are absolutely great. Very nice people who just love their horses and want to enjoy them to the fullest. Perfect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZloBoNmSP_VLOolM9U7iQRhf4wKtBJ3UcOPBKYH8-x2GfA2-lA9zrIPQEujRhmS5gOuEbF4Xwr1UAd_2oLtD_BV4p0dAg0iGvvjJvQrwnhlpV4CevHHJ4Qh_2w6xqXln6UUreKA/s1600/pony+&+german+shepherd+stand-off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZloBoNmSP_VLOolM9U7iQRhf4wKtBJ3UcOPBKYH8-x2GfA2-lA9zrIPQEujRhmS5gOuEbF4Xwr1UAd_2oLtD_BV4p0dAg0iGvvjJvQrwnhlpV4CevHHJ4Qh_2w6xqXln6UUreKA/s200/pony+&+german+shepherd+stand-off.jpg" width="200" /></a>Also, everyone who met Zada loved her today – except the paint pony in the gelding pasture (Poika), who didn't know WHAT to think of this weirdo dog with the big stick in her mouth – and she got along very well with the myriad of other dogs present.<br />
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Is it a big, fancy "show barn"? Nope. Do I care? Yup. As in, I did NOT want to be part of one of "those" stables. I plan on showing Murphy in open shows but the last thing I wanted was to be part of some snotty group of clicky ladies hell-bent on putting on a fashion show instead of just having fun with their horses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UHPyVZodB_Jg0fK5OIKhEEp21EhwbiV71H74PLtXQ0NBt0-oFtIqbJ-QOqgT5QrT4clXTxC3AsGDVw153xuoV58-TlXNu3Q1sFaLRKumdheyPnhXnB_SgC8JzFvGha8k2xzJdA/s1600/comfortable+enough+to+roll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UHPyVZodB_Jg0fK5OIKhEEp21EhwbiV71H74PLtXQ0NBt0-oFtIqbJ-QOqgT5QrT4clXTxC3AsGDVw153xuoV58-TlXNu3Q1sFaLRKumdheyPnhXnB_SgC8JzFvGha8k2xzJdA/s200/comfortable+enough+to+roll.jpg" width="200" /></a>He's now comfortably ensconced in his new pasture: it's "only" about ten acres but once he gets used to all the rest of the bachelor herd (aka The Geldings) he'll have approximately forty acres to run around in...which is exactly what I wanted for him. I believe horses need to be horses – and what horses inherently want to do is roam and graze and move freely, instead of being confined to a stall.<br />
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In fact, after I walked in with him (all the other geldings were out) and led him all around the fence line, I let him go and he just hung out, checking everything out with his ears. Then, after a couple of new friends had been introduced, he felt comfortable enough to roll.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgS59VqfrEOT3c5kJX2BobMIPSmRaigzYLIv3sXN6GSWmUTDhyVqWKcZ5hgMLDcxwNiFVGOzA8LzHnOP3Ls6VdNko1JfrP3ya50BD_X_b5Qx2jYMsoy6P1fFd97zyxoRcOhiB2g/s1600/say+hello+to+my+leetle+friend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgS59VqfrEOT3c5kJX2BobMIPSmRaigzYLIv3sXN6GSWmUTDhyVqWKcZ5hgMLDcxwNiFVGOzA8LzHnOP3Ls6VdNko1JfrP3ya50BD_X_b5Qx2jYMsoy6P1fFd97zyxoRcOhiB2g/s200/say+hello+to+my+leetle+friend.jpg" width="200" /></a>The owner of Lakeview Farm – Marla – is a hoot with a fabulous personality and a love of horses...well, of all animals, really. Her cat (only one of seven I've met), her dogs (a Doberman, an ancient border collie mix, some other spaniel breed and a giant golden retriever), and her horses are all very friendly and people-oriented animals. With 200 acres to roam around on, they truly live the good life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynaXUsCXWeYTMDrcsyFqyD7NyCwPbcXpTBogF2LIp6vwtm1eHJjQLZvffA4at78GiXj2aI9pMoYE5vFGqMoeV-aEDXruOAtNmifhH2ab4uOeA3A13FEd_RM4wdRqU3RyFdBM44A/s1600/bay+quarter+horse+portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynaXUsCXWeYTMDrcsyFqyD7NyCwPbcXpTBogF2LIp6vwtm1eHJjQLZvffA4at78GiXj2aI9pMoYE5vFGqMoeV-aEDXruOAtNmifhH2ab4uOeA3A13FEd_RM4wdRqU3RyFdBM44A/s200/bay+quarter+horse+portrait.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
In fact, as I sat here typing this evening I was thinking, "I wonder how Murphy's doing on his first night in a new place...?" For some reason I went upstairs and happened to see I'd missed a call. I checked my voicemail and lo and behold, it was Marla saying she'd just checked on Murphy and he was "eating at the round bale with a couple buddies and acting like Mr. Mellow..." she went on to say she thinks he's one of the easiest horses to integrate into the herd she's ever had.<br />
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What a good boy :) Can't wait to head out tomorrow and ride him around in the arenas and maybe on some of the trails on the property...so glad to have entered this "farm family"!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-28824797685841816642012-10-20T08:11:00.002-05:002012-10-20T08:11:36.981-05:00Fall Dog Photos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipc6T70RzeVxT8Ab_w2mwDbK98J0sbhQyrp610Of6k8vZzmNJIRPg32B_IzAI34Fiis8EoSPJhGJ8fFbjjeBPvq-QKAdIM8ESng-F207POLP30zE2DCFcG-m4rbXcQttuYtc6I-A/s1600/german+shepherd+in+sumac+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipc6T70RzeVxT8Ab_w2mwDbK98J0sbhQyrp610Of6k8vZzmNJIRPg32B_IzAI34Fiis8EoSPJhGJ8fFbjjeBPvq-QKAdIM8ESng-F207POLP30zE2DCFcG-m4rbXcQttuYtc6I-A/s200/german+shepherd+in+sumac+field.jpg" width="200" /></a>The other day when I got home from work I wasn't feeling very motivated to take Z on an hour-long walk. I figured we'd just stick to the parkway so she could be off-leash and feel like a country dog.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8g49jk9VUa-5iEatiYxmzKqVRIAfHGnoJVaTeeegAriop7ujR7aHz75UNyX2fRqtAtPXSpZuSKCfTU8wF8By36c8ThXz4v5FTxcDYvQNW4kElYAjYNBcD4U-90ANV_kwKr3WPOw/s1600/sable+german+shepherd+in+sumac+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8g49jk9VUa-5iEatiYxmzKqVRIAfHGnoJVaTeeegAriop7ujR7aHz75UNyX2fRqtAtPXSpZuSKCfTU8wF8By36c8ThXz4v5FTxcDYvQNW4kElYAjYNBcD4U-90ANV_kwKr3WPOw/s200/sable+german+shepherd+in+sumac+field.jpg" width="200" /></a>I hadn't walked that way in the daylight for weeks – it's part of our everyday morning walk but these days it's dark out until 7am – so I wasn't prepared for how beautiful it was. It seems almost everywhere else the leaves that still remain on the trees are sparse and everything is past its fall prime...but not where we walked that day!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAsrPylDDTKmMDH3psl7hmYHU3kz56yfa9RsknSdZR3LVcIx5-dlWkQ5WjhN4Rk6EJWQKWd-1b-d4k9YFkskVNPISeeLPf2Fya4WC6AR5FrBDWAge_aDQB4vUGzDE8Kc7nMkB5w/s1600/german+shepherd+portrait+with+yellow+birches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAsrPylDDTKmMDH3psl7hmYHU3kz56yfa9RsknSdZR3LVcIx5-dlWkQ5WjhN4Rk6EJWQKWd-1b-d4k9YFkskVNPISeeLPf2Fya4WC6AR5FrBDWAge_aDQB4vUGzDE8Kc7nMkB5w/s200/german+shepherd+portrait+with+yellow+birches.jpg" width="147" /></a>The birches were in their full yellow glory, and while the sumac plants had all lost their leaves, the berries were a rich, deep red. It had been a cloudy, somewhat gloomy day, but of course on our walk the sunshine peeked through the slate-blue clouds and lit up those yellow birches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03Zh5tgNsOV1Ie-VA7y8Cn4VspDCA9N79Pc5tchYwc4vd745VkW4gnRjoOzMgqRqFkaYBk2IvrZO54YFnGYoSMx7f4y_F7MH1mTKf8tcQySjh7xAa_B5IB5QtXKbF8CU2d0liTQ/s1600/sable+german+shepherd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03Zh5tgNsOV1Ie-VA7y8Cn4VspDCA9N79Pc5tchYwc4vd745VkW4gnRjoOzMgqRqFkaYBk2IvrZO54YFnGYoSMx7f4y_F7MH1mTKf8tcQySjh7xAa_B5IB5QtXKbF8CU2d0liTQ/s200/sable+german+shepherd.jpg" width="200" /></a>Immediately I mentally kicked myself for not bringing my camera. Of course, I can't let conditions like that slip past me so we headed back home and I got my big camera. Back I went up the parkway – again – with Zada bounding ahead, joyous, as if it were the first time that day :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelzxZG7OVUzvfuhPMOg6NYi9PEKxtZQchZpIJZf58J6YvpYgGFMar20eY8F8q9menFvyrz_FL3GdjTb0dkIjOHPapsVKbgzzqIJkpCFrxMefBh4pSsm253Imxvsp8wm7l6Y-bWw/s1600/zada+begs+me+to+throw+stick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelzxZG7OVUzvfuhPMOg6NYi9PEKxtZQchZpIJZf58J6YvpYgGFMar20eY8F8q9menFvyrz_FL3GdjTb0dkIjOHPapsVKbgzzqIJkpCFrxMefBh4pSsm253Imxvsp8wm7l6Y-bWw/s200/zada+begs+me+to+throw+stick.jpg" width="200" /></a>She always likes to carry a stick with her so after she pulled a good candidate out of the woods I proceeded to use that as my "carrot" – she's a dog that prefers play over treats anyway – to get her ears up. I'm sure we made quite the picture to the passing cars: me on my stomach, camera held to my face in readiness with one hand while the other waved a stick about over my head, trying to get the perfect angle on her ears (and then rewarding her by throwing it, of course – which is NOT easy when one is lying down).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUB6U2mCVLFNWu6ItFu5u7HEUiVHxZSQsT2Hr67MhdJygrUtq8C-N26_r23AWRNWGyA0wj-z1fTYRiJ500l-FosRkIuGy1OFGNPnvc_RUTE3BWx0w_BYD1saiFSF5CkGGw_YYdmA/s1600/zada+portrait+in+fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUB6U2mCVLFNWu6ItFu5u7HEUiVHxZSQsT2Hr67MhdJygrUtq8C-N26_r23AWRNWGyA0wj-z1fTYRiJ500l-FosRkIuGy1OFGNPnvc_RUTE3BWx0w_BYD1saiFSF5CkGGw_YYdmA/s200/zada+portrait+in+fall.jpg" width="200" /></a>I realize dog photography isn't all about getting the dog looking perfectly cute in every shot – life isn't about posing so why would we want every picture "posed"? – but I know <b>my </b>dog and she gets bored quickly and looks it...so I worked on the "posing" a bit more than I normally would with a dog portrait session.<br />
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Plus, her ears have ever been one of my favorite features on this dog (I call it her "Zadar") and she just looks so damn good with them standing at attention. Maybe it all stems from the German shepherd I had growing up who grew too big, too quickly and his ears never stood up (unless he happened to be facing into a strong wind).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASTPwPJia1wyJgy_jz_KRW8wKXpPKM1umHCzRO6Wofy_wbRgiEWhjYMoHFpu6PR-gf2Owhgzg6864DL9owPv5CZ5C2HKRrOAr1_F2Yp_Aa00hkgEap8mcZ2GtrO1PbFAEX1c93g/s1600/german+shepherd+sitting+under+yellow+birches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASTPwPJia1wyJgy_jz_KRW8wKXpPKM1umHCzRO6Wofy_wbRgiEWhjYMoHFpu6PR-gf2Owhgzg6864DL9owPv5CZ5C2HKRrOAr1_F2Yp_Aa00hkgEap8mcZ2GtrO1PbFAEX1c93g/s200/german+shepherd+sitting+under+yellow+birches.jpg" width="141" /></a>While I hadn't planned on being out for a long dog walk originally, once it was all said and done we were out for almost 2½ hours. Miss Z is ever so patient with me, doggedly doing what I request of her: stay here, come this way, down...she just does what she's asked with nary a complaint until I release her. Well, almost no complaining – at one point she looked up at me imploringly, stick hopefully quivering in her mouth, with a look that clearly said, "can't we just play fetch now?"<br />
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When it was all said and done I realized what a fun little impromptu photography shoot it was – just me and my dog enjoying a beautiful fall evening. I'm glad I went back for my camera!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-82127061739007570562012-10-17T10:25:00.000-05:002012-10-17T10:27:38.010-05:00Self Promotion in Social Media: To Do or Not To Do?I'm not a social media expert. Although, in this day and age, who IS? Has social media even been around long enough for a chosen few to have distanced themselves from the peloton and humbly declare themselves "experts"?<br />
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I think not.<br />
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The point is, EVERYONE these days is using at least some form of social media (except my sister, who contents herself with having virtually no online footprint), be it Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Google+, Tumblr, Blogger, YouTube, Wordpress, LinkedIn, Pinterest...the list goes on and on.<br />
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Most individuals use these platforms to keep in touch with friends, post pictures, write journal entries (ahem...guilty), learn about what's new, build new relationships or any combination of those. No biggie...but then businesses started getting involved in the online conversation.<br />
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<h4>Are Businesses Using Social Media Correctly?</h4>Okay, so with social media venues your business can reach out to your potential customers, current clients, industry experts, etc. I've interacted with several businesses via Twitter – whether to inquire about a product, offer up a thanks-for-a-job-well-done or to ask advice – and have been extremely pleased that these businesses had a quick response time, were very helpful and I even got a free product from one of them.<br />
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So what's the big deal with businesses using social media? Well, in those instances, the experience was positive and I felt even stronger about the company/product than I did before our behind-the-screen exchanges.<br />
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And then I see businesses misusing social media – namely, Twitter – to shamelessly self-plug their products and services.<br />
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Over...and over...and over...and over.<br />
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When did it become "okay" to blab ceaselessly on about oneself? Isn't the social media-verse all about relationships – finding like-minded souls, connecting with them, building relationships, sharing information, and LISTENING as much as (or less than) you talk?<br />
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Evidently some businesses – and, let's be honest, some individuals – think it's a perfectly acceptable practice to yak on and on about themselves without a care in the world for anyone else. Instead of an online conversation, they're rolling out their own red carpet with a long-winded diatribe.<br />
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That, my friends, isn't the way to use social media to advance your business. Trust me, no one wants to listen to a braggart. At best, no one will engage with your content and all you'll hear on the other side of your Tweet/post/share is silence; at worst, you'll be un-followed, de-friended, deleted and utterly ignored.<br />
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<h4>This Isn't My Opinion; It's What Others are Saying</h4>But why listen to me? I'm no expert, as I alluded to at the beginning of this blog post...but I would like to share what other people on the Internet are saying about the very same topic:<br />
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<ul><li>Read what Mashable has to say about <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/06/25/small-businesses-social-media-tips/" target="_blank">businesses using social media</a></li>
<li>Bizreport says "<a href="http://www.bizreport.com/2012/05/noise-spam-and-self-promotion-are-twitter-turn-offs.html" target="_blank">self promotion is a Twitter turn-off</a>"</li>
<li>Some <a href="http://ohmygov.com/blogs/general_news/archive/2011/01/11/7-deadly-sins-of-self-promotion-on-twitter.aspx" target="_blank">deadly sins of self-promotion</a></li>
<li>And here are <a href="http://weblogs.about.com/od/microblogging/tp/Top10TwitterEtiquetteTips.htm" target="_blank">some Twitter etiquette tips</a>, including "don't just talk about yourself"</li>
<li>Who wouldn't listen when CNNMoney says to <a href="http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/11/29/social-media-self-promotion-resisting-the-temptation/" target="_blank">resist social media self-promotion</a>?</li>
</ul><div>There are a myriad of "do this; don't do that" opinions out there when it comes to using social media, but it seems the general consensus regarding business self-promotion is "that's not the point of social media!" I.e., don't do it. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Should you not do it at all? No, that's not what we're – sorry, THEY'RE – saying. The point is: engage with other users; build relationships; share OTHERS' content; join in conversations (don't launch into manifestos); and then, when/where appropriate, offer up your expertise/content. But, like any other relationships you have, it's give-and-take...you need to listen to others as much – or more – than you talk.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Again, no one likes someone who ceaselessly self-promotes. I was reading an article that came through my Twitfeed just this morning about senseless <a href="http://www.blueglass.com/blog/seo-mistakes/" target="_blank">SEO mistakes</a>, and there it was again – the admonition NOT to build a self-centered social media strategy:<br />
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I think my favorite quote is "Only sleazy salesmen promote their own stuff without considering others."</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-13344467985606974702012-09-30T12:11:00.003-05:002012-09-30T12:11:45.434-05:00Whata Dandy LifeEver since our horseback riding trip to the Black Hills this past August, I've been in high gear searching for a horse of my very own.<br />
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While Ole has been – and will continue to be – mine since he came to live with us 9 years ago, it's really been since Kamell that I feel I've had a horse that's entirely all mine. Even though I hadn't ridden Mell much at all in his later years (he retired to the pasture because of his bum knee), when he was put down in the fall of 2006, it devastated me. I'll still tear up if I think about it too much – after all, I'd known him since we were both 5 years old and had ridden him since I was 13 or 14. He was a good boy...<br />
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In 2007 an opportunity presented itself and I jumped at the chance to get "Ky," a <a href="http://sarahbernier.blogspot.com/2007/07/horse-horse-my-kingdom-for-horse.html">large Appendix Quarter horse gelding</a>. He proved to be sickly and – much to my chagrin – died in the pasture that fall (the first time anything like that had EVER happened to us!). We think there was something going on there before we got him, but regardless, he wasn't the horse for me.<br />
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Anyway, since August I'd spent just about every free moment I had searching online horse ads for suitable Quarter horses...I was looking for a big gelding with enough training to do open horse shows but also one that would be good on the trail.<br />
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In this market it was hard to find horses that fit my criteria – either the horses were too small, too expensive or didn't have the requisite training/experience. In some cases, it was all three rolled into one.<br />
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I almost didn't call on "Ellliot," a bay Quarter horse for sale in Wisconsin, since he was listed at 15.3h and only 950 lbs (Kamell was about 900 pounds and was a small horse). Finally, Clint told me to call and find out instead of wondering, so I did. Come to find out, the gal hadn't measured him; she just guessed! She said everyone who'd come to look at him had commented on how much bigger he was than the ad stated...<br />
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So, after talking with her for about an hour I scheduled an appointment to go see this gelding...I had a good feeling about him just based on what she told me; I also really liked her and her personality (plus, she said her family had a German shepherd, so obviously we're kindred spirits :).<br />
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Since I'd made that appointment, I figured I might as well call on a few others in Wisconsin, and we could make a weekend of it (Clint said he wanted to go along, too!). I set another appointment, had another couple fall through (the horses had sold but the online ads were still up) and we planned the trip for the last weekend in September.<br />
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Meanwhile, I'd planned a <a href="http://sarahbernier.blogspot.com/2012/09/september-weekend-at-bernier-ranch-spa.html">weekend up north</a> for horseback riding and found out about a horse for sale an hour's drive from Mom & Dad's. So, I added that one to the list to kick off the Great Horse Hunt. He was a nice horse (albeit lame), with a good personality and snazzy coloring, but he just wasn't for me.<br />
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Yesterday we set out at 8am to drive to Birchwood, WI to meet "Elliot." After a 2.5-hour drive (including a couple wrong turns and some road construction issues) we arrived. I'd told the owner I wanted to see her catch him up, saddle him and ride him first...I wanted to get a feel for how he was handled, what he was used to, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydAikEuBNAclcm09s6LEbcgAS4RM1DsVtQFiSlPZJ1lxbxEozpth5PQMUfuOT1gSG-AdVfo1yInhnt32mv0MMR3XmxdUdyF3lcBW17x95jV0CIuwcrI6CbtmWBiq456Pni1QWIA/s1600/my-new-horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydAikEuBNAclcm09s6LEbcgAS4RM1DsVtQFiSlPZJ1lxbxEozpth5PQMUfuOT1gSG-AdVfo1yInhnt32mv0MMR3XmxdUdyF3lcBW17x95jV0CIuwcrI6CbtmWBiq456Pni1QWIA/s200/my-new-horse.jpg" width="200" /></a>She didn't have to go far to catch him – he and his two pasture mates came right up to the gate to hang their heads over to be petted (a good sign). She rode him first and I was glad to see her style of riding – very similar to my own – and how far along he was in his training (she'd made it sound on the phone like he was very raw). I realized I liked this horse.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXn6ApEbZWsEUxWUfIo8Pn4sMBUmLt3SHPSYp2f5d6UJU1Ks2RO4asspiUwYOJsCWk0zCUiXWBV-jp3ZxQyeu1dWfuHf2rVfOsynb4LqL4bX0tV1CBqbV5GIfVzTa3nwo5OSrlcw/s1600/whata+dandy+life+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXn6ApEbZWsEUxWUfIo8Pn4sMBUmLt3SHPSYp2f5d6UJU1Ks2RO4asspiUwYOJsCWk0zCUiXWBV-jp3ZxQyeu1dWfuHf2rVfOsynb4LqL4bX0tV1CBqbV5GIfVzTa3nwo5OSrlcw/s200/whata+dandy+life+1.png" width="200" /></a>When it was my turn to climb aboard, she had to lengthen the stirrups for me and he just stood there, calm as could be. I gathered up the reins, clucked and off we went! I think the only other horse I've ever gotten on for the first time and felt totally comfortable (as if I'd been riding him for years) is Ole – but that was just on a trail ride. "Elliot" had no clue who I was, I had no clue what he was used to in terms of how much leg pressure, etc. to use but he just ambled off and did everything I asked of him (see the video Clint took of me <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUGyEKxjlVk&feature=share&list=UUNJ9L5NYlH2q7-VLpSbXgTg" target="_blank">riding Whata Dandy Life for the first time</a>).<br />
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While he's definitely taller than Ole, he's not as bulky – when I put my saddle on him I had to cinch up the girth on both sides from how it fits on Ole – but I felt like I fit him pretty well in spite of not having as much horse under me as I'm used to (width-wise).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxKpXu_gY-PcPoi5htqEZcBtPEkXFpKHs5B7oGnc5YQ5aPe3v5c-_vFzlMDDw-cjZYRBWwpiBIdlwg0gyqXE727CPxuXKb9r7owMYr09RNGIB3gDHlOxyE851_EDlM-gVK2srcA/s1600/New-Horse-sniffs-my-toe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxKpXu_gY-PcPoi5htqEZcBtPEkXFpKHs5B7oGnc5YQ5aPe3v5c-_vFzlMDDw-cjZYRBWwpiBIdlwg0gyqXE727CPxuXKb9r7owMYr09RNGIB3gDHlOxyE851_EDlM-gVK2srcA/s200/New-Horse-sniffs-my-toe.jpg" width="158" /></a>After the video taping was done, I was sitting on him talking to the owner and "Elliot" reached his head around to sniff my foot...and then proceeded to chew on the toe of my boot, just like Kamell used to do in the line-up at horse shows. *Sniff!* I knew I really, REALLY liked this horse at that point.<br /><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiw7G3atsT-Srur4dA-r4vTg6KO015LXOOWpF_Foj71DegRWH9M3PLsTzvQeU-hkDgH6yH-121UhHcxPYHo1RLQGVn2e0RDd-4DreZc0lrQZLJzfE2HhPfca2lYuatj4tBmcWD3g/s1600/whata+dandy+life+trotting.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiw7G3atsT-Srur4dA-r4vTg6KO015LXOOWpF_Foj71DegRWH9M3PLsTzvQeU-hkDgH6yH-121UhHcxPYHo1RLQGVn2e0RDd-4DreZc0lrQZLJzfE2HhPfca2lYuatj4tBmcWD3g/s200/whata+dandy+life+trotting.png" width="200" /></a><br />
I got off and she un-tacked him, then showed me how well he stands for the clippers (she did a front foot, back foot, his eyes, nose and even in his ears, all while he stood there not moving a muscle); loaded him into the trailer (popped right in) and then put him through his showmanship paces for me. She even gave me a little lesson on Quarter horse showmanship – I learned quite a bit, not having shown in a showmanship class since 4-H!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfCodoqJzhB7E2K3GhOHmYvZrzQH47NZ3fjaLduCAMfRCR2s9qd_qtjYXUcA0gdh96P38F6yuQcvXC95ickLi5eCQXMJy3IaqaniNa1p6ONCb8xQBbeOPL1FdElR-xP9u2mGuJg/s1600/whata+dandy+life+canter.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfCodoqJzhB7E2K3GhOHmYvZrzQH47NZ3fjaLduCAMfRCR2s9qd_qtjYXUcA0gdh96P38F6yuQcvXC95ickLi5eCQXMJy3IaqaniNa1p6ONCb8xQBbeOPL1FdElR-xP9u2mGuJg/s200/whata+dandy+life+canter.png" width="200" /></a>When it was all said and done, I knew this was my next horse...even though we had an appointment 5 hours south for the next morning with a buckskin gelding.<br />
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Even though said buckskin was the first horse I'd found online that fit my criteria (and had kicked off the whole horse-hunting search), I knew right then and there I had no desire to ride <b>that </b>horse...I already knew <b>this </b>horse was The One!<br />
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Clint knew it, too...he said, "I know you've made up your mind about this horse...if you want him, get him!"<br />
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What more was there to say except, "I'll take him!" And that was that – we lined up a time for me to come get him (ahem...for MOM to drive her trailer and for me to ride along with :) and then we sealed the deal with a hug.<br />
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I'm so very excited about my new horse – he was raised right, he has a stellar personality, he's been trained right AND trail ridden. I cannot wait to bring him home!<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15680774.post-17265238451309532352012-09-24T09:36:00.000-05:002012-09-30T09:41:11.362-05:00September Weekend at Bernier Ranch & Spa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_FOjELCaiE8rUnfmdIVK7zbeiuQFZbZkCzCyyww0P-jtj_jDQoCfiyzf204ZRqpHPPLI7RE5TdJ6d6yXK1RaKJpz5JHWzLZJC6sciLS1HmszkMyx1TuJdowC1MO4XzvFiRM5TA/s1600/golden-retriever-on-hike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_FOjELCaiE8rUnfmdIVK7zbeiuQFZbZkCzCyyww0P-jtj_jDQoCfiyzf204ZRqpHPPLI7RE5TdJ6d6yXK1RaKJpz5JHWzLZJC6sciLS1HmszkMyx1TuJdowC1MO4XzvFiRM5TA/s200/golden-retriever-on-hike.jpg" width="148" /></a>It was a lovely weekend up at the Bernier Ranch & Spa...I went up mainly to go horseback riding with The BFF both days, but also wanted to check out a horse for sale in the area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T2qOMOIFbqKgsHBiHZXnrPaNkkj1wpzW70xlAVNrM-HU7GgPjPeQLN8tTCf1_6LE1_w6b8VB9HRdRM7zKrGCfckLG-CHqUh3w-P08-O7JJZ98PrvHxmMOT3vOLyK34B-RLvbdw/s1600/muzzleloader-club-cabin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T2qOMOIFbqKgsHBiHZXnrPaNkkj1wpzW70xlAVNrM-HU7GgPjPeQLN8tTCf1_6LE1_w6b8VB9HRdRM7zKrGCfckLG-CHqUh3w-P08-O7JJZ98PrvHxmMOT3vOLyK34B-RLvbdw/s200/muzzleloader-club-cabin.jpg" width="200" /></a>Well, as it turns out The BFF couldn't ride on Saturday at all and only had a couple hours to ride with us on Sunday (evidently pharmacy school takes studying on the weekends...who knew?), but I still had a good horsey weekend.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKuCtaUKpWWky8r3F_LC0gBPP_M3MX0Sgauo8F1K1giTT5gGPF9QRyHl1Yp-BTpdVxZSapj1UB2FIXAWdymCHWRNUjpecTKmbCdaxz_1P-5x7dkMX-PDIvhvJ7W8hTpnla994JA/s1600/grey-mare-running-with-fall-colors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKuCtaUKpWWky8r3F_LC0gBPP_M3MX0Sgauo8F1K1giTT5gGPF9QRyHl1Yp-BTpdVxZSapj1UB2FIXAWdymCHWRNUjpecTKmbCdaxz_1P-5x7dkMX-PDIvhvJ7W8hTpnla994JA/s200/grey-mare-running-with-fall-colors.jpg" width="151" /></a>Saturday afternoon I wanted to head out with the dogs for a nice long hike but in spite of being gone for over 3 hours and walking countless miles, I never made it more than half a mile's distance from the house...I noticed some fencing that needed fixing in the horses' grass pasture; forgot my camera; tromped through the woods looking for Dad and ended up with two dogs – and all my clothes – covered in burs and porcupine eggs (which I then had to pick off everyone); both sets of horses needed to be grained and hayed...etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6Cw_l2addHx8t4O7QnujYLLQNP7hTR6znMH_OXl5ytmALo3K0dQzeyWEwwbDnNCvUVVmRAYgpYs0L7N-2X9ieIWmM3WbdQJT7odctEdt9gZVKLrgtF0dEZ2w3dmtAj-zvfDsvQ/s1600/swans-on-minnesota-lake-in-fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6Cw_l2addHx8t4O7QnujYLLQNP7hTR6znMH_OXl5ytmALo3K0dQzeyWEwwbDnNCvUVVmRAYgpYs0L7N-2X9ieIWmM3WbdQJT7odctEdt9gZVKLrgtF0dEZ2w3dmtAj-zvfDsvQ/s200/swans-on-minnesota-lake-in-fall.jpg" width="200" /></a>I hadn't been to the "Skinner's Cabin" for a couple years, either, so it was fun to hike around in the woods near there – which is where we picked up all the porcupine eggs – and see how the buckskinners have added to the space.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiie_kmX6DesE4X6HE5MLQLK5tj0S96wQ1gzr6CXcC-zRgBJn5BIj4Ovg_kLod23_4s8MnbbFCmBGMBFHf3DX2NAnFX4icY8piHBJTn2ZJDwz1zHKGwMVagPO3oGKpuTXvPZ4tqSA/s1600/joon-&-her-shadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiie_kmX6DesE4X6HE5MLQLK5tj0S96wQ1gzr6CXcC-zRgBJn5BIj4Ovg_kLod23_4s8MnbbFCmBGMBFHf3DX2NAnFX4icY8piHBJTn2ZJDwz1zHKGwMVagPO3oGKpuTXvPZ4tqSA/s200/joon-&-her-shadow.jpg" width="195" /></a><br />
It was fun horsing around that evening with Mom...even thought we didn't set foot in the stirrups. We hung out in the pasture with the horses while they ate...it was nice to see that my mom's horse (Joon) has almost fully recovered from her suspensory ligament injury earlier this summer. She's definitely feeling her oats, as she showed us by running about with her tail in the air.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETvKD7ZNV5wXtxqY9xGs2AUXKmw1D7GPF41A0-ptluBJRBJ7JKcgxOao8cyAi5tJ5-IniiyVLNMRpQocz9KegqRdDMBJTxHD09ZciBX98wS7eUOOZKEyhc3tkrS9Te2-dyxiRWw/s1600/woman-horseback-riding-in-fall-with-dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETvKD7ZNV5wXtxqY9xGs2AUXKmw1D7GPF41A0-ptluBJRBJ7JKcgxOao8cyAi5tJ5-IniiyVLNMRpQocz9KegqRdDMBJTxHD09ZciBX98wS7eUOOZKEyhc3tkrS9Te2-dyxiRWw/s200/woman-horseback-riding-in-fall-with-dog.jpg" width="194" /></a>On Sunday morning we were off to Cut Foot, which is what everyone calls a set of trails in a state forest in Cass County. The BFF is only about 20 minutes from there, so it was the best place to meet up to ride for a couple hours.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCAIzd9i9mUlPW6BdeEM5lW3dcpDR3ZilUjCVuNAjfd63l7vnDodrOtw6t3m3vN7muA_eoWg5QjIH-PBEWPsBOVTsqNyY6gq9g29HP-nUg1qnNyILQQNs4FvKUgfpnwZ09Av28w/s1600/mom-ponies-joon-while-riding-will.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCAIzd9i9mUlPW6BdeEM5lW3dcpDR3ZilUjCVuNAjfd63l7vnDodrOtw6t3m3vN7muA_eoWg5QjIH-PBEWPsBOVTsqNyY6gq9g29HP-nUg1qnNyILQQNs4FvKUgfpnwZ09Av28w/s200/mom-ponies-joon-while-riding-will.jpg" width="200" /></a>The weather was perfect, the colors were riotous and the horses were all great...except Will, who bashed Mom's knee into a tree while we were brush-popping around a felled tree in the trail. Grrrr. Well, I guess that's what happens when you pay more attention to the horse you're ponying than the horse you're riding – right, Mom?! Thankfully her knee will be fine, but man we were worried at first. I was about ready to re-name Will "Alpo."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW16pmt_TlWrzTm_wJKv0pWXwI1f5X6rBQ8NVy18ov5Gw5s97RTrQIu5s-DkwU_lTHNMIGLlrn5uKR-Or4pHaGxlk5g_6LNvVncrPJy1v7_otWQmvhTUC9T3-VChmZrDzeyKtKRQ/s1600/zada-&-ole-on-the-trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW16pmt_TlWrzTm_wJKv0pWXwI1f5X6rBQ8NVy18ov5Gw5s97RTrQIu5s-DkwU_lTHNMIGLlrn5uKR-Or4pHaGxlk5g_6LNvVncrPJy1v7_otWQmvhTUC9T3-VChmZrDzeyKtKRQ/s200/zada-&-ole-on-the-trail.jpg" width="200" /></a>After our lovely ride we hung out in the sun for a bit, then had to load up the horses and head back home to get ready for the next part of our adventure: beginning my horse-hunt. We had an appointment to meet "Joey," a blue roan for sale in Palisade, MN.<br />
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Off we went.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8OtqIqZMCeSZsDxKbtIpI2qdOtU1UsA065TVR0jtcF04iiq_K7SQHyeUW6Iz8S2U2I0M47qMaHBVZJq5Lp40F-DwukGmORm3nEggfu-_kDm4fjGiwi-uJFqGZoibQrn50TVpww/s1600/me-riding-little-blue-joey-in-palisade-mn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8OtqIqZMCeSZsDxKbtIpI2qdOtU1UsA065TVR0jtcF04iiq_K7SQHyeUW6Iz8S2U2I0M47qMaHBVZJq5Lp40F-DwukGmORm3nEggfu-_kDm4fjGiwi-uJFqGZoibQrn50TVpww/s200/me-riding-little-blue-joey-in-palisade-mn.jpg" width="200" /></a>He was a very good horse, and his people were uber-nice, but he was a bit "off" – we couldn't tell which leg was bothering him but he was definitely limping (as you can see <a href="http://youtu.be/XmObVpUX2fg" target="_blank">here</a>). Plus, I've never had to work so hard in my LIFE using my legs to get this horse to move (even made Will look like a walk in the park!). While I liked his personality and he was big enough for me, it just wasn't the right fit.<br />
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Oh well...like I told Mom, "you can't buy the first Christmas tree on the lot you see, you have to look at a bunch of them & choose from there." Same with horses :)<br />
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The hunt will continue in Wisconsin next weekend...maybe I'll end up with a horse from Packer-ville :)<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04805185036978789135noreply@blogger.com0